slipperman12 wrote:Hi David and Eric,
David : Thanks for the email - no problem unpacking your .apk
I'm sorry, but I have to say there is a problem with your .apk file, Eric, other than with the RouteID.
APKExtractor3 will unpack a .apk file to a .zip even if the route is not installed (so has nothing to validate against). I removed the Black Country - LNWR route from my installation, but, as expected, APKExtractor3 still reports the "incomplete or corrupted" message. I don't yet know the reason, but if/when I do, I'll post details here.
Cheers,
Ged
Ged, you correctly get that message because the .apk as produced by Eric, does not have that information in it.
If the .apk is generated on a system with correct IDs for the route, a full .apk file will be produced. The samples I emailed to you proved that. I have also created an .apk of Eric's activity after I had changed the .act file to reflect the correct ID , and it unpacks with no problem. Shall I email you a copy of this?
Thanks for your replies, but I'm still not clear what's happening? Does the fact that I've installed the route as a stand alone mini-route have any bearing on the problem? What route ID should I be looking for? Do I need to recreate the activity? Shall I delete the original from UKTS?
Thanks for your replies, but I'm still not clear what's happening? Does the fact that I've installed the route as a stand alone mini-route have any bearing on the problem? What route ID should I be looking for? Do I need to recreate the activity? Shall I delete the original from UKTS?
Thanks
Eric
Eric there is only one small change that would have to be made to the route and then all can very simply be resolved. I suggest that you take no further action till Ged and I finally agree and until Brian is aware of the problem.
Even creating further activities would not be a problem as that can by very easily edited with a one-word change to overcome the issue.
Let me try and simplify this issue as for as I see it.
The RouteID entry appears in only two files, the .trk file and .act file. This RouteID entry must be the same as the folder name for the route.
If these two files have the correct RouteID entries, an .apk file will be correctly created. If they are not the same, it will not be generated correctly.
To resolve to current problem, the trk file first needs to be corrected.
Then the RouteID entry in any existing .act files should be manually modified to match that in the trk. file. A correct .apk file can then be produced.
This procedure can be followed to easily modify and re-upload any routes already complete or in progress.
I agree that it's a problem which comes from the bowels of the MSTS Activity Editor, caused because the RouteID is incorrectly set. Those who used Eric's .exe file to install the activity in the route as released wouldn't have noticed any problem because the RouteID in the route's .trk file and the .act file matched.
NOTE for Eric : There are another couple of AI locos which require creating - LNWR_2472 and LNWR_566 from folder LNWR_2472 (UKTS File ID 36455 - Cauliflowers).
slipperman12 wrote: Those who used Eric's .exe file to install the activity in the route as released wouldn't have noticed any problem because the RouteID in the route's .trk file and the .act file matched.
I will summaries to Eric what must be done as long as Brian agrees which in my opinion which will be the upload of a new .trk file with the correct RouteID.
I've just picked up on this, this morning (Ozzie time).
I've investigated the problem, and I think I have the answer.
When I originally created the route, I took a direct copy of the original Black Country - everything was named as BC1. To differentiate from the 'real' BC1 installed in my MSTS installation, I renamed the main folder Black Country - LNWR and revised the Name field to "Black Country - LNWR". This worked perfectly in my MSTS and OR installations without problem - the route came up in the selection boxes as Black Country - LNWR, and BC1 came up separately as the original 50s/60s route.
Now, my train simming interest are very specific (due to time constraints), and I found that the vast majority of third party activities did not suit my needs, accordingly, I have NEVER downloaded and installed any 'packaged' activities, so I would never have found this problem.
However, what I have done today is amend all the relevant route root folder files from BC1 to Black Country - LNWR. I've just run the amended route in both MSTS and OR and found they run OK.
