Atomic Systems

davidboase wrote:Rather than unpacking the whole .ap file, what I do is to copy the .ap file into a temporary folder and then use 7zip to unpack it into the same temporary folder. Then find the .GeoPcDx file in the temporary folder and copy it to each one of the reskins. It needs to go in the location in the reskins' folders that corresponds with its location in the Default folder.

As you are using 7Zip, a simpler way of doing this would be to set 7Zip to run in 2 Panel mode (View / 2 Panels). Then open the .ap in one panel and navigate to the file you want to extract, in the other panel navigate to the destination folder, and drag the .GeoPcDx from the .ap to the destination. Don't forget to set the .GeoPcDx to Read/Write - right click on it in the destination folder and click on Properties, then clear the Read Only attribute and OK out.

delticcity wrote:Standard set up in Prog Files (x86).

It may not help dramatically with this particular issue, but having the game (any game actually) outside of what Windows sees as a 'protected system area' is proven to reduce the potential for problems.

https://support.steampowered.com/kb_art ... -YUBN-8129 details the official way of doing this, so it's not something that isn't given support by Steam.

I'd strongly suggest you do this first, even if it doesn't *fix* this problem of the installer not working properly it will save you grief in the future.

delticcity wrote:I have WinRar and WinZip

You're half way there then!
If you use either of those archive managers to look at the contents of the .ap package you'll find that you're basically looking at a .zip file under a different name that merely contains the directories and files that the game reads to load the models---nothing special, nothing complex. The game reads the .ap archives natively, needing no other intervention from the users to be able to do so.

The move to .ap packages made distribution and installation of DLC easier and quicker but unfortunately brought a lot of confusion with it. The forums are full of rubbish written about .ap's--as I've written my share of that rubbish I feel qualified to make the statement

If you have files *mirrored* outside of the .ap --same file name, in the same directory structure-- these are used in preference to the archived copy. This is very handy if you wish to change something in the default model, as working on this external copy means that when (not if) you make a pigs ear of it you still have the untouched original (and working) file to revert back to.

So, whether you move Steam or not, open the Class52Pacl01Assets.ap package with either WinRAR or 7-Zip, drill down the folders till you get to the default models "Engine" folder. All you need to do is drag and drop the .GeoPcDx file (I don't have the DTG 52 so can't be specific with the file names) into one of the new Armstrong Powerhouse installed loco's "Engine" folder.
Then simply copy and paste this file into the others. If there's still a "Default" folder outside of the .ap this will only contain the files that the sound pack uses instead of the DTG versions, so will not need the .GeoPcDx file putting in there.

Gary

EDIT

alanch wrote:....then clear the Read Only attribute and OK out.

This is only needed to allow RW Tools to manipulate the files, not to enable the game to use the files.

gptech wrote:

alanch wrote:....then clear the Read Only attribute and OK out.

This is only needed to allow RW Tools to manipulate the files, not to enable the game to use the files.

Very true, Gary, but if I hadn't said it I'm sure someone else would have pulled me up for not suggesting it, and then someone else would have said that they couldn't see the file in RW Tools, and . . . . . .

Damned if you do, damned if you don't Alan

The problem is that whilst us older hands (literally as well as figuratively) understand what and why, a newcomer to the game may need just that little bit more than a list of instructions. Some explanation of why things are done or are necessary helps but then we fall foul of sometimes seeming to be condescending or stating the obvious....we just can't win!!

Thank you all for your kind assistance. Night shift beckons yet again so I will report back in due course on my inevitable success

Dave.

Hello Delticcity, author of the Mega Pack checking in.

Let's answer some questions separately first.

How to get a clean start for your Western. Go to your Assets/RSC/Class52pack01/ folder and inside delete EVERYTHING, with the exception of one file called Class52assets.ap. That's all you need for the default item to run.

The Armstrong Powerhouse installers are clever enough to get the things they need from inside the .ap file without needing it extracting - sadly, my stuff isn't. So from having just the .ap file, install the Armstrong Powerhouse soundpack and then the extra stock pack that they provide.

Next, open my MegaPack and extract just the .bat file to your Assets folder and double-click of to run. It should copy a lot of files across and create directories etc. Lastly you need to use either your Utilities.exe located in the Railworks folder to install my .rwp file using the Package Manager.

That's all you need to get up and running, but if you run into any more problems I have a Facebook page you could message me through which is called Matt's Digital Paintworks.

Good luck sorting this all out.

deltic009 wrote:The Armstrong Powerhouse installers are clever enough to get the things they need from inside the .ap file without needing it extracting

Unfortunately Matthew, it would seem that Dave's experience is that they aren't, and that they haven't, hence the reason for this thread....

delticcity wrote:...downloaded the AP Class 52 sound set with the bonus blue reskins, the sound set works perfectly but the blue reskins are absent.

Having said that though...

Dave, can you confirm you've bought, downloaded and installed the Armstrong Powerhouse sound pack, not just the extra stock pack?

Yes, I bought the sound pack to use with the default western. The blue reskins were a welcome bonus. Much of the file structure for the blue locos is there, I just can't get the supplied scenario to work with blue D1005. I'm sure I have just missed a step out somewhere and will have it sorted soon with the help provided here. Many thanks to all.

Dave.

delticcity wrote:Yes, I bought the sound pack

Grand...for a moment I feared you'd just installed the extra stock pack; you wouldn't be the first to miss off the main bit

I don't have the DTG class 52, but having just downloaded the extra stock pack I now have some idea of what the directory structure should be like, so how does your installation of the

..Assets\RSC\\Class52Pack01\RailVehicles\Class_52\BR-Blue_D1005_AP\Engine

folder differ from this?

Sorry for delay in responding, all seems to be sorted now. After downloading the extra stock, Mk 1 carriages, Class 33s etc I have managed to run the provided scenario. The problem with the western was solved by manually placing the GeoPcdx file into the Engine folder, as suggested earlier in the thread. I have a lot to learn still but am encouraged by recent progress and the help available in this forum. Many thanks to all contributors, no doubt I will be back shortly!

delticcity wrote:I have a lot to learn still

That's all part of the fun!!....honest...

Good to read that you've got it sorted, and the experience and knowledge you've gained from this instance will go a long way to making your next problem so obvious to fix....(once again,...honest... )