Train Simulator 2021 Core Update - 2nd March 2021

Discussion in 'Announcements' started by DTG Jamie, Mar 2, 2021.

  1. Clumsy Pacer

    Clumsy Pacer Well-Known Member

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    Neither Brisol-Exeter nor ECML are in .ap files - they're too old, but nothing to stop you putting them in one, so you're not likely to see a difference.
    This looks suspiciously like the platforms have simply not loaded in (this may explain why York is fine - it's all one scenery object). Have you tried going into the free cam or even the editor and just sitting there for a while?
     
  2. triznya.andras

    triznya.andras Well-Known Member

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    It's possible it has nothing to do with the change.
    I had instances in the past when trains didn't load in (the usual flying couplers thing) but a bit of camera switching, at worst flying away and then jumping back would resolve it. Not this time, and not consistently across such a range. Also I don't seem to see milk bottles on the shots.
    But I don't recall missing scenery ever in my 5.5 years of simming. And it's 2500 hours minus the pause and menus. Hence it stands out.
    Also didn't install anything.

    Fast load as a concept consists of a bunch of things, I don't know how much the designers did.
    The main communication is indeed about reading contents from the ZIP being optimized.
    One of the main things about TS is that it loads objects from scratch all the time. A new line of trees? Big white blocks show up, then turn into green blobs, then trees. Models, then textures. Just a few frames each but it's noticeable due to stuttering. But it's pointless in many ways, to load and process the same objects (classes) over and over, just because there are 3 instances (objects).
    Seeing tree lines pop in without any stuttering makes me wonder whether this internal process has been optimized as well. Load the class and then reuse it.
    Or it might be multi-threaded at last! But this one object going wrong.

    Theories are many, DTG devs will know if it's any related :)
    As a dev myself I welcome such messages, I note them, and once it gets fairly annoying (count of reports threshold) I work on them.
     
    Last edited: Mar 5, 2021
  3. DTG Jamie

    DTG Jamie Staff Member

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    Thank you very much for the positive feedback, please continue to post your new loading times, we have noticed a few comments on this thread that are a little bit personal, please be mindful of forum rules if we see anymore comments will lock this thread and consider if we need to take further action with those involved. The forums are a place to interact in constructive discussion when that's not the case we will consider further actions.
    Thank you all who have given constructive feedback and please continue to.
    Have a good weekend.
     
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  4. Neumann Ludwig

    Neumann Ludwig New Member

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    Thanks Dovetail for this update. I would like to draw your attention to the fact that train simulator should not be dropped because train sim world cannot yet have the same characteristics. It's a shame but that's what I see today
     
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  5. markjohn4716

    markjohn4716 New Member

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    Thank you so much Cam, for your reply i have exactly followed the steps in the core update what would you advise please thank you once again .
    Best Regards,
    Mark
     
  6. Cyclone

    Cyclone Well-Known Member

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    From the sounds of it, an attempt was made, but the - sign didn't make it in.

    mark, take a picture of your Launch Options section in the Properties to show that the correct update was made, if you can please. If you can't, that's fine, but Print Screen does this easily through MS Paint (paste and save). Don't include anything sensitive in the image.
     
  7. Clumsy Pacer

    Clumsy Pacer Well-Known Member

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    I think it also only works on the 64-bit version, although I'm saying that with very limited testing.
     
  8. Clumsy Pacer

    Clumsy Pacer Well-Known Member

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    Or use the snipping tool that comes with Windows ;)
     
  9. DIFFLOCK

    DIFFLOCK Active Member

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    To clarify please: Do any launch command options (-fastload) take effect if one is starting Railworks64.exe from a shortcut on the desktop rather than going into the steam library and clicking play? Thanks.
     
  10. ThePBX

    ThePBX New Member

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    I noticed also some very small improvements on fps(+2, +5) on some routes on my dual core cpu machine. Is this related to this update?
     
  11. Reef

    Reef Well-Known Member

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    Yes, But you have to add them into the shortcut Target: field..

    Here is mine as an example...

    Image2.jpg

    You must leave a space between each command you use.
     
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  12. markjohn4716

    markjohn4716 New Member

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    [​IMG]
     

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  13. Reef

    Reef Well-Known Member

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    As Cyclone suspected you've missed off the minus sign " - " prior to the word fastload, it MUST be present or it will not work!
    -fastload
    copy and paste all of the text below if you like..
    Code:
    -fastload
     
  14. markjohn4716

    markjohn4716 New Member

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    Thank you all for your wealth of info regarding my problem i did not expect this much help so quickly, hope to see some of you in the dovetail streams from time to time once again thank you.
     
  15. Cyclone

    Cyclone Well-Known Member

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    And that is why I asked for the image. I was 90% certain that was it. Glad you got it figured out. :D

    Yes. I pointed this out and was told that they didn't want to spoil that, but wanted us to find out for ourselves. Cajon just worked like a new route with -fastload enabled. Except San Berbardino entry, that is. Nothing different there.
     
