freeware routes

jennybell · Post by **jennybell** » Sun Jan 07, 2007 8:10 pm

I wonder if anyone can help me with this problem. I am new to both MSTS and PC's - in fact I am a Mac user and running WinXP and MSTS on my new Wintel Mac - so I am not really at home with PC programs and would be grateful if you could bear with me.
Anyway, I have MSTS +plus several commercial addons such as great Eastern,Swanage and West Somerset. All run fine, but I cannot run any of the freeware routes I have downloaded, despite downloading any other addons that the routes require such as X tracks, UK Finescale etc.

The routes I have downloaded (Southwold, Crich tramway and one American route now removed) all failed and crashed the prog because they could not find texture/daysky.ace. Not a problem for the commercial routes - but I have not tried any other freeware routes as yet because all have so far failed. Hope someone can point out what I am doing wrong.

Bestest

Tag

seaeagle · Post by **seaeagle** » Sun Jan 07, 2007 8:47 pm

Hi and welcome to the world of MSTS. Did you run the installme.bat after loading the routes and have you got all 6 default routes installed or if you are using Train Store have you got the default routes unstored? If yes to all 3 questions, trying copying daysky.ace from 1 of the default routes i.e Europe 1 to the route that needs it. Hope that helps.

dkightley · Post by **dkightley** » Sun Jan 07, 2007 9:39 pm

Hi Tag

The error you've described for Crich is indeed caused by not running the installme.bat.

If you're not sure what this is about, then let me briefly explain. When routes are packaged for distribution, to avoid problems with distributing common files, we use a utility that scans the route for these common files, removes them, and write a batch file to copy them over from the default routes.

Some of the installation packages run this batch file automatically...and some don't.

Doug

jennybell · Post by **jennybell** » Mon Jan 08, 2007 9:07 am

Many thanks for your help guys. It was indeed the .bat file and once run all was fine.
I will explore (and try downloading) some more - but given that I work at home some 250 miles away from the office, this is really digging in to my work time

.
In fact I have been keeping a weather eye on this site for some time but, given that all our computers are Macs, I have not been able to run MSTS. Indeed on upgrading my computer last month I purchased WinXP solely to give this a try. MSTS is currently the only program other than the OS that I run on the Windows partition.
Thanks again for your very swift responses...

Tag Gorton
Editor GardenRail magazine
http://www.atlanticpublishers.com/GR.html

bigmull · Post by **bigmull** » Mon Jan 08, 2007 10:47 pm

Tag dont forget to tick the "textured sky" option in the options menu.

jennybell · Post by **jennybell** » Wed Jan 10, 2007 8:59 am

bigmull wrote:Tag dont forget to tick the "textured sky" option in the options menu.

Many thanks - have done. Have downloaded several routes and all seem fine now - the Dorset one is pretty impressive!
I have just updated and added routes to tge Great Eastrn commercial prog. The St Boltophs -Sudbury rout comes up with a requester saying 'out-of-date - re-save in Activity editor. Do I need to re install or is there something I am missing here...

Bestest
Tag

Post by **king125** » Wed Jan 10, 2007 9:13 am

Hi Tag and welcome to the forums. I think you mean you have added new activities to the Great Eastern route.

To get rid of the out of date message open the activity in activity editor which is in editors and tools, then click on compute and save.

Terry

ovale · Post by **ovale** » Wed Jan 10, 2007 7:04 pm

just to add some support !

I too have only ever had Apple Macs, and have the boot camp partition on my new imac set up just for MSTS.

windows is very confusing, and seemimgly illogical. (I am a maths graduate)

jbilton · Post by **jbilton** » Thu Jan 11, 2007 2:22 am

Hi
I'm not a big fan of Windows OS either.
Recently I've been wondering about the latest versions of Linux, which boot from a CD.
What I don't know is whether WINE could or would support MSTS ?
Cheers
Jon

NicolaFan06 · Post by **NicolaFan06** » Thu Jan 11, 2007 3:32 am

Last I checked it was less than stable, which given MSTS's inherent "delicateness", doesn't make for the best combination in my experience.

sp762 · Post by **sp762** » Thu Jan 11, 2007 3:53 am

Welcome, Tag.

I'm a follower of the 16mm list. Would you like some narrow gauge stock?

Cheers

Mike Wilson

jennybell · Post by **jennybell** » Thu Jan 11, 2007 9:11 pm

Thanks Terry - only I cannot find the 'Activity Editor' Have tried file search. This is really awkward, I have used computers for years but have never had much to do with PC programs and find it really confusing. How do I find the Activity Editor??

Bestest

Tag

jennybell · Post by **jennybell** » Thu Jan 11, 2007 9:13 pm

sp762 wrote:Welcome, Tag.

I'm a follower of the 16mm list. Would you like some narrow gauge stock?

Cheers

Mike Wilson

Thanks Mike - I am still working on what I have

I have a couple of NG lines on board.

Best

Tag

gswindale · Post by **gswindale** » Thu Jan 11, 2007 10:41 pm

Tag,

Assuming you've gone for a standard install of MSTS, the activity editor can be found from the Start Menu, Programs, Microsoft Games, Train Simulator and then selecting Train Simulator Editors & Tools.

dkightley · Post by **dkightley** » Thu Jan 11, 2007 11:30 pm

Alternatively, make your way to your Train Simulator folder in Windows Explorer and create an icon for the Launcher.exe, move it to your desktop, then edit the propeties and change the target to something like:

"C:Program Files\Microsoft games\Train Simulator\launcher.exe" -runeditor

The quotes should be there, by the way.

You can copy the shortcut and change the runeditor to rungame and the shortcut will run MSTS.

Doug