Shape Viewer DDS Error?

[scottb613]

Hi Folks,

I've used Shave Viewer DDS for ages - all of a sudden it doesn't work on both of my Win10 machines.

Anyone else having an issue?

I've done complete removal and reinstall several times.

Error when trying to open a shape.

Capture.jpg

Thanks.

Regards,
Scott

[geepster775]

Did some update replace the Trainlib.ocx in the c\windows\syswow64 folder? File date should be 11-5-2019

[scottb613]

Did some update replace the Trainlib.ocx in the c\windows\syswow64 folder? File date should be 11-5-2019

Hi...

Thanks - yeah - I just did a fresh install of Shape Viewer labeled version "22" - it's the one in the DDS update I uploaded - date on file in question is 09/17/2007. I didn't install the DDS update and I tried to open an ACE shape - no joy - same error message.

Bizarre. 20 years of using it - never an issue.

Regards,
Scott

[scottb613]

Hi Folks,

Oh - another symptom - I had to add the file association manually - as the installer didn't do it.

Again - I'm getting the same issue on two separate machines.

Regards,
Scott

[rt35ge]

I'll throw this out there. A recent Windows update might have mucked things up. I got apps to compelety stop those updates. My expereince, beggining with Windows 10, was I was no longer able to review what was in the update, download just parts of it, or outright decline them. Prior to Windows 10 user had those options. The update is now rammed down your throat weather you want it or not doing more harm than good. I expereniced a Windows update would delete .dill files and other important files needed to run a app or program. In the case of train simulators, programs and apps pre Windows 10 were usually the ones to suffer. Apps can go in and safely move any update you don't want. You don't have that option using Windows. What I removed some 4 years ago didn't affect my computer. In fact, it overall ran better after getting rid of the updates. My two cents.

[rdayt]

I had a similar thing happen about five years ago.
Two computers, Windows 10 Pro, regular update schedule.
Both did updates overnight.
One worked fine, the other I could not under any circumstances get shapeviewer to work.
It was the older one and was probably headed out the door anyway but jeez. The newer one is in a new box and still plugging along.
Updates suck sometimes.

Randy

[eric]

Old apps never die. Until they do.

There's a shape viewer in TSRE. Can't handle multiple shapes at the moment but it should handle freight anims in an eng or wag file.

[geepster775]

For me, setting file association manually, and dumping a copy of of the updated ocx file into syswow64 were never automatic via the installer. Always had to do that as extra steps. Win8.1 still works here, opens both ace and dds.

[geepster775]

installing 2.2.237, then unzip attachment and add files to shape viewer directory, then copy (again) ocx file with 2019 date to syswow64

[scottb613]

Hi Folks,

Yeah - I think I recall one of those massive patch clusters for Win10 came down fairly recently. Perhaps that the root cause?

The one feature I sorely need - is the "Hierarchy View" where I can see all the Draw Calls for any given shape - very important to modelers. It's not available anywhere else - that I know of.

Is there a way to associate the TSRE Shape Viewer - to S files - does it take a passed argument for a shape?

I'm still playing with Shape Viewer - not very encouraging - if truly a patch - I would think ALL Win10 users would be in the same boat. Let me look at Geepster's files.

Thanks.

Regards,
Scott

[rt35ge]

Hi Folks,

Yeah - I think I recall one of those massive patch clusters for Win10 came down fairly recently. Perhaps that the root cause?

The one feature I sorely need - is the "Hierarchy View" where I can see all the Draw Calls for any given shape - very important to modelers. It's not available anywhere else - that I know of.

Is there a way to associate the TSRE Shape Viewer - to S files - does it take a passed argument for a shape?

I'm still playing with Shape Viewer - not very encouraging - if truly a patch - I would think ALL Win10 users would be in the same boat. Let me look at Geepster's files.

Thanks.

Regards,
Scott

These Windows updates don't seem to wreck all Windows users. Many on other forums have said they haven't had issues. But go read up on it on the internet and you'll see it is a problem.

[pwillard]

Holy cow, I've been using TSRE Shape Viewer for so long, I had no idea my SVIEW-DDS was busted on Windows 11.

Sure enough, I get a run time error. It's a different one... but still... no go.

A re-install seems to have fixed it though.

[EldoradoRailroad]

My two nickels here:

Scott, I am emphasize with your unpleasant discovery.

Pete (Willard) mentioned some time ago how he was running Blender in another O/S, not Windows, because of what you are experiencing. Redmond is just breaking stuff.

I am not your typical person here, so the things that I do, or am forced to do is because of precautions I take. Win 11, which I have two licenses for is NOT being used, and I doubt that I will use them for a VERY LONG time. I do not trust Win 10 as regardless of my hatred for Metro interface (uggh) I have discovered it DELETING files without ANY warning, some are just simple batch files, WTF!

What I have resorted to is KILLING the Win 10 antivirus PERMANENTLY, because it will erase files and that is that, without even asking you. Yes, for your average user this is unsafe, especially if you willy nilly install and open any and everything. I DO NOT do this. The flip side is that EVERY SINGLE new installation of anything that may or may not be suspect forces me to do an imaging of the Win 10 system drive. That is done with FoxClone in Linux. If something goes awry and it OFTEN DOES, I revert to an older image on an OUTSIDE drive.

In your case, short of unplugging yourself from the internet and somehow finding some registry hack to STOP these "updates/upgrades" from Redmond you do have a choice. It is the reason why I keep fully functional machines that have WinXP and Win7 on hand. When you have an O/S supplied from Redmond that you cannot trust to lay off your stuff, the alternative is to have these older machines and if you need to access the internet do it through a VNC, Virtual Networked Computer, that is NOT running a Redmond O/S. WinXP still runs MSTS and thus the activity maker. Win7 runs things like Shapeviewer, untouched by Redmond, and I dual boot it into Linux for things like Blender, etc.

I realize that this might not be possible for you. I have worked very long and very hard to get and keep these older machines. It is a headache I would rather NOT have, but it is the world we live in. During some very hard times for me, I was forced to look into Linux, way back in 2006. I do not regret that effort at all.

If you are not playing the latest FPS game, you will not find a need for Win 10/11. I do not bother with such things as I have no time for them.

Sadly for me the only reason to use a Redmond O/S is for simulators. As I have written so many times, even if it is free, I do not trust Redmond to not try to paint me into a corner. Which is why I have never installed things like Visual Studio and C#. I do not have time to suffer the machinations of Redmond while they keep us on a useless treadmill.

I tried to find a soapbox, but they don't make those anymore!

Steve

[rdayt]

I've done several new installs from the OS up and have never had issues with legacy tools.
Everything just seems to work on Win 11. If you follow the instructions.

Randy

[pwillard]

Don't get me wrong... I run a lot of legacy tools in Win11 without issues... initially... but I often find that things that once WORKED... stop working.