    Last edited: Mar 6, 2021
  16. chircu.ionut

    chircu.ionut Member

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    For me this core updated just messed things up, now I keep getting Out Of Memory messages after I load a route in editor mode, close the game and reload the same route in editor.
    The only chance for me to be able to load the route im working at, is to cut/copy the Track Tiles folder and paste it back.
    It did not happend before this "update" , and it's weird that im not replacing the Track Tiles folder with some others, im using the same folder, just cutting/copying then pasting back, overwriting and it works...
    Im using 64b edition. I dont have this problem in the 32b edition, but that one crashes in areas that are high poly.
     
    Last edited: Mar 7, 2021
  17. nwp1

    nwp1 Well-Known Member

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    Today my times were 22.03 seconds for opening the Riviera Line in the 50s and a mere 11.98 seconds for the Abula line senario. Wow I am impressed and thank you Steve for your very welcome help and advice. So pleased but I haven’t notices the update you mentioned.
     
  18. Daytona

    Daytona Active Member

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    If anyone else is getting a "not valid" error, whilst adding parameters in the Target window to a desktop icon shortcut on Windows 10, the program and path to RailWorks64.exe must be within quotation marks, but the parameters are not (which is technically rather odd) -
    "C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\RailWorks\RailWorks64.exe" -fastload
     
    Last edited: Mar 10, 2021
  19. triznya.andras

    triznya.andras Well-Known Member

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    It's because "parameter 0" is the program name, and the spaces are the default separator. Command line without a quotation mark will simply say that C:\Program doesn't exist (unless you have one of those many malwares). Shortcuts work because both were shipped with Windows 95, so it was really in their face as a problem. Turn it around, it's auto-quoted but then "Railworks64.exe -fastload" as a file doesn't exist.
     
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  20. capncol

    capncol Member

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    Good evening DTG Jamie, I have a few times for you;
    London to Peterborough route - previously 2m 50s now 1m 12s
    WCML South - previously 3m 45s now 1m 14s
    WCML Trent Valley - previously 2m 7s now 44s
    These are based on using my own scenarios that have quite alot of addon stuff in them.

    The biggest bonus by far is that there is hardly any loading stutter during the games now and routes such as the WCML South are now playable and actually enjoyable instead of being a slideshow.
    Great job, I am well pleased.
    Thanks.
     
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  21. steeve

    steeve New Member

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    Please i need help . I do the steps but nothing , i go to library train simulator properties i write -fastload and nothing . Anyone help;
     
    Last edited: Mar 10, 2021
  22. Jason

    Jason New Member

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    Yes same for me, faster loading times but also hardly any stutter on all routes!!, even with AP stuff.

    When the scenery tiles load in now, its very quick. Most routes are now 40-60fps and this is with a Dell T1700 PC with a 1060 6gb and a Xenon 1270v3 CPU. This game is finally fixed :)
     
  23. Cyclone

    Cyclone Well-Known Member

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    So for fun tried the Workshop version of Castle Rock Railroad. Naturally, it's not improved. I need to try the vanilla one and see if it is, but I see it seems to be packaged differently. You cannot find it in Ts-Tools. I also was using the old CN SD40-2 from Ohio Steel 2 as AI, which I assume is in an AP file by now.
     
    Last edited: Mar 10, 2021
  24. inversnecky

    inversnecky Well-Known Member

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    How many GB? Think it was a 3GB one I got for my son’s PC about three years ago, and that was £250 iirc.
     
  25. inversnecky

    inversnecky Well-Known Member

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    Why was it so long to begin with, on 24GB RAM?
     
  26. inversnecky

    inversnecky Well-Known Member

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    What do the other commands in your example mean, reef?

    -followaitrain -allowJump ?
     
  27. Cyclone

    Cyclone Well-Known Member

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    I honestly have no clue how 24 GB of RAM, a 1 TB SSD hard drive, and a 1060 NVIDIA graphics card leads to such long load times without the update. FRC was the shortest of the three and still over a minute, and I feel like the Workshop version of Castle Rock took a minute or two since it's not seemingly affected by the update. I do have the installed version, so I'll be trying that and the other two fictional ones as well.
     
  28. triznya.andras

    triznya.andras Well-Known Member

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    I don't have a time machine, but I ran a Portsmouth Quick Drive with the old BR 101 a couple days ago, and it was excessively low fps and stuttery. I don't recall such low performance from a year ago when I ran a bunch with the old 455, so either AI trains are big trouble (like, a single 4-car 450) or something else.
    Although it does load in a minute or so indeed. But I have an m.2 and it did improve things quite a bit.
    Cyclone tends to look for scenarios with millions of custom assets, that's the only kind of scenario when I recall fairly long waiting times, although 3 minutes is beyond unacceptable to me.
     
  29. inversnecky

    inversnecky Well-Known Member

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    I’ve only got 16 GB RAM - just did a test of loading that scenario. Normal loading time is 58 sec and with fastload 9 sec.
     
