Train Store V3.1 Release

Train Store V3.1 has been uploaded to the library and is awaiting approval.SUMMARYTrain Store V3.1 now allows you to Explore in MSTS whilst using Loose Stock and even AI Traffic. Support for RailDriver is now included. Stock and Consist lists can be viewed from any window, and they now include an immediate indication of items' stored/unstored status. Additional checks are included for System Restore activity, and validation processing has been improved to conform with MSTS validation.Danish, Dutch, French and German versions of the software are also released See the Getting Started PDF for installation details and Getting Started information.
IN DETAILNEW FEATURES1. There is facility to add Loose Stock and even AI Traffic to Explore with.
In the Easy Explore page it is now possible to select the Loose Stock and/or the AI Traffic from any Activity in the Route, and have it run in Explore Mode. (The results are dependant upon suitable starting conditions e.g. choosing a starting point which is in the middle of a set of Loose Stock will obviously not work). AI Traffic will start at the times which were originally set in the Activity, but are unlikely to run to completion unless it is on simple non-conflicting paths2. Support for RailDriver.
If RailDriver is being used, there is a facility to automatically start raildriver (instead of MSTS) when launching an Activity or Explore session. (Because of MSTS limitations this is not functional with the Explore Mode wth Loose Stock and AI traffic).3. Check for System Restore Activity.
If System Restore has been used, it can sometimes create duplicate sets of MSTS folder structures. If this happens and the user does not detect it, then a large number of files can be placed in the incorrect folder structure. Train Store now detects such duplicate folders on start up, and will refuse to run until the condition is rectified. (The MSTS System Restore Recovery Utilitiy which is also available, allows for very quick recovery from this problem without the effort of renaming large numbers of files by hand)4. Additional Consist Filtering is provided in Easy Explore.
In addition to the existing Consist filtering which is available in Easy Explore, it is now possible to filter to restrict the Consists to those which are 'used'in the Route. (i.e. used by Activities)5. Stock Item List, Consist List and Path List Views are Available.
Under the Consists, Stock and Path menu sections, there are new items to allow the user to view the complete list of Consists, Stock Items, or Paths for the installation. 6. Stored/InUse Information is visible in lists.
Items in Consist, Stock Item and Path lists, are now highlighted if they are In Use. When the Immediate Unstore feature is used the highlighting is updated so that the current state is always visible. The user can change the highlighting of the In Use items to suit their preference.7. Additional Checks for deleted items in lists.
If the underlying item for an entry in an Explore Mode Consist list, a Maintenance Mode Consist list, or a Mantenance Mode Stock list has been deleted, on opening the list the missing items are reported, and the user has the option of removing any or all of the affected items from the list.8. 'Where Used' Reports are available on the complete installation.
Additional Where Used report facilities have been added to provide a complete report for all items in the installation. There are three flavours, Used Items, Unused Items, and Complete Report. The Where Used facility now reports back a complete dependency trail up to Activity level.
MINOR IMPROVEMENTS1. The handling of some Error conditions have been changed Warnings to correspond more closely to MSTS.
2. The Confirm File Move dialogue also reports whether the file contents are the same or different.
3. Detection is provided for zero Activities, caused by Activities with a non-Driveable Path.
4. Detection is provided for zero Paths in a Route when unstoring.
5. Improvement to language handling to allow continuation when Windows language lists are corrupted.
6. Tidied up reporting of errors for non-existent items.
7. Moving or Setting a fixed MSTS Path now confirms existence of DEFAULT.WAG before allowing setting.
8. Validation of inconsistencies in Activity files has been improved.
ERRORS FIXED1. The Train Store window could sometimes restore prematurely after starting another program.
2. An incorrect folder was sometimes opened when selecting ConBuilder or RouteRiter start parameters.
3. The Cancel facility when choosing TSECTION.DAT sometimes did not work in Easy Explore.
4. Minor reporting errors in descriptions in Easy Explore and Easy Activity Run.
5. Orphan Paths were not being deleted from the Paths cache.
6. Routes with same name did not refresh properly in Easy Explore and Easy Activity Run.
7. File Name details did not always show for Consists in Information Pane.
8. Explore Mode Consists for deleted Consists appeared as '0' in Easy Explore.
9. Locomotive details were not cleared when there were no locomotives in the list in Easy Explore.
10. Immediate Unstore only unstored the first item when multiple items were selected.
11. Electric powered Consists did not always appear in the in the Maintenance Consist list editor.
12. Missing Stock Items were not displayed in Consist Details in the Consist List editors.
13. The locomotive details shown in Easy Explore were not correct for double header Consists.
14. A newly installed Activity would not be stored in some circumstances when using a Scenario.

