Missing Activity File Somehow Recognized by Route Riter

[BenPMills]

I am entirely stumped by this one...

I downloaded the Metrolink to San Bernardino activity for Cajon Pass 3ML (not the new Cajon version) and placed all the relevant files in the ACTIVITIES, SERVICES, PATHS, and TRAFFIC folders in the 3ML route folder, and the consists in the CONSIST folder. Then I opened up the activity in route riter and swapped out the rolling stock I didn't have. Route Riter recognized the activity and let me modify it.

When I went to load the activity in Train Store, though, it wasn't listed as one of the activities under the route. I went to the route folder, and discovered that the .act file was not in the ACTIVITIES folder, where I had pasted it before working on it with Route Riter. I checked my entire MSTS installation, and the .act file was nowhere to be found. It wasn't in the Train Store folder either.

But when I go back to check activities in RR, there it is, Metrolink to San Bernardino, with all the changes I made to it. Somehow RouteRiter knows where this phantom .act file is, even though it seems to be missing from my MSTS installation.

So any ideas how to track down this .act file and get it back into the ACTIVITIES folder?

Thanks
Ben

[BNSF1959]

Do you have Train Store installed? Chances are it might be in there.

[BenPMills]

It isn't in Train Store. I have everything unstored, and the only thing in the main Train Store folder is the TSDATA folder (and it isn't in there).


NB: I'm running Windows 7, if that's important

[ronaldparkin]

Hi Ben What is the download file ID?

Regards

RonP

[BenPMills]

The link to download the activity (I think that's what you're asking for) is

https://www.trainsim.com/vbts/tslib....ight&fid=24357

[ronaldparkin]

Hi Ben, You said"When I went to load the activity in Train Store, though, it wasn't listed as one of the activities under the route. I went to the route folder, and discovered that the .act file was not in the ACTIVITIES folder" When you load up Trainstore it removes the act files so it would not be there.It is possible that trainstore as loaded the activity under another name so load up trainstore again then go to the Cajon3ML route and select each activity in turn and read the activity details.

Regards

RonP

[MikeSimpson]

Route_Riter searches for Activities using a recursive process, so it might find an .act file in a sub-folder of Activities, or possibly a Backups folder somewhere in your TrainSimulator folder (RR never looks at anything outside of the TrainSimulator folder, so would never look in any TrainStore folders).

Mike

[EL_Al]

Hi Ben,

I don't understand what is happening but one suggestion I have is that since Route-Riter can see the activity file, that you package your version of the activity using Route-Riter and send it to me. My email address is in the documentation for the activity. I'll install it on my system and see if I can detect anything unusual.

I've had several good reports about the Metrolink to San Bernardino activity so I'm anxious to understand any problems.

Thank you,

Al

[BenPMills]

Sorry for the delay in replying to this post--I was away from my computer for a while (and I also just had two typed responses to this thread erased through accidentally closing the browser).

I tried a quick fix to my problem that only has gotten me deeper in the weeds. Thinking my problem was only a missing .act file, I figured that I could upzip the download again and paste the original .act file into the ACTIVITIES folder, and then change the stock. I pasted the .act file, but when I opened the file with context, somehow the stock had changed to reflect the changes I had made to the phantom .act file. Weird.

Weirder still, I ran everything through RR and it looked fine, but when I loaded the activity to run with Train Store, I got numerous train database errors. For some reason, Train Store had stored stock and engines called for by the Metrolink to SB .act and .con files.

But weirdest of all was that after I manually moved all the necessary .eng and .wag files from my Train Store folder to my Trainset folder, I got train database errors for stock called for by the ORIGINAL, UNZIPPED .act file, NOT the modded version that is in the Cajon ACTIVITES folder and that RR is seeing. Just to be sure, I ran the activity through RR again, and it lists the stock called for by the modded .act file, not the stock giving me train database errors.

So basically I have (at least?) two versions of the .act file floating around--the modded one in my ACTIVITIES folder that RR is seeing, and the unmodded one that MSTS is trying to load. Also, for some reason Train Store is storing stock and engines called for by the relevant .act and .con files.

This is the weirdest problem I've had with MSTS/RR/Train Store. I suspect it might have something to do with the file structure of Win7 (which I am new at). Maybe some hidden or redundant files?

I don't understand what is happening but one suggestion I have is that since Route-Riter can see the activity file, that you package your version of the activity using Route-Riter and send it to me.

I'm not sure how to package an activity. Is that a function of the donationware version of RR?

[EL_Al]

Hi Ben,

Packaging an activity is a part of the standard Route-Riter software.

Double-click "Activities" after you have the route selected, then click on the activity.

Next select the "Activities/Stock" tab and click the "Check Selected Activity" button.

If there are no errors you'll be able to select the "Package Activity" button on the results screen. It will ask you to name the package and where you want to store it.

Regards,

Al