MSTS / ORTS Utility - MSTS_Swap

I have just uploaded my new effort to the TSSH library - it's also available on UKTS, trainsim.com and Elvastower.com.

It acts as a front-end for several utilities and enables any one to be run for any selected MSTS installation.  The utilities covered are ConBuilder, Convoi, Route_Riter, Activity Changer, Activity Analysis, Track Viewer, RoutesOnOff and Work Order Printer.  Each utility's button will only be 'live' if it is correctly installed and configured.

Any selected MSTS installation may also be run in Sim or Editors mode using this program, which will probably make it useful to anyone having difficulty in getting the Editors to work!

MSTS_Swap modifies Registry entries and/or control files before running a utility and restores them on completion.  The original Registry entries and control files are saved, so in the event of a program crash, they can be restored. Details are in the readme (in the installation folder).

Any appropriate utility may also be used by Open Rails users who don't have a full MSTS installation - ie no Registry entries and, probably, no train.exe file.  In these circumstances, this program will create a dummy Registry entry (which I've called a 'skeleton') together with an empty train.exe file; this satisfied those utilities which 'look for' such data.

Although I've tried to make the program as self-explanatory as possible, I recommend that the fully detailed readme is read before "diving in"!

Ged

Thanks for this utility Ged

It works perfectly for me in Windows 10 with Activity Analysis, which for some reason was not working when I used Route Riter to change the MSTS registry entry.

It will be a very useful resource.

Mike

A modified version (1.1) of MSTS_Swap has been uploaded to the library. The reason for this is that proposed changes to the ConBuilder error reporting/solving system could be affected by the way MSTS_Swap processes its control file. Not wishing to cause problems, I have amended MSTS_Swap so that it will only recognise freeware versions of ConBuilder; hopefully this will be a temporary measure and support of the full version will be restored sometime in the future, but I won't guarantee it.

I apologise for causing any inconvenience, but felt it was the fairest way to proceed.

Also included are a couple of bug fixes regarding processing of OpenRails-only "MSTS" installations which contain a dummy train.exe file.

Cheers,
Ged

Hi all,
I've just uploaded a new version (1.3) of this program to the libraries here and at UKTS, trainsim.com amd Elvastower.com.

The additions are :
1. The restoration of the payware version of ConBuilder to the list of utilities supported.  The difference between this and the freeware version is that it is NOT reverted to the state it was before MSTS_Swap was run.  This is so that if ConBuilder Support is advised of a problem, the control file remains in a constant state.  If the payware version is detected, the ConBuilder button takes on a pale blue hue and a message is displayed at the bottom of the screen.  If an installation contains both payware and freeware versions, MSTS_Swap only recognises the one referenced by its Registry entry.

2. The backups of the control files for Convoi and the freeware version of ConBuilder are now saved in the MSTS_Swap_Data folder instead of their respective installation folders.  Any existing backup file in an installation folder is deleted by v1.3.

3.  A new button (Mini Loader) is shown.  This will only become 'live' if the selected installation is a mini route controlled by Mike Simpson's Mini Loader (eg MEP, SCP or any self-made mini routes using that utility, providing it has the specified base name).  It may be used for its 'normal' purpose of running a selected activity, or to use its Unstore All button to enable any utility to be run on all its stock.  When Mini Loader closes, the utility selection screen is re-displayed to allow selection of any utility; if none is required, Quit should be selected to close the program.

4. A Quit button is added.  It may be used at any time to terminate the run and has the same effect as Alt+F4 and the Close Windows X.  

It has been suggested that the way the program operates, particularly regarding its termination, could be changed. I am quite willing to listen to any suggestions!  

Cheers,
Ged

Hi All,
I have discovered a tiny bug in this program!  Strictly speaking, it's not in the program and it can be easily corrected by the user.

When running MSTS, and with certain graphics card settings, view 1 shows a grid of widely spaced lines; this doesn't show if the Shift+1 view is used.  To remove this grid, the parameter /nofiltercab or /nofiltercab:1 can be used.  The default parameter included in MSTS_Swap is \nofiltercab which, obviously, doesn't work!

If you see these grid lines when running the sim from MSTS_Swap, please amend the \nofiltercab part of the parameter line to be /nofiltercab before pressing the Accept button.  It's only necessary to do this once as the modified value is saved and used on subsequent occasions.  Note that there must be no space between / and nofiltercab.

Apologies for any inconvenience caused
Should any further versions of the program be issued, it will include the corrected parameter.

Cheers,
Ged