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RE: Train Store V3.1 Release, heffed, Nov-30-04, 06:23 AM, (1) RE: Train Store V3.1 Release, crstagg, Nov-30-04, 10:05 AM, (2) RE: Train Store V3.1 Release, robertreedy, Nov-30-04, 11:00 AM, (3) RE: Train Store V3.1 Release, longislandmike, Nov-30-04, 11:51 AM, (4) RE: Train Store V3.1 Release, jorge, Nov-30-04, 04:11 PM, (5) RE: Train Store V3.1 Release, Busdriver, Nov-30-04, 07:58 PM, (6) RE: Train Store V3.1 Release, chimneyswift, Dec-01-04, 06:57 AM, (7) RE: Train Store V3.1 Release, jorge, Dec-01-04, 11:28 AM, (8) RE: Train Store V3.1 Release, robertreedy, Dec-01-04, 12:35 PM, (9) RE: Train Store V3.1 Release, TFormoso, Dec-01-04, 01:33 PM, (10) RE: Train Store V3.1 Release, donoldskay, Dec-01-04, 03:25 PM, (11) RE: Train Store V3.1 Release, TFormoso, Dec-01-04, 05:16 PM, (13) RE: Train Store V3.1 Release, donoldskay, Dec-01-04, 05:39 PM, (14) RE: Train Store V3.1 Release, jorge, Dec-01-04, 03:51 PM, (12) RE: Train Store V3.1 Release, TFormoso, Dec-01-04, 05:45 PM, (15) RE: Train Store V3.1 Release, jorge, Dec-01-04, 08:51 PM, (16) RE: Train Store V3.1 Release, Waldo, Dec-02-04, 12:32 PM, (17) RE: Train Store V3.1 Release, GaryH2, Dec-02-04, 05:30 PM, (18) RE: Train Store V3.1 Release, bob hahn, Dec-04-04, 10:51 AM, (19) RE: Train Store V3.1 Release, Busdriver, Dec-04-04, 12:57 PM, (20)

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Thanks for all your work Tony! -Jeff

Union Pacific fan.

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LAST EDITED ON Nov-30-04 AT 10:05 AM (EST)

Tony's new version has some really neat features. I have enjoyed playing with it the last couple of months while helping him beta test it.The Explore with Loose Consists and AI Traffic works well. You can can run an Activity with a different player consist every time. Also you can choose to just use the loose consists so if you have an activity with lots of loose consist scattered around, you can "explore" w/o driving through totally deserted yards.If you are using Train Store I recommend upgrading. If you don't I recommend trying it. BTW you should see how fast MSTS loads with everything stored but one route and the stock to run just one activity. About the time to take two sips of coffee on my new 3GHZ PC-Express system.

Charles

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Just to add to the above .. it is finally possible (with some restrictions mentioned above) to have consists and AI traffic in 'explore mode'. You can now have your cake and eat it too Thanks again to Tony (and all the other programmers) for their most essential utilities and all the work they have put into them.RobertR .. ADF-M&RM at http://www.adfrr.com

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Thank you very much!!!!
Great tool.Mike

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I want to keep this thread alive. I'm going to wait until it is available and install and try it, and THEN offer up the questions which are already burning in my brain. No sense asking something which I may answer on my own in due time.I used to use Train Store, but went with my own batch file system eventually instead. All I really need is a utility to store/unstore routes by changing the name of the .trk file. I like to keep all my stock and consists available at all times, because all I really do is explore, or explore like activities (Snipers Port Ogden style). So, this ability to run explore mode with stock is something I am VERY excited about.

