AP file

[jamesphh]

Adding a animated coal loading chute to a project I am working on, the animation would not work. The animation in question is from the UK freeware files. UKTS/industrial/GN/oldminingtown/prepplant chute. The only way to get it to work was to expand the Kuju/railsimulator US from the AP file. Another oddity!

[Ericmopar]

It must be an older asset that doesn't know were to direct itself to find what it needs in the .ap file structure.
There are a lot of broken freeware assets out there now, that the original creators still haven't fixed or had deleted from the various Train Simulator websites.

You probably didn't have to expand the whole .ap file. The asset probably only needed one thing in it to be expanded and/or a new external file path created.

[latimers]

Are you sure about that Eric?

Whether the item the older asset needs is in an .ap file or not shouldn't matter to it. It's the game engine that handles the .ap file references.

[jamesphh]

I also thought that the game engine first when to the folder and then to the ap file if item was not found.

[peterhayes]

You all may be correct - yes the game engine handles the .ap file references, BUT if it is given the "wrong" path by the addon - then it may not have the correct instruction to access the .ap file. Expanding the .ap file gives the "original" file structure and the add-on can now access it.
Just a theory.
pH

[Ericmopar]

Are you sure about that Eric?

Whether the item the older asset needs is in an .ap file or not shouldn't matter to it. It's the game engine that handles the .ap file references.

Yes I'm sure.
Castle Rock is an example of a route that ended up with some missing assets when it's assets were put into the Kuju .ap folders.
I fixed my copy by putting an external "Scenery" folder in the folder, so it had a place to build the BluePrint.pak.
Then the stations and other assets reappeared.
Some of the assets look for the BluePrint.pak but can't find it when in the .ap folders.

They can also be looking for a horn, bell, or other sound or object, but can't find it because of the new file path.

[latimers]

Well, I haven't touched my Castle Rock files and I just tried it and there was no sign of any missing assets (if you know what I mean). All of the stations that I went through were all there.

You are implying that when Castle Rock was converted over to the .ap file system it didn't work without user intervention. I'm not a big fan of the RSC/DTG approach but I find it hard to believe that they would mess things up that badly.

[Ericmopar]

Well, I haven't touched my Castle Rock files and I just tried it and there was no sign of any missing assets (if you know what I mean). All of the stations that I went through were all there.

You are implying that when Castle Rock was converted over to the .ap file system it didn't work without user intervention. I'm not a big fan of the RSC/DTG approach but I find it hard to believe that they would mess things up that badly.

Well they did. maybe they've since fixed it with an update.
When they went to the .ap files, the Monument and Larkspur stations vanished. I wasn't the only one to report it, but I don't think too many people drive that route, so most didn't notice at the time, or care.
I noticed because of my cloned and modified Castle Rock Balloon Track Project.

I still have "tiger stripes" in some of my Marias Pass tunnels as well.