  30. Pookeyhead

    Pookeyhead Well-Known Member

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    It wasnt a 1080 then, as they have 8GB
     
  31. andy.malcolm

    andy.malcolm Active Member

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    I have a 1060 with 3GB so it's probably that.
     
  32. DIFFLOCK

    DIFFLOCK Active Member

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    I'm on Win7 64bit Ultimate - the target is not in quotation marks, should it be? I don't get a not valid error, so I'm assuming the commands work..
     
  33. inversnecky

    inversnecky Well-Known Member

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    Yes you are quite correct, that it is!
     
  34. Reef

    Reef Well-Known Member

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    I have a 1080 and it has 11gb. Link
     
  35. Reef

    Reef Well-Known Member

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    -followaitrain with this parameter set you can Page Up/Page Down and switch through all a.i. trains active on the scenario (with a driver icon) you must be in an external camera to do this, handy if you want to follow the a.i. when creating scenarios, you can also drive that a.i. train by mouse clicking on it.
    -allowjump with this parameter set you can literally jump to another a.i. train (say one that's passing you in the opposite direction) by pressing Ctrl + left click on that train you will then follow it on it's journey, similar to followtrain except this one clicks on what you see in external cams rather than scrolling through all trains.
     
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  36. Cyclone

    Cyclone Well-Known Member

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    If that was the case, I'd be running those scenarios on ALanThompsonSim that require 10 ifferent AP trains and 5 different livery packs on routes not available from Steam. Which I could do someday anyway, but that's another story.
     
  37. Daytona

    Daytona Active Member

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    Win7 doesn't need quotation marks then, as it runs TS. You'll need to time it to see whether the fastload parameter has been correctly passed through and interpreted. I'm sure it will because loads of different software sends configuration parameters through in this manner.
     
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  38. chircu.ionut

    chircu.ionut Member

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    So nobody else encountered this problem? Because I know at least 2 persons that have the same issue, started right after the update.
     
  39. Cyclone

    Cyclone Well-Known Member

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    Forgive me, did you mention the route? Jamie did say there might be routes that it doesn't work with, and to try it without the flag. Of course, if it's a route any of us have tested, it might be something else.
     
  40. triznya.andras

    triznya.andras Well-Known Member

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    There seems to be random issues - without the flag. I don't think I have to state the issue, the differences are glaring and obvious.
    2020-12-27 - Quick Drive - NJT F40PH (proof of it works)
    20201227132240 - QD - Winter - NJT GP40PH-2B, NJT ALP-45DP, NJT F40PH-2CAT, NJT ALP-46.jpg
    2021-03-13 - Career Scenarios 1, 2 - NJT GP40PH-2B
    20210313120551_1.jpg

    Now, I'm going to run some extra stuff, verification and such, and might amend this post.
    But, in case I have to amend, it will turn into a "why does TS self-destruct every few months for random people" post.
    Or having this issue with scenario metadata on the 5th anniversary of this DLC being released.
     
    Last edited: Mar 13, 2021
  41. martschuffing

    martschuffing Well-Known Member

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    I have a question, I associated .ap files to 7zip, anyone know how I can unnasociate the file?
     
  42. Blacknred81

    Blacknred81 Well-Known Member

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    Note: -Fastload does NOT work with Union Workshops Wakayama & Sakurai Lines route, as the game will crash to desktop while loading without any error message. Only used the 1st career scenario, unsure if it effects any other scenario or other UW content.
     
  43. inversnecky

    inversnecky Well-Known Member

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    Right click the fie and look for a property entry for program used to open it and deselect. Next time you'll be asked to choose a new program, just once or always.
     
  44. martschuffing

    martschuffing Well-Known Member

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    How does one go from having MainContent.zip in the box at the top to MainContent.ap as in the picture? It is not as simple as changing .zip to.ap as it reverts back again?

    Game sees the route and is selectable, however, it won't see any assets in the ap file?
    https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2428282310

    DtG, how does the game communicate with an ap. file since it is just a naming convention for zip?
     
    Last edited: Mar 18, 2021
  45. atomicdanny

    atomicdanny Staff Member

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    When you make the zip file, you change .zip to .ap (it does work because I've done many of them :)
    (as for the how does it see the files - that one I can't answer - probably some bit of code :) )
     
  46. Cyclone

    Cyclone Well-Known Member

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    You may need to set your Windows to show file extensions. If you don't do this, just adding .ap to the end of your filename will not change it.
     
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  47. martschuffing

    martschuffing Well-Known Member

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    How does one go about doing that, please?

    I'd really like to get all my "stuff" back into their ap. files!
     
  48. Cyclone

    Cyclone Well-Known Member

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    It's literally on every folder in Windows 10.

    windows.png
     
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  49. martschuffing

    martschuffing Well-Known Member

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    Just checked the box was already ticked, so how does that help me to get from .zip to .ap? Please forgive my ignorance as I really am not technically minded in the least!
     
  50. martschuffing

    martschuffing Well-Known Member

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    Danny "how" do I do that please?
     

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