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I LOVE Train Store!Enough said Bryce

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Tony,An indispensable MSTS utility just got better! Many thanks for all your hard work, for the work of your beta testers and everyone else involved in making Train Store 3.1. The Explore mode with AI traffic and loose consists is positively brilliant.Alan

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Ok, had a chance to try it out. A couple of observations and questions.First, the Explore Mode with loose consists and AI is brilliant. How is it accomplished?Second, for me, and my particular way of doing things, I still will not use Train Store for day to day MSTS running. I like the way Train Store stores routes, but I do not like the way that it also stores consists without giving you the option to not touch them. Yes... I understand that you can set up Global Explore Mode consists... but what I would like is for my consists to not be touched by Train Store at all... a checkbox or something to tell Train Store not to mess with them, only worry about storing routes. I want it to move and store my Routes without even worrying about my consists. IF Train Store could be told to dynamically look in the Consists folder and add any new consists in there automatically to the Explore Mode consists list, then that would be OK. Right now, every time I create a new consist, I have to add it manually to my Gobal Explore list. I run a tight ship already, so I want all of my consists I have installed to be available at all times. Have I overlooked something, or is this just the way it is setup?BTW, this is NOT a knock on Train Store. Only an explanation why it doesn't fit my way of doing things... as my way of doing things is probably pretty particular. This is not to say that Train Store is not the ideal solution for most folks... I would agree that it is!

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Jorge, not trying to persuade you, just an optional way of doing things. 1st item .. not touching consists. What I have done is simply click on the global settings/explore mode consists, then edit (lower right hand side). When in the list, press Control+A which selects them all, click Add and then "No" when it asks about prompting for already being there. Finally click OK and you can have all your consists out in the open at all times. Then all you do when you change routes is check explore mode consists box in the upper right corner and you are ready to roll.Having added new consists to the MSTS installation would be the exact same procedure. Takes about 30 seconds from start to finish on mine.RobertR .. ADF-M&RM at http://www.adfrr.com

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Jorge,I am not really sure what to say.First of all 'day to day MSTS running', if you use Easy, then every driveable Consist you have is always available to you to explore. Every Activity you have is available to run. You don't need to add anything to any lists.Secondly, I understand everyone runs MSTS the way they want to run it, but one of the objectives of Train Store was to make MSTS run in an optimal fashion without any intervention from the user. Just by selecting what you want to do, Train Store produces the optimum configuration to do that. You don't need to be concerned about 'managing' the installation to get the best results. Train Store stores Consists and Stock because they do have an effect on MSTS performance, and also the lists in MSTS are not easy to navigate, and select from. It's a lot easier selecting stuff in Train Store, and just clicking on one of the few items left when you get to MSTS.If you are concerned about always running Train Store first, then there is the facility to have it start MSTS at the end of its processing so there really is nothing extra to do, and Train Store deliberately concentrates on storing and unstoring to make things as fast as possible when it is used. In fact Easy Train Store runs like this as default. There is also the additional option to automatically return to Train Store after MSTS has run. So, if you use it like this (as I do), then you rarely, if ever, start MSTS directly.I can see that lists could be a bit of a nuisance with Maintenance Mode. The original versions of Train Store did have an option setting that allowed all Consists or All Stock to be unstored in Maintenance Mode. I removed that because of the issues mentioned above, and because I had complaints from users that the facilities caused problems, because it made Train Store slower, continually storing and unstoring everything unnecessarily, and, when everything was unstored, they could not always start MSTS.Thank you for your observations. Everything does get considered, even if it doesn't necessarily appear in Train Store as suggested.
Tony

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I am a big fan of Train Store. I installed Ver. 3.1 last evening. Looks like another improvement. However, the screen for Easy Train Store does not show the "Run" button in lower portion of the right screen on this page. This does not show in either Activity or Explore mode. Does anybody else have this problem?I have unzipped twice and installed three times. Still no run button as shown in the manual.Any help would be appreciated.Don Klaebel

ANTHRACITE WAS KING

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Don,I suspect you are using Large Screen Fonts in your Windows settings.I am afraid that is a deficiency. Train Store does not handle this setting properly. You can get round it by using the following settings. First Maximise the Train Store window, then Choose the setting Tools/Options/Suppress Background Image. The result is not pretty, but you will be able to see and use everything, I believe.
Tony

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Thanks Tony. Suppressing Background Image solved the problem. As you say not pretty but it works. Don Klaebel

