2014 is here

[_o_OOOO_oo-Kanawha]

Still no 3rd party routes run including CSX Mainline and Connelsville to Baltimore. RW tools on one route lists many missing file in the Kuju folder. Includes audio files and the SD40-2 black. Looking at some files, the SD40 Geo file is missing among others. Kuju files and folders were included in the update. Many 3rd party routes require Kuju items.

Running RW_Tools over my updated RailWorks 2014 and comparing the result with the old RailWorks 2013 showed me that many .bin files were missing from 2014's Kuju/RailSimulatorUS folder. Their .xml counterparts were still there, freshly timestamped.
Apparently all the needed Kuju stuff is in that single large .ap asset file, which is actually a zip file and does include the .bin files.
First I'll have to digest this info: http://forums.uktrainsim.com/viewtopic.php?f=359&t=133972
I temporarily renamed the RailSimulatorUSAssets.ap file, and upon editing the Cajon Pass route, it came up void of any assets, save RSC rolling stock. So that .ap is actually used, but what takes precedence, the individual .bin files in the .pak file or those cached in the big .ap file, that might be checksummed or DRM'ed so you cannot change its contents?

These older freeware routes rely heavily on the Kuju folders, and apparently need .bin files explicitly. One could assume that a few critical .bin files missing lead to the SBHH or RailWorks 2014 just freezing and hanging until killed by the TaskManager. Perhaps these routes don't "see" the .bin files inside that .ap file?

I don't know what to think of this.

[eyein12]

draw distance seems to be the same as before for me.

[Haystack]

Well my 2014 finished downloading and I go to run it and it crashed right away. I verified the cache and it downloaded 119 files. Start it up again and it crashed. Anyone have any suggestions?

Edit: I noticed some people said their download was 2.8GB, and mine was only 1.4GB. Not sure if that has anything to do with it.

[Chacal]

You'd better wait for Steam to finish updating as it's supposed to.
If RSC has forgotten files in the upload they'll fix that and you will get them.
By manually copying files you risk ending up with incoherent files - besides, you should not need both the .bin and the .xml versions of blueprints. In my experience this is handled automatically by the game: it will use the .bin unless there is a newer .xml.

[These older freeware routes rely heavily on the Kuju folders, and apparently need .bin files explicitly."

I don't think (but I may be wrong), that this statement is true.

[Haystack]

You'd better wait for Steam to finish updating as it's supposed to.
If RSC has forgotten files in the upload they'll fix that and you will get them.
By manually copying files you risk ending up with incoherent files - besides, you should not need both the .bin and the .xml versions of blueprints. In my experience this is handled automatically by the game: it will use the .bin unless there is a newer .xml.
I don't think (but I may be wrong), that this statement is true: "These older freeware routes rely heavily on the Kuju folders, and apparently need .bin files explicitly."

Steam finished the update and says its ready to play so I'm not sure whats wrong. I just know that my update wasn't as big as what everyone else seems to be getting.

[Chacal]

Yes, this happens at every major update. Steam can't keep up.
Just keep the Steam client open. Verify local cache files from time to time if it makes you feel better.

[Haystack]

Yes, this happens at every major update. Steam can't keep up.
Just keep the Steam client open. Verify local cache files from time to time if it makes you feel better.

Alright thanks.

[_o_OOOO_oo-Kanawha]

You'd better wait for Steam to finish updating as it's supposed to.
If RSC has forgotten files in the upload they'll fix that and you will get them.
By manually copying files you risk ending up with incoherent files - besides, you should not need both the .bin and the .xml versions of blueprints. In my experience this is handled automatically by the game: it will use the .bin unless there is a newer .xml.

[These older freeware routes rely heavily on the Kuju folders, and apparently need .bin files explicitly."

I don't think (but I may be wrong), that this statement is true.

I don't know, Chacal. Perhaps this behaviour has been changed with the coming of those .ap files?

I have verified cache several times to no awail.

