MSTS - Helpful Facts and Links - Part 29 (MSTS Folder Content) by Alec and Ged

MSTS - Helpful Facts and Links - Part 29 (MSTS Folder Content)

This is another part in the series of posts that are intended to give a simple history of MSTS, point people to the various links considered vital to maximising the performance, describe elements within the MSTS hierarchy as well as allowing an understanding of the various components that make up MSTS.

This part has been prepared by Alec (Rufuskins) and Ged (Slipperman12) with an overview by Justin (j3801).

A typical “basic install” MSTS “top” folder is as shown below:-



Figure 1 – A typical “basic install” MSTS “top” folder

This part attempts to describe the content of the typical Train Simulator folder, and what it is meant to do.

1033 – this folder contains dwintl.dll, which is a file associated with MS Application Error Reporting

FONTS – this folder contains fonts used in the simulator and editors

GLOBAL – this folder contains  further folders that contain shapes and textures, which are available to all routes installed. The Shapes folder will be added to when NewRoads, Xtracks, etc. are installed.



Figure 2 – Typical MSTS Global folder content.



Figure 3 – Typical MSTS Global Shapes folder content.



Figure 4 – Typical MSTS Global Textures folder content.

The Global folder also contains a set of [txt] and [iom] files which define the key allocations for various functions; [txt] files are in Unicode format and [iom] files are the compiled version; this folder also contains [iomconvunicode.exe] which is a program used to convert the [txt] files to [iom] file format.

In addition it contains a number of [dat] files as follows:-

camcfg.dat - camera type/view settings
sigcfg.dat - signals configuration file
sigscr.dat - signal script file
soundcfg - contains memory and buffer settings for sounds
tsection.dat - contains the specifications of all MSTS tracks, but not default or UKFS tracks.

NOTE - The sigcfg.dat & sigscr.dat files in the GLOBAL folder appear to be for reference purposes. When a new route is created the folders and files in the TEMPLATE folder are copied to the new route, and within that folder are sigcfg.dat & sigscr.dat files, which contain only Japanese signals.

The existing EUROPE 1 sigcfg.dat & sigscr.dat files could be copied to the TEMPLATE folder along with the two relevant semaphore shape files, and thus UK semaphores would be in your template if were typically creating UK routes. For European and North American routes the appropriate b]sigcfg.dat[/b] & sigscr.dat files should be copied from the default EUROPE2 and USA2 routes respectively.

In summary the GLOBAL folder typically has default sigcfg.dat & sigscr.dat files, whilst within the a ROUTE folder the sigcfg.dat & sigscr.dat files are route specific.

GUI – this folder contains the specification for the various displays used in the simulator; e.g. F4, F8, etc.

HELP – this folder contains the help files used in the simulator and editors

MSTSBIN_BACKUP – this folder contains a backup of the original files updated when MSTSBin is installed.  When MSTSBin is uninstalled, the original files are restored using the files in this folder.

Rail Driver DLLs – this folder is created when MSTSBin is installed and contains a string.dll file, in several language versions, presumably for use with RailDriver.

ROUTE GEOGRAPHY CREATOR – this folder contains the program used when first  creating a route.

ROUTES – this folder contains all of the Routes that are included in the original MSTS plus all other routes that have been subsequently installed as follows:-



Figure 5 – Typical MSTS Routes folder content.

SAMPLES – this folder contains various [bmp] and [tga] files of default stock items

saves - this folder will only be present when an activity has been saved.

SOUND – this folder contains various sound [wav] and [sms] files that are available to all routes and stock; the folder is added to when, for example, SWB wagons sounds are installed



Figure 6 – Typical MSTS Sounds folder content.

TechDocs – this will only be present if the TechDocs have been installed from the MSTS CDs

TEMPLATE - this is a template layout of a typical route folder

TRAINS – this folder is relatively straightforward and contains two sub folders as follows:-



Figure 7 – Typical MSTS Trains folder content.

The CONSISTS folder contains all of the consists that have been installed within MSTS, which comprise units located in the TRAINSET; e.g. some typical consists are as follows:-



Figure 8 – Typical MSTS Consists folder content.

The TRAINSET folder contains all of the various units including locomotives, wagons and carriages; e.g. some typical folders are as follows:-



Figure 9 – Typical MSTS Trainset folder content.

Translated DLLs - this folder is created when MSTSBin is installed. It contains string.dll and dialog.dll files for several languages; these files should be used to replace the default files of the same name in the root folder (default = Train Simulator) of MSTS.

UTILS – this folder contains various utilities, the most important being tsunpack.exe (for unpacking activity [apk] files) and ffeditc_unicode.exe (located within folder FFEDIT), used by Route Riter.

XTRACKS - this folder is only present when XTracks is installed. It contains data about XTracks, but no files affect the operation of MSTS.