Content Manager -- "unknown location" -- a plea for a fix

[philskene]

Hi --

I've been absent for a while.

This morning I downloaded the newer routes of mine from the Download Station using Content Manager.

Those of you who have followed my routes, layouts and sessions will know that I start with just the base installation of Trainz and then add additional assets from the Download Station (well, except for some of the sessions which might require a locomotive or freight car from an external site, but then I give a link for the download).

Doing this means that any downloader, even the most recent novice to Trainz, can have confidence in my statement "All dependencies are built-in or from the Download Station" and not have to go through the troublesome experience of searching to the far corners of The Universe for a missing dependency or two (or, for some routes I have downloaded, hundreds).

But this is what I now see -- all the routes are highlighted in red meaning missing dependencies:

Right click on one of the routes and select "List Dependencies" and in the new screen sort by "Status":

Now, where is this "Unknown location"? A secret Trainz vault that opens only when Venus in decline and the Moon is in its first quarter? Or beyond The Far Corners of the Universe?

Right click on one of the Unknown location dependencies and select "List Asset Versions":

Again, the "Unknown location" for the most recent version of the asset.

But right click on the asset that is Available for download (xxxxxxx8:2) and select Download this Version, and it will download.

Repeat for the other routes, layouts, sessions and then this is the end result:

All dependencies are present.

__________


So the plea -- please, N3V, modify Content Manager so that it will download the most up to date version of dependencies that are on the Download Station.

Phil

 

[Dinorius_Redundicus]

The fact that CM knows that kuid version exists somewhere within the Trainz system (as opposed to third-party websites, or simply never created) means that it's not truly "unknown" at all. My guess is that such assets are created by N3V to add junk like language tags and tucked away in some Package that hasn't been (or cannot be) obtained.

I think N3V should adopt your request and always upload any of their "up-versioned" assets to the DLS at the time they create them.

 

[stagecoach]

The most up-to-date version may be in a DLC package and can not be downloaded as a single item, you will need the whole package. It is unknown because CM only reads installed or on DLS asset locations.

 

[oldman777]

There is no Trainz system or database for "unknown location" assets on CM.
The name and KUID of the asset CM is taken from the route configuration and the name of asset creator is determined by the KUID and this information only is displayed in the CM.

For some reason, a very real and useful feature was removed from the newest Trainz CM versions.
This is finding via CM all the sessions for a route that is not even installed: https://forums.auran.com/threads/ho...or-any-route-in-ts19-ts22-via-ts12-cm.178746/

 

[philskene]

I would suggest that N3V should modify the Content Manager program scripting to include an if/then statement, along the lines:
_____

IF latest version of asset at "unknown location"
THEN download and install latest version that is available from the Download Station.
_____

Surely that can't be that hard for an experienced programmer?

Phil

 

[pware]

Surely that can't be that hard for an experienced programmer?

Many an experienced programmer on seeing that line would be running for the exit.

 

[philskene]

Why?

 

[pcas1986]

I would suggest that N3V should modify the Content Manager program scripting to include an if/then statement, along the lines:
_____

IF latest version of asset at "unknown location"
THEN download and install latest version that is available from the Download Station.
_____

Surely that can't be that hard for an experienced programmer?

Phil

A nice idea but I usually just select the unknown location asset and use the command "List all asset versions". If any version is on the DLS then that will show it. Plus I would change your if,then test to be:

IF latest version of asset at "unknown location"
THEN {
if latest version trainz build <= my Trainz version build
then download that version
else warn operator with some suitable message
}

I use a lot of custom searches and my request would be to able to group them so I can add more. But in my 20+ years of Trainz none of my requests have ever come to fruition so I'm not expect this one to either.

 

[pware]

Why?

A so-called "simple fix" or one that "can't be that hard" can easily introduce bugs or unexpected behaviour in other areas. Programs are now so "modularised" (if there is such a word) that a "simple routine" can easily be passing data to many other routines located in many different area or even different files. Likewise, a minor routine in the code can be called by many others (including those in external files such as .dll libraries, etc). Make a minor change to one of those routines and its effects can cascade throughout the program.

So a simple change "that can't be that hard for an experienced programmer" may end up in days, weeks or more of "bug hunts". @JCitron has posted stories about bugs in Trainz that still cannot be reliably reproduced and tracked down even years after their first appearance.

So run for the exit whenever someone posts that his suggestion could not be difficult to code.

 

[pware]

Back on topic. I currently have 6 assets that are labelled as "Packaged, Newer Version Available" but when I run the "List Asset Versions" no new versions appear. But each has an earlier version that has an "Unknown Location" or is an "Unknown Asset".

These assets have been a constant companion in CM for a few years now. Sometimes the list mysteriously grows to 10 or more and sometimes it mysteriously shrinks to 5. I suspect that the newer versions are in DLC packages that I do not have but I am not fussed enough to go and look for them.

 

[Lewiscc65]

What the heck, and that is being polite, I just DL my route from 2016 called "Sea Port <kuid2:394799:100086:1> " and have 28 UNKNOWNS. HOW CAN THAT HAPPEN. I am really getting upset with this game, why should I have to DL other packaged assets to get what I had back then.

 

[Forester1]

"Packaged, Newer Version Available

I think I read once that some of those are packaged for mobile users, so the changes don't apply to us on desktops and laptops. But if that is the case, I wish they would just make them different KUIDs instead of saddling us with that inane status, because obviously the newer version is NOT available. I also think I read once that they were going to fix it so that those did not show up, but again, that has not happened, so it just continues to clutter our CMs.

 

[stagecoach]

You don't, you just highlight those 28 and select list asset versions. Download the highest DLS version using the download this version.

 

[JCitron]

Back on topic. I currently have 6 assets that are labelled as "Packaged, Newer Version Available" but when I run the "List Asset Versions" no new versions appear. But each has an earlier version that has an "Unknown Location" or is an "Unknown Asset".

These assets have been a constant companion in CM for a few years now. Sometimes the list mysteriously grows to 10 or more and sometimes it mysteriously shrinks to 5. I suspect that the newer versions are in DLC packages that I do not have but I am not fussed enough to go and look for them.

These may be mobile versions of the same assets and also are in DLC packages that you haven't downloaded or updated. There was a number of updates that have come out with subsequent new service packs and I highly recommend updating the content due to assets showing faulty in the new versions. The only exceptions are those Ukranian and Russian content that's currently unavailable.