TS2019 64bit scenario access violation

[smarty2]

[quote="gptech"]Martin, you wrote you were "not backing up, but doing an Ash"[/quote

it put me off! not backing up but doing an Ash!

[johnrossetti]

I had my first access violation today, Its so easy to go into Edit mode while still in 64bit.
Back Up Vital even if it's only the route yuo are going to work on.
Ive backed up my entire Railworks folders for quiet a while now and today it was important to be able to revert 2 tiles.

John

[alanch]

Interesting, I am in the process off re-combining my content folders into one. If I add too many routes I am getting an access violation ID unknown at the updated scenario database saving point of loading. Removing one route generally gets it loading, and then I can add the removed route later. Three or Four routes at once seems to be the max, just another 80 to add. PC is nowhere near it's limits, must be something about the saving process. Also getting access violation when exiting TS after successfully adding routes.

I'm pretty sure that DTG haven't got rid of the 'too many scenarios' problem which manifests itself during the 'Saving Scenario Database' at start up. Before the new 64 bit version this would just hang on my computer with no error message, now it generates an access violation error.

The first time I've had this since TS2019 came out was yesterday after I'd installed The Railways of Devon and Cornwall V7 which has a large number of scenarios. I moved several routes that I haven't run for ages onto another disk and TS starts up again, and scenarios on the new route run.

Currently I have 158 routes and 5500 scenarios in my active installation.

[gptech]

An installation works fine.
Route 'x' is add and it goes boobs up.
Remove several other routes and it works again.

Are you saying that the route you added is equivalent to several other routes?
Does removing the recently added route fix things?
Doesn't logic dictate that any unwanted effect is the result of the latest action?
Could "too many scenarios" really be read as "too many duff ScenarioProperties.xml files"?

[alanch]

An installation works fine.
Route 'x' is add and it goes boobs up.
Remove several other routes and it works again.

Are you ?
Does removing the recently added route fix things?
Doesn't logic dictate that any unwanted effect is the result of the latest action?
Could "too many scenarios" really be read as "too many duff ScenarioProperties.xml files"?

Yes Gary - I am saying that the route I added is equivalent to several other routes. The Railways of Devon and Cornwall V7 includes about 150 scenarios, and the number of scenarios rather than routes appears to be the critical number. I removed about 6 routes to get rid of around the same number of scenarios.

Now TS loads again, saving the scenario database, and the new route loads with scenarios, which also run - if there were 'too many duff ScenarioProperties.xml' would this happen? This isn't the first time this has happened to me, and on some of the previous occasions the new routes have been bought from DTG on Steam.

[peterfhayes]

Alan
I wonder how many of these scenarios have the following "error" :
using "NameMyRoute.exe" (Railworks folder) open each route and check each scenario - to see if there is a line of text similar to this:

[Scenario GUID reading ScenarioProperties.xml failed – ‘.’, hexadecimal value 0x00, is an invalid character. Line xx, position xx]

This usually indicates a corrupt scenario and may cause issues like you have been experiencing.
pH

[alanch]

Alan
I wonder how many of these scenarios have the following "error" :
using "NameMyRoute.exe" (Railworks folder) open each route and check each scenario - to see if there is a line of text similar to this:

[Scenario GUID reading ScenarioProperties.xml failed – ‘.’, hexadecimal value 0x00, is an invalid character. Line xx, position xx]

This usually indicates a corrupt scenario and may cause issues like you have been experiencing.
pH

Hi Peter

I checked all my routes with NameMyRoute and there were no errors at all in the scenarios that I added when I installed the Railways of Devon and Cornwall V7. I found a few 'invalid character' errors in other scenarios, but they hadn't stopped those routes loading.

Logically, I can't see how scenario errors could be the problem here - I had a fully working installation until I added a new route with a large number of scenarios. TS then failed at the 'Saving Scenario Database' stage. Removing a number of working routes to reduce the number of scenarios means that TS now starts again without any problem, even though there are 'invalid character' errors in other scenarios.

I think I've discovered a major 'problem' with NameMyRoutes, however. It reported a large number of 'missing ScenarioPropeties.xml' from routes where the problem scenarios were in .ap files. When I checked my system, there were folders for these scenarios outside the .ap files - some with my saves, some with just an empty Scenery folder and some completely empty. I'm assuming that NameMyRoute looks first at the folder outside of the .ap file, and if that doesn't contain a ScenarioProperties.xml file it doesn't bother looking in the .ap file - that's a major omission from DTG given that any scenario saves are made into a folder outside the .ap.

Even worse, I've just checked again and NameMyRoute isn't showing any of the scenarios from the .ap folders for the Liverpool to Manchester Piccadilly via Warrington route, apart from those with saves in folders oustide the .ap - and for those it gives the 'missing ScenarioPropeties.xml' error! Might be worth someone else chacking if this is happening for them, and then we can report it to DTG.

[gptech]

NameMyRoute can't *see* inside .ap archives, just like RW Tools.

[ashgray]

Nevertheless Gary, Alan's principle seems worth exploring through the usual editing options?

Ash

[alanch]

NameMyRoute can't *see* inside .ap archives, just like RW Tools.

And there was I, assuming that as DTG rewrote TS to work with .ap files NameMyRoute would do the same - guess you can't assume anything about programmers! No I realise that it is seeing routes that are stored in .ap files because I've unpacked the RouteProperties.xml files.

[sprulish]

Hi all,
I took the advice of Gary and Peter and reinstalled a fresh copy of TS2019 taking it out of the "program files (x86)" folder and checked all the default routes and assets. I had an access violation on Western Lines of Scotland but narrowed it down to a faulty quick drive. Made a test quick drive on my TS2018 editor, copied over and hey presto, worked and is still working perfectly. All previous assets and routes now reintroduced. The only access violations I get are on about 4 freeware/workshop routes. All of these I had modified the tracks.bin file and there is the problem. Re-downloaded the routes in unmodified form and all run ok. At least for me it has nothing to do with DTG or 3rd party developers and is purely down to my own making. TS2018 was obviously more synpathetic to small mistakes made while modifying the tracks.bin files. I may well not try to fix a couple of the "offending" routes as the access violation is only when exiting the scenario and quite frankly is less hassle than the "out of memory dumps" in TS2018 which always seemed to freeze my pc up completely. TS2019 64bit is a great improvement on the game. I don't use the editor in TS2019, instead I use the editor in TS2018 then test and copy over. Works for me.

Regards to all
David

[peterfhayes]

Alan
I should have added that NO DTG scenario will exhibit this error, nor JT, AP and so on - its manly an error due to WS scenarios.
pH

[mikesimpson]

NameMyRoute can't *see* inside .ap archives, just like RW Tools.

RW_Tools CAN build a routeindex.csv file from the menu Edit Assets/Content - AP Content Editor, then on the screen which appears, go to the Files/Build Route Index menu. This then builds the routeindex.csv file which is placed in the Data folder. If you then use the RW_Tools main screen and click on the Route Names and Folders tag you will get a list of all routes, whether in .ap files or not.

The list can be sorted on either the folders HEX name or the Route Name by clicking the column headers. The list can be printed.

Mike