Packing it up

[sniper297]

Got a bunch of really decent repaints now, some are getting a flood of newbie "how do I install it" questions. Often tempted to answer those with "first learn to use a computer". :rolleyes: Problem is there are so MANY of them it's easier to make idiot-proof packaging than it is to repeatedly answer "copy to the \assets\kuju\railsimulatorUS\is\there\any\end\to\a ll\these\subfolders and delete the blueprints.pak file", only to get an answer back "what means Windows Explorer?" :confused:

To start with, download and install KRS RS_Tools_The_Missing_Bits from the file library, the Wizard of OZ who brought us MSTS Route Riter has done it again for KRS. :cool:

http://forums.flightsim.com/vbts/attachment.php?attachmentid=1744&stc=1&d=1203713839

You can package multiple assets in the same bunch and install all together, just browse thru the folders and click "add package" (1) on each of the main folders for each engine or car before clicking "process" (2). Message (3) after processing tells you where to find it.

http://forums.flightsim.com/vbts/attachment.php?attachmentid=1745&stc=1&d=1203713846

So go there, make new text files, at least a File_ID.diz (which Nels & company use to figure out where to put it), starting with "KRS" so it don't go into the flightsim.com multi-engine propeller section with all the DC-3s.

http://forums.flightsim.com/vbts/attachment.php?attachmentid=1746&stc=1&d=1203713852

If any additional content is required to make yours work, don't forget to add where to get it. If you're one of the Prima Donnas who wants to keep control of your Ultimate Artistic Creation don't forget to add a EULA spelling out what the end user is not permitted to do with it. :rolleyes:

http://forums.flightsim.com/vbts/attachment.php?attachmentid=1747&stc=1&d=1203713858

WinZip or whatever, check "include subfolders" on, make sure you get the whole smash in there.

Last but not least, TEST it, move all the files out of the rail simulator folder, start the game and the scenario editor to make sure your repaints are no longer listed anywhere. Then extract your new zipfile to a temp folder, replicate the exact steps you spelled out in the readme as if you were some clueless newbie downloading and installing an addon for the very first time.

http://forums.flightsim.com/vbts/attachment.php?attachmentid=1748&stc=1&d=1203713866

If everything actually works according to the instructions you gave, you're now ready to upload, and you won't have to answer 10 zillion "how do I install this?" questions over and over again.

[BigPeter]

um how do I view those pictures?

NO, seriously Very very well done, its always the little things one forgets that catch us out during the install process

[sniper297]

http://forums.flightsim.com/vbts/showthread.php?t=268728

For reskins of default trainsets, Mike has a new gadget to slim down the fatware.

http://forums.flightsim.com/vbts/attachment.php?attachmentid=2120&stc=1&d=1204866968

What the "package reskins" does is compare the files in the left folder with the files in the right folder, and when it finds a match it adds a copy command to a bat file and removes that file from the package. Big advantage here is automatic sorting so we're not uploading and having the end user download files that he already has a zillion times and wasting wads of bandwidth. Savings on some of the files I'll be reuploading in the near future;

Current in the file library - after repackaging:
pon294us.zip 11.4 megs - 1.3 megs
3bmwcsd.zip 3.6 megs - 1.2 megs
rscnwsd.zip 3.6 megs - 1.3 megs
rsponsd.zip 3.7 megs - 1.4 megs

Sigh of relief from the 56k dialuppers and less strain on the file library with a few clicks. :cool:

Some caveats;
1. This compares files and packages any files that have been altered, so if you have a prepatch clone and process it after the patch, it will include whatever prepatch files are different from what it finds in the default folder. Many of the European trainsets have newer files from the Upgrade Mark 1. What I'm doing is copying the files I actually altered (main engine bin and two exterior textures usually for engines) to a backup, then copying the entire contents of the patched default in, then copying the backups of my altered files in to overwrite. This insures whatever unaltered default files are in the engine's folder are the newest. After that I run the package reskins. This does not at present affect US reskins but probably will in the future since there are quite a few fixes still needed for US rolling stock.

2. Different defaults. If you clone the \SD40\Def2, you need to remember that and point to the Def2 folder rather than the \SD40\Default folder so it's comparing files with the one you actually cloned it from. Obvious, but easy to forget.

3. This is for default defaults, if you clone and reskin someone else's repaints you COULD use this anyway, but since it would be copying files from the repaint on the end users system you need to include in the readme that the end user has to have that particular repaint installed before installing yours. Strikes me as a rather clumsy and complicated method, in a case like that it's probably better to accept the fatware factor and just package the whole thing.