Newbie Questions, Problems, Complaints

C

ChutePilot

New member
Hello everyone,
First, allow me to apologize if I am posting in the wrong area, or asking questions that were asked elsewhere, but I am pretty-much lost, and I don't have a clue where to go.

I have TS2009 WBE SP1 (download version, fully registered, with FTC even), running on a Vista system. Installation checklist showed all green checkmarks, so hardware is fine. It's the software, I'm afraid...

1) Is there a place to go for tutorials? The built-in help is either non-existant or I can't find it. How does a brand-new user learn how to take the first few dozen steps?

2) From the launcher page, I select Manual, thinking I'm going to learn by RTFM - but I get nothing. Nothing opens, nothing loads, and no messages are given. User-friendly? Hardly. Is there no manual?

3) Does the Planet Auran Download Station (web-based) work for this version of Trainz? If not, why doesn't it say so, instead of spinning the IE world icon forever without doing anything (after clicking on Download All)? TS2009 is listed for Search purposes, but The Download won't work unless I've got an earlier version with Download Helper? Whatever happened to backward compatability?

4) I'm beginning to think I purchased the wrong version. I tried to get the latest and greatest, but may have gotten something that wasn't quite "ready for prime time". Can I trade it in for the 2006 version? Should I?

5) Why are there scenerios available under the web-based DS, but they don't show up in the Content Manager, accessed from the Trainz startup page (when it actually cooperates and decides to start)?

6) How are you supposed to find anything in Content Manager without knowing what anything is? At least the web-based DS had nice categories to choose from, so I knew what I was looking at. (Locos, Bogeys, etc.)

No flames, please. I am really just trying to find out how to use this thing. With no manual, I can't do much but use Driver to look out the window. OK, I could have seen this much from the YouTube videos. Maybe I should have stuck with MSFS X. That simulator has more training, tutorials, lessons, and scenarios than a virtual pilot would ever need. In comparison, well, there is no comparison.

Now, the latest - I was already logged into the forums, but when I tried to post this as a new thread, it asked me to log on AGAIN! I swear, between the TS2009, the Planet, the DS, the DC, and now the forums, I have logged in no less than 8 times today. What is up with that??????
 
Greetings and welcome aboard Chute,


If you have not already found out there are some nice Driver sessions that will help you understand what the game is about. Once you launch the program,

If you click "extras' you will have a way to get to some documentation, as well as an advanced program you may find a use for later.

If you click Start. this wil take you into the Driver, Surveyor and Railyard modules.

Driver is where you can board a train and go traveling.

Surveyor is where you go if you want to create a new world, modify an existing one, or put on different trains for using while in Driver.

Rail yard is where you go to see what trains you do have availabe to add to your worlds.

If at this point you choose Driver, there are some tutorials to get you started, look on the left colum for Banks Heath, clicking on it will open up some early learning tutorials, others are found at British Midlands and City and Country.

This should get you going :)

Once you have looked at the docs (currently for an earlier version but mostly still current, or played with some driving or world creation you will have a much better handle on how things works.

Be aware this is an addictive game, and I hope you get started with some of the fun soon.


Regards, and have fun.
Lenny
 
Last edited:
Thanks Lenny.
So the documentation is hidden under "Extras", not "Manual." Interesting...

Like I mentioned, I have used Driver to take a look around...

Is the web-based Download Station and Cart not functional for TS2009? There are some neat scenarios there which I think would show me a lot, but they aren't listed in the Content Manager DS list.

In the meantime, thank you for helping me find the documentation. The TS2009 manual doesn't have much to say, but the TRS2006 manual could be a big help.
 
ChutePilot said:
Hello everyone,
First, allow me to apologize if I am posting in the wrong area, or asking questions that were asked elsewhere, but I am pretty-much lost, and I don't have a clue where to go.

I have TS2009 WBE SP1 (download version, fully registered, with FTC even), running on a Vista system. Installation checklist showed all green checkmarks, so hardware is fine. It's the software, I'm afraid...

1) Is there a place to go for tutorials? The built-in help is either non-existant or I can't find it. How does a brand-new user learn how to take the first few dozen steps?

2) From the launcher page, I select Manual, thinking I'm going to learn by RTFM - but I get nothing. Nothing opens, nothing loads, and no messages are given. User-friendly? Hardly. Is there no manual?

3) Does the Planet Auran Download Station (web-based) work for this version of Trainz? If not, why doesn't it say so, instead of spinning the IE world icon forever without doing anything (after clicking on Download All)? TS2009 is listed for Search purposes, but The Download won't work unless I've got an earlier version with Download Helper? Whatever happened to backward compatability?

4) I'm beginning to think I purchased the wrong version. I tried to get the latest and greatest, but may have gotten something that wasn't quite "ready for prime time". Can I trade it in for the 2006 version? Should I?

5) Why are there scenerios available under the web-based DS, but they don't show up in the Content Manager, accessed from the Trainz startup page (when it actually cooperates and decides to start)?

6) How are you supposed to find anything in Content Manager without knowing what anything is? At least the web-based DS had nice categories to choose from, so I knew what I was looking at. (Locos, Bogeys, etc.)

