Is the Theory About .ap Files Correct?

[buzz456]

Chacal.......Chacal......Bananimal......anyone......anyone?

[peterhayes]

Bob
Bob Latimers is saying that it is only when TS2014 starts after a cache verification that the modified files are gone.
As I see it:
Any modification made to an:
Asset that has an .ap file
But is saved outside the .ap file structure
(ie using the correct folder structure as is in the .ap file)

Scenario 1
Start TS 2014 repeatedly
Modified Files are not overwritten or removed.

Scenario 2
Perform a cache verification in STEAM
Start TS 2014
Modified Files are removed/overwritten.

Perhaps Bob L can confirm this is what is happening to him?
pH

[artimrj]

I will give it a test now. I have modified bin files for all the old default rolling stock. I will do a verify while I take a shower then run TS and see if they get deleted.

[artimrj]

Installed my mods, verified cache, mods still intact, ran TS2014 and they are all gone.

[artimrj]

Also all mods from Krellnut's vol 3 files are gone from the RSC folders if they have a .AP file. Surfliner /Audio is now empty again. Also Dick Cowen's buckeye couplers.

[peterhayes]

Bob
That says it all!
pH

[buzz456]

sooo has RSC said anything at all about this?

[artimrj]

A little more. When re-installing my mods using my RW Tools installer EXE I was told I had folders that were read only now. It made them read/write and finished install. When I clicked the OK button to end the process, my computer rebooted.

[latimers]

I have tried to get RSC to explain how the .ap system is supposed to work but they refer me to Steam who refers me to RSC who refers me to Steam who refers me to RSC who refers me to Steam............

I can't believe that RSC doesn't know, so it must be a case of them definitely not being willing to let the rest of us in on the secret. If that is the case, then one has to wonder why they're taking that stance.

Bob.

Hanlon's Razor: Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity.

[buzz456]

"Hanlon's Razor: Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity."

I also generalyy find this to be true. This situation is much more in Steams interest than RSC, making D/L smaller, but some of us that make changes need to figure out what to do as we go forward.

[latimers]

"some of us that make changes need to figure out what to do as we go forward."

Totally agree Buzz and I wasn't trying to imply otherwise. As I said to Mike Simpson, if this .ap system is really designed to stop people modifying their TS2014 (as yet not proven), then it's up to "us" to figure out a way to get around it (legally of course).

What's puzzling me is why they implemented the .ap system. The only advantage I can see is that the Steam verify has one file to check instead of many small ones. After that there doesn't seem to be an advantage. If the .ap file needs updating for some reason then it's going to be a big download instead of a few smaller ones. It looks like it wasn't designed to help users retain their modifications (not something RSC would see to be in their interest anyway, therefore unlikely to do it for that reason). So what advantage can there be in it to RSC?

Phillip, when you changed the files and put them back in the .ap file, did it later re-download the whole .ap file?

Bob.

[artimrj]

What I would like to know how the program knows to use an AP file. They have different names and are in different places. I have yet to find a path reference to an AP file in any bin or xml. This has me baffled as there are still route and things not in AP files.

[buzz456]

What I would like to know how the program knows to use an AP file. They have different names and are in different places. I have yet to find a path reference to an AP file in any bin or xml. This has me baffled as there are still route and things not in AP files.

This is a good question. ?????

[latimers]

I suspect that eventually all RSC DLC will be in .ap files.

THEORY: There must be something in the TS2014 game engine that tells it to look for .ap files. e.g. when there is a call to a file in Assets\Kuju\RailsimulatorUS, it looks for an .ap file, first checks the old folder structure to see if the required file is in there and if not goes looking in the .ap file.

Bob L.

[peterhayes]

Bob L
Won't they have an app something like "DOTNetZip" which can read zip files without unzipping them.
The mystery to me is what triggers TS2014 to delete modified files following a cache verification but doesn't delete exactly the same files without the cache verification. We need an Occam's razor solution.
pH