Ged's Utility Room

The Potteries route (NSR Lines) also has a very simple era changer but it only changes carspawners, static wagons and static road vehicles between BR and LMS. It uses a batch file.

Hi David,
Thanks
I would think, with it being a more modern route, the Potteries 'Era Switcher' will work whatever the installation the route is located in. The problem with the Dorset Coast Era Swicher is that it ONLY works if the route is installed in the default MSTS installation!!

By the way, I've now got the DC version to work with ANY installation, including Open Rails, using MSTS_Swap!!

Cheers,
Ged

Hi All,
MSTS_Swap now runs the Dorset Coast Era Switcher on any installation, MSTS or Open Rails, which has the Dorset route in its ROUTES folder, to my satisfaction.

My usual tester no longer runs the Dorset Coast route or MSTS_Swap.

If you have the Dorset Coast v6 route installed anywhere other than the MSTS default location AND want/need to run the Era Changer, please let me know if you'd like to check it out using the new version of MSTS_Swap.

I should reiterate that the Era Changer ONLY changes the livery of stations signage.  Dorset route Patch6-01 contains the original Era Switcher, which allows the user to switch between SWT (the route's default), later SWT and NSE liveries. An extended version, which adds BR Green and BR Blue liveries was uploaded by Geoffrey Swindale. The versions are available from trainsim.com as file IDs 23405 and 31211 respectively; in both cases, the supplied .exe file should be copied on to the Desktop.

Cheers,
Ged

EDIT (20 May 2024) : This version of MSTS_Swap will not be uploaded, but will be replaced by new single-purpose program - Please see my next post.

Hi All,
It's a long time since my last post in this thread!!
In that, I referred to changes I'd made to MSTS_Swap to allow the station livery changes to be made to Dorset Coast installations which are either mini-routes or Open Rails installations, ie NOT only in a default MSTS installation..
I admit that was a rather 'clunky' way of implementing that requirement, which is probably why nobody offered to try it out!!  That version of MSTS_Swap has not, and will not, be uploaded

I have been working on a new program which, together with the associated texture files, is installed within the Dorset folder itself and may be run before running the route.  It may also be added into the route's folder if that is in a default MSTS installation in which case, the working of the original Era Switchers is not affected, although they would now be superfluous!.

I have named my version Dorset Coast Era Changer and hope to have it available towards the end of this week.

Cheers,
Ged

The work you do on all your utilities is much appreciated.   Roderic

Hi Roderic,
Thanks for the compliment

Although I haven't had any bright ideas recently, I do enjoy creating these utilities - and it keeps the old brain cells active (at least that's what I hope it's doing and not wearing them out!).

Cheers,
Ged

Hi All,
Earlier this year, a couple of users over at trainsim.com were having difficulty sorting out which files to use to upgrade the download v3.3 to v4, v5 and v6.

I posted details of which files should be used out of the 50+ available, but it gave me the idea to create a compilation of all those files so that only one .zip file need be downloaded.
Eric, the owner, accepted the idea even though the compilation would contain a number of default MSTS files, to avoid the user having to run batch files in the correct order, which probably wouldn't work, anyway!

So that the resulting compilation could be used in Open Rails as well as MSTS, Eric accepted that the complete default MSTS SOUND folder and New Roads v4.0 could be included.
As the original download version 3.3 of the route didn't include any activities, I created a very simple one together with the default Class 50 and Mk1Carriages TRAINSET folders and a couple of default consists.
Also included, for Open Rails users, are the CABVIEW and SOUND folders for the other default locos as these are aliased by much of the UKTS stock now hosted at trainsim.com.

The compilation is now available from trainsim.com as file ID 88951.  Full details and instructions are included in a readme
All the user needs to do is copy the unpacked GLOBAL, ROUTES, SOUND and TRAINS folders into an MSTS 'root' folder, allowing overwrites, or an ORTS 'root' (profile) folder.

I am looking at creating a similar compilation for updating the CD version to v6. Since it could only have been installed into MSTS, it does not need to contain any default MSTS files, but I don't think it's quite so simple as it seems, so no promises!!

Cheers,
Ged

Thank you Ged, Downloaded no problem and did the Demo run. I will try a Class 50 end to end run (if there's a path for it). Neanderthal

Hi Roger,
Thank you for your report I see there have been 16 downloads already!!
There are many paths, but I didn't get as far as checking there was one for an end-to-end run!
I suppose it's what you classify as 'the end' as I think there is more than one possible 'final' destination depending on the route taken!