So, my solution is I have made up a small ZIP file with the amended route root folder files. I can email this to, say Ged, and if he can copy it over to the 'other interested parties - Eric and David". If they give it the thumbs up and it solves the problem, then can I ask Ged to upload the Patch to UKTS for me please. The only instruction for users would be to delete all files named BC1 from the installed route root folder and copy in the new Black Country - LNWR files.
I'm reluctant to re-upload the entire modified route, as I found it took over an hour to originally upload to UKTS, due to slow internet speeds (I unfortunately have a very flaky internet connection - I had several dropouts, and had to attempt upload several times before it was successful).
I know the resultant act of users having to download the whole route, then download the patch, then do a little manual file deletion/replacement may be seen as an imposition on users - but the way I look at it, if users can download and install stock, etc. they should be capable of replacing a small handful of files.
Anyway Ged, can you PM me your email addy and I'll send the patch ZIP.
Regards, Brian
"Any railway that paints their locomotives such a magnificent shade of red, must be the most superior in the land" (apologies to the late David Jenkinson).
Hi John,
As I posted earlier, if you use Eric's .exe file and leave the route as released, the activity works. This is because the RouteID in both the route and activity match, so there's no need to change anything! All you have done is change both entries, so they still match. The problem occurs only when trying to unpack the .apk file, due to the way the MSTS Activity Editor has created that file.
Hi Brian,
Unless you really want to, there's no need to change all the BC1 files as these are separately specified in the FileName entry in the .trk file, and may be left as BC1. The only name which should be changed is that of the .trk file; I'd like confirmation that is the case, as I've taken the default S&C route as an example.
slipperman12 wrote:As I posted earlier, if you use Eric's .exe file and leave the route as released, the activity works. This is because the RouteID in both the route and activity match, so there's no need to change anything! All you have done is change both entries, so they still match. The problem occurs only when trying to unpack the .apk file, due to the way the MSTS Activity Editor has created that file.
Yes, but if activity authors (and other users) change the route's folder name to Black Country - LNWR and the RouteID in the .trk file to "Black Country - LNWR" then .apk files will work and MSTS won't get confused between two routes with the same RouteID if they're in the same Routes folder rather than set up as mini routes.
Time differences. I am only just seeing the latest round of posts.
John and Ged are absolutely correct with their summaries. The only necessity is to make the corrections so that package activities (.apk files) can also be created by users writing and distributing activities, and persons installing them. Only two file types need to be modified for this to be done and both need the RouteID entry changed to "Black Country - LNWR". The files are the route BC1.trk file and all the .act files of all activities created to date. When this is done future .apk files will be created and install as they should.
Changing BC1.trk will need everyone who has downloaded the route to receive a small patch. This should include a modified .act file for TEST.act. Ged or myself can do this if Brian agrees.
Eric will need to upload a modified "WAL - Coventry to Wolverhampton.act" file and modified the .act file of an activity he is creating. I, or someone else if they have the details, can guide him with this. Also, anyone who has started making activities will meed to make the same change the their .act files. Instruction on the could be given in the route patch referred to above.
Another issue to report I'm afraid. Brian mentioned something somewhere about retaining the semaphore signals from BC1 on his adaptation route. He also left details of two military movevement activities that someone might like to create.
I am in the process of creating his suggested "Military Movement 1" activity and have already encountered signalling problems.
On the run up to Great Barr station, (from Perry Barr), there is an Outer Home single semaphor that appears permanently fixed at Danger. However, if you ignore it and drive through, nothing happens. Then, further on, this activity calls for the Player Goods to be looped into Bescot Goods Yard to allow following traffic to pass. I've used the normal double RP technique to achieve this, but the turnout back onto the main line doesn't work.
I'll keep trying, possibly ignoring the Bescot loop and moving onto Bushberry.
For the Military Movement activity I will be uploading a Warflat (actually a Poll - the Warflat was a WW2 design) with the tank from the LMS stock CD..
Just got to figure out the lettering.
[album 80489 WWCo.jpg]
If it's got buffers it's Chain.
