.Ap files

[Dave4468]

I know its been mentioned but because the phpBB search disallows anything with less than 3 characters I cannot find anything on it.

How do I install mods into a .ap file? I'm trying to install the GA 321 reskins.

Thanks

[skoda]

This is probably the wrong way but :

I select copy and paste the .ap file which gives me a copied file with the name "Class321Pack02Assets - Copy.ap" I then change the file extension from .ap to .zip and say yes to the on screen warning .
I then use WinRAR to open the zipped file and then place the unzipped folders in the "Class321Pack02" folder (same location as the original .ap file)

This should give you 4 folders "Audio" "Input Mappers" "Preload" "RailVehicles" plus 2 .sbn files

Then set up reskins in same way as you would normally using the files within the "RailVehicles/Class321/Default" folder

[Dave4468]

Now they appear in menu but are invisible.

[smarty2]

This is probably the wrong way but :

I select copy and paste the .ap file which gives me a copied file with the name "Class321Pack02Assets - Copy.ap" I then change the file extension from .ap to .zip and say yes to the on screen warning .
I then use WinRAR to open the zipped file and then place the unzipped folders in the "Class321Pack02" folder (same location as the original .ap file)

This should give you 4 folders "Audio" "Input Mappers" "Preload" "RailVehicles" plus 2 .sbn files

Then set up reskins in same way as you would normally using the files within the "RailVehicles/Class321/Default" folder

You can just archive it with winrar without changing anything, then once its rar'd up double click the 'ap file and it will open it.

[skoda]

Thanks , that makes it a lot simpler

[rosschris10]

I know its been mentioned but because the phpBB search disallows anything with less than 3 characters I cannot find anything on it.

How do I install mods into a .ap file? I'm trying to install the GA 321 reskins.

Thanks

I use 7ZIP open it up with that it opens it up like a normal folder then you can copy and paste or drag and drop close the file and hey presto jobs done

[rfletcher72]

7Zip does the job no problems .

[Dave4468]

7Zip does the same for me as Winrar. Opens them but wont let me add files into the archive.

Why RSC, why?!?!

[rfletcher72]

7Zip does the same for me as Winrar. Opens them but wont let me add files into the archive.

Why RSC, why?!?!

Sorry Dave, I misunderstood the question (more like I didn't read it properly), you wish to add to the .ap file?

That's a very good question.

Richard

[Dave4468]

I'm trying to install the GA 321 reskin. The readme doesn't match the file structure I have and everything I've tried either crashes the game, breaks the FCC 321 or produces me invisible GA 321s.

[gptech]

How do I install mods into a .ap file? I'm trying to install the GA 321 reskins.

In a nutshell, you don't add anything to the .ap archive.
As you're wanting to install the GA 321 reskins the process is exactly the same as its always been:
the reskin lives in it's own folder separate from the default items, and you copy the default .GeoPcDx files over. (and possibly other files, depends on the reskin)
We now have the extra step though of getting those default files out of the .ap so we can do the copying.
Dead easy!!
RW Tools will do the job nicely, and set the Read/Write attribute correctly.
WinRAR, 7-Zip and possibly most other archiving utilities will do the extracting, 7-Zip reportedly doesn't set the R/W attribute though.

As long as you replicate the folder tree, something like ..\Assets\RSC\Class321\RailVehicles\...... you'll have the GA folder in the right place. Only edited files need to be outside of the .ap; any files that the reskin uses that are in the default folders can stay there.

Think of the .ap as your friend, not a fiendish way to make life hard and you'll soon get the hang of it---it contains the same files as the old .rwp packages, so if you look at it as being akin to an 'old fashioned' install package that doesn't need installing (as TS2014 can read it in it's archived form) it may make things clearer.

EDIT: if this is the reskin that adds itself inside the 'Default' folder I'd recommend you install manually into the old fashioned folder tree outside of the default folder and edit the .bin files to suit. Installing into the 'Default' folder is asking for trouble!

ANOTHER EDIT:
The read me states

To install this reskin:

1) Navigate to ...\Assets\RSC\Class321Pack02\RailVehicles

2) Extract contents of this Zip folder to the above location

3) Inside the .ap file in the "Class321Pack02" folder, navigate to RailVehicles\Class321\Default\Engine\ and copy files Class321_DTSO.GeoPcDx, Class321_DTCO.GeoPxDx, Class321_MSO.GeoPcDx and Class321_TSOL.GeoPcDx.

4) Paste These files into RailVehicles\Class321\GA_Red and Railvehicles\Class321\GA_Blue

which would indicate it lives in it's own folder, but if you extract from the .zip it has 2 GA folders nested inside a Default folder. An error in packaging I assume.

Cut the GA folders you've installed out of the Default folder, paste into the 'Class321' folder and delete the now empty 'Default' folder. Copy the .Geo's over as above and it'll work.

[Dave4468]

Thanks for that. I discovered the external folder scheme after the 17th go over the readme!

Thanks for answering the stupid questions.

[gptech]

Not stupid questions at all, the .ap archive system has confused the life out of everybody and the lack of any *official* or even 'semi-official' documentation has meant we've had to make it up as we go along--and there's no guarantee that what we think is right is right
Add to that, what appears to be a tiny mistake in packaging this particular reskin into the .zip isn't exactly easy to spot; particularly as you're 'working blind' when copying the .Geo's.

The fact that RW Tools can't 'see' inside the .ap packs has made life hard for many and compounded the confusion in many cases---not a complaint about Mikes excellent program there I must add.

[malatzoc]

If you want to use mods, just extract the ap, and use the addon just like that, delete the ap.
However steam will download it after every checks. BTW .ap is a simple zip file, in container mode (no compression).

[gptech]

However steam will download it after every checks.

True, and be aware that (certainly for modified 'default' files outside of the .ap) after running a verify and launching the game TS2014 deletes those modified files. If this holds true for re-skins I don't know, haven't tested that bit.
You can get round it by deleting the ..\SteamApps\common\RailWorksverify_cache_key file after running verify and before launching the game. Not to be taken as any kind of substitute for having a backup copy of course!