I've seen the way that people package things (routes, stock, etc.), and noticed a couple of annoying things in some packages.
1. The Installation System
I've seen a number of routes and engines using fancy installation systems such as InstallShield or InstallMaker and wondered whether it is really necessary to go to such lengths, especially when I found my Add/Remove Programs list littered with routes and engines later on.
2. The Full Path
Some people don't realise that if you run WinZip without using the full paths option, it still puts subfolders in their place when extracting. Maybe my installation isn't in \\Program Files\Microsoft Games\Train Simulator\ ... Even worse, I've sometimes found "My Documents" directories and similar in archives. Most people I know get suspicious when files suddenly start appearing in the home directory (it's usually a bad omen).
3. The Word Document
Readme files are best done in plain text. There are a million ways to read text documents and relatively few to deal with Word Documents or RTF files - why does a 500-character document need 50k of space?
I know the usual response that I'd get at this point (not including the things I wouldn't give the time of day like "Well I like it this way" etc.) is "Do you have a better idea?"...
For this, you will need an archiver capable of producing self-extracting archives ("self-extracting archive" is not "installation program") - programs such as WinZip, WinRAR and WinAce are capable of doing these - I prefer not to use WinZip since RAR and Ace formats give better compression and smaller output files. You may also find an icon file handy, though the software will usually insert a stock icon if you don't have one to hand.
The example walkthrough here is for WinRAR (available from http://www.rarlab.com).
1. Head to wherever your new route/stock/whatever lives, select the relevant subdirectory and choose "Add to archive..."
2. Compression method should be set to "Best" - this will take more time but produce smaller .exe files. Solid archiving is recommended for large numbers of files, and SFX/Self-Extracting might be a useful option to select here
3. Under "Advanced" on "SFX options" you have the ability to set the output directory. It is best to set this to "." (dot) and "Create under current directory" - if your package uses an installation script to copy texture files or cabviews, put its name ("installme.bat" or whatever) in "Run after extraction".
4. The "Text and Icon" tab lets you select the title text and the message to show at the start. The default message has some useful information, so it may be worth creating a small test file and noting the instructions it gives, since these will not be shown if you add your own text. The option for a custom icon requires a valid icon file (.ico). Software such as MicroAngelo can cerate these, and there are sets of icons available throguh UKTS somewhere.
5. This done, return the the first pane, and double-check your options, including the output filename. Other useful options to set include "Test archived files" and "Add recovery record".
Then you get a working package, with no fuss, and considerably smaller than what you might get out of other methods. Combine this with a sensible readme file (i.e. not a Word or RTF document
) and you have the near-perfect package. When extracting files, point it at the TS ROUTES or TRAINS directory. If all has gone well, it should install your package, ready to run.* Special note for trains: it may prove useful to create a TRAINSET and CONSIST directory separately for packaging your objects. This means the end user can just extract to their TRAINS directory and have everything put in the right place.
Yet again, no flames please. Apart from some people's packaging methods, the content inside is always great. It's always good to see people make an effort whether it's their first activity or their umpteenth complex route.