Cheers,
Ged

Hi All,
The trainsim.com library now contains a compilation of the upgrades and patches to convert an existing installation of CD v3 to v6.1.
As this compilation is designed to be added to an existing CDv3 installation, ONLY the MSTS default files required by each upgrade are included.
Its file ID is 88954 (Dorset_Coast_CDv3_upgrades_to_v6.zip).  Please follow the enclosed instructions!

All the Dorset Coast files previously available from the trainsim.com library, including those transferred from the UKTS library,  are being marked as 'Unavailable' with a link to their replacement file ID.

Cheers,
Ged

Hi All,
UPDATE
As rather an after-thought, after uploading this compilation, I checked all the activities, mainly to check that they all ran properly due to tdb changed.  I found that :
(a) 27 activities reported at least one Service as being 'Out of date',
(b) one activity reported a missing stock item .
(c) two activities just froze the sim on starting
and
(d) one activity wouldn't start because the Player consist was too close to the signal,

(a) is fairly easy to fix if the user has access to MSTS AE but that's not always the case, these days.
(b) can be solved by adding that stock
(c) was caused by errors in a couple of .sms files (which can be fixed by my sms_Checker utility).
(d) I have a problem with - see below **

I am working on a set of fixes for these problems (which are all occurring when using MSTS) which will be uploaded when complete.
Open Rails does report some 'Warnings' in its log; these don't stop the activities from working but, where possible, I may include fixes for these..

** My problem!
I've tried moving the consist away from the signal but whatever I do, the cursor turns into a 'clenched fist' and the whole screen moves instead of just the consist.  I'm obviously doing something wrong, or it may be that the consist can't be moved because there's a set of points quite close behind it.  For information, the activity is  dcr_41_br_cp_weymouth southampton 1970's.act (named "041. Weymouth to Bournemouth 1970's" ).

Cheers,
Ged

slipperman12 wrote:Hi All,
UPDATE
As rather an after-thought, after uploading this compilation, I checked all the activities, mainly to check that they all ran properly due to tdb changed.  I found that :
(a) 27 activities reported at least one Service as being 'Out of date',
(b) one activity reported a missing stock item .
(c) two activities just froze the sim on starting
and
(d) one activity wouldn't start because the Player consist was too close to the signal,

(a) is fairly easy to fix if the user has access to MSTS AE but that's not always the case, these days.
(b) can be solved by adding that stock
(c) was caused by errors in a couple of .sms files (which can be fixed by my sms_Checker utility).
(d) I have a problem with - see below **

I am working on a set of fixes for these problems (which are all occurring when using MSTS) which will be uploaded when complete.
Open Rails does report some 'Warnings' in its log; these don't stop the activities from working but, where possible, I may include fixes for these..

** My problem!
I've tried moving the consist away from the signal but whatever I do, the cursor turns into a 'clenched fist' and the whole screen moves instead of just the consist.  I'm obviously doing something wrong, or it may be that the consist can't be moved because there's a set of points quite close behind it.  For information, the activity is  dcr_41_br_cp_weymouth southampton 1970's.act (named "041. Weymouth to Bournemouth 1970's" ).

Cheers,
Ged

Hi Ged,
I don't have the route installed, but a possible reason for scenario d) could be caused by a different tsection.dat file now being used to the original?
Other things to try would be to shorten the consist and/or move the signal slightly in RE /TSRE.
T

Hi Terry,
Thanks for your reply but, unfortunately, I'd already thought of that!

I recovered an old DC installation containing the original build #33 of the tsection.dat file.  The same thing happens with that.
I then replaced it with the good old standby, build #38, and I still got the "Activity ended - ignored red light" message as soon as I started the activity.

It's only a 4-coach consist but as I mentioned, can't find a way to move it, even slightly. I'll try removing one of the coaches.

Cheers,
Ged

Cheers Ged,
I know that this is probably a silly question to ask, but have you tried deleting the consist from its location in AE, saving, and then replacing it?

T

Hi Terry,
There's no such thing as a silly question!! Only a silly answer!
No, mate, I haven't tried that, but will, probably tomorrow now. Thanks for the suggestion

Cheers,
Ged