Thames - Mersey 4.3 DVD activity creation problems

[davejc64]

Is there any reason why I can't load this route in activity editor to add my own activities, when I do try to load it MSTS just stops responding it don't give any error message so I don't know what's going on or not as the case maybe. I know it's a very large route perhaps that has something to do with it. All the other routes I have work perfectly. If any one can shed some light on this I would be eternally grateful.

[emrhd01]

Hi Dave,

If you are running Vista ignore the 'Program not responding message' this sometimes pops up when loading large Routes into AE and TM is a very big Route. Just leave it for 20 minutes and have a cup of Tea and when you return it will have loaded, if you are running Train Store ensure that you only have the TM Route unstored and this will speed things up.

[johnmnstl]

Hi Dave

As Robert says it can take ages to load. Especially if its trying to load all your routes

Have you tried using Trainstore?? just store the rest of your routes and you should see a difference in loading times. You'd have to have a read in the manual tho about adding stock to create the activity (it aint one of my strong points )

[Lad491]

You will have to use Trainstore to write TM activities and will also have to understand how maintenance mode works, so you can use the stock. Not only will the editor take at least 25 minutes to load without trainstore, you will find that every path, service, consist etc you create will also take about the same length of time because of the way msts reads in all files before doing anything with them. I would suggest that even if you let it load, which it will eventually do, you will still find it next to impossible to do anything meaningful.

So load trainstore and store all the activities, leaving just the core route unstored. Then use maintenance mode to select the stock you need to use. The alternative I use sometimes is to unstore just a couple of activities which have used suitable stock and paths so that they are available to re-use. Once you have put them into your activity and saved them, you can store those activities again as trainstore will recognise they are still need for yours. By unstoring, creating services and then restoring in this way you can save the need for maintenance mode. The other method is to have a separate install of msts with just the single route loaded and its corresponding trains folder, then it will load quicker and you will have all the stock available.

I do all my activity development on a PC which has only the route and stock im developing for - with no other activities. Once its done i create the apk file and then install it to my main msts machine for testing.

[ianmacmillan]

An alternative way is to move all the route activity files into a temporary folder.
Then use Route Riter the check all activities and list the unused services and consists.

These can then be moved by by Route Riter into Spare folders leaving you with an empty route which will load fast.

You can also replace your trainset folder with one containing only the stock you need.

[DarwinS]

To speed up loading you can also switch off many of the options - sidings, signals... whatever is not needed for the activity you are editing. (Do this with a small route and the settings will remain).

[davejc64]

Thanks guys! will try all these and see what happens!