Atomic Systems

I have downloaded and installed the above route.Installation went without a hitch and running it through RoutRiter came up with zero errors or missing files.So far so good.
When I tried to load the route I discovered that there are no drivable paths.The tutorial on making paths in the beginners forum is a dead link but I managed to find another one.It did'nt help a lot because whenever in the past,I've gone into the activity editor my computer,despite being fairly high end, locks up.
I don't feel like giving up because the download took me 14 hours,so I downloaded the latest activity which is for ver 4 thinking it might give me a path,but it did'nt.I don't know what to do next,hope someone can help.
Terry

First try changing your desktop resolution to 16 bit before opening the Activity Editor. That might help that problem.

If you downloaded an activity and installed it and you still didn't have any paths then there's something else wrong. Did you get any error messages when you were installing the activity?

Are you running Trainstore ? If not then install it. Once done store all routes except one of the default routes. Then open the activity editor and make sure that in the view menu you uncheck all the options i.e. signals, sidings etc. The sheer volume of those on Thames Mersey may cause a problem if you try to open the activity editor with all the view options checked.

Once you have done this exit activity editor and then unstore Thames Mersey and you should be able to create paths.

Also - make sure you are running in 16 bit colour depth on your display properties - the activity editor does not like 32 bit colour on some graphics cards.

Have you tried the video tutorial at http://www.uktrainsim.com/tutorials.php

Hope this helps

Kindest regards

John

latimers wrote:First try changing your desktop resolution to 16 bit before opening the Activity Editor. That might help that problem.

If you downloaded an activity and installed it and you still didn't have any paths then there's something else wrong. Did you get any error messages when you were installing the activity?

Hi and thanks for the reply,it was your activity and I may have installed it incorrectly.After reading the readme,I left the static ones alone and moved the other two into the activity folder of the route.Is this right?
Terry

easilyconfused wrote:Have you tried the video tutorial at http://www.uktrainsim.com/tutorials.php

Hope this helps

Kindest regards

John

Hi John,I do use Trainstore.Thanks for the tip re 16 bit colour and for the link,I'll check it out.
Terry

I've just found, that with everthing unstored from trainstore,the Thames Mersey Paths folder has four paths....bletchley to euston.pat ms manchester piccadilly.euston fast.pat london euston to liverpool lime streetpassenger1.pat and rugby to london euston passenger.pat.
When I store the route in trainstore and then unstore these files no longer show in the folder which seems to suggest that they have moved to trainstore but the route still won't load because there is no drivable path.
Terry

You can Explore on any Driveable Path that the route author has provided.

You can easily see how many paths are available by Viewing the Paths for the Route in Train Store. (Remember, only Driveable paths can be explored)

If you use Easy Explore, just choose the start point you want to use from the list.

If you are using the Classic interface, you will need to add the paths you want to use to an Explore Mode Paths List. (See Train Store List Editors P93, P99 in the manual)


Tony

I have tried to use the activity editor after changing to 16 bit and it won't load at all,just a black screen.I changed back to 32 bit and it's working,but very slow to load although no lockups so far.A stange thing is that although con builder and Routriter show that I don't have any errors,I have to click my way through about a dozen errors when loading the activity editor.
Thanks for your help Tony.I use the classic interface and I can't add the paths because they are not there.The current list shows 0 and the available list shows 0 out of 4 available.Perhaps the 4 paths in my Thames Mersey paths folder are not drivable,I don't know.I don't really understand this.Although I've installed over 20 routes,I've never before had one that did'nt include a path.
Terry

What errors do you get when you manage to get the AE to load?

latimers wrote:What errors do you get when you manage to get the AE to load?

eg. Errors re not being able to read certain lines in engine files of lots of my Australian stock which suprised me and one that did'nt,X.con in the Harquezbahn route.This last error I know about,it shows up whenever I use the Route,it's been there for years,I can't fix it and just click past it.
Terry

I've just learnt how to make an activity,so part of the morning has been productive.I followed the tutorial and used the example to make an activity on the Hisatsu route as a test.It works,so that's great.
This is probably a stupid question but.........
I don't want to make an activity on the Thames Mersey route.I want to make a path so that I can use explore mode and choose from lots of consists.How do I do this?
Terry

Tony,
I've got the route to work but I'm obviously not using Trainstore properly.I managed to get the 4 paths to show in the available paths by changing the status button from error/warning to' in store' and clicked on them to copy them to my current list.When I try to load and start the route I get a warning ....'There are routes in use but there are no activities in use.MSTS will not run in this configuration.'If I try to run it,it locks up when I press the drive train button.However if I unstore Thames Mersey plus any other one of my routes,it will then load without a problem and my 4 paths are available and they all work.
Terry

Well, it's a fairly specific warning, and it means exactly what it says, as you found out.

See here for more information.

I think it would be helpful if you told us exactly what you were trying to do. Part of the time you seem to be talking about exploring, and other times you are talking about using the Activity Editor.

If you just want to explore, then Easy Explore is the easiest way to do it. It gives you all the options, and takes away all of the work. If you want to run an Activity, use Easy Activity, it's the same approach, you have all the options, and it takes away the work.

If you really want to use Classic mode, then you must ensure that at least 1 Activity anywhere in MSTS is unstored, and at least 1 path in the route you want to run is unstored. You will also want to unstore the consist you want to drive. You can do all this with the Explore Mode Consist List editor and the Explore Mode Path List editor. (See Train Store List Editors P93, P99 in the manual) But, not surprisingly, Easy Activity, and Easy Explore are much easier than setting up things explicitly with the Classic interface.

You need to take notice of the errors or warnings you get when you try to run Train Store or MSTS and fix the problem files. I suggest using ConBuilder and Test all of the items Consists, Engines and Wagons to get a full list of what's wrong. As your using Train Store you can easily tackle this in stages e.g. you could unstore only the Thames Mersey in Maintenance Mode then run ConBuilder, and you can concentrate on the Thames Mersey items that need fixing. (Once they are fixed though, they will be fixed even if they are used in other routes also.)


Tony

Tony,No wonder I confused you as to what I was trying to do,I became very confused myself.Initially all I wanted was to be able to use explore mode in the route,but could'nt find the paths in trainstore and so thought that I would have to make them.I thought that by following the tutorial and learning how to make an activity that I would also learn how to make a path.Then I found the paths already in trainstore as I said in my previous post and I've got them to work.I've used Trainstore in classic mode for a few years without any problems,it is indispensible.I hav'nt had a problem with paths before so I will take your advice and look at the easy explore option.Sorry I was'nt more precise in my explanation of what I was trying to do and thanks for your help and thank you for Trainstore.
Terry

It just occured to me that anyone who is thinking about downloading this route and who has followed this thread and all my troubles,may be put off.Don't be,the problems were mine,not the Routes. It's a fabulous route and the framerates are far better than I had hoped for.During my years spent in the UK,I travelled this route many times and the simulation is just great.Thank you David and Brian.
Terry