Scalerail Conversions

[OTTODAD]

Doing some research on the Web I eventually found that REPLACE TEXT program and following its instructions to the letter it has changed NOTHING, using its ScaleRail and Eric Olesen's TEXT files.

Finding and globally replacing some of the most popular used X-Tracks in the US2 - Marias Pass route's World files using my UltraEdit32 editor worked !

Dynamic tracks will have to be converted to ScaleRail too, using Tim Booth's updated DynaTrax and Profile for after it has been released, ORTS needs for routes having them to show their super-elevated tracks !

Until there is a program which can do all that I shall use Marc's improved tracks only in routes which have been created using them !

However, replacing Double-Slips still being a problem I shall stick to using my DB-Tracks MINI versions, having the best tracks for MSTS there are, having been downloaded 624 times in May so far !

[eric]

Otto, did you follow all the directions? If you forget to do a step, you get zero changes.

1) Files have to be uncompressed
2) Files have to be converted from Unicode to ASCII
3) Replace options need to be set to case insensitive

Any one of those will result in the program running, but not making any changes.

I just did the Surfliner 2 in about 15 minutes reading the tutorial and doing the uncompressing and Unicode to ASCII conversion in RouteRiter.

Earlier today, I spent 30 minutes wondering why I didn't have any changes. It's because I thought I knew the instructions, and skipped the last step in my list above...

Pilots are supposed to read their checklists on each and every flight. No different here...


Fortunately, UltraEdit seems to have worked for you.

When I did the Surfliner2 this morning, there were 2366 shapes that weren't converted (not including Dynamic Track). "Only" 87 unique shapes cause that, and I see where some of those have a close approximation to pieces in Scalerail if I round up/down on the decimal values.

I will look over the weekend to see if updating some of those can close that gap down even further, but you are correct that it's not a safe assumption that you can do a conversion without getting your hands dirty to replace frogs, points, and a few curves.

[OTTODAD]

Otto, did you follow all the directions? If you forget to do a step, you get zero changes.

1) Files have to be uncompressed
2) Files have to be converted from Unicode to ASCII
3) Replace options need to be set to case insensitive.

Have another look at my previous post's attachmentS and tell me what I have not done ?

The Route Riter having uncompressed all the US2 World files and no separate conversion from Unicode to ASCII required by all other programs editing them they can be re-compressed if necessary.

Trying the Route Riter's text format changes on my now uncompressed US2 World files below is shown what happened.

Sorry, but this is frustrating me, stressing me, my heart can do without !

I think what started all these problems with my heart last September was increasing frustration caused by all these changes Microsoft, BT-Yahoo, Google, Internet Browsers vendors, DTG and other suppliers of software I use have made, most of all my WIN-XP SP3 not working as it did before getting interfered with by all of this !!!

[OTTODAD]

Not having done any creative programming with the DOS PowerBasic32 compiler for 10 year, I have its compiler for Windows 32 version too.

However, Windows using Graphics and rodents are not my idea of KISS for efficient processing of vast amounts of data input into my business accounting software, using keyboards only, which has to be processed strictly to comply with what its code allows to be input, satisfying the UK Inland Revenue and VAT laws !

In other words, you can not fiddle my accounting software !

If I were to use it the following is how I would code such a Converter !

Starting the Conversion program would load a nominated list of available conversion data into a Dynamic Array in Memory, which of course must be characters perfect !

Then have the program access that Array, take the first item listed, deleting it and access all files in the selected folder, in the case of MSTS uncompressed World files, creating *.BAK copies of all the first time it is doing that and then look for it in all the other files in that folder, replacing all it finds !

The first conversion item done it does the same with all others in that folder using whatever items are left in the nominated conversion list Array.

KISS !

[OTTODAD]

Had another read of the 5 sheets Replace Text manual I printed earlier and noticed that it mentioned to do the World files text change from Unicode to ASCII when they selected *.w files are listed in both the Route Riters's small windows after having uncompressed them and back to UNICODE again after having replaced the route's X-Tracks with ScaleRail and this time it worked !

I am happier now, the UK Conservatives have been re-elected with a bigger majority and can better take care of the countries problems with the EU and uncontrolled immigration of Africans flooding mediterranean countries without interference from any coalition partner !

[OTTODAD]

Does this mean we can continue with the subject at hand, which is (supposedly) ScaleRail v2.0?

