<Not the Same Route> message

[lvlender]

As a new newby to MSTS/ORTS and uneducated in the mysteries of ACTIVITY EDITORS, I have been downloading activities off the Trainsim.com server to have something to play. Or so I planned but,..
every 3^rd party download of activities (be it from a private party or payware) gives me the same message.

Here is a sample…
<Not same route: HT_BNSF_BARSDG>

So here is the question...
Is there an activity editor that can match up, troubleshoot or repair an activity file that is not opening in the activity window of ORTS?

[geepster775]

As the message implies, you are attempting to install some activity upon an incorrect route, a route the activity was not made for.

[uli2]

The "RouteID" in the route's .TRK file and in the activity .ACT file have to be identical. If they are not OR will throw out that error message.

[oper190]

My thought would be you have the wrong version of the Route(s) for the Activities your trying to run. I've never seen that issue and have downloaded many activities from the site. Many Activities have been designed for an older version of a that/those particular Route(s) that has since been replaced by a newer version, or for a newer version of a Route than what you have.

Also, have you changed the folder names of the Routes you've download from what they installed as? That might cause such an error.

[SD40-2]

As a new newby to MSTS/ORTS and uneducated in the mysteries of ACTIVITY EDITORS, I have been downloading activities off the Trainsim.com server to have something to play. Or so I planned but,..
every 3^rd party download of activities (be it from a private party or payware) gives me the same message.

Here is a sample…
<Not same route: HT_BNSF_BARSDG>

So here is the question...
Is there an activity editor that can match up, troubleshoot or repair an activity file that is not opening in the activity window of ORTS?

As Uli2 mentioned,

The "RouteID" in the route's .TRK file and in the activity .ACT file have to be identical.

There's no automaitic fix for this, as it tends to entail a lot more than changing the route ID. The only way to solve this issue is to do it manually, by opening up the .act and .trk in a simple text editor and changing the route ID.

Then you'll have to go into the ORTS trackviewer and start fixing any broken paths, first fixing it using the auto-fix tools, then if need be, fixing it manually.

[oper190]

every 3^rd party download of activities (be it from a private party or payware) gives me the same message.

From what you're saying, it seems you are either trying to use activities in the wrong route, or the routes have been renamed from the default used to create the activity. I've never had this sort of problem with any downloaded activities, other then using an activity from an earlier build of a route and I am using a newer build. In that case my message would be something like 'Activity made with Build000 and Route uses Buildxxx.'

More info would help ( Route(s) and Activities ) some of us may have the same ones installed.

[lvlender]

From what you're saying, it seems you are either trying to use activities in the wrong route, or the routes have been renamed from the default used to create the activity. I've never had this sort of problem with any downloaded activities, other then using an activity from an earlier build of a route and I am using a newer build. In that case my message would be something like 'Activity made with Build000 and Route uses Buildxxx.'

More info would help ( Route(s) and Activities ) some of us may have the same ones installed.

I am using activity files written for Surfliner 2. However, Surfliner 2 has been superceded by Surfliner 2.2 and is no longer available on Trainsim.

The original route (Surfliner 2) was built by Jeff Farquar. After the release of Surfliner 2 by Jeff, a set of player activities was created called, ‘The Surfliner Pack’. This was a group of activities for the Surfliner 2 route. The author of the activities set is Henry Triplett, who released the set April, 2013.

The ‘Surfliner 2’ route was subsequently updated by Paul J. Peterson, renamed ‘Surfliner 2.2’, and released to Trainsim.com about July, 2017.

Per an email to me this week from Paul Peterson, he states…

“… What I can tell you is that there were no track or path changes made between versions 2 and 2.2/2.3, so in theory the old activities should work exactly the same. That said, anything originally designed for MSTS can be temperamental in general (especially activities). Open Rails is only making its best guess with making the old activities work, and I've had similar issues at times, but it inexplicably works at other times.”

In an excerpt from the July, 2017 'Read.me' file in the Surfliner 2.2 release says of the changes…

“The complete freeware Surfliner 2 route, running from San Diego to San Luis Obispo, now with a full scenic upgrade. Includes all new Mosaic terrtex. Still compatible with existing Surfliner 2 activities.”

[derekmorton]

Rename the route to surfliner 2.
You do it in the .trk file.

[lvlender]

Is this the file you are referring to? Surfliner2-2.trk ?

If so, there are three locations that have the Route named…

1. RouteID ( Surfliner2-2 )
2. Name ( "Surfliner 2.2" )
3. FileName ( Surfliner2-2 )

Which one(s) should I change?

BTW, looking in the activity folder HT_BNSF_BARSDG.act I've been hoping to use, there is a text line that states…

RouteID ( Surfliner2 )

Should I copy and paste that text into the trk file, overwriting the trk RouteID statement?

[wmuzeke]

If you rename the route in the .trk file, then it can affect other activities. The easiest thing to do is to change the route ID in the Activity file. So in line 6 of HT_BNSF_BARSDG.act change "RouteID ( Surfliner2 )" to "RouteID ( Surfliner2-2 )" and you should be all set.

[lvlender]

If you rename the route in the .trk file, then it can affect other activities. The easiest thing to do is to change the route ID in the Activity file. So in line 6 of HT_BNSF_BARSDG.act change "RouteID ( Surfliner2 )" to "RouteID ( Surfliner2-2 )" and you should be all set.

I did exactly as you suggested. When I select the activity in Surfliner 2-2 I get this message <load error:HT_BNSF_BARSDG.act>

[derekmorton]

Slipperman has a utility called MSTS_actman. ( and a number of other utilities that I use )

See what it shows with your problem activity.

Post the activity here.

I posted mine that runs.

[wmuzeke]

I agree - run Activity Manager. Load error means something else. Be sure to check the Open Rails box in the top right of the main screen before checking. It will tell you if you are missing items for the activity.

[lvlender]

Thanks for the input and guidance to get the utility. Its really late. I'll check into it tomorrow. I'll report back...

[lvlender]

I agree - run Activity Manager. Load error means something else. Be sure to check the Open Rails box in the top right of the main screen before checking. It will tell you if you are missing items for the activity.

you if you are missing items for the activity.

msts_actman_v4-1.zip (FileID 88402)

I heartily thank all who posted. You helped answer my questions and frustrations with trying to get activity files on Trainsim.com's download service to actually work. The cure was running a copy of the MSTS_actman utility. The utility found all the errors, omissions and holes in my routes, activitites and missing trainsets files. Brilliant!

I did change the route ID in the Activity file as wmuzeke suggested. Worked great. After repairs, all my downloaded activity files are working. Thanks, guys!