Somewhat "new" to Trainz

[Jason24b]

With this latest purchase of Trainz, I now have all three of the major rail simulations in my possession. Four, if you count the work in progress that is Open Rails.

Unfortunately, each simulation has a somewhat steep learning curve. Even after 10 years I haven't mastered MSTS, even with the bin program. Railworks 3 has it's own issues and finding addons is quite difficult as there seems to be no central depository for them like Train-Sim for MSTS and the DLS for Trainz. Which brings me to......

Trainz. I have no issues installing or running the game, but downloading addons so far has been a less than rewarding experience using the content manager (3.3) and download helper (or hurter lol).

I have downloaded two add-on routes; the Chicago Metro 3.3 and IndustRAIL TS2010. I was under the impression that when you download the route from the DLS with the download helper, it would grab all of the needed dependencies and assets and download them for you saving much time, effort, and headache. Not so it seems. Both routes seem to be missing assets and dependencies as I see black holes where buildings should be, missing roads, and buildings of weird color and texture.

Using the CC 3.3, I check for missing dependencies. It says there are none. Strange. I then go back to the IndustRAIL download black page and see a list of dependencies separate from the route and I add them to my download cart and select download all. Download Helper does nothing, unless of course I want to download every dependency one by one, which I do not as there are 300 of them to be downloaded.

So, am I doing something wrong here? Am I missing something (besides dependencies and assets that is)? I've never been a fan of the asset/dependency system since I was introduced to it via Sim City 4. It really helps me appreciate the (somewhat) simplified add on system of MSTS. But until Open Rails fixes the AI and Editors, the base MSTS game is an unplayable mess after awhile. It's almost more maintenance than sim at some points.

So, right now I'm focused on Railworks and Trainz and I'm hoping I can get off to a decent start. I've spent money on these simulations and I plan to master them....eventually.

Thanks in advance for all help, advice, and suggestions.

 

[cascaderailroad]

You can PM me and I will try to help.

I have TRS2006 ... and TS10 is being shipped on a slow cargo freighter ship, in the mail (somewhere over the Galapagos, by now).

 

[j_maybury]

I check for missing dependencies. It says there are none. Strange.

Welcome to trainz Jason24b,
Some times the dependencies have there own dependencies, so in order to get those, get the list of dependencies from Chicago Metro 3.3 or IndustRAIL TS2010, in the CM, then select the [view in main list] button, now in main list right click the [select all] and then right click again and select download.
hope this helps.

 

[cc800series]

What about the question marks that show up with the missing dependencies? Where do you find those with the question marks unknown?

 

[Jason24b]

Thanks for the help so far guys. I have some freight cars with missing dependencies so I decided to use the trick highlighted in this thread to get the dependencies needed. Download Helper searches and finds the missing dependencies, then goes idle refusing to do any actual downloading. Quite an annoyance.

EDIT: It is however finding and updating out of date assets and dependencies. Nice.

 

[MrHAJO]

Do you have a FCT ? (First Class Ticket)

 

[Jason24b]

Do you have a FCT ? (First Class Ticket)

Of course. The DL station is essentially useless without one. I have so many out of date assets (so far up to 5gb worth) that the CM is still searching. Oy vey.

 

[j_maybury]

What about the question marks that show up with the missing dependencies? Where do you find those with the question marks unknown?

Welcome to trainz cc800series,
If the dependencies are not on the DLS after ticking all the boxes on the black pages, then I'm afraid you will have to search the Internet, first try to goggle the kuid number like this;-----------> kuid:174088:16065
If you still can't find it Post the kuid in this forum and someone will help you..

 

[philskene]

They are all there

Hi Jason --

IndustRAIL TS2010. I'm the author.

I don't have TS10 installed on my PC any more, having migrated to TS12. But I can assure you that all the dependencies for that route are on the Download Station - unless, of course, content has been removed, which I think is not the case.

Here's what I suggest:

Open Content Manager.
In the "Search" pane, middle left, set the the filters to:

• Location = Local
• Built-in = False
• Missing Dependencies = True

Click on "Apply".
In the main pane you will see a list of assets with missing dependences - they all have a "?" against them.
In the "Download Helper" pane, top left, click on "Clear".
Ignore the route itself. Select the other items with a "?" and drag and drop them into the Download Helper pane.
Wait a few seconds while Content Manager identifies the missing dependencies.
Press "Start" and the missing dependencies should download.
You may have to repeat a second or even a third time with any assets with a "?".
Once again, under no circumstances drag and drop the route itself into the Download helper pane. It will just freeze the whole process.
If you have downloaded a locomotive or rolling stock use the same process. But again, do not drag and drop the locomotive or rolling stock.
When you are absolutely sure that you have captured all the dependencies of dependencies, check to see if there is still a "?" against the route (or locomotive, ... ).
If there is, drag and drop the route into the Download Helper, click start and see if it captures any more dependencies. If it does, repeat the process above; if it does not the missing dependencies are not on the Download Station - now you must consider searching to the far corners of the Universe for that elusive missing asset.
​

Can you please tell me if this captures all the dependencies for IndustRail?.

Phil

 

[sniper297]

I've been toying with the idea of slapping together a beginner's guide for people coming over to the Dark Side from other sims. Main problem with download helper is even when it works it rarely works all the way, sometimes it gets sub-dependencies and misses sub-sub-dependencies. Example download the Chicago Metro 3 freight session template, if you don't already have them it will usually get the C-41 locos, and nearly always gets whatever bogies plus the lighted steam cabview - but it never gets the shell for the cabview, so you have to keep clicking view dependencies, view in main list, all the way down to the bottom where the actual missing dependency is. What's what;

The puzzle piece with the question mark is often confusing because you view dependencies and they're all installed, then you see that one of the dependencies shows that icon and the rest don't. View the dependencies for that dependency and you may find the DS icon or you may find yet another puzzle piece before you finally get down to the last dependency that has no more sub dependencies of its own. Repairing stuff is of course a whole new encyclopedia volume.

 

[CaptEngland]

@ sniper297

Nice post you have made there, and hopefully it will help to explain to the new guys we get each year, what the errors mean.

Regards.
CaptEngland

 

[sniper297]

Beginners guide to Trainz

As previously threatened;

http://www.trainsim.com/vbts/showthread.php?306297-Beginners-guide-to-Trainz

Some of my early stumbling blocks in picture format, I'll probably add to that as more questions come up.

 

[cascaderailroad]

The new book I just bought

 

[sniper297]

Hee-hee, you had me going for a minute, I just went to http://www.dummies.com/ to see if there actually WAS a Trainz book! :hehe:

 

[Euphod]

I just want to welcome Jason to Trainz, and reassure him that everyone here is quite helpful.

 

[Jason24b]

I'm back. I had been away from the house for the past couple of days so I couldn't mess around with the program. Before I left though I checked some of the stock routes and noticed the same odd texture discoloration I was seeing on the add on routes, but all the buildings were there.

I also tried using CM to check for missing dependencies again for IndustRAIL but it found no issues. So, I'm still at a loss. Might re-install the program.

EDIT: And I'd definitely like to thank everyone for their help. I wish this program wasn't so dependency eeeeer, dependent, but I'll master it eventually.

 

[j_maybury]

Jason, have you tried updating you video card drivers to the latest version.
We find no end of people having problems with there video cards, and 8 out of 10 times it turns out to be a problem with old out of date video drivers.