The problem is Dave that most people haven't changed them. Some people have downloaded stock which will have a folder name of whatever the original uploader gave it, others will have the same stock off a CD which may be named differently. Some may well have both and not really know which version they used - unless they keep their installations very tidy.
Its a problem we have where items are named differently on CD's and uploads. Hopefully with the next generation of sims some kind of standardisation can be adopted regarding naming conventions.
The most practical answer is to download and pay a small amount for a utility called Activity-Analysis from http://www.eto-software.de/index.htm
It has a feature that will check an activity, give you a list of "missing" stock and then (when you give it permission) will automatically rename the folders used by the activity to the way you have them in your installation. It works really well.
No, it doesn't rename the folders it just rewrites the .con files so the consist points to the piece of stock you'd rather use.
Route Riter can do a similar job for specific activities but Activity Analysis can globally change every .con file the 'missing' piece of stock is in to the one you want to use, which is a marvellous tool IMHO.
Quite frankly as others above have pointed out, the folder/filename heirarchy of MSTS isn't well designed, also you need to be aware that some uploaders just have a readme that says "unzip to a folder name of your choosing". This is more prevalent with US freeware over on train-sim.com but some stock here is like that, and with those kinds of readmes how can anyone win?
Basically you MUST have one of the two utilities mentioned above for a stress free (or at least less stressful) MSTS existence.
Martin
Martin
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ED209: "Please put down your weapon. You have 20 seconds to comply."
I have a lot of sympathy with Dave1955's post. I downloaded the Y6_shift activity to adapt it for the steam mid-east route and spent several evenings getting all the stock or substitutes, before finally getting the activity to run. Having to deal with three different types of installation methods was a bit frustrating, particularly when I found that the folder created by the unzip process sometimes could be moved directly into the trainset folder, but at other times had an identically named sub-folder that had to be copied instead of the parent.
Then I went and did the same thing all over again for Steyning with the London-bridge to Brighton activity, spending hours with Route-riter before finally realising that I had got the i and the e the wrong way round in the bulleidcoach folder. The infuriating thing was that the required coaches were all sitting happily in adjacent folders such as Bullied-1st that I had downloaded ages ago. I could have changed the folder names in the consist files and services files, but that would have given me a non-standard activity. At the end I was on the point of scrapping everything and re-installing Trainz2004.
I think the community might want to start thinking about a database of ID's which reference library numbers, so that there could be a record kept of duplications, substitutions, alternatives, etc. This system would have to be a control layer on top of the current UKTS library numbering system, not a replacement for it. A standardised install method would also be a good idea.
I am not criticising anybody here, just recognising a similar situation that has already cropped up in the open-source world and needs addressing in the Train-sim world. If no attempt is made to put an ordered system over the top of free development, chaos will ensue. If guidelines and frameworks are created for people to use, they will tend to use them.
The current problems could get many times worse with the introduction of the new train simulators if these allow the use of or conversion of older MSTS items.
I certainly wouldn't want to see the strict control system of KUID's that Auran have implemented, but I would like to see some kind of system that can identify the extra files (sounds,cabfiles,crew animations) that a library item requires.
"Time waits for no man - but it sometimes stops to pick up hitchhikers"
