STS Equipment Difficulties

Have downloaded the great looking STS equipment - motorized and cars, but am having a major problem. Have made consists in addition to the ones that I downloaded. Tried to select STS motorized units with and without cars to run on the original Tokyo and NE Corridor routes. About 20 seconds into loading the route with the consist selection (under explore route) the bar-graph at the bottom of the screen stopped and after perhaps 10 - 12 seconds I got the famours "Send/Don't Send" message.Checked to insure that other trains and consists would run. Everything works fine with both ITS and L&PS motorized power. So, I tried running those routes with ITS and L&PS motorized power with an STS freight car added. (Have to provide some UPS service after all.) Route won't load and the same error message is received.Since cars don't have 'sound' and 'cabview' files, I probably didn't screw up on placing them properly. So, my question becomes... Anybody have any clues as to what I might have done wrong? I'd love to run these guys since I'm a pantograph nut even though I can live with both having grown up in Chicago during the '40s and 50s with the IC suburban lines, South Shore (all pantos) and the 'Roarin Elgin' and North Shore as 'trolley' lines.That STS euipment looks great and I like the concepts for different views, etc., and now it'd be great if I could actually run the equipment.Erik

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RE: STS Equipment Difficulties, chuckzeiler, Apr-18-03, 05:21 PM, (1) RE: STS Equipment Difficulties, bigwoodserik, Apr-18-03, 06:50 PM, (2) RE: STS Equipment Difficulties, dvdhoven, Apr-19-03, 01:51 AM, (3) RE: STS Equipment Difficulties, mrmike, Apr-19-03, 04:51 AM, (4) RE: STS Equipment Difficulties, bigwoodserik, Apr-19-03, 11:35 AM, (5) RE: STS Equipment Difficulties, dvdhoven, Apr-20-03, 02:42 AM, (6) RE: STS Equipment Difficulties, bigwoodserik, Apr-20-03, 08:21 AM, (7) RE: STS Equipment Difficulties, Swissie on the Road, Apr-20-03, 11:21 AM, (8) RE: STS Equipment Difficulties, bigwoodserik, Apr-21-03, 07:50 AM, (9) RE: STS Equipment Difficulties, bigwoodserik, Apr-22-03, 10:22 AM, (10) RE: STS Equipment Difficulties, Swissie, Apr-22-03, 10:37 AM, (11) RE: STS Equipment Difficulties, CMO, Apr-22-03, 05:00 PM, (12) RE: STS Equipment Difficulties, Swissie on the Road, Apr-24-03, 05:24 PM, (13) RE: STS Equipment Difficulties, CMO, Apr-25-03, 00:40 AM, (14) RE: STS Equipment Difficulties, CMO, Apr-27-03, 05:22 PM, (15) RE: STS Equipment Difficulties, Swissie, Apr-28-03, 01:28 PM, (16)

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LAST EDITED ON Apr-18-03 AT 05:33 PM (EDT)

I can't be sure if this will help you, but there is an update for the STS equipment, file name sts_upd1.zip, located in the Train-sim.com Library.edit: added the part belowI wanted to be sure I didn't give you the wrong information, so I quickly put together a consist of the ITS Class B and the STS boxcars, plus STS trailer #109 on the rear. I ran it on the NEC, and everything is OK. But I did apply the STS patch to the equipment.

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Chuck,Thanks for your reply. I had already added the update. However, did it all over again and added the STS work box car to the ITS loco (which worked previously)and the program now comes up with the "Send/Don't Send" message.It would appear that it isn't a download problem since the problems seems to exist over all the files. It isn't an .eng, sound or view file since all even box cars seem to cause a problem on my system. Since others appear able to download and operate these motors and cars, I'm thinking it may have to do with video since I've got an older system with limited ram and video memory. Is there anything you can think of about the video, etc., that might be the cause of my problems.Whatever the outcome, I plan to hang onto these downloads until such time as I eventually upgrade to a somewhat less prehistoric system at some point. Erik

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Hi,Wait a second! Video! Have you read the readme's that are included with the STS equipment?
Lukas (Swissie) has used 1024X1024 ace files. That kind of ace files cause older systems to crash.
But there are also 512X512 ace files included, at least for the box cars. You need to change to these files. See the readme's how to do it.Dick van den Hoven

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Hi All,
Also don't use a trailer in the lead position. My Computer specs are in my profile
Mike
"

This Smile says it all"

