MARK-2 RailSim.exe vs RailSimEditor.exe

[OTTODAD]

Still not having received a reply to my question about which of the above is supposed to be used to run the MARK-2 RS, other than the RailSimEditor not requiring the RS DVD and can have the Splash Screens turned off, I did a test.

Loading the MARK-2 reduced in size RailSimEditor.exe and having the Task Manager check what is running and how much RAM is being used this is what it reports:

MARK-2 RailSimEditor.exe only running - using 165 Mb of RAM

Doing the same with the RailSim.exe this is the result:

MARK-2 RailSim.exe only running - using 178 Mb of RAM

The question now is, does the RailSimEditor.exe use all the updated and new function of the MARK-2 RailSim.exe ?

O t t o

[Capt_Scarlet]

I would say its an updated exe as well, the difference being that the securom checks have been removed which is the reason for the smaller size. This is sort of confirmed by looking at the size of a old nocd version of the railsim.exe which is of a similar size.

John

[OTTODAD]

I would say its an updated exe as well, the difference being that the securom checks have been removed which is the reason for the smaller size. This is sort of confirmed by looking at the size of a old nocd version of the railsim.exe which is of a similar.

Yes, John, but is loading RS with the new RailSimEditor.exe providing all the MARK-2 updates it's RailSim.exe does, which is not shown as running in the Task Manager ?

What would be the consequences of working on changes to existing and new routes if updated functions are missing ?

O t t o

[Capt_Scarlet]

Yes, John, but is loading RS with the new RailSimEditor.exe providing all the MARK-2 updates it's RailSim.exe does, which is not shown as running in the Task Manager ?

What would be the consequences of working on changes to existing and new routes if updated functions are missing ?

O t t o

Otto, I would have thought that what is shown in task manager is irrelevant on determining what the program is doing or what functionality it has.

The way to see if the file is updated is by checking it's properties ( in the details tab ) as seen in this picture.

The left one is from MK1 and the right MK2

http://img79.imageshack.us/img79/2082/railsimeditorpropertiesbi4.jpg


As you can see the file versions and dates correspond to both patches therfore seeing I didn't have any problem patching either MK1 or MK2 I must therefore assume all is as it should be.

John

[OTTODAD]

The way to see if the file is updated is by checking it's properties ( in the details tab ) as seen in this picture.

The file sizes and their "Date Modified" dates are enough of a clue of what version they are without having to open their properties.

The Task Manager confirms which of the 2 MARK-2 RS *.exe files is running RS and doing so how much RAM is being used by it, which is significantly different between the RailSim.exe and the RailSimEditor.

So what has not been loaded into RAM by one of them, supposedly doing exactly the same ? Is it that the MARK-2 RailSimEditor.exe no longer looks for the RS DVD ?

Running RS both are doing the same, but am not sure whether that applies also when working in the scenario editor and then saving changes made.

Will the MARK-2 RailSimEditor.exe running take into account everything which has been updated in the MARK-2 RailSim.exe, increasing it's size ?

By comparison, both the MARK-1 RS *.exe files use the same amount of RAM when the RS Home screen is being displayed.

Did not think that anybody but a RSDL coder can answer that question and do not want to get a long way into working on a route and then find out that I used the wrong MARK-2 RailSim*.exe ! :(

O t t o

[Capt_Scarlet]

Otto, I think you are reading waaay too much into it all, either the MK2 patch has updated the Dev Tools correctly ( which it is meant to do if you have them installed ) or it hasn't worked correctly.
Based on the fact that the version numbers and dates of exe files show that they have been updated and no error messages were thrown up during the patching process one has to assume it all worked if you are able to start the program with no problems.

The other thing you could check is the version number for each exe by starting it and going into the credits screen and noting the version number at the top left of the screen. If they match ( both should be 84.7a ) then you should be ok.

The only other option I see if you don't believe this to be so is to uninstall the game and reinstall, install MK1, install any addon's, install MK2 and the install the latest dev tools. I would assume you wouldn't really want to do this unless you had to.

John

[OTTODAD]

Hi John !

I think that you are missing the main point of my question.

Until now I have been working on many created by me versions of some of the default routes, my own test routes, Jim Ward's, Wombles and lately the ALPS route, created my RS-Tracks changer after modifying the Siegen-Hagen rails and the comprehensive OTTO-Trackrule and had no problems whatsoever doing all that, RS having been updated with MARK-1 and the associated with it RailSimEditor.exe and the DEVTools.

After creating a COPY of this version I can continue to use to run the MARK-1 version executables and it's many routes, I have updated it with MARK-2, which has also updated the DEVTools, which apart from supplying the 353Kb RailSimEditor.exe play no part in creating and modifying routes and am wondering which of the 2 new RailSim*.exe I should use to load RS prior to working on existing and creating new routes.

This is the question I would like an answer too, but think that only a RSDL programmer is qualified to give me one.

Everything else works as it should in both MARK versions, except the ALPS, which can run only one of it's 4 scenarios in the MARK-2 version and can not EDIT the other 3 and have also relaid the missing high-speed track in the MK-2's Ealing Broadway station !

O t t o

[MikeSimpson]

Hi Otto,

You can if you like download the new RailSimEditor.exe from the RS Download site if you are worried about having the wrong version.

