Openal32.dll Confusion

torfmeister · Feb 15, 2022

I'm a little confused.

Train Simulator comes with OpenAL32.dll and OpenAL64.dll in the main folder. Both about 2 megs.

In Install\OpenAL there's 2 versions of the OpenAL32.dll, one for 32bit and one for 64bit. Both only 400K.

So initially we have four versions.

Question 1: Is the SetupAudio.bat still needed? If I start it it replaces the OpenAL32.dll (2MB) with one of the 400K versions. The 2MB OpenAL32.dll is then gone forever.

Question 2: It seems this is only for running the 32-bit Railworks.exe on 64-bit Windows? Because the SetupAudio.bat does not touch the OpenAL64.dll in the main folder.

Question 3: Is it advisable to update them via OpenAL.org updates? Or are they specifically compiled for Train Simulator?

Can somebody clear that up?

Peter Hayes · Feb 15, 2022

Torf
It is very confusing - this an explanation from DTG:
OpenAL explanation from DTG when I asked about why the 64-bitversion appeared to have the same name as the 32-bit version, and I found that the GBRJ versions were more logically named.
I wrote this:

OpenAL sound files in TS20XX

Can we get a comment from DTG on OpenAl32.dll and OpenAL64.dll wrt the running of Train Simulator.
There have been quite a few posts on various forums about the (non-) functioning of OpenAl##.dll – more so since the introduction of TS20XX 64-bit.

I have seen OOM errors in scenarios implication openAL32.dll but have not found a fix to date. Some simmers report that TS20XX 64-bit won't open and the "fix" is to run setup_audio.bat (64-bit) in the railworks folders. Others have reported no sound at all.

So the setup today:
In the Railworks folder we have a file called setup_audio.bat and that has 3 options:

Setup Audio for Train Simulator 32-bit
Setup Audio for Train Simulator 64-bit
Exit
So where does it install either the 32-bit or the 64-bit version, as they are both labelled OpenAL32.dll?

In the\STEAM\steamapps\common\RailWorks\Install folder we have a subfolder called OpenAL:
In the 32-bit folder it has OpenAL32.dll, dated 12/10/2018 size 412KB
In the 64-bit folder it has OpenAL32.dll, dated 12/10/2018 size 409KB

Why do they have the same name for different versions of TS20XX?
These 2 files seem to be applied – through setup_audio.bat.

Now many of us following forum posts have installed our own versions of both OpenAL32.dll and OpenAL64.dll in the railworks folder, and these seem to work fine wrt audio.

But do we need to do that or should we just use setup_audio.bat and where does it install 2 versions of Openal32.dll that have the same name?

Now if you buy GBRJ you now get two newer versions of both OpenAL32 and openAL64.dll. These seem to be the same versions as those contained in TS2021 – see above. BUT – they are actually labelled 32 or 64.dll as appropriate.

In Windows – System32 we have C:\Windows\System32 – openAl32.dll dated 22/12/2018 size 121kb and in C:\Windows\SysWOW64 we have openAL32.dll dated 22/12/2018 size 107 kb.

In the latest versions from openal soft,
- windows 32 version we get soft_oal.dll dated 4/11/2020 size 1795 Kb and in the
- windows 64 version we get soft_oal.dll dated 4/11/2020 size 1730 Kb.

In the notes:
To use the 32-bit DLL, copy it from the bin\Win32 folder to the folder that
the 32-bit OpenAL32.dll router is installed in.
For 32-bit Windows, the Win32 DLL will typically go into the system32 folder.
For 64-bit Windows, the Win32 DLL will typically go into the SysWOW64 folder.

If you do not wish to use the redistributable,
then rename soft_oal.dll to OpenAL32.dll (note: even the 64-bit DLL should be named OpenAL32.dll). Just be aware this will prevent other system-installed OpenAL implementations from working.

To use the 64-bit DLL, copy it from the bin\Win64 folder to the folder that
the 64-bit OpenAL32.dll router is installed in.
For 64-bit Windows, this will typically be the system32 folder.
Click to expand...

the reply

"The format of the OpenAL library is in fact correct.
"OpenAL essentially uses 64-bit emulation and uses what programmers call a wrapper. This wrