Failure to Load Malady

[lvlender]

Hi Guys,
Got the following ‘load error’ message for all the activities on one of the MSTS routes. (I am running it under ORTS). No other MSTS routes are displaying this malady. Before I start tearing into my installs again, I wanted to ask your input. Anyone seen/had this problem before?

load error message.jpg

[R. Steele]

Before I start tearing into my installs again

STOP doing that, you are scaring everyone. 😄 Rarely in OR do you use the end-of-the-world-option of tearing into/rebuilding/re-installing. Most often, you end up causing more problems.

I checked my Milwaukee RMD subdivision profile ( which I have not run in ages ) and lookee...same route, same problem...last thing I'm going to do is tear into anything. I cannot remember the exact problem -- except -- it's with the activity files themselves...either the Route ID in the activity file does not match the Route ID in the .trk file, or there are components of the activity file that are faulty. I don't have time to investigate the problem now. BE patient, someone with the answer will post here, of that I'm sure.

Meanwhile you can use Ged Slipperman's MSTSActMan to check the activities for errors.

bandicam 2024-06-08 11-42-38-917.jpg

[oper190]

I don't have that Route on my Laptop to check, but from past experience, I've seen that error caused by something missing for the activity to run, like the play consist is missing or does not having the engines called for it. Also as R. Steel said, wrong Route ID.

I'd advise checking the player consists to see if they are missing - or the player engines are missing in your collection or possibly are not named as called for.

[derekmorton]

Slipperman has a very good utility called MSTSActman (here in the file library) which should find the problem.

msts_actman_v4-1.zip file id 88402

[R. Steele]

Got some free time and ran MSTSActMan on the activity Phosphate WB...showed that the player's service was missing the path "Phosphate WB". For a test the easiest thing to do was copy another path --- Lucas Phosphate WB seemed appropriate ( starts at the phosphate mine and ends in Avery ) --- changed the copy file name to "Phosphate WB" and run OR.

Also change the following:
TrackPath (
TrPathName ( "Phosphate WB" ) <<<<<this
TrPathFlags ( 00000008 )
Name ( "Phosphate WB" ) <<<<<<<& this
TrPathStart ( "phosphate branch siding" )
TrPathEnd ( "avery end of track" )
TrPathNodes ( 139

Activity now appeared, loaded and ran. --- a missing player path will cause the activity to show a <load error. Probably other parts missing from an activity will also cause a load error....each case may be different. Up to you to run the ActMan diagnostic on the activity and go from there.

[lvlender]

Hello R. Steele,

thanks for your investigation and input. I see that more that about 50% of the activity files in your copy of Milwaukee RMD subdivision loaded. I had 100% fail to load on all the activities. I looked inside a few of the *.act files in the (MILW) RMD_West route folder but, didn't see anything immediately jumping out at me. It is suspicious that there is a global failure to load. I used the msts_actman utility and attached the results. How could so many Traffic and/or Path file have failed to install?

report2 - 09-06-2024 20.11.26.pdf

MSTS_ActMan v4.1 - Report No. 2 - 09-06-2024 20.11.26

[ORTS] Installation : <D:\Train_Simulation Routes>

Route : <RMD_West (Milwaukee RMD West: Subs 3&4)>

Check all the Activities for the selected Route
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Activity : IntroRide: Olympian Hiawatha (IntroRide_OlympianHiawatha)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Traffic file not found - IntroRide_OlympianHiawatha.trf
File : IntroRide_OlympianHiawatha.act
Line Number : 88 - Traffic_Definition ( IntroRide_OlympianHiawatha
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Activity : Lukas Phosphate WB (Lukas Phosphate WB)
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Path file not found - Lukas Phosphate WB.pat
File : Lukas Phosphate WB.srv
Line Number : 7 - PathID ( "Lukas Phosphate WB" )
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Activity : Milw 01: Butte Local (Milw01_ButteLocal)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Traffic file not found - Milw01_ButteLocal.trf
File : Milw01_ButteLocal.act
Line Number : 338 - Traffic_Definition ( Milw01_ButteLocal
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Path file not found - MilwAct01_ButteLocal.pat
File : Milw01_ButteLocal.srv
Line Number : 7 - PathID ( MilwAct01_ButteLocal )
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Activity : Milw 02: Haugan Helper (Milw02_HauganHelper)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Traffic file not found - Milw02_HauganHelper.trf
File : Milw02_HauganHelper.act
Line Number : 47 - Traffic_Definition ( Milw02_HauganHelper
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Activity : Milw 03: Thrufreight 262 (Milw03_ThruFreight262)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Traffic file not found - Milw03_ThruFreight262.trf
File : Milw03_ThruFreight262.act
Line Number : 47 - Traffic_Definition ( Milw03_ThruFreight262
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Activity : Milw 04: WB Hiawatha (Milw04_WestboundHiawatha)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Traffic file not found - Milw04_WBHiawatha.trf
File : Milw04_WestboundHiawatha.act
Line Number : 92 - Traffic_Definition ( Milw04_WBHiawatha
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Activity : Milw 05: Cottonwood Local (Milw05_CottonwoodLocal)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Traffic file not found - Milw05_CottonwoodLocal.trf
File : Milw05_CottonwoodLocal.act
Line Number : 57 - Traffic_Definition ( Milw05_CottonwoodLocal
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Activity : Milw 07: Winter Night (Milw07_WinterNight)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Traffic file not found - Milw07_WinterNight.trf
File : Milw07_WinterNight.act
Line Number : 84 - Traffic_Definition ( Milw07_WinterNight
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Activity : New Activity De SmetsWB (New Activity De SmetsWB)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Path file not found - New Activity De SmetsWB.pat
File : New Activity De SmetsWB.srv
Line Number : 7 - PathID ( "New Activity De SmetsWB" )
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Activity : New Activity NP (New Activity NP)
---------------------------------------------------------------
Path file not found - New Activity NP .pat
File : New Activity NP .srv
Line Number : 7 - PathID ( "New Activity NP " )
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Activity : Nimrod MILW (Nimrod MILW)
-------------------------------------------------------
Path file not found - Nimrod MILW.pat
File : Nimrod MILW.srv
Line Number : 7 - PathID ( "Nimrod MILW" )
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Activity : NP 01: Mainstreeter Steam (NP01_MainstreeterSteam)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Traffic file not found - NP01_MainstreeterSteam.trf
File : NP01_MainstreeterSteam.act
Line Number : 119 - Traffic_Definition ( NP01_MainstreeterSteam
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Activity : NP 02: A Rainy Day (NP02_ARainyDay)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Traffic file not found - NP02_ARainyDay.trf
File : NP02_ARainyDay.act
Line Number : 38 - Traffic_Definition ( NP02_ARainyDay
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Activity : NP 03: EB Mainstreeter (NP03_EBMainstreeter)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Traffic file not found - NP03_EBMainstreeter.trf
File : NP03_EBMainstreeter.act
Line Number : 92 - Traffic_Definition ( NP03_EBMainstreeter
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Activity : Phosphate EB (Phosphate EB)
---------------------------------------------------------
Path file not found - Phosphate EB.pat
File : Phosphate EB.srv
Line Number : 7 - PathID ( "Phosphate EB" )
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Activity : Phosphate WB (Phosphate WB)
---------------------------------------------------------
Path file not found - Phosphate WB.pat
File : Phosphate WB.srv
Line Number : 7 - PathID ( "Phosphate WB" )
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Activity : Phosphate (Phosphate)
---------------------------------------------------
Path file not found - Phosphate.pat
File : Phosphate.srv
Line Number : 7 - PathID ( Phosphate )
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
>>>> End of Report

