How to uncompress S files ?

[pwillard]

Uncompressed S files chew up a LOT of memory space.

Probably better stated as "drive storage space" not system "memory space".

[wwhall]

For most .s file operations, I use Archibald. Archibald will uncompress the .s file, allow you to edit what you need to edit, and when you save the edited file, Archibald re-compresses it. Unless I'm doing something more complicated, like re-scaling a model or the like, I seldom use Shape File Manager. Archibald can be found as part of MSTS TK_Utils.zip (File ID 63320).

[qballbandit]

Huge fan of using Archibald for doing what you are asking. Very intuitive interface.

[R. Steele]

Also long time user of Archibald...for chore of editing image lines....certainly easier than anything else.

[pschlik]

Archibald has never worked for me, always fails to process files but never says why. It sure looks like it would be convenient if it worked, though.

[geepster775]

For anyone who installs the free Conbuilder, there is a helper app that also gets installed called 'Shape Fixer'. That app also decompresses and compresses. It also fixes shape files that are not constructed properly. Problem shapes will show up when you go to decompress, the app will fix instead and the decompress will require a second pass to actually decompress.

[yellowdog]

Archibald never worked for me, either. Only app I could never get to work. And as reported above, it never tosses an error message to say why.

[pwillard]

Same for re: Archibald...

[R. Steele]

Re: all who cannot get Archibald to work: I'm finding it hard to believe this pool of talent cannot get Archibald to work.??? I mean, I believe you, but is Archibald your Kryptonite?

[yellowdog]

Maybe we're Archibald's kryptonite

[wwhall]

I've installed Archibald on 5 different computers over the years--it has always worked just fine for me. There is one thing about Archibald, though, that may fool some people--it can take considerable time to initially load an .s file, as much a 30 seconds or more. But it will open them. The only time that I've seen Archibald "choke" on opening an .s file is when the .s file itself is badly corrupted.

[dcarleton]

When I use Archibald, it usually displays a message "Illegal Data", and stops loading the shape. But for the times when it does work, it's great.

[R. Steele]

Archibald readme sez: "Microsoft .Net Framework v1.1' or later, the name of the installer is 'dotnetfx.exe" which I'm gonna assume all have. I believe I remember somewhere a post from a user that could not get it started...that they installed Visual Basic Runtime 6 and that solved the problem. I don't understand why that would make a difference, but there it is.

[eric]

Yeah, I've never been able to get Archibald to run, either.