Would appreciate help with Gausden's SHAPE FILE VIEWER program

[bootednancy]

Greetings members............Last month I had to get a new computer as my Win7 system gave out on the old one......,I now have the aggravating curse of dealing with Win10 which is quite different than the XP or Win7 systems I have been used to. Naturally I have been busy re-loading all the MSTS Utility programs (Routes, Trains/Consists were on a separate storage drive unaffected and still run with OR via the new unit)

I have hit a stumbling block last night with the SHAPE FILE VIEWER v2.5 program of Paul Gausden. I ran the installer file (default path was C\Program Files(X86)\Shape Viewer) and added in the program modified for reading DDS files as well as the extended base supplement files. All works fine so far as I can bring up the 3D view of any car or engine S file I load plus set the background color, time / season lighting......but when I go to try and get a screenshot, here is where I get problems.

I went to the top menu of the window, selected Tools / Set Screenshot Folder and then the problems begin. I get a smaller window titled "Go to the folder and enter the prefix (????) you require. There's a blank box in the center, a small box that says file name (defaulted to the word SCAN), another window that is to be a drop down choices (but doesn't) saying "enter the prefix" ??:??? Pictures usually are jpg, bmp or gif among others, but you can't enter any of these, and then a key that says "Open".................

When I selected the S file I wanted the 3D picture of, I hit the Screenshot key on the main window, but I can not find a picture file anywhere of what I opened....Can somebody explain how to correct the error, what I did wrong and how I can get a picture of the S file. It has been so long ago I don't remember the details, but never had this problem with XP or Win7.....photos always showed up there, usually as bmp files.

Thanks very much for the assistance and time to unravel this error that I am not sure how I got into

[oper190]

Okay took a little trying to remember and figure out-

First you need to make the folder you want the screenshots to be placed in ( in my case <Pictures> /<Screenshots> )
Then in the Shape Viewer Menu select TOOLS, Select "Options", you should see a box near the bottom "Save Screenshots as JPG" Check that box.
Now also in TOOLS go to "Set Screenshot Folder" and from the popup screen menu find and select the Folder you made, and at the bottom of the screen is where you enter the prefix for your shots, default is "SFCAN". press open and then shots will be numbered in order taken.

(Took me a few tries to get it to work)

Result:

[slipperman]

Hi Doug,
Shape Viewer v2.5 was not released by, or on behalf of, Paul Gausden and might not be compatible with .dds files.

I suggest that you delete that version and, instead, install the dds version, which includes Paul's v 2.2.237 - file ID 85028 (shapeviewerdds.zip)

Cheers,
Ged

[eric]

Another option if it's not behaving.... there is a Shape Viewer built into TSRE which is compatible with DDS files and some ORTS includes.

You can launch it from a batch file in the TSRE folder via batch by using the following command:

start TSRE5v0.8004.exe --shapeview

[bootednancy]

Thank you "OPER190"..............followed your instructions exactly and my folder creation was "SHAPE PIX" on the desktop with all my other Utility program shortcuts...........Lo & behold loaded in the S file I've been trying to get a shot of and it finally appears in the folder on the desktop, so I can easily move it to the engine folder with all the other (S,SD,ENG, ACE) files
Doug

[geepster775]

What purpose for the screenshots? You do know they are obsolete today for consist building purposes because of newer consist building tools. No more need to clutter the trainset folder on your hard drive with JPEGs. If you need a screenshot to display a problem you are seeking help on, please know that ALL versions of windows have the ability to take a screenshot by holding down the windows key and pressing the screenshot button on your keyboard. You don't need some outdated train sim oriented shapeviewer tool for that.

[bootednancy]

Ged: Thank you for the information.............I some how, bumbling in the dark, managed to download and start installing the shapeviewerdds.zip file along with the extended base enhancement. Your file has the base install of ShapeView 2,2 and the trainlib.ocx file, so looks like I am set, as stirred, not shaken, I got the base program to finally work, it was just the picture debacle I needed to get operating today. Thanks for your help
3.6

[bootednancy]

Geepster775
I don't care that you don't approve of my using Screenshots.....I WANT THEM FOR ALL MY FILES of stock and engines so I open a folder looking for some car or engine to fill out or replace in an activity, I can shoot through a folder with maybe 10 or more files and I can instantly tell what I am looking at looks like WITHOUT ALL YOUR MODERN SCIENTIFIC METHODS of having to open up more programs Size of files is far from important now that storage drives come in terrabyte sizes.
It's MY railroad, and I'll RUN IT MY WAY
Doug

[TrainSimJack]

Doug for what it's worth, I didn't read Geepster's reply as any kind of attack or criticism.

I think you did a good job of replying with how you make use of screenshots, thanks for sharing that.

[oper190]

Doug - I completely agree:

It's MY railroad, and I'll RUN IT MY WAY

I use what works for me, even it its old, and obsolete by other's standards. As an old co-worker once told me, "It's your world." Enjoy it.
BTW love your avatar. Mr. Hart say she can ride our engines anytime. 😁