Unusual Route Riter error message!

Having downloaded the latest exMT folder - Class 47s/57s - I installed and then ran Route Riter. In the check sd section the following report was generated:-

MT_DD_CLASS_47_47741\C57Fans.sdd does not have a valid 'Shape' entry and must be corrected
MT_DD_CLASS_47_47747\C57Fans.sdd does not have a valid 'Shape' entry and must be corrected
MT_DD_CLASS_47_47750\C57Fans.sdd does not have a valid 'Shape' entry and must be corrected
MT_DD_CLASS_47_47769\C57Fans.sdd does not have a valid 'Shape' entry and must be corrected
MT_DD_CLASS_47_47805\C57Fans.sdd does not have a valid 'Shape' entry and must be corrected
MT_DD_CLASS_47_47806\C57Fans.sdd does not have a valid 'Shape' entry and must be corrected
MT_DD_CLASS_47_47812\C57Fans.sdd does not have a valid 'Shape' entry and must be corrected
MT_DD_CLASS_47_47813\C57Fans.sdd does not have a valid 'Shape' entry and must be corrected
MT_DD_CLASS_47_47814\C57Fans.sdd does not have a valid 'Shape' entry and must be corrected
MT_DD_CLASS_47_47826\C57Fans.sdd does not have a valid 'Shape' entry and must be corrected
MT_DD_CLASS_47_47828\C57Fans.sdd does not have a valid 'Shape' entry and must be corrected
MT_DD_CLASS_47_47829\C57Fans.sdd does not have a valid 'Shape' entry and must be corrected
MT_DD_CLASS_47_47839\C57Fans.sdd does not have a valid 'Shape' entry and must be corrected
MT_DD_CLASS_47_47840\C57Fans.sdd does not have a valid 'Shape' entry and must be corrected
MT_DD_CLASS_47_47845\C57Fans.sdd does not have a valid 'Shape' entry and must be corrected
MT_DD_CLASS_47_47846\C57Fans.sdd does not have a valid 'Shape' entry and must be corrected
MT_DD_CLASS_47_47847\C57Fans.sdd does not have a valid 'Shape' entry and must be corrected
MT_DD_CLASS_47_47851\C57Fans.sdd does not have a valid 'Shape' entry and must be corrected
MT_DD_CLASS_47_47853\C57Fans.sdd does not have a valid 'Shape' entry and must be corrected
MT_DD_CLASS_57_57601\C57Fans.sdd does not have a valid 'Shape' entry and must be corrected
MT_DD_CLASS_57_57602\C57Fans.sdd does not have a valid 'Shape' entry and must be corrected
MT_DD_CLASS_57_57603\C57Fans.sdd does not have a valid 'Shape' entry and must be corrected
MT_DD_CLASS_57_57604\C57Fans.sdd does not have a valid 'Shape' entry and must be corrected
MT_DD_CLASS_57_57605\C57Fans.sdd does not have a valid 'Shape' entry and must be corrected
Class57_3D\C57Fans.sdd does not have a valid 'Shape' entry and must be corrected
Class57_3D\Class57cab.sdd does not have a valid 'Shape' entry and must be corrected
Animated\Driver_Joe.sdd does not have a valid 'Shape' entry and must be corrected

Within the trainset folders for the above no such file exists with an ending format .sdd!

As far as I can tell the locomotives work, and hence I'm at a loss as to what this means? I am using Route Riter version 7.6.26.

Any suggestions would be of interest.

Hi Alec,
You'll need to let me into the secret as to where the "Check sd" section is, please!  I found the 'Fix sd' button but wouldn't touch it because I didn't want to use the other 5 buttons!!

All those "errors" refer to files used under Open Rails, and, although the shape, .sd and textures are included in the main stock folder they are not used by MSTS.  Obviously, R_R IS reading them but why it thinks they are .sdd, I don't know.  Driver_Joe is included in a subfolder of the common.crew folder so R_R may also be checking that but, again, I don't know why it thinks the file is .sdd and not .sd.