"I am going to try and motivate my pal Mike Simpson to create a utility which can convert any X-Tracks route to using them and being the creator of the Route Riter he could code it so that it does all in one swoop."

No go !

He no longer has the Route Riter and its Source Code nor MSTS on his computer !

[eric]

"I am going to try and motivate my pal Mike Simpson to create a utility which can convert any X-Tracks route to using them and being the creator of the Route Riter he could code it so that it does all in one swoop."

No go !

He no longer has the Route Riter and its Source Code nor MSTS on his computer !

Somehow I knew that would be the response, Otto.

As I hinted at last week, I just tested out a small tweak to WFH to try swapping out filenames when a cross-reference is provided.

I used it earlier today to fix the naming convention on some pieces I updated, and it worked like a champ.

Later today, I plan to test it out on the Surfliner2.

Assuming the tests go well, it could be used for Kuju to DBTracks, Scalerail, etc conversions as long as there's a cross-reference file available.

Right now, the only dependency it has is for .W files to be uncompressed. I haven't written a hack to do that, and really don't plan to right now as long as it can be done from TS-Utils and other programs. WFH works with Unicode, so there's no need to do that conversion before trying out a swap.

[OTTODAD]

Good to hear that you too are working on converting better tracks for use with routes using X-Traclks !

Jeff Krausao is planning to add this new function to the Route Router he is in charge off, I have asked Mike Simpson to do.

Tim Booth is working on his DynaTrax, fixing a number of old problems, ready to be used for X-Tracks to Scalerail conversions of MSTS Dynamic tracks, creating a new method for using Profiles, I shall get a copy of to test with its supplied new Scalerail profiles !

Not sure how Tim can get Norbert Rieger's profiles source code files to convert them for use in this new version ?

I hope that you are not going to spend a lot of time doing similar ?

[Bananarama]

I shall get a copy of to test with its supplied new Scalerail profiles !

I'm not sure where you got that info, but DynaTrax will not be supplied with a ScaleRail profile.

[eric]

Good to hear that you too are working on converting better tracks for use with routes using X-Traclks !

As I said, I was working on something to do a mass search & replace function to fix a naming convention I'd changed, which affected over 500 shapes I'd used in three different routes.

The fact it can be used for a track system conversion was secondary, but if it helps, great.

I'm also glad to see Dynatrax continuing to be developed by its original author, and look forward to the next release.

Now all we need is for John Stanford return to do some updates on Demex and Mosaic...

[OTTODAD]

I'm not sure where you got that info, but DynaTrax will not be supplied with a ScaleRail profile.

If Dynatrax can not supply your new Scalerail profiles then it can not convert MSTS X-Tracks routes which have many Dyntracks to Dynatrax, using Scalerail shapes and will be a waste of time converting them !

Does not bother me, my using DB-Tracks method having no problems converting routes to using them, just having done the EUROPE-1 in under 5 minutes, still using Dynatrax v0.62 with its NR profiles !

[eric]

It's unfortunate that the actions of one person seem to have ruined it for everyone else with regard to the Scalerail profile.

[Snowman]

I'm not sure where you got that info, but DynaTrax will not be supplied with a ScaleRail profile.

So, does this mean no ScaleRail V2.0 profile for dynatrax?

[Bananarama]

So, does this mean no ScaleRail V2.0 profile for dynatrax?

A ScaleRail profile will be released once Tim posts the new DynaTrax build.

[OTTODAD]

Having fun honing the Dynatracks and TsUtils conversion procedures to perfection did another one and this time chose the JAPAN1 route, not having any X-Tracks, its tracks having been placed with the default 2001 Tsection.dat and as you can see, my renamed to X-Tracks DB-Tracks look a treat in this route and in all the other 31 MSTS routes I have converted to using them.

Happy days !

http://www.otto-wipfel.co.uk/video/japan1-db-tracks.wmv

I hate to twist your arm, Marc, but before Tim can release his updated Dynatrax he needs to have your new Scalerail profiles to make sure that they work in it and I have tested it, converting a X-Tracks route I have already laboriously tested doing a Scalerail one, using the Ecobyte REPLACE TEXT utility, which can not read UNICODE text, I have reported here having done it !

O.K. that's enough, coming up to 4AM here in the UK, my usual bed time, the Internet being less busy and am ready to hit the sack !