The commercial DLC from RSC runs happily and looks a bit better here and there.
But none of the freeware routes. And because the error reporting hasn't been improved at all, I don't know what is wrong and how to fix it, other than by lengthy trial and error.

[buzz456]

Working my way through the routes and so far have nothing that won't load. An interesting bit of trivia is lately I haven't been able to run Bay of Quinte and haven't bothered to chase around my problem. Now it opens and runs just fine.

[BNSFdude]

For you devs out there. When changing anything from Blueprints to textures. Don't close the game! Just work, pull the game up and press F9 to refresh the game rather than restarting.

[GSkid]

seems my tracks moire and flicker is worse than before.

I agree with that comment. I find the same thing. But game loads insanely fast now, and also stutters less. For a free update, and what seems to be yearly thing; AMAZING.

Yeah. My gut is saying that in the attempt to increase draw distance with low polys for long distance objects, it degraded the quality of some aspects of closer objects. That's why I'm guessing is the reason for the increased flickering/shimmering we see on the rail ties for a good distance in front of the train and horribly on switching frogs. I've also noticed what seems like a slight scaling issue when the train gets closer from the trackside camera mode. Almost like a slight pixelation just as it's crossing over the point from far away LOD to close LOD. It may have had it before, but I seem to see it now. It could be as result of the shimmering making it "seem" pixelated.

It also seems like I see more jaggies on things like rails then before despite 8x on both filters and detail levels on max.

I'm not sure why, but it seems you can't ZOOM the view waaaay OUT behind your locomotive when in chase cam mode anymore. It only allows the old default distance and closer through the FOV zoom-in. Unless someone has figured out a way.

When in trackside camera mode and the FOV zoomed all the way in, you see Z-fighting like on both the numbering plates or the BNSF logo on the nose of an ES44AC for instance. Where they flicker in and out of existence until the loco is pretty close.

Tried out the consist builder and made a 6 engine standalone consist using 6 different ES44AC's helpers with 6 different engine sounds from your ES44 10-pack. Sounded really good and much more natural. Thus curing the issue of the jet sound caused by multiple engines using the same, single engine sample for all of them at the same time. This makes it less tedious to set that up.


eyein12 said....

draw distance seems to be the same as before for me.

Kinda seems that way. I must do more testing to see for sure.

[_o_OOOO_oo-Kanawha]

Working my way through the routes and so far have nothing that won't load. An interesting bit of trivia is lately I haven't been able to run Bay of Quinte and haven't bothered to chase around my problem. Now it opens and runs just fine.

Glad yours is working properly, Buzz. Our mileages do vary. So I'll better install those routes anew in a fresh copy instead of keeping one that has been in use since RW 2/3.

The new serz.exe compresses large shape files without error and there is a batch conversion frontend.
No doubt content creators will be pleased with their new tools.

[hertsbob]

An interesting bit of trivia is lately I haven't been able to run Bay of Quinte and haven't bothered to chase around my problem. Now it opens and runs just fine.

Funny enough I was talking to a chap earlier whose route was royally screwed in TS2013 but works fine in 2014. Spooky!

There are a couple of Workshop routes starting to appear now too, although they might be a bit English for you guys at the mo...

I can almost recommend Wycombe Branch (by me), but I know that literally nobody is interested.

[_o_OOOO_oo-Kanawha]

There are a couple of Workshop routes starting to appear now too, although they might be a bit English for you guys at the mo...

I can almost recommend Wycombe Branch (by me), but I know that literally nobody is interested.

If your are considered good enough to work for RSC, then your freeware work must be good as well! I drive UK and continental European trains as well as USA.
Hopefully the Dutch freeware routes also run in TS2014 once I have updated their install.

[buzz456]

Interesting look at the Kuju folder. Mine is essentially the same size but several folders are a lot smaller. Then there is a new one called RailsimulatorUSAssets.ap that is 1.3 gigs. Not sure yet what that is.