[R. Steele]

My guess, based upon past experiences with some MSTS activities: they did not fail to load. The various missing parts listed by ActMan never existed in the first place. Why? I have no idea. I have run into this many times before with MSTS activities. Learn how to make paths, add traffic files, repair the activities, if they are important to you. Or look for others for that route that may be available in the library.

[R. Steele]

Under the file ID number you will see the "View" -- use this to view the contents of the file....doing this with the RMD West download ( rmd_west_part_1_of_4.zip ) you will see the following:

mportant Notice:

All activities are work-in-progress and many features have not yet been tested for correct performance. Use at own risk and please report issues, deadlocks and failures for future fixes.

Milw 1: Butte Local (work in progess)
Milw 2: Haugan Helper (work in progess)
Milw 3: Eastbound Wayfreight (projected)
Milw 4: Westbound Hiawatha (work in progress)
Milw 5: Cottonwood Local (work in progress)
Milw 6: Mail Drop (projected)
Milw 7: Winter Night (EB Hiawatha) (work in progress)
Milw 8: Eastbound Columbian (projected)
Milw 9: Crest the Hill (projected)
Milw10: Extra Troops (projected)
Milw11: Deer Lodge Switcher (projected)
Milw12:

NP 1: WB Mainstreeter Steam (work in progress)
NP 2: A Rainy Day in Paradise (work in progress)
NP 3: EB North Coast Limited (work in progress)
NP 4: Wallace Turn (projected)
NP 5: WB Hotshot (projected)
NP 6: Paperworks (projected)
NP 7: WB Fuel via Evaro (projected)
NP 8: Missoula Duty (projected)
NP 9: Modern Day EB (projected)

Reading further down the list, you will find that many of the paths, traffic files, and service files that should be associated with the various activities are missing.

[lvlender]

Hello R. Steele,

thanks for looking into the VIEW catagory on the downdload page (reply #8 above) and explaining to me what it all means. I took a tip from your reply #5 and morphed existing path and traffic files into the missing files by copying and renaming them. The renaming allowed ORTS to load all but 3 of the activities. No idea how they will perform. Maybe that's progress (?)

[R. Steele]

No idea how they will perform. Maybe that's progress (?)

Yep, that's progress. Some may work, some may not, you can use them a training tools to learn how the various files used by activities work, and how to make activities that do work. If you have not done so, you will eventually have to use the OR Trackviewer to make paths, and to fix broken paths.

In the library there may be completed/working activities for this route and the other RMD routes.

[lvlender]

Yep, that's progress. Some may work, some may not, you can use them a training tools to learn how the various files used by activities work, and how to make activities that do work. If you have not done so, you will eventually have to use the OR Trackviewer to make paths, and to fix broken paths.

In the library there may be completed/working activities for this route and the other RMD routes.

Hi Gerry,

I sent a PM to the member who authored the “MSTS RMD West (and East) Route”. His T/S member I.D. is 'landnrailroader', and name is Jerry Sullivan.

He states that the RMD West activities were created by T/S member 'Suisse' (name of Lukas Lussar) however, according to Jerry that member is out of the train simulation hobby altogether. It seems that these two routes are now orphans and available for anyone who gets the bug to further fix/reissue them. (Just saying...😏)

BTW, I ran a forum search for the utility Trackviewer. Didn't find it.

[baldwin]

Trackviewer is part of Open Rails and can be found on the Tools dropdown when you run Open Rails.