No flames, please. I am really just trying to find out how to use this thing. With no manual, I can't do much but use Driver to look out the window. OK, I could have seen this much from the YouTube videos. Maybe I should have stuck with MSFS X. That simulator has more training, tutorials, lessons, and scenarios than a virtual pilot would ever need. In comparison, well, there is no comparison.

Now, the latest - I was already logged into the forums, but when I tried to post this as a new thread, it asked me to log on AGAIN! I swear, between the TS2009, the Planet, the DS, the DC, and now the forums, I have logged in no less than 8 times today. What is up with that??????
Click to expand...

Trainz is moderately complicated but does have very good flexibility. TRS2009 in the default compatibility mode contains all the content from TRS2006 and others besides.

Click on content to bring up CM2, on the search tab select location, then select DLS, To download drag the item to the download helper tab and click start.

If you have the web based download station open and content open at the same time then clicking on download(helper) on the web page will bring the item into your download helper in CM2.

You still need to click start.

Have a look at the wikibook trainz http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Trainz for more information, because its a wiki you can add detail if you think this would make life easier for others.

Cheerio John
 
Hi again Chute

You're welcome, glad I was of some assistance.

The manual being located under 'Extras' is a bit of oversight on Aurans part. The link had worked but for now I guess we have to put up with a few minor annoyances. Trains 09 is still a work in progress but I dont regret my purchase at all.

As you find stuff you are unsure about be sure to post your questions. There are many veterans that can answer most if not all of your questions, they are a very helpful and friendly bunch. Be sure to pay a visit to the 2009 forum, it is loaded with some of the questions that you may have now that are already answered.

Regards,
Lenny
 
The link to the manual will work if you have the right name for the file. I have build 38285 and my manual is named:
TS2009_manual_US.htm

Bob
 
Hi everybody

My 'manual' button doesn't work, either. Maybe it's because the document in 'Auran\TS2009\Extras\Documentation' is 'TRS2006_Manual.pdf'.

Am I the only one with this file?

I can't be sure if this came from the original DVD or with the patches, as I installed the patches soon after the first installation.

Does anyone have a copy of the TS2009 or know if there is one available on one of the Auran sites?

Any help would be appreciated as I'm eager to get to grips with this new beast, if possible.

Cheers

TD
 
Hey TD,

I believe all of us ts2009 users have the TRS2006_Manual.pdf link as well. Originally the 'Manual' button worked as expected but the functionality was lost on some subsequent build.

While the instruction I gave originally about using the 'Extras' button was just a workaround for getting to the documents easily for our new boarder ChutePilot, and any others as well, I imagine The Brew Crew plans on getting it fixed some time in a future build. I believe i read somewhere on the Developers forum that new updated docs of some sort are expected to be released as well.

TD did you notice there are also 'TS2009_manual_US.htm', 'TS2009_manual_CN.htm' , and other Languages as well, which are 2009 web based help?


Regards all,
Lenny
 
Last edited:
Thank you everyone for your welcome and your responses! As you could tell from my original post, I was getting a little frustrated. I am looking forward to many years of enjoyment and someday, maybe I'll be able to provide some assistance to others. In the meantime, I have hundreds of pages of TS2006 documentation to look over!
 
ChutePilot said:
Thank you everyone for your welcome and your responses! As you could tell from my original post, I was getting a little frustrated. I am looking forward to many years of enjoyment and someday, maybe I'll be able to provide some assistance to others. In the meantime, I have hundreds of pages of TS2006 documentation to look over!
Click to expand...

Honestly, I learned Trainz by doing. Perhaps it would be best to download some routes from TRS2006 and TRS2004. Learn to import them into TRS2009. Then experiment with surveyor and driver mode. Nose in the manual will not get you to first base.:hehe:
 
ChutePilot said:
Thank you everyone for your welcome and your responses! As you could tell from my original post, I was getting a little frustrated. I am looking forward to many years of enjoyment and someday, maybe I'll be able to provide some assistance to others. In the meantime, I have hundreds of pages of TS2006 documentation to look over!
Click to expand...

Hi Chute Pilot,
I can understand your frustration.TRS2004 was sorted out by countries etc,then came TRS2006,when everything was thrown in together and along came TRS2009 and its still a shambles.If you dont speak a foreign language then most of the stuff in Surveyor is of little use.
There is no question that some major improvements came with 2009,but these have IMHO been wasted because of the lump it all together syndrome,that seems to be prevailing at Auran .It really is a shame,but I have now dusted off 2004 and with a decent monitor and and a decent video card,it comes up damn well.

Regards Rusti
 
TRS2004 is budget software in the UK (five pounds or less) but I don't know about in other countries. It's fully tested and debugged, there are loads of high quality 100% compatible assets available for it and it has a simple friendly reliable trustworthy asset management system. IMHO it is the "jumping the shark" version of Trainz.

Some people prefer TRS2006 which is very similar except for its very different asset management system (some people like it, some don't), a serious sound bug which affects some hardware configurations, and a lack of inherent support for scenario creation and operation (driver sessions yes, scenarios no).

TS2009 is fine... for people who are developing and testing stuff for TS2009....

John
 
Or one could purchase 'Trainz - The Complete Collection' which includes UTC, TRS 2004 +integrated sp4, TRS 2006 +Intergated sp1, Paintshed for UTC and trs2004, Trainz Routes 1, 2, 3 and 4.

I paid $10 US for it, and am very happy.

Cheers,
Lenny
 
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