newbie question :(

[PamBrooker]

Hi guys,, Sorry to bother you, but, I'm fairly new to railworks and haver been working on a route that i created in railworks using a template from a different route. Now, bUsing RW_tools I'm trying to move that route over to my own folder so i can upload it but i'm getting confused as it seems theres no way to do it.. I'm worried aout following the pdf file directly because i'm fearful that if i start a route I'm going to lose all the work ove done so far, and that would just be too much to re-do.
Can anyone give me some direction on how i can move this route from the template it's in, to the new folder set i set up with RW_tools??
Any help is appreciated..
Thanks
Pam

[Trainguy76]

I don't understand, do you want to package up your route for distribution?

[BigVern]

Not sure I understand either, might it not be a better idea to try and clone the route to a new location with RW Tools?

[PamBrooker]

yes, i will be wanting to distribute it ( or will, right now id just be happy to have my own loadup image). i've heard people mention cloning routes before but i cant find anything in railworks that says anything about it, nor is there anything in the route menu that indicates it does it, so, i'm pretty lost there..

[rgarber]

Pam, because you started a new route the new route was given its own folder. You don't have to move or clone the route just to upload it or start a new one. So don't worry because you used a route's template somehow its sharing assets or somehow connected to the template route. I don't know the best way to say this but a route template is more or less how a select route does things (via the blueprints) and what assets it uses. Anyway, you can upload your route or start a new route without effecting the original. To be safe you can always just dopy the route folder to a safe place on your hard-drive (located under contents).

Rich

[PamBrooker]

Thats the most confusing of all folders. nothing but numbers. Admittedly, i've the only route i've been on for the last several days has been my own, so i can use the date to sort things, but that leaves five folders with the same date stamp. Of those, most of there names contain mostly zero's and one looks the name of a registry entry, which i figure must be it, but i'm, just not certain.

[BigVern]

You can examine the route folders with RW Tools which will indicate what the actual route is. Also, if you go into the folder and open the route.xml (I think) should show which route it is. However agree it would be nice if the route folders followed a more user friendly naming convention!

[PamBrooker]

yeahhhh, i got something kerfuggled real good.. I get path errors on almost everything with that route.. Gonna hate it if i have to toss it out and start over, but that may be whats needed..

[qrfan3]

Whoooooo!!...holda, holda their Pam. All that hard work….redoing the track that fell down the mountain, etc……have a good think about tossing it out and restarting.
I’m the dummie that’s in “Railworks for Dummies” and know nothing about Route building yet…but the "Master" RichG and the likes are those that can steer you down the right road and I am sure Rich would also say, hang on … think about it also.
I have received help from other folks on matters and the more help you get the easier it makes the chore…of course the info has to be reasonably correct or you sink deeper...so I hope some of this helps you understand it a little bit better on top of the great advice you have already.
As Rich commented your Route folder has already been created …whatever’s with it or linked to other Assets,etc…it’s there in the Content / Routes Folder listed as one those crazy number / letter names for your Route and possibly linked to other Routes Assets or Assets themselves depending on what you did with your cloned Route. Whatever is listed as subfolders of your Route are there and part of it also.
As Vern commented there are two ways to check and make sure which one is your Route. …and like you stated also the date would be a giveaway .
You also stated on path errors….scenario generated I am presuming…maybe not, and maybe a few other little issues. These all could be a simple fix and with some help from others or a beta test of your route by a few if possible may cure some, if not all of the problems...so don't throw in the towel just yet.
I can read 3 pages of txt instructions and still get lost, but if somebody put those exact words into pictures with a few descriptions I grasp it straight away... thick, maybe with a little old age rot sinking in but the saying “a picture tells a thousand words “ sure helps me.

I have dumped a few pictures with some comments to aide or help you some with trying to package your Route, etc with slight references to some other folks comments. These are not the Bible but how I see it and hopefully reasonably correct, if not then I am sure I will be corrected and will note such with thanks for future reference.

A little long winded but I hope you get something out of it...

Cheers.

tut1.jpg

Yep, all those numbers and letters…which one is yours? In one of Vern’s threads he quoted two options, this is one of them if you don’t have RW_Tools. For example I have highlighted RichG’s Fort Kent ( 1 ) and it shows the xml file ( 2 ) in the right pane. Open this xml file up with wordpad / notepad…I use wordpad.
The localization English name will show you that you got your Route and the Development String will give you that crazy number / letter folder name of your Route.....this is shown where in the next picture below.
Would you believe after the latest update, RS.com still haven’t fixed the Project Platform DevString name in the Route Properties xml file, it doesn’t match the folder name. No biggie but RW_Tools picks this up as an error.