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Hi all,Thanks you Dick and Mike for your fast replies. Part of the problem is now solved. Just like you Dick, I though I'd read about the video possibility in one of the many text files and then couldn't find it again until you mentioned it and it made me make sure I read them without leaving any out of the search. Now I've got all the box cars and the work train operating (behind the ITS loco). Might add that the older open platform STS passenger equipment works also.Still have the problem with the regular Brill passenger equipment. I think it's basically the same problem since there are four ace files associated with this equipment that has a name an identical name + 1024 in the name (front.ace and front1024.ace), etc.Will play around some with those files and see what happens since it's the only lead I've got rolling around between my two brain cells.Thank you again for help.Erik

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Hi,Those front.ace and front1024.ace are not causing troubles. That are cabview files.
But I have looked at one the Brill ace files and this file is indeed 1024X1024, so I suppose the other files are 1024X1024 too.May be Lukas will find time to convert those files too.Dick van den Hoven

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Hi,Dick, thanks for all your help. Think I'll eventually contact Lukas and see if there's any possibility he might consider converting those file for those of us who can't run the 1024s. Erik

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Hi Eric,just read the post and heard of your problems. The Brill's originally came with 1024 textures only from their original author Carles Romero, while Wayne Campbell's boxcars were 512s which didn't support some of the fine print I wanted to add.There are two possibilities to get you out of the dilemma. I can convert the Brill textures for you - which means you'll loose out a bit on details - and mail them to you, or post them if there are more users reporting the problem. But I'm off to an Easter vacation and cannot address the issue before sometime into next week.If you wish to get ahead quickly you need MakeAce, a utility that lets you convert .ace graphics into bmp or tga files which can be edited in the paint program of your choice. If you wish to go this way, do a back-up first and make absolutely sure to save ace files as .tga files or you will loose the transparent windows. After saving as tga, open the files in your paint program (paintshop, photoshop, etc), resample them down to 512x512, save. Load the resampled tga file into makeace, export as ace with alpha channel. Make sure to check you point MakeAce to the right version of makeacewin which you will find in your train simulator/utilities folder.In the folder of the interurbans (STS Brill Interurban) you do find a text file named "Read me for ace file hierarchy", which tells you which car calls for which graphics (ace) files. That should help you in trying to "convert" all the necessary files for one car, to test if it works.Do not alter window.ace, as this is a small file that will not give you problems, but which is very sensitive on rescaling as you have good chances to "kill" the glass window effect in the process. Files that are 1024 for certain are - if I remember correctly trying to recall it from abroad - the bodies (STS_motor, STS_Combine, STS_Wood, STS_Trailer, STS_WorksWood, STS_Boxmotor, STS_Trailer_Combine), the details (Details_Nox.ace), and the various roofs. Hope that helps, and feel free to mail me in this respectSwissie

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Swissie,Thanks for your reply. I may indeed be the only person running having this problem since I haven't heard anyone else comment on it. Having no experience with this type of conversion, but having been told what's involved, I'll give it a try during the coming week and see how things work out. If I really get hung up, I'll probably come back with a burnt offering or two and ask if you could give me a hand.Thanks for your offer and the info. I'll let you know how it works out.Erik

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Swisse,Your instructions worked like a charm. STS interurbans now run in 512 country. I now have two complete sets of ace files. One at 1024 and one at 512.If you'd like, I can zip a complete 512 ace set and send to you as an attachment. I assume that if there's ever another request, it'll come to you. If you'd say it's OK to do so, I'll be happy to supply others with the 512 set also if requested.Thanks again.Erik

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LAST EDITED ON Apr-22-03 AT 10:37 AM (EDT)

Hi Erik,great to hear you got them to work! Including the nice side-effect of getting some experience with MakeAce.Thanks for the offer of sending a zip of the 512 files to me. I'd be glad to receive them (the e-mail address is in the file read me - interurbans, early on). And it is certainly ok for me if you provide others with the reworked files if they get directly into touch with you.In case there will be more than a few people experiencing this kind of problem, we'd have to consider posting your reworked 512 files to the file library, I assume...Lukas a.k.a Swissie

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I urge you to make up an addition of 512 x 512 files, and post it to the Library.

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LAST EDITED ON Apr-24-03 AT 05:26 PM (EDT)

Hi CMOurge...? *gulp - stares at gun pointing his way* Things are under way, I got Erik's resampled files in the mail, and will include them in an update along with instructions etc. It'll be a matter of days only before the alternate skins are in the lib. I just hope you won't gnaw-off your fingertipps while I keep you waiting Swissie

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Thanks,
Paul.

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The fix is in the Library, w/ 512 x 512 files.
Thanks again.

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You're welcome. Hope the 512 files cure the video problems with every body that experienced them. Don't hesitate to notify me if you detect other culprits or problem areas - there's another idea / project in the pipeline that will include those Brill skins, so any input is honored and included in future projects.Cheers, LukasLukas a.k.a Swissie

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