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| Last Updated 20-Jan-2008 |
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This page is a summary and description of various MSTS tools, apart from those supplied with MSTS itself. To help us run MSTS to its full potential and overcome problems before they happen, web•TrainSim regards the following tools as essential:
And to add realistic weather, with sound in some cases, use Kosmos.
Carlos Gomes' consist builder, consist tester and activity tester is described in more detail on its own page. • Update 24-Dec-2006: The full version of ConBuilder is no longer free. To create consists, ConBuilder Lite, version 2.0.1, can be downloaded from the ConBuilder homepage or the Train-sim.com library in archive cblite.zip (3.5Mb, 24-Dec-2006). ConBuilder Lite is freeware and only creates consists but doesn't carry out the checking functions provided in ConBuilder Pro.
As at 20-Jan-2008 , the following downloads of Route Riter are available from Mike Simpson's Route Riter page at Steam4Me:
Mike Simpson's Route Riter helps out both route developers and those of use who download and install free routes. In MSTS' early days, installing a free route in many cases involved copying many of the texture and shapes files from all or some of the six default routes. However, not all these files were necessary for the route but neither the route's developer nor the user had a tool to remove these unwanted files. For example, web•TrainSim has just taken advantage of Route Riter to remove unused files from his installation of the free Modern England Route. The amount of disk space was halved, from just over 700Mb to approximately 300Mb. Mike has a good help system and you only need follow the procedure step by step to accomplish the task. Many route developers are now using Route Riter to our advantage (particularly in terms of the download size of the route across the Net) by having it check the files used from the default routes and writing a batch file which becomes part of the installation. This batch file, by default named installme.bat, knows which files are required and we run it to copy only what's required from the default routes on our hard drive. Having only a feeble dialup connection, web•TrainSim decides whether or not to download a route in regard to its download file size (obviously) and checks if it's installation has been put together with the help of Route Riter so there's no wasted disk space. Route Riter has with newer versions provided more checking facilities for consists and activities. Use it to check an individual activity and be informed of any missing consists and/or loose consists, and traffic, path and service files. It's worth noting the difference between Route Control (the full version) and Route Riter. The former packs up a route and puts it away until you want to use it. On the other hand, Route Riter removes unnecessary files and the route is always available on which to run your trains. As of 19-Aug-2004 , beta version 6 is available from the Australian Add-ons for MSTS page in file Route_Riter6beta.zip (9.97Mb, 19-Aug-04).
As at 15-Nov-2005 , Paul Gausden's excellent tool is at version 1.6. Shape Viewer version 1.6, SView1_6_187a.zip (2.54Mb, 15-Nov-05), can be downloaded from its page at Australian Add-ons for MSTS.
This free tool enables you to change the starting time and weather conditions of an activity. Changing from a clear summer day to winter snow can make quite a difference to driving a heavy freight across Marias Pass! Other features include viewing the player's timetable. You can change these times, but you have to do it manually - that may be a lot of work for some activities. You can also read through the activity's brief or working orders. The activity that's changed is backed up to a separate file so you can go back to the original at a later stage if you want. In V1.4a, you can add some random AI traffic to an activity but web•TrainSim hasn't tried this feature. As of 21-Jun-02, Activity Changer is at version 1.4a and can be downloaded from the author's site at msts.juliane-und-torben.de. Activity Changer is a Java application so you need the Java Runtime installed. If you install Activity Changer and run it from Start/Programs but nothing happens, you'll have to download and install the JRE from http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.3/jre/download-windows.html.
RC-Lite, rc-lite.zip (23-Dec-01, 5.8Mb), is the freeware version of Route Control by http://www.howintheworld.com. Whereas the full version has a range of features, particular as the title suggests, the means to manage MSTS routes, the free version is only capable of doing a thorough check that you have all the necessary rolling stock for the consists on your system. RC-Lite is a worthwhile tool to supplement ConBuilder and may help solve any consist problems you have, especially after installing an activity since it removes an offending consist to a separate folder until you install any necessary locos and rolling stock.
The following are available in the Train-Sim.com file library:
The following are available from their respective sites:
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