Where does the Start-up graphic go?

[Procopius]

I've downloaded the free version of the Mactier Route from Train Simulations. Unfortunately, the free version comes with no activity, so I downloaded some from the trainsim library. I decided to start with one named mactieractivitypack.zip, because it contains six activities. I've installed the one named CP 101-04 I've downloaded all the freeware stock listed in the documentation, but there's quite a lot of payware stock it needs that I don't have, so I'm going to have to substitute. When I pointed Route Riter at it to do a "quick consist check," I got the error message:

The route Start-up graphic mcatier.dds is missing.
This WILL cause your route to fail when starting it in MSTS.

Route Riter goes ahead and gives me the long list of missing rolling stock, so evidently I've got the route installed properly, and Open Rails sees the name of the route, at least, but the file "mactier.dds" is in the Textures folder, in the Snow and Wintersnow folders. Where should it be to satisfy Route Riter?

[rdayt]

It needs to be in the route's root folder.

[ebnertra000]

The route Start-up graphic mcatier.dds is missing. This WILL cause your route to fail when starting it in MSTS.

But...that's impossible... MSTS didn't use .dds textures. Or are you thinking of that little video clip when MSTS would start? That was an .mpg, but could make MSTS act out if it wasn't there, or if it was there, for that matter

[bwbrgb]

The " Free " Mactier is for Open Rails which can use DDS
.

[slipperman]

Open Rails doesn't complain if that file is missing.
If you wish to 'tidy-up', you can either
1. Open the .trk file and change the line "Graphic ( mactier.dds )" to read "Graphic ( mactier.ace )"
or
2. Copy mactier.dds from the TEXTURES folder into the mactier folder.

Cheers,
Ged

[geepster775]

That Mactier freeware route has been updated as of Oct 2020. About the same time they re-did the Scenic starter route. File name is now ORTS_CP_MACTIER_ROUTE. This route can now be dropped from the MSTS installation side and added/paired/shared with their other payware ORTS routes.

The textures folder is now DDS but the Tertex folder for just this route is all still ACE. The installer also now forces into Trainsimulations folder (same were all the other ORTS routes go). Installer also dropped a few new files into GLOBAL, probably more road and track sections used only by this route that were redone to call on DDS textures.

Would like to know if the activity/equipment pack has been converted to DDS and upgraded to current breed of sounds, with the horrific MSTS-ish GE smoke tamed a bit too.

Zipping through the route with my Mullan MRL GP40 looking for defects, only thing spotted so far are troubles with textures on rock outcroppings that yield solid black. Could be just a boogered texture/alpha channel from the automated batch conversion process. No conversion errors show in log.

[geepster775]

It was indeed an alpha channel problem with the file SRV_ToltecRock.dds

Attached are the two fixed files (one for summer, one for winter) that can be unzipped and dropped in to the Textures folder for the route.

https://www.sendspace.com/file/5g47qr

[Procopius]

Ah, thanks. I tried Open Rails a couple of years ago, but was dissatisfied with it. This time it's been developed a lot further and there are a LOT more activities for it, so it's more fun solving the problems.
--
Roger

[Procopius]

@slipperman Thanks, Ged. I guess I'll copy the file to the route's root folder. Not necessary, but it looks like I'm going to have to use Route Riter quite a bit and it's annoying to get these warning messages.
--
Roger

[geepster775]

Just realize Route Riter is an MSTS era tool that is hard-wired to look at MSTS dependencies like naming characteristics and file formats, many assumptions of which are no longer valid under Open Rails. That was the original sin back in post #1 of this thread, running an MSTS tool against a route that had been belatedly OR-ized.