What is wrong with my MakeACE utility?

[ChooChooChad]

I still can't get the MakeACE utility to work. The one that is with MSTS gives me an error every time I try to use it. It has only worked once and that was it. The "MSTS MakeACE Interface has worked once but now I just get an error that says a registry failed. Can someone PLEASE give me some advice?

[Nels_Anderson]

Are you aware that it's a DOS program, and must be run in a DOS window from the DOS command line? You also have to give it two arguments, the name of your source image file and the name of the .ace file you want it converted to.

[robbiet69]

I cant seem to get mine to work. Whenever I try and run it, I open a DOS window, type in "makeace mycar.tga mycar.ace" all I get is "this program has performed an illegal operation and will be shut down" Please help me!!

[ChooChooChad]

I know that it is a DOS utility. I know exactally how to use it. It just screws up almost always. I have sucessfully converted 2 files after about 100 attempts. I go into DOS and type different things like
MakeACE us2freight7.tga us2freight7.ace
MakeACE us2freight7.tga us2freight7.ace-trans
MakeACE us2freight7.tga mycar.ace
MakeACE us2freight7.tga mycar.ace-trans

I have the files on the C drive and I have the converter on the C drive and nothing works.

CCC

[troub]

Well, one thing is that there needs to be a space between the filename and -trans.

[Xacto]

Here's the command line I use:

makeace.exe us2crgon.tga US2CRGON.ace -trans

The docs say that the TGA must be in the 8.3 format with 8 characters for the file name and 3 for the extension. This also appears to be true for 3ds file names, even though the docs don't mention that. I think DOS only recognizes the first 8 characters in a file name.
I don't know if the .exe also needs to be added to the end of the makeace to get it to run in DOS, but the docs use it in their examples.


Xacto

[controll]

Hi,

I am using the Makeace.exe utility in any directory I have
my working BMP and TGA files and it works fine for me....

here's an example

H:\Microsoft Train Simulator\Trains\Trainset\GP38 B&O 3801\Working\bmp2ace.bat

H:\Microsoft Train Simulator\Trains\Trainset\GP38 B&O 3801\Working\tga2ace.bat

each *.BAT file has this internal structure----

BMP2ACE.BAT has this command

makeace us2gp38col1.bmp us2gp38col1.ace

TGA2ACE.BAT has this command

makeace us2gp38col2.tga us2gp38col2.ace

These *.BAT files and the makeace.exe utility are placed in the
same directory with my working files (so as not to screw up any
originals or finished products) and then run the BAT files after
alterations to my BMP or TGA files and it works everytime.

I have also created BAT files for some of the cars I am currently
painting on and they work as well.

Using these BAT files I can execute them from Windows Explorer
and not have to start up a DOS window or a DOS session.

Hope you can use these for your problem.

Controll

[Tomdabom]

Can someone please explain that to me with using the deafaulted C: location?

[john]

just put makeace, no caps

[Gandalf]

After 3 days of HELL... I got it to work by running it from the "Run" item on the START menu. I just typed the path like I would from the DOS prompt and everything worked fine!
In the RUN dialog box... C:\windows\desktop\reskin\makeace.exe file.tga file.ace