No Smoke or Steam

[spionkop]

Hi All,

Having a problem with WH4.3, act RS_Great Central Express Pt 2. The loco for this is a B1, which looks dead. There is sound but smoke or steam from anywhere. When starting off on the journey there is only an occasional puff of smoke.

I have replaced the B1 with the loco used in RS_Great Central Express Pt 3 which is A3 Humorist which I know is alive with smoke and steam. But it doesn't smoke or steam in Pt 2.

Has anyone had this sought of problem?

Would appreciate any help please.

Regards,
Steve.

[slipperman12]

Hi Steve,
If there are many steam locos in an activity, it is a known problem with MSTS that no smoke/steam is displayed for any! Sorry, but I don't know if there is a solution.

Merry Christmas
Cheers,
Ged

[perfnet]

Hi Steve

I seem to recall I said something about it in the read me file, to the effect that it is due to the number of locos in motion at the beginning of the activity. I had to decide whether to reduce the number of locos to get them to produce steam and smoke or whether to try to have a somewhat busier city environment. My advice is to assume that it is a really hot summers day so not much steam/smoke is visible.

Thanks for downloading the activity and I hope you enjoy it.

Richard

[davidboase]

When MSTS starts to run out of resources, one of the first things it does is to cut back on rendering the smoke and steam. In an activity with lots of steam locos that could mean that none of them have the usual amounts of smoke and steam.

One work-around for this is to first change the static locos to $ versions. Since these versions have no cabviews or full sounds, they don't use a lot of resources. That can mean that the player loco and any traffic locos have a good chance of getting their smoke and steam back. It does mean having some locos sitting around without lit fires but at least the player loco has the steam and smoke effects.

If that doesn't solve the problem, the next step is to make sure that all of the traffic locos are # versions. That removes their cabviews but not their sounds, again saving on resources.

David.

[spionkop]

Hi Ged, Richard and David,

Thank you all for your quick replies.

I think I might try your idea David. I could copy the activity and have a go at changing the static locos first, then if that doesn't work, changing the traffic locos to the # version. I think either way it could be quite a bit of work.

If I don't manage to get it working I'll just have to do as you suggest, Richard, assume it's a really hot summers day.

Anyway I'll let you all know how I get on. It may after Christmas before I try it.

Merry Christmas to you all.

Regards,
Steve