tut2.jpg

tut3.jpg

If you have RW_Tools this is easier and the first suggestion from Vern and can be checked by starting RW_Tools, Click on Route Building Tools, click check Routes or Scenarios. So now you know which mix of numbers & letters is your Route. To be honest this good to know but not really needed if you are going to package your Route as you will see in the following pictures.

tut4.jpg

If you don’t have RW_Tools then you have to use RW’s own packager. ( unless you want to zip all your Route, Asset folders and files and have a txt file describing your exact installation procedure of what to do, etc...not a good approach or way to do it I would think myself and possibly by most )
You will see your Route is listed as the English name you gave it. Select Packager, then tick Routes ( 1 )…all the Routes will show ticked…untick all the others and leave yours checked and here I have used Don’s Route ( 2 ) as an example. If there is an easier way to do this then I will be most grateful for the info…. Another RS.com issue to fix, especially when you are trying to select Assets.
Yes…the Assets ( 3 ) are the biggest problem when using this option to Package your Route…you have to know or have documented what you used as scenery, lofts, rolling stock, etc….. The most important is to get permission to do so if you use third party. I don’t know what the legal’s are for using RS.com’s stuff…maybe the Route builders can comment on such. RichG is his own Assets builder as seen by the Allaboard box below 3D Trains…note here: protected Assets ( blue colored writing ) cannot be and will not let you package them.
For an example if you created your very own Assets ( like RichG ) by using the Source / Blueprint option of Railworks then you tick your name or whatever you call yourself…as seen here by my example of # Pam ( 4 ).
Click ( 5 ) and what you have listed in the left pane will move across to the right pane ( 6 ), so make sure you got it right and don't move something you don't need across. Tick Assets, Content in pane ( 6 ) and open all to verify you got it all, as from now on you are committed if you continue…you can go back and add / remove if you discover something. Write your name ( 7 ) select a choice ( 8 ) and then click ( 9 ) to create your named *******.rwp Route file, pointing it to a saved location of your choice.

tut5.jpg

If you have RW_Tools, this is easier and straight forward. Start up RW_Tools, select Packaging / Package Route. Highlight your Route ( 1 ) and select Package Selected Route ( 2 ). After a little while depending on your Route size the next option will appear ( 3 ) asking if you want to add Assets you used. This where you have to know if permission required by third party has been okayed and legals of default stuff as shown by ( 4 ). If you have all permission or legal’s are not required then yes, yes.
Off it will go running a bat file as seen in a smaller command prompt window and may take some time depending on the size of your Route. When finished, decide what you do with ( 5 ) as you may want to add pictures, pdf file, txt file…etc. RW_Tools creates a RW_RouteSetup.exe file and not a .rwp file.

[rgarber]

Not to confuse the issue Gordon but is that number string only located in the xml file? If so, why can't we just change the string to reflect the name of our route rather than that long string of numbers?

@Pam,

I be a little cautious deleting anything just yet. Generally I don't worry about paths til I'm creating scenarios. Like Gordon says, there might be a simple reason for the path errors. Path errors aren't hard to get. - Rich

[qrfan3]

Not to confuse the issue Gordon but is that number string only located in the xml file? If so, why can't we just change the string to reflect the name of our route rather than that long string of numbers?
Rich

Rich
I experimented with the Testtrack and my own little Route at the time by changing the Route folder name only and leaving the string value the same in the xml file. It appears to work okay and I never had a problem starting the Route or running a scenario. I was going to try a larger Route like the Fort Kent and see if there is any connection to other files or such but haven't done so yet as one issue I had was when the Route is renamed in folder only it doesn't appear in Mike Simpsons RW_Tools. This would be an easy fix for him I guess...so this slowed me down to a stop and I haven't ventured on. In the xml picture above the DevelopmentString only appears once and Fort Kent Subdivision also as you only did the English in that file.
There are other strings in the xml file and now that you queried this possibility I will look into the matter again.

[rgarber]

Thanks Gordon, this could be a nice thing if it works. - Rich

[PamBrooker]

Thanks guys.. That helps a lot..
I "think" what the errors are is since i used railworks itself to create the route, and since i used Dons Kings Arm route as the template, it's still seen as a part of dons route in the xml. I could be wrong and hoping i am, but the only way i could get the correct loadup picture for it was to change the loadup picture for Kings arm. To me, that means that my route and Dons routes are joined at the hip so to speak, and need to be seperated before packaging.. The reason i want to seperate them is so that 1. You wont have to have Don's scenery to run the route, and 2. I'm terribly afraid of the possibility of screwing something up with Don's route. Even unintentionally, that would still be depressing as hell. I need to learn what i need to do to make it a stand alone route.. I have read that that can be a fairly complex proposition :;sigh:;
As for rolling stock.. When it gets near testing and packaging time, I'm going to change out all rolling stock to default kuju stock. I've got so much payware right now it isnt funny, and the only way i can gaurantee that there wont be any copyright violation is to use standard default stuff, and add a readme file with my recommendations for the payware i'm using while building it.. ( I.e. The new RSC Dash 9 ).
Theres just so incredibly much to learn isnt there?? i DO have RW-tools, but even there i'm certain i've only scratched the surface.
Well anyway, i'm rambling. Here's the pertinent information from the route properties file for my route.. Do i have to edit these?? If yes, do i need to create other files/folders???

