TARDIS - A Trainz Asset Repair Management Tool - Part 3

ianwoodmore

Active member
Installation

Edit: Under Revision


TARDIS is setup as per my PC which uses WIN 10 but should be applicable to other operating systems and folder structure. ie. all applications, utilities, and scripts are in certain folders on a certain drive. You will need to amend the files/paths in Asset X under Options and to ensure the files and paths are appropriate for your installation. Wherever possible applications, tools and utilities are sub-folders of PEVSoft. This minimises adjustment of filepaths across a wide range of computer installations by utilising Asset X macros.
A text file in each sub-folder provides an URL to download the appropriate utility.

If you don’t have AssetX that is on Andi06’s website, it can be accessed via Shane Turner’s website

http://trainz.shaneturner.co.uk/tutorials/index.php/en/home/utilities/3rd-party-trainz-utilities

There are several TARDIS customised files that replace the default AssetX files included in the TARDIS installer.
These are:

Assetx.ini
Sortorder.txt

The latest version of AssetX should include an updated tags.xml to TB 3.7 and TANE validation specifications.

The TARDIS scripts, customised AssetX files, and some information and development material are included in the Installer that is now hosted at Shane Turner’s website.

http://trainz.shaneturner.co.uk/tutorials/index.php/en/home/utilities/3rd-party-trainz-utilities

Required Tools

Apart from Asset X you will need to instal the latest versions of the following PEVTools:

Images2TGA
PM2IM
Quickshadows for Legacy Trainz versions. Not required for TANE as the lighting systeme is quite different.


In addition it will be beneficial to instal:

PEV's Trainz Mesh Viewer

For advanced users instal:

PEV's Mesh Text Viewer
PEV's Attachment Maker
PEV's Train Swayer. Not required for TANE.
A Text editor with HTML functionality.

You can get all PEVTools and a link to Andi's Asset X at:

http://www.members.optusnet.com.au/~villaump/pevsoft.htm

PEVTools are also hosted at Shane Turner’s website:

http://trainz.shaneturner.co.uk/tutorials/index.php/en/home/utilities/3rd-party-trainz-utilities

The Help sections in all the tools are very well documented. Please make yourself familiar with them.

The Asset X FAQ is here:

http://forums.auran.com/trainz/showthread.php?t=63264&highlight=AssetX+FAQ

This will be the main discussion area.

An Asset X Wiki is active and will be expanded as required:

http://online.ts2009.com/mediaWiki/index.php5/AssetX_Wiki

There are further articles by Peter in the Train Community Newsletter at:

http://www.zatovisualworks.com/trainz/tcn/tcn_volume_1/

These are also available at his website and at Asset X Wiki.

Documentation

I will, in due course, produce help files for TARDIS once I learn how to.
In many cases the repair processes are automated so you do not require instructions.
Nevertheless, all TARDIS scripts are extensively commented to assist in your understanding; to provide training in assetX scripting; and most importantly to remind me why and how I built the script.

Capability

Print functions and logs are an integral part of Asset X and will be crucial to TARDIS operations.

Asset X Diagnostics and Repair menus provide the ability to carry out these operations on single assets. Asset X Scripts and Tools menus extend this capability in batch mode. There are also context sensitive menus accessed by Right Mouse Button (RMB), and in conjunction with each Asset X pane.

TARDIS significantly extends this batch capability using scripts to automate Trainz REPAIR, UPDATE and Future-Proofing of Trainz assets. It also sets up some custom menus and provides links to vital information such as appropriate Trainz Wiki information.

Main Features

-Standardised config file layout to enhance readability and Repair Management.

-Customised AssetX menus provide top level menu access to the main TARDIS scripts, and targeted scriptlets, as well as rapid access to TRAINZ/TANE launchers and viewers:

a. Custom A - TRAINZBUILD.
b. Custom B - CLASSIFICATION.
c. Custom C - TARGET
d. Custom D - MESHTABLE BUILDER
e. Custom E - TRAINZ

-Examples of links to Internet, and to applications and information on your PC.


Classification of assets by KIND and Train Component.

Detection and keywording of various mesh types and major fault modes.

Help

Contains links to important websites associated with AssetX/PEVTools/TARDIS and FAQs including Copyright.

Part 4 - http://forums.auran.com/trainz/entr...-A-Trainz-Asset-Repair-Management-Tool-Part-4
 
BNSF1995;bt4342 said:
I have a problem. Norton is identifying Images2TGA as a virus.

That's a known issue with Norton. It does exactly the same with my own tools, not just PEV's ones. Apart from adding it to the exceptions list or using a different antivirus program, there's nothing that can be done about it.

Shane
 
shaneturner12;bt4345 said:
That's a known issue with Norton. It does exactly the same with my own tools, not just PEV's ones. Apart from adding it to the exceptions list or using a different antivirus program, there's nothing that can be done about it.

Shane

I wish I could, but something has happened to make Norton unuseable. As in, every single file and folder associated with Norton has had their security settings altered somehow (it may be a very smart virus), and any and all attempts to change them gives me the "access denied" message. Attempting to use the desktop shortcut does absolutely nothing.
 
Sounds like you've got a virus from elsewhere, unless you've downloaded Images2TGA from a third-party source and not my tutorial site (which is where PEV's site links to).

Shane
 
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