Renumbering Locomotives, But Problems With SFM When (De)compressing Shape Files!?

[PeterB]

Downloaded spupac4400cws.zip from the File Library together with danny_beck_sp_files_set.zip for the associated and required shape files.

The actual renumbering and editing of associated files are straight forward with no issues, with the exception of the shape files!

Using SFM version 2.5, the shape files are decompressed so that they can be edited using a text editor, and then re-compressed after.

I have the Southern Pacific AC4400CW locomotives located here - H:\Microsoft Games\Train Simulator\TRAINS\TRAINSET\SP_AC4400's. All of the required files are saved here, except for cabviews and sounds which are aliased.

Now, when decompressing the shape files within the above folder using SFM v2.5, some shape files decompress to a very small size!!?? Smaller than the compressed file size!!?? And on attempting to edit the decompressed shape files, it appears that much of the shape file data was missing!!??

Strange thing is that if I decompress the shape files elsewhere, such as located here, for example - G:\Downloads\Entertainment\MSTS\Locomotives, the shape files decompress to a much larger file size with all file data apparently intact! The files can be edited and then re-compressed without any issue.

So, for some reason the shape files are not being decompressed properly/completely when the files are located within this directory - H:\Microsoft Games\Train Simulator\TRAINS\TRAINSET\SP_AC4400's!

Why is this happening?

As an aside, I tried using "Zipper" and "Archibald" to decompress the shape files, but they don't seem to be able to do so. Possibly because Net Framework 1.1 is not currently installed in my Windows 7 64 bit computer(?) And apparently installing Net Framework 1.1 under Windows & 64 bit is not quite straight forward (based on googling the web).

[R. Steele]

I just installed net framework 1.1 a few months ago when I rebuilt my hard drive...Win7 Pro 64bit...straight forward exe file...nothing out of the ordinary at all. "netframework11.exe" is the name of the file...you gotta dig a little at MS to find it.

I believe it is archived at the Internet Archive >>> https://archive.org/

[PeterB]

Thanks, Gerry.

I managed to find an offline installer for Net Framework v1.1 and installed it without any major issue, although there was a warning message about incompatibility. But despite this, Zipper and Archibald now seem to work!

Back to the issue with SFM version 2.5. I have been using this for quite some time now without any issues, until today! And I just tried SFM version 2.4a, and again the shape files are not properly decompressed when attempting shape file decompression within the "AC4400CW's" sub folder!!??

Very strange!

Bug in SFM? Or what?

[derekmorton]

Has the H: drive come from a previous OS build?

If it did, the permissions may not be correct for your current OS.

[gammaray84]

What about RouteRiter, did you try using it? It can also compress/decompress shape files. I use it all the time and i have to say i have never had a problem with it.

[PeterB]

Derek

No. Drive H: has always been a data drive formatted using Windows 7 64 bit.


gammaray84

I tried using Route Riter on the SP AC4400CW shape files to attempt decompression, but RR failed! In addition I carried out two other shape file decompression tests on different sub folders (folders on same hierarchy as the SP_AC4400's folder). Route Riter failed again to decompress these other test shape files!

Using Shape File Manager version 2.5, I successfully decompressed and then successfully re-compressed the two test shape files!! Just to be sure, I tried another test decompression and re-compression for the default Dash 9 shape file, and again SFM V2.5 successfully decompressed and re-compressed the dash 9 shape file!

From these test so far, Route Riter doesn't seem to work for decompression of shape files. So I definitely won't be using RR for any shape file (de)compression.

And it seems SFM V2.5 does work decompressing and re-compressing other shape files contained in other folders of the same hierarchy as the problematic SP_AC4400's folder! But for some reason(s) SFM will not properly decompress the shape files contained with SP_AC4400's folder!?

Although Archibald can decompress the shape files within the SP_AC4400's folder, Zipper also successfully decompresses and re-compresses these shape files also. So at this time Zipper is the best program to use for (de)compression of these AC4400 shape files.

But it is still unknown why SFM can't decompress these SP AC4400 shape files correctly?

I vaguely recall reading somewhere, that SFM may not decompress some (shape) files (correctly) for whatever reasons(s)?

I am trying to find the source of that information.

[derekmorton]

Have you run a chkdsk on that drive?
It will pick up any corruption.

[PeterB]

Just ran chkdsk on drive H: and there were no issues.

[wwhall]

When you opened the .s file with Archibald, did you look for any errors in the .s file syntax? It will generally flag them.

[slipperman]

Hi Peter,
I have just downloaded the two files you mentioned and have run SFM 2.4 and 2.5 with the AC4400CW shape files. Both uncompress correctly, with loco #175 coming out as 8424KB, #334 as 8549KB and #352 also as 8549KB. What might be confusing you is that when re-compressed, the results are 391KB, 392KB and 393KB respectively, which are much smaller than the originals!

May I also suggest that you might like to try my FFEDIT_Sub (ffedit_sub.zip)? It was designed as a replacement for FFEDITc_unicode.exe for those who don't have MSTS installed, but will also act as a free-standing file compressor/uncompressor. It is actually a front-end for the comp.exe and decomp.exe programs.

Cheers,
Ged