________________

- <iBlueprintLibrary-cBlueprintSetID>
<Provider d:type="cDeltaString">RRYard</Provider>
<Product d:type="cDeltaString">Kings Arm Highway V2</Product>
</iBlueprintLibrary-cBlueprintSetID>
</BlueprintSetID>
<BlueprintID d:type="cDeltaString">TemplateRoutes\KAHTemplate.xml</BlueprintID>
</iBlueprintLibrary-cAbsoluteBlueprintID>
</BlueprintID>


- <MapProjection>
- <cMapProjectionOwner d:id="204832696">
- <MapProjection>
- <cUTMMapProjection d:id="141692432">


- <RBlueprintSetPreLoad>
- <iBlueprintLibrary-cBlueprintSetID d:id="1092512440">
<Provider d:type="cDeltaString">RRYard</Provider>
<Product d:type="cDeltaString">Kings Arm Highway V2</Product>
</iBlueprintLibrary-cBlueprintSetID>


Thanks again guys.. Sorry to trouble you for some hand holding here, but it's appreciated..
Pam

[rgarber]

Hi Pam,

You got some worries there, let's see if we can help you out a bit. First, it's always tough the first time, ya know? Okay, lemme first tackle the loading picture. It's very easy to do and not anywhere near as complicated as people make it out to be. for a simple loading pic like I did for my Fort Kent route - I just made a 1024x512 TGA picture. Gave it the name loading_(myroute).tga. Then I converted it to an ace file. I believe I used ToAce or whatever came with Rail Sim. Anyway, then copy the ace file to your source folder for your route. Open up the Blueprint and you'll see the ace file listed. All you have to do now is right-click on the ace file and export it. Then move the resulting loading_(my route).tgpcdx to wherever it's suppose to go. That's it. Too easy. BTW, Marc Nelson of 3DTrains taught me this. Forget all that DDS stuff this works perfectly.

Pam, you still got this idea that your routes and the other routes are merged together. They aren't. Your route is in its own folder. The things you used in your route, when you created the template were copied over to your own route folder. So you're okay. Even the loading picture, it wouldn't work if it wasn't in your own route folder.

Your last point, well sorry, that is a good one. You can't redistribut payware stuff, that's true. But at least you can still call for it in your routes whereas even MSTS you couldn't even do that. So in a way it's better but more likely a mistake can be made. So how can you avoid it? It's fairly simple providing the payware vendor kept his payware objects in his own folder. When you go to the packager tab in the Railworks Wrapper (that's the dialogue that first opens when you start Railworks) you'll first select your route by placing a checkmark next to the route. Then go down to Assets and click on the Assets you know you can include. Don't click on the checkbox like All Aboard. And don't forget you can include a manual with your route too. You then use the >>> to move the content you selected and there you can double-check what you're including in the route packaging. After you've done that, you proceed to make the installation file.

It's pretty simple stuff.

Rich

[qrfan3]

Good info there Rich .....and what Rich said about your Route Pam, is absolutely correct. Yes, you cloned Don's Route but all the work you have done is there in your own route folders....it's all yours and you can't harm his or any other Route. Yes, Don's Route screen is loading because the script you pasted above from your RouteProperties.xml is telling it to do so. I am presuming Don created his own Asset folder ( RRYard ) from the Source / Blueprint option of RW and I feel this is where you are getting confused as your RouteProperties.xml file which was cloned from his Route is looking for C:\Program Files\Steam\SteamApps\common\railworks\Assets\RRYard\Kings Arm Highway V2\TemplateRoutes\KAHTemplate.bin.
This bin file tells Railworks where to find the Route Screen to load...which is C:\Program Files\Steam\SteamApps\common\railworks\Assets\RRYard\Kings Arm Highway V2\TemplateRoutes\Loading_Kings Arm Highway.TgPcDX
I get this feeling from all your threads you have cloned Don's Route, built it to your own tastes...but not created an Assets folder of your own from the Source / Blueprint option of RW to compensate for Route extras, .....is this correct?
If so....No biggie and you have done nothing wrong, just haven't tied it in fully by editing your RouteProperties.xml file to look for your own files if you had them. If this is the case I can show you a quick fix to get around this little problem your having until you grasp the Source / Blueprint stuff and how it works.