GreatNortherner Geeps load cabviews but not bodies

[Shawmut]

I'm trying to figure out why my GreatNortherner freeware Geeps load normally and I can drive them from the cab, but only the couplers and brakehoses appear during runtime in outside views. Let me explain ...

It all started when I downloaded some Not.Silent scenarios for the New York-New Haven route that use a NYC
Marketplace livery for the Baldwin RF-16 Sharknose (a favorite of mine). Well when these scenarios were written the marvelous Boston & Albany route was just twinkle in the Gtrax eyes, and so N.S used PRR equipment from the HorseShoe Curve route with the NYC sharknose. Ugh ...

So I hauled out LocoSwap and merrily began swapping out PRR coaches and locos for NYC ones. One exception, however, was the HSC PRR Geep that was used as both loose consists as well as some AI movements. I could have used the B&A Alco RS-3, but its lack of headlight flares didn't look good in the gloom of the subterranean stations in New York City. So I opted for a GreatNortherner NYC Geep pack instead. While I was at it I also downloaded the Erie pack (I was born and raised in a major Erie division point) and the Great Northern pack too, as the Erie locos need files from the GN pack. And anyway I like the GN too!! :-)

Well I installed everything with the package manager, and a check with TS-Tools shows no missing files in any of those loco packs. So far, so good. So I create a QD consist with the NYC2 loco and it fires right up. I'm sitting in the cab, check out the controls, and off we go with a consist made up of B&A freight cars. Then I hit the "4" key to see a drive by, and lo and behold it's a ghost locomotive - just couplers and brake hoses and a lot of nothing in between. Hmm ...

So I go into the scenario editor and make certain the the EMD GP pack is checked in the right-hand flyout with both check marks. Still nothing. Hmmm ...

So I then go a create a little standard scenario, and find that the loco (actually that's plural - locos) - because I tried this with all of the NYC Geeps, all of the Erie and the lone Lackawanna Geeps, as well as the plethora of GN Geeps, and they all behaved the same way - they showed up when I created the consists in the editor, but upon saving and going into runtime I was presented with the same ghostly appearances - or maybe I should say "disappearances."

I then uninstalled and reinstalled all of the loco packs making sure that the Assets folder was read/write, but still nothing. One oddity of note that might present some useful information is that in the consist editor the locos appear in the main window - you can rotate them and the headlights are on - but when you add them to a consist the smallish rectangle where they should appear at the head of your consist is blank - just that blue circle rotating round and round and round and round ....

These are standard locos that have been around for ages and many of you have successfully made repaints of them, so what am I doing wrong? Any constructive criticism/ideas gratefully appreciated.

Dave

[kris120]

Hi Dave,
when the blueprints of the repaints are ok (!)
this might lead to missing bodies:
- at least one missing GeoPcDx (you did not copy it)
- missing Simulation (normally a repaint does not need an extra simulation, some authors forget that)
- (very rare) a sound blueprint referring a GeoPcDx from a different package which is not available.

Missing scripts only lead to non driveable locos, but they show up.
Missing interior geometries (cab models) and missing cab cameras do not allow access to the cab => only a view like in F2/../F8 is possible.

So check your geos first.

Hope you are well.

Cheers

Kris

[GreatNortherner]

Hi,

Sorry to hear you're having trouble with the Geeps. Thanks for the detailed description of the setup process.

I must admit that I'm a bit stumped about what might be the cause of the engines pulling that "disappearing act". Especially since it's apparently all of them. Kris has kindly mentioned a number of potential error sources, but none of those should apply to the original models from my website.

Is the US Loco & Asset Pack (the good old Kuju \ RailSimulatorUS assets) installed and working correctly for you? I.e., can you run the old Railworks F7s without issues? The Geeps use their sounds. Though it isn't necessary to enable the Kuju\RailSimUS asset filter in the scenarios for the Geeps to work. I've just tested this on Marias Pass quickly, ticking the GP9 filter, placing some Erie, GN, and NYC Geeps in Free Roam, adding driver gizmos, and hit Play. Engines showed up just fine, 3D loaded and was visible in all cameras.

Very confusing! I wonder if there any hidden cross-references across some of my Geep packs that might cause trouble here. But then why would they show up in the editor and not in Play mode? In any case, if you have the time and don't mind the extra downloads, could you possibly install more of the Geep packs from my website? If that then makes the other engines appear that would be strong pointer towards faulty file/path aliases in the blueprints or models.

Cheers,
Michael

[kris120]

Hi Dave, Michael,
I've got an idea: do you have installed https://www.trainsimcommunity.com/mods/ ... ack-update ?
I do not know, whether that does interfere, but that would be something to take into account.
Do these locos run with a plain, original Kuju ?
Kris

[Shawmut]

First, thank you both for your detailed responses and suggestions. The key suggestion was whether or not RailSimulatorUS was working for me. I had never thought of that, because that folder, under the RailSimulator and RailSimulatorCore folders, has been there for ages.

So I did as you suggested, Michael, and tried to run the F7 on Cajon Pass. And lo and behold, it didn't load! Again, I never would have thought of that because I had not run that route or that loco for years. So I deleted the RailSimulatorUS folder and did a Steam verification on my TSC installation and it reloaded that folder again. So I fired up Cajon Pass and it didn't load again! What was going on? These are files from RailSimulator back in the early 2000's!!

Unlike RailSimulator and RailSimulatorCore, which have unpacked subfolders within, the RailSimulatorUS folder actually has its subfolders encased in an .ap file. On a hunch, I unpacked the .ap file and that was the trick: Cajon and the F7 loaded again, and all of your Geeps loaded just fine.

I have never, in all the years I've owned this game (and my original goes back to the original EA disks), ever had this problem. I have no idea why it suddenly occurred, and I'm sorry I had to implicate your Geeps (all of which appear and work as advertised) to finally get to the bottom of the problem.

I've got a ton of files in my TSC installation; after I've weeded out stuff and backed up my files I'm going to reinstall TSC and see if that solves the problem.

Dave

[Shawmut]

Hi Kris,

Good guess on your part, as I did indeed have that CentralJerseyRailfan mod installed. It turned out, however, not to have any effect one way or the other vis-a-vis the body disappearance problem. I kept it, because these sounds, based on ORTS sounds that I've used, sound so much better than the default ones. Thank you for all of the thought you put into my not-so-little problem, and good to know you are still in TSC!

Dave

[Shawmut]

Denouement:

I decided that there was something in either Steam or (most likely) RW/TSC that was preventing the files in the RailSimulatorUS.ap file from working, so I backed up all my files and completely deleted not just RW, but Steam itself. Then I reinstalled both Steam and RW, but just with Cajon Pass as the lone route and with Kuju and its three sub-folders as the Assets.

Then I closed my eyes, crossed fingers and toes, and started up the F7 scenario ... and all worked as expected.

Now to reinstall those Geeps and get back to business...

Many, many thanks for the patience and sage advice of both Kris120 and GreatNortherner!

Dave

[kris120]

Oh, do not reinstall everything every year ! I think there was something last year
Just be a bit more careful when you "hack" on your computer.
Cheers