ANTHRACITE WAS KING

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Thanks for the feedback. I'm certainly not doing a feature request by any means, and like you said, it's your decision what the program ends up being. A particular "quirk" which only one person cares about does not a new feature in a program make! The way Train Store is setup, if i'm not mistaken, is that it really kinda needs to be used as your new front end for MSTS, essentially replacing the MSTS selection screens and pull down menus. I'm more inclined to want Train Store to be my configuration utility, and then still use MSTS to switch locos and such while in the game.Taking your Easy Mode example. Start up Train Store, in Easy Mode select your route and consist(loco), and select explore mode, select what loose stock you want added from one of your activities and hit GO! You're right that all of your consists are available, but only in the Train Store Easy Mode screen. Once you are in MSTS, then your consist selection is limited. WHICH, I guess, is the WHOLE point of Train Store, to have it be as lean and as optimized as possible. If I want to stop my explore mode, switch locos and start at a new spot... I have to quit MSTS and go back to Train Store... I would like to stay in MSTS.Nonetheless, I'm still very keen on the Explore Mode concept you've been able to do. I'm going to set up most of my routes like this: A bunch of very short paths to give me starting points wherever I want. A few activities designed to have loose stock piled in different places of the route. Using Train Store, this will allow me to always be in Explore mode and have loose consists. I'll get used to always having to come back to Train Store instead of staying in MSTS... small price to pay, IMO.BTW, you still have to explain to us how you have gotten the loose consists and AI to appear in Explore mode. Voodoo magic? Did you sell your soul to the devil?

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Jorge,It's OK I don't have a problem with your request, and I don't see it as a quirk. As I say, everyone uses MSTS in their own way, and there is no right/wrong way.My only problem in these things is trying to balance the different views and requirements, and to produce something that is of some use for the larger number of people, whilst avoiding the situation where nobody likes it because it does something for 'everyone', but does not do quite what 'someone' wants.You are right. Train Store's function is to make things as efficient as possible for MSTS to run. Unfortunately, this generally means providing the absolute minimum for MSTS to chew on. You won't get it running any better than running with 1 Activity in 1 Route. But, we try to remain flexible. That's why Train Store started out with the Classic interface, and then progressed to the Easy interface. But they are both available. There's no reason why you shouldn't use Train Store/MSTS with several favourite routes unstored in the Classic interface.That's interesting to hear your suggestions of how you are going to set up things. I think that should work. The other idea I have in mind is if you have a Route which has a main line with a clear path, you could have a main line timetable passing by whilst your 'explore' got on with 'tidying the yard' sort of thing.
Tony

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Heheheh... you keep avoiding the question (trade secrets need not be revealed). You're absolutely right, the best thing to do would be to build an activity which is a "master template" in which you have set up a simple AI timetable which runs for 24 hours a day, that way, no matter what time you start your explore mode with train store, you will always have that traffic. Save that activity with the AI timetable by itself, then use that activity as the basis of other activities which have varying amounts of loose stock along the route. These now become your "presets" for starting explore mode with train store.THAT is what got me VERY excited about the new version of Train Store... it will provide that holy grail of explore mode with loose stock to play with and some AI. Granted, like you've already stated, the AI has to be fairly simplistic, but its certainly better than the ghost town that explore mode always has been.

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Hi Tony,A great program just got better! Adding start with RailDriver is a real plus for me. Many thanks.Regards,

Waldo

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LAST EDITED ON Dec-02-04 AT 05:30 PM (EST)

Being able to explore a route and have traffic is the greatest!This Train Store is the bee's knees and one of the best releases since MSTS itself!Thanks Tony and your cast of MSTS Elves!Gary

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This message is addressed to all you people who have been reading about this thing and thinking, "Yeah, sounds good, I'll have to try that one of these days."Make today the day. Get Train Store. It's the greatest thing ever. Watch in amazement as those little "loading" bars at the bottom of the MSTS startup screen go shooting across the screen in under a second. Be amazed again when the "Load Saved Activity" screen comes up instantly.If you have 20 or 30 routes installed and you're still living without Train Store, you won't believe the change.And don't worry; it's not like the last "utility" you downloaded that made all your locomotives disappear. It won't trash your activities, like the high-speed vibrating signals. Everything still works! Whew! Only now it's a lot faster.Get this thing.

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With Tehachapi and the few activities I want to run set to go with Train Store, I don't even see the bars go across at the initial start up of MSTS.....Heck, I don't even see that screen. It is straight to the Drive a Train screen. And then, all of those memory resources are available for a more stable run instead of being taken up by a bunch of information that the sim will not need for the run you want to run.Get it, read the manual (so you know and understand what it is safely doing), and have a much better experience.
Bryce

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