Cheers,
Ged

EDIT : I've just found out what could be the reason for this problem! The .sd files for C57Fan.s and Driver_Joe.s are NOT in Unicode format. I'll get in touch with Justin and see if he thinks it warrants an update.

Hi Guys,

This one has me baffled too!
I have checked the files that I have hosted - the shape files Driver_Joe.s and C57fan.s ARE in unicode (Sview spits the dummy otherwise).
I Can confirm that the SD files are not in unicode, but OR does not seem to worry about it!?
I have checked this as I am typing this message.
I went through the OR files to make sure that they are referencing the correct things the correct way (which they are) and that there is no stray letters (none).

I have checked the files out in OR:

No problems here.... Over to MSTS:

Again, No Problems????

I have had a look in my copy of Route Riter (V7. 8 ) but cannot find the check SD button???

Where am I going wrong???

Justin

Hi Justin,
I, too, am awaiting Alec's reply regarding R_R's 'Check .sd' button!! Until I know that, I can't confirm or refute my idea

Cheers,
Ged

Aah! By Check sd I meant Fix sd. As far as I can tell it is not critical that the Fix buttons are used sequentially. When checking a new install - be it route, stock, activity, etc. - I do use the Fix buttons in sequence, but when an error is picked up I don't start from the beginning again. Obviously if no one else's Route Riter gives these messages when using the Fix buttons then there must be something up with mine?

I should point out that the Class57fan S files were uncompressed in my install, but the same message was still given after I compressed them. In addition the stock including the fans all showed in Shape Viewer.

Hi Alec,
Thanks, mate
I should point out that I didn't refer to the .s files as being uncompressed because I don't think it matters!

To avoid this error being reported by Route_Riter, load each of the reported .sd files into NotePad and Save As  UTF-16 LE format.  This applies to the C57Fans.sd file in each stock folder and in the common.cab/Class57_3D,folder, Class57_3Dcab.sd in the Class57_3D folder and Driver_Joe.sd in the Common.crew/Animated folder.  This applies to both the Class 57 Collection and Virgin Trains Class 47 packs.

Running under MSTS and Open Rails is not affected

Cheers,
Ged

Hi Ged
I've just tried your suggestion and in Notepad it only gives me a UTF- 8 option and there is no mention of LE. I saved in that format for 47741 but Route Riter still gave the same error message. As it appears that this doesn't affect running in MSTS perhaps it's just as well to ignore it?
Regards, Alec

Hi Guys,

I have decided to go ahead and patch the offending files by re-saving them as Unicode format.
I have uploaded to the TSSH file hosting site the amended v1.1 files as well as a patch update for anyone who has the previous version so that you don’t need to redownload everything.

Regards,
Justin

Hi Alec,
Justin's action has solved the problem, however, it depends on what version of Windows/NotePad you are using, but for Win 10 (and, I think, Win 7), using the "Save As" function gives 5 options in the Encoding drop-down list, including UTF-16 LE.

Cheers,
Ged
.

Hi Ged
I've yet to download the latest version for the Class 47s/57s, but in my OS of Windows 7 Professional 64-bit SP1 Notepad only has 4 options including UTF-8.
Regards, Alec

Hi Alec,
You are quite correct! I've just ventured into my Win 7 installation and NotePad does only have 4 options. However, the one you could have used is Unicode.

If you do apply Justin's patch/es and then try doing the .sd check with Route_Riter, you will still get two 'errors' reported. These are in the common.cab folder. I have reported it

Cheers,
Ged

Hi Ged
Yes I opted for the latest patches, and the RR check/fix did report the two common.cab errors. I couldn't see where these were used and hence deleted the relevant folder; keeping it elsewhere.
regards, Alec

PS at 0925: I have just reinstated the relevant folder, saved the two sd files as Unicode and there are now no reported errors. Thanks for the suggestion.