Layout Lost!!! Please help!

[Simcik]

Well, I decided to finally sit down and make my own layout in UTC.

I had made the map, added textures, track, and switches, had finished testing the map by running a small train over all the track and switches, and was about to start adding the structures to the map... It was looking great and coming along smoothly! Then, for some reason, the program froze. Now, this was not the first time this had happened... So, anyway, I exited the program and returned to the desktop. I then reopened Trainz, and this time my map did not show up!!! It was gone!

I exited the program, and checked the Trainz directory, and I found my created map's folder there. All the files still remained, however the config file was blank! It, did, however show to be 3kb in size??? Anyway...

Is there anyway I can recover my map???

 

[palmer]

answer

just do it all over again (if you dare )

 

[john259]

You're probably not going to love me for this but have you got a backup copy?

John

 

[davesnow]

That's TRAINZ for you. Same thing has happened to me several times. I've created several routes and during play or in Surveyor, the screen will freeze, or I'll get a Fatal Error and the routes would be lost. I'd get the "Map Not Found" message. I gave them up for lost. However, recently I bought a new computer and when I transferred my local content to my new computer, lo and behold, there was several routes I had "lost" on my old computer!

 

[Simcik]

Well, I've still got all the .TRK, .OBS, etc. files... Whether or not they are good is beyond me... But a true back up? No...

I was able to get the map to reappear by copying and then slightly altering the Config file from another layout... I changed the KUIDs to ones I knew I'd used, but I know I left some out too... I also changed the KUID of the map itself back to the number it should be... Now the map appears! Well, kinda....

This was a small layout, only 3x2 boards... And I can see the 3x2 board when I mouse over the map in the menu screen, however, it is completely black... No terrian, no textures, no track, nothing... If I load it, the game didsplays a blank, blueish world with the little locator in the middle of it. Then the game imediately crashes... So maybe there is a way to tweak this???

I'll try transferring the files from my computer to another and see if it pops back up...

Any other help would be greatly appreaciated! I was really happy with my little layout - I'd love to get it back...

 

[cascaderailroad]

ALWAYS

ALWAYS but ALWAYS save each and every days work, as "SAVE AS" (in surveyor option drop down box), and slightly re-name it, so, as you will be working with the re-named route in your next surveyor session. Always work with each days re-named route...then if it goes away, you can refer back to the original. At some time or another you will have alot of redundant obsolete routes, and will have to delete all but the last 2 or 3 back up copies. Hint: Rename each days route as by date, example: 2-6-09...etc. And as soon as I am done with surveyorfor the day, and am ready to close down Trainz for the day, BEFORE I exit my surveyor session of route building...I WILL...hit "SAVE AS", and re-name the route 2-7-09. It has been said that _ _ _ _ _ saves...but only YOU can SAVE your PC work !

Tick the box: Enable "auto save in surveyor" and enter in the box, every 10 minutes, (or as much as you like...30...60...)

Always work with the newest re-named route ! And "SAVE AS", and re-name it everyday !

You can even go so far as to re-name your route for not only the next days/date...but as also save it again, (twice), 2 days later days/date...then you will have 2 backup copies to work from !

If your route was from a DEM, or a Topo map, or a prototypical topographical area...I would be glad to help build customized basemaps for you, of each area. You can rebuild a lost route 10 times faster, once you lose it. As you have learned from past mistakes, and are now 10 times faster.

Where (what Trainz file location) does a route get saved in ? I would also really like to know ! I have searched Auran/TRS2006/local...but I can't seem to find it...even when I seach the encryped folders...Who can tell us Exactly where the route is located ? Is it in "Librarys" ? and how do you find the route ?

 

[Simcik]

Thanks for the advice - I will be sure to follow that in the future!

The layout I had made was just from my imagination - no base boards were used. I've strated trying to recreate the map, but I've found already that it's not going to be the same... I can try to incorporate the things I wanted to, though, but still, it's not the same...

Anyway... I'm trying to make a baseboard-type prototypical map of the small switching operation and major junction of my small hometown, but I can't seem to find a good elevation (topographical) map, so I may have to guestimate that if I can't find one...

My maps are stored in my "World" folder. I open "World," then "custom," then "maps" and there they are...

"...\Trainz\World\custom\maps"

 

[cascaderailroad]

Google Earth

See my post in surveyors operators engineers-"Basemaps, how you can do it..."

I could make you a photo "Snipped" Google Earth 1km x 1km square jpg image of your particular switching yard...but you would have to learn how open up the "basemap a file", and edit the basemap "square a jpg" and put your photo into the file, and also learn how to manipulate and place basemaps, by setting the trainzoptions file -surveyorfov=135 (remember to set it back to -surveyorfov=35 when you are done with basemaps).

It's not as hard as it seems...even I can do it (took me months).

Keep a hand written log book of everything you change in Trainz files, so you can change it back to the original setting later on. A meticulously detailed log book can help you remember complex stuff and encrypted file codes...etc...
I write everything down...even third party webpage address's, and (who made them) where I got my assets from.

Makes one ponder the big question: What would we all do if all of a sudden all the hard work, data, and photos on our PC suddenly went KaaBlooie, into cyberspace, and was totally unrecoverable ? Some would cry, and break down, and quit...others would take it all in stride and re-build ! You can do it better the second time around !

Backup (re-writable) WR-CD's and RW-DVD's are an indispensible tool !

 

[Simcik]

Well, i've been playing around with that this afternoon. I can't get the edges perfectly square, but it's close enough... However, I couldn't find the anything regarding surveyor in the TrainzOptions file???

I was able to get a lot done (laying track and roads), but MS Virtual Earth doesn't have a topographical map, so I'm going to have to download Google Earth I guess...

I've seen references to Weevil's old 720m x 720m baseboards... Is there anyway to still find those, or can I convert my 1km boards down to 720m somehow? I've got great way to grid the maps to 720m, it'd be nice to be able to do that instead of having to deal with the oversized bases...

Anyway... The junction I'm trying to model is a small little crossover in Big Sandy, TX - where I grew up. It's small, but it'd be neat to have. Also, it'd probably a good one to start on as it's not the most difficult... And the line could always be extended...

I thought about perhaps reverting the layout back to the steam era as well, but I would still use the modern map as a starting point...

 

[cascaderailroad]

Trainzoptions File

In my Trainzoptions File I have (added) entered:
-enablerailjointsound
-disableintro
-freeintcam
-surveyorfov=35
The latter one, I constantly change back and forth between 35, 135, and as high as 185. Depending on how wide an view I want for surveying.

Keep a log book so you could always change your settings, back to factory settings.

Google Earth is free...and also has the View Historical Imaging setting...and the handy dandy Ruler-Path-Kilometer tool, that I use to draw all my gridwork lines...and take a Windows "Snip" snapshot of my screen.

This gives you an idea how big a 1km x 1km image is...I love the metric system !

View Historical Imagery is also a cool tool !

1km x 1km basemap image, all lines are drawn with Ruler-Path-Kilometer

Edit out ("Clear Image"), the original basemap: square a jpg using Windows Paint...and replace this photo in the basemap: square a jpg file.

In My Photos, I have a separate New File, packed jammed full of Google Earth, PC Screen "Snips" ready for placement in the basemap square image file. Basemaps come in 37 types: (A-Z) & (0-9).

 

[Simcik]

How did you get the 37 vtypes?? Mine only came in A-I...

Thanks for the look at GE, seems like a little better for this deal... Thanks!