Any logical explanation...

[kd7eirjim]

...why assets that people put up for download do NOT include all the necessary dependencies? It's a colossal waste of time and effort to search for something that you want to use, then find out that it needs 15 dependencies that are nowhere to be found.

I just do not understand this logic. This would be like Google giving you a download link for their Chrome browser, but only including the picture of Chrome, and expecting you to scour the internet to find the other parts to actually make it work.

 

[shaneturner12]

Actually there is a logical explanation.

Some assets are payware, and as a result cannot be uploaded to the Download Station, as it currently does not support payware assets.

Some creators also choose to use their own websites to host their downloads, which is usually either an ego issue, or a genuine conflict with N3V's licensing terms for Download Station content.

In addition to this, users cannot upload content that is not their own anyway.

Shane

 

[frogpipe]

Admittedly, the disconnect can be maddening.

I always try this. Open the asset (route or whatever) in the CM using "Edit in Explorer".

Once there, have a look for a readme.txt - some authors put that in there with info on where to get the missing assets.

 

[kd7eirjim]

Thank you for the explanations. I just spent an insane amount of time removing a kuid from several assets that was listed in the kuid table, but not actually used by that asset. I do not understand the logic of telling me to remove the unnecessary kuid, rather than just removing it from the config file before uploading the asset, but at least they DID tell me how to fix it.

On the plus side, I'm learning quite a bit about the config file!

 

[Euphod]

We have to remember that everything on the DLS is made by amateurs, and some items can become quite complicated, especially locomotives. Although it's not best practice, many creators build upon earlier models, and any mistakes that are in the original remain in the new item. Sometimes a creator will "change their mind" while applying textures to a model and end up with a config file that calls for files that aren't needed. Perhaps they will remember to remove the primary reference to the component kuid, but forget to delete the same from the kuid table. CM doesn't know any better, if it's there, then it calls for it.

I try to cut the modelers as much slack as I can, they are truly valuable and entitled to a few mistakes. The missing kuids I just equate to the irritations of being a real railroader, like being called in at 230AM, or finding out the air conditioning doesn't work in the locomotive I am assigned to!

 

[johnwhelan]

Thank you for the explanations. I just spent an insane amount of time removing a kuid from several assets that was listed in the kuid table, but not actually used by that asset. I do not understand the logic of telling me to remove the unnecessary kuid, rather than just removing it from the config file before uploading the asset, but at least they DID tell me how to fix it.

On the plus side, I'm learning quite a bit about the config file!

Occasionally some of my assets will use a load that isn't on the DLS, just delete it from the product queue works fine, for UK items S&C contains a wealth of assets not available on the DLS but very useful just the same. The wagon I'm thinking of was specifically sized to the load that is available on a 3rd party site and if you are into that particular time period then you probably have the load on your machine.

Cheerio John

 

[frogpipe]

And yet, no link, not even the web sites address where to find this un-named load....

 

[JCitron]

It would be nice if there was a way to hide assets that are already placed on a route in Surveyor using the filter tool. A route creator could hide all built-in content, and whatever is a built-in asset would disappear from the route. He could then enable the built-in items again, and hide none-DLS items. Anything that's not found on the DLS, will disappear.

With this type of filtering tool, the author could then either specify that the following items are not available from the DLS, and they'll need to be tracked down from some other website. With the way it is now, the route builder needs to have two Trainz installs, one being a virgin install with no add-ons, and the other his regular install. This is really too much extra work outside of the main program just to ensure that only built-in or DLS items are included should they creator want to do that.

John

 

[johnwhelan]

And yet, no link, not even the web sites address where to find this un-named load....

Why the question was there any logical explanation nothing else. If some one else has created a nice high quality load then why not reuse it?

Cheerio John

 

[sniper297]

It's a little extra work, I wouldn't call it a lot, especially when I create in TS2010 native mode and test in TS12 to ensure compatibility with both anyway. Quick and dirty way to know what's what is to find trainzoptions.txt in the root of 2010 or 12, open in notepad and add the line;

-ShowKuids

What that does is show the KUID number of whatever you have currently selected, yellow is built in, white is addon, red is not found on the DLS and is not built in.

That doesn't help for dependencies, quick and dirty way to test something like a loco is to select it in content manager, right click, view dependencies, view in main list. Select all and save to CDP on your desktop, then delete them all - built ins won't delete, whatever is on the DLS will show up with the DS icon, whatever is an unknown KUID you need to find out where it came from or change it for something else.

Worst trouble I had with 3rd party stuff was what came from where when - often a model builder releases a new loco from his website, most of the people downloading it have his other models already. Someone uploads a reskin and it has a bunch of unknown KUIDs, the guy who reskinned it never gave a thought to the dependencies since he's had them for so long he forgot where they came from. What I generally do with those is delete them and move on, unless it's something I have to have (like a Thomas the Tank Engine character for one of the grandkids, 20 years after my second divorce I somehow picked up another She Who Must Be Obeyed in Her Royal Highness my youngest granddaughter) in which case I open in content creator to find out what the unknown KUIDs are and replace them with something I do have.

 

[RRSignal]

And yet, no link, not even the web sites address where to find this un-named load....

I believe this was test-bedded but N3V quickly learned this created far more problems than it solved: In effect, it encouraged offloading from the DLS.

 

[Euphod]

It's a little extra work, I wouldn't call it a lot, especially when I create in TS2010 native mode and test in TS12 to ensure compatibility with both anyway. Quick and dirty way to know what's what is to find trainzoptions.txt in the root of 2010 or 12, open in notepad and add the line;

-ShowKuids

What that does is show the KUID number of whatever you have currently selected, yellow is built in, white is addon, red is not found on the DLS and is not built in.

As an aside, and to prevent any confusion for 12 the user should tick the correct box under the Developer's Settings Menu:

 

[nfitzsimmons]

I just wish that there were a way to determine in advance what actual Trainz version was used to create the asset. I've gone nuts after downloading an asset from the DLS created for v 2009, found an bunch of "unknown kuids," then found out later that said asset was created in 2010 or 2012 and the "missing" kuids are built-ins for those versions.

 

[Robert2d6]

I just wish that there were a way to determine in advance what actual Trainz version was used to create the asset. I've gone nuts after downloading an asset from the DLS created for v 2009, found an bunch of "unknown kuids," then found out later that said asset was created in 2010 or 2012 and the "missing" kuids are built-ins for those versions.

I agree, downloading something or even buying payware sometimes is a gamble because there is nothing that states that it will or won't work in a certain version of Trainz.

 

[JCitron]

As an aside, and to prevent any confusion for 12 the user should tick the correct box under the Developer's Settings Menu:

I do that already, but forget the colors other than what yellows means.

Being able to filter out content would be a lot easier, wouldn't it?

John