I have a feeling that very little of RS is contained in the .exe file, all of the work being done by the .dlls - This as John said was seen in the size of the original NOCD version. Only about 300 KB is used for the program, the rest is used to check if you have the right CD in the drive etc

It could also be that the Editor version actually runs the RailSim.exe (but uses a different entry point so that the disk checking etc is bypassed).

Mike

[OTTODAD]

You can if you like download the new RailSimEditor.exe from the RS Download site if you are worried about having the wrong version.

I did and doing a comparison of it's files with the installed and updated by the MARK-2 patch ones find that they are identical.

I have a feeling that very little of RS is contained in the .exe file, all of the work being done by the .dlls - This as John said was seen in the size of the original NOCD version. Only about 300 KB is used for the program, the rest is used to check if you have the right CD in the drive etc.

That is what I think too, reducing the size of the RailSimEditor.exe to 353 Kb. But only the LocalisedStrings.dll and ConvertToTg.dll have been updated by the MARK-2 patch.

It could also be that the Editor version actually runs the RailSim.exe (but uses a different entry point so that the disk checking etc is bypassed).

That is what I am not sure about, which executable code is actually running RS and would like to have confirmed by RSDL before I do any more work on RS routes and add-ons !

Running the MSTS Launcher.exe it loads the Train.exe, you can then see running in the Task Manager.

Anyway, academic now, having e-mailed Adam, I did not want to bother with the question, having his hands full dealing with the MARK-2 fall-out ! ;)

Take care, O t t o.

[RSDLadam]

Hiya,

Cheers for ther email.

As before, if you are just using rail Simulator and downloading new content, you can just use the normal RailSim.exe

If you are developing content (routes, trains, scenarios) you are best to use the RailSimEditor.exe. This is the one designed for further development.

[OTTODAD]

If you are developing content (routes, trains, scenarios) you are best to use the RailSimEditor.exe. This is the one designed for further development.

Sorry Adam if I appear to be incredibly thick, but what does the shown running by the Task Manager 353 Kb MARK-2 RailSimEditor.exe load into RAM which is then used by the Scenario Editors when working on routes ?

Any idea what causes these problems running the ALPS and Mike Simpson's route, the former not even loading EDIT mode for any of it's scenarios ?

http://forums.flightsim.com/vbts/attachment.php?attachmentid=5953&stc=1&d=1219063004 http://forums.flightsim.com/vbts/attachment.php?attachmentid=5954&stc=1&d=1219063004

However, running my ALPS-OTTO Freeroam only version, using the default Class 166 DMU works alright in MARK-2.

What could cause these problems the ALPS does not have in MARK-1, the add-on rolling stock or changed functions of some of it's signaling ? Perhaps that will provide a clue. ;)

Take care, O t t o.

[boleyd]

I get the same errors from time-to-time. Reported them. No acknowledgement by RSDL that they recognize this as a problem.

Just a guess, but the railsimeditor.exe seems to be a chunk of code that passes parameters to railsim.exe to order it to function in its editor mode. Both have version (under MK2) of 1.2.00. I downloaded the Dev Tools as part of my MK2 upgrade.

[OTTODAD]

I get the same errors from time-to-time. Reported them. No acknowledgment by RSDL that they recognize this as a problem.

I get them every time I try to run the ALPS in the MARK-2 Rail Simulator folder, but not when running my ALPS-OTTO Freeroam Only version, which uses Class 166 DMUs only.

Mike Simpson gets them when running the route he has been working on for 6 months ! :mad:

Just a guess, but the RailSimEditor.exe seems to be a chunk of code that passes parameters to RailSim.exe to order it to function in its editor mode. Both have version (under MK2) of 1.2.00. I downloaded the Dev Tools as part of my MK2 upgrade.

That's what Mike Simpson also suggests is what the 353 Kb MARK-2 RailSimEditor.exe could be doing, but would like to have that confirmed by RSDL before I carry on working on routes using the MARK-2 update. I can see only the RailSimEditor.exe running in the Task Manager.

So far no explanation here or in e-mails. :(

Take care, O t t o.

[MikeSimpson]

Hi Otto,

I worked out that the reason I was getting the error when running my own route was apparently because one of the textures I used in my route was actually from the US version of RS, not the EU version.

I had modified texturing.bin to accomplish this, but the new MK2 fix apparently overwrote texturing.bin and put it back to the default version. Thus when the route was run, it had an invalid ground texture and RS crashed.

Pity that RS does not actually tell you which file is missing then you could work out what was wrong, MSTS does at least tell you some of the missing files when you start it up.

Mike

[OTTODAD]

I worked out that the reason I was getting the error when running my own route was apparently because one of the textures I used in my route was actually from the US version of RS, not the EU version.

I had modified texturing.bin to accomplish this, but the new MK2 fix apparently overwrote texturing.bin and put it back to the default version. Thus when the route was run, it had an invalid ground texture and RS crashed.

Thanks for letting us know, Mike !

Could well be that ALPS did the same, but my ALPS-OTTO copy had all the required filters set ?

Shall soon find out when testing the about to be released update of their original ! ;)

Take care, O t t o.