Bala Hub4 missing shape/ace file

I installed the above route some time ago.It has run happily until yesterday,now getting "Failed to open shape file Global/shapes/N1t12mStrt.s" and then "Shape failed to load." "No  extended shape data for N1tBuffer.s"

RouteRiter reports "No errors found"

Any ideas ?

Hi Peter,
Do these problems occur every time you run Bala Hub 4, or only occasionally?  Do similar problems happen on any other route/s?

As Route_Riter reports no problems, I assume the latter, in which case, it might indicate that your hard drive is having difficulty reading.  

I've got an idea as to what you can do, but it depends on how Bala Hub is set up.  if it's in an installation by itself, or, maybe, with one other route, then that'd be OK, but if not, what I'm thinking of wouldn't be practicable.

Cheers,
Ged

Hello Ged,thanks for replying,it is in a MSTS installation with one other route (East Lancs railway).I will try it with the sliders turned down.It is on a new activity I installed,Chester to Barmouth from UKTS f/l.

Hi Peter,
If you've never had to turn the sliders down before, I doubt if it will have any beneficial effect!

You appear to have run the route successfully before, but now you're getting errors indicating that file N1tBuffer.sd is missing and that file N1t12mStrt.s failed to load.  It's unlikely that you (unintentionally) deleted them, but just make sure they are in the GLOBAL\SHAPES folder.  If the files are present, try rerunning the route/activity.  It the errors don't recur, then it could have just been a glitch, but be aware that it might happen again!

If the same, or similar, errors are displayed, try the following, but NOTE : If you've set Windows to always delete files without moving them into the Recycle Bin, the following will NOT work!!  If so, reset it to use the Recycle Bin.

I suggest that you delete the installation root folder (probably Train Simulator?) - do not uninstall and DO NOT use [Shift+Delete].  Set up a new installation - it may have the same name as the one you deleted, then reinstall the Bala 4 route.  This will force Windows to use a different part of the hard drive.  Add the activity and any required stock - you could, of course, have backed up the TRAINS folder before deleting the old installation then copying it into the new installation.

Cheers,
Ged

Hello Ged,
I cannot see any of these files in any global folder in that installation.I am not keen on taking the drastic action you mention.I forgot I had backed this msts installation on to an external HD (together with virtually every other payware msts source file) so will see if these items are there (should be !).Should they be in the route global folder ?

Hi Peter,
You should be looking in the GLOBAL SHAPES folder, not the route's SHAPES folder.

Check if ANY N1t* shape files are present.  If not, that is your problem.  Probably caused when you backed up the route folder, but didn't back up the GLOBAL > SHAPES folder!
You'll need to install XTracks to get those shapes back.

Cheers,
Ged

Hello Ged,
I merely copied the MSTS Installation to the external HD;that has never caused problems with any other route.

I have solved the problem this way:

I found the buffer ace in the route's textures folder,copied it  to the route's global textures folder and now to the main global folder (worked while present only in the route's global textures folder),but now also in main global textures folder.
I found from another route a similarly named s and sd file,copied them to the route global shapes folder,renamed and it works!have now copied them to the main glpbal shapes folder.
One assumes X tracks is installed with the route !
Since writing this,I found all the shape s and sd files in another MSTS installation and replaced those I made (not tested yet !)

Hi Peter,
You seem to be a little confused!!

The texture (.ace) files associated with the track shapes SHOULD be in the route's TEXTURES folder. They are not required, but won't cause any problem, if included on the GLOBAL/TEXTURES folder.
The errors you received only referred to the shape and .sd files, which should be in the GLOBAL/SHAPES folder.  There is no such thing as a "route's global shapes folder"!!

Cheers,
Ged

I cannot help it,but when installed from the disc,it produced a "global" folder in the route !

Hi Peter,
My apologies, you are correct.  However, it only contains the shape and texture files for "US1Deer"

I've just checked all the World Files of the Bala Hub route and US1Deer is not used anywhere, so the folder is spurious.  Other routes which use US1Deer have the shape and texture files in the 'real' GLOBAL sub-folders.

Cheers,
Ged