Slovenska Strela M290 Slovakia Arrow... need help .eng

[rudedog97]

Utility checker found. I guess I can start correcting each of the errors. What does the Fix do? Does it take you to the error?

[rudedog97]

I appriciate this effort and I know why there are larger teams working on some of the bigger projects. I am blessed to find a solid partner whom I meet up with on a weekly bases and you guys. Can you tell me if this is the right code for SMS cab file SIMISA@@@@@@@@@@JINX0x1t______ I assume that the "@" and the lettering are some code for identification by the game that is is a:
SMS cab file any train
or
SMS cab file for the M290
?

[derekmorton]

>SIMISA@@@@@@@@@@JINX0x1t______

This is the first line of a unicode file ( utf16le ) that is used for multi language systems, it does not identify any file type.

[CurlSnout]

SIMISA@@@@@@@@@@JINX0x1t______


Yes, this is the correct header; it is used for ALL sound files in MSTS - whether they are:

____cab.sms
____eng.sms
____pas.sms

[CurlSnout]

You may be aware of these already, but a couple of sites that are useful resources when it comes to sound and *.sms files in MSTS and OR are:

Deciphering and understanding the .SMS files in MSTS - at The Steam4me Site

and

Coals to Newcastle | Physics | Sounds

[slipperman]

Hi All,
I don't think there's anything wrong with the .sms files themselves (except for some missing .wav files!).

I have aliased the default KIHA31 to the original M290 sounds folder and both the in-cab and the external sounds play OK with MSTS and Open Rails

This would seem to imply that the problem lies somewhere else, .maybe in the .eng file, but I'm still working on it (without much success!!)

Cheers,
Ged
.
EDIT : Stage 2 (!) Replaced the M290 .eng file with that from the default KIHA31, modified to use the original M290 sounds and cabview.
Result - Sounds, including horn, heard in cab and external views in MSTS and Open Rails. This would support my opinion that the fault is not in any sound files.

[slipperman]

Hi All,
I have solved the problem of the missing in-cab sounds!

Line 690 - NumNothes ( 0 ) should be NumNotches ( 0 ) (Brake_Hand section)
Line 755 - The '+' after the final quotes ( " ) should be removed. This error is only reported by MSTS after line 690 has been corrected.

The in-cab sounds are called on line 706 and I believe that the error on line 690 caused all the following lines (including 755!) to be ignored.

Another previously unreported error is on line 67 :
EnergencyResChargingRate( 1 ) should be EmergencyResChargingRate( 1 )

Of less importance is the fact there are two 'Inside' (Passenger View) sections - lines 72 - 77 and 501 - 507. The first 'calls' a shape file which doesn't exist in the stock folder but MSTS doesn't report it

Cheers,
Ged

[R. Steele]

Hi All,
I have solved the problem of the missing in-cab sounds!...

you've fixed! 😀

[CurlSnout]

Ahoy, Ged:

First-Class detective work; congratulations! I have made the changes/corrections you have suggested, but:

1) I still don't have a working horn
2) I'm still getting garbled/radio-static from the engine from the time the locomotive starts to roll until velocity exceeds 18 km/h

Can someone post an updated eng file that incorporates the corrections that Ged has come up with? I think the one I have at this point is no longer legitimate (in the sense that my line numbers are different - I already got rid of the 'Inside' section that references a non-existent shape file).

EDIT: I went back and started over again with a 'fresh' eng file - the one included in the download provided on 02.04.2024. I made the corrections that have been charted in this thread. Still no horn. And the engine sounds remain garbled below 18 km/h. These observations apply to attempts to run the locomotive in MSTS. In OR the horn works and the engine sounds are OK (in OR the main drawback is the extreme time it takes to relax the train brake).

[slipperman]

Hi,
@Gerry : How did you get my photo??

CurlSnout : Attached is my (working!) version of the .eng file.
I've only used the M290Strelacab, M290Strelaeng and M290StrelaPas sms files and have made the following minor modifications - they won't 'suddenly' enable you to hear the cab sounds!
M290Strelacab.sms - Line 201 : add opening quotes ( " ) before 'Strela'
M290StrelaPas.sms - Lines 41 & 42 - remove the close brackets ( ')' ).

One oddity I've not solved is that, in MSTS, the loco can only be 'driven' when in view 1 !!
That is not a problem in Open Rails, but could the extended time taken to release the brakes be due to a low charging rate or a very large pressure value for kPa, whatever that is?

Cheers,
Ged
CSD_M290_Slovenska_Strela.zip

[CurlSnout]

Hello, Ged, and thanks for sharing your working version of the *.eng file for the M290. I have tried (in MSTS) using that and making the minor modifications to the *.cab and *.Pas files that you suggested. The result is that (for me) there is still no horn and the engine sounds remain garbled at speeds below 18 km/h.

On my system, the M290 can be driven from the cab or the external view (view 2), but not from the passenger cabin (view 5). 'Driving' from the external view works so long as I don't stop - if I bring the locomotive to a stop (reduce throttle to zero, enable brake, and stop) and attempt to move again after that (Forward or Reverse) the locomotive will not budge.

Another observation: If I get the M290 moving, and do not accelerate all the way through the garbled engine noise (velocity < 18 km/h) the garbled sounds persist and I can't turn them off without shutting down the session.

Very odd.

[slipperman]

Hi CurlSnout,
I haven't tried running the loco at speed, but I'll have a look (or listen!) to it (but see below!)

I agree with you that if the loco is stopped, the throttle isn't operative from any external view - as you commented, it seems very odd!

Regarding the .sms files, I see that Variable_Trigger Variable2 is used. This does NOT work in MSTS (although it does in OR) and may be the cause of the 'garbled' sounds. I've just tried running up to 30kph and all I can say is that it doesn't sound right!!

Cheers,
Ged

[CurlSnout]

In CSD_M290_Slovenska_Strela.eng:

line 588 - TrainBrakesControllerMaxReleaseRate( 1.5 )
line 589 - TRainBrakesControllerMaxQuickReleaseRate ( 2.5 )

Changing the values inside the parentheses to 100 reduces substantially the time it takes to relax the Train Brake in Open Rails. It still takes time, but not as much as before.

Here are a couple of shots captured in OR:





Hi-Ho,

Sam

[CurlSnout]

Another observation that may have been made by night-time drivers: As provided, the light cone from the 'Reflector' (the central lamp above the windscreen) is aimed off toward the driver's left when in the DIM mode of operation, as shown here:



By changing the Azimuth values from ( 0.0 -5.0 5.0 ) to ( 0 0 0 ), the light cone can be aimed directly forward, as shown here:



Sam

[CurlSnout]

Failed to say: Comments above refer to minor changes made to the CSD_M290_Slovenska_Strela.eng file.

Sam