Can't create a thumbnail for new TS releases

[Curt C]

I purchased both new OR sets from TS yesterday (Heritage and regular ACe's). I've gone into Route Riter and have tried to create thumbnails for use in ConBuilder, which I've done successfully many times. The pictures end up being blank. What am I doing wrong?

[crstagg]

I purchased both new OR sets from TS yesterday (Heritage and regular ACe's). I've gone into Route Riter and have tried to create thumbnails for use in ConBuilder, which I've done successfully many times. The pictures end up being blank. What am I doing wrong?

Response posted on ConBuilder Support Forum.

[Curt C]

I'm hoping that someone can help. Charles posted my message on the CB Support forum:

"Curt C on TrainSim.com wrote:
I purchased both new OR sets from TS yesterday (Heritage and regular ACe's). I've gone into Route Riter and have tried to create thumbnails for use in ConBuilder, which I've done successfully many times. The pictures end up being blank. What am I doing wrong?"

After which he suggested the following:

"Have you tried opening the ENG file or the Shape File with Shape Viewer?"

I mistakenly assumed he meant open the Shape file with Shape File Manager. Using that I tried to open the shape file of one of the Heritage units with sfm, and now it says "0 kb unknown format". Now I can't get the shape file to compress and am unable to run the unit at all. Is there a way to restore the original shape file? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[lineman]

From your download, the existing file is hosed!

[geepster775]

ShapeViewer will not display models that only have DDS textures. Its been a known issue with an old utility. Our tools need to keep pace.

[ossie]

I've had the same issue with RR and .dds files and worked around it by copying all the dds files and then converting them to ace files. That's ok for a couple of models but as dds gets more and more common it's going to be a lot of work and largely wasted time. Hopefully someone who understands this stuff can come up with a simple "convert .dds to thumbnail" program.

Edit: Creating the ace files is only half the job too (in my experience at least). The .s file also has to be edited to reflect the ace files instead of dds, then changed back after the thumbnail is created in order to benefit from the dds files. Time consuming and frustrating.

[burgerbern]

no need to change the shape file back after telling it to use the ace files, leave the ace files and the shape alone, that way you can use shape viewer to view and Route Riter to create the thumbnails and use the ORTS setting "Load DDS textures in preference to Ace" in the experimental tab to use DDS files if available, that way you can do all you want and still have ORTS use the DDS files in the sim.

[ossie]

Good point Bernard, thank you!

[GokuMK]

Or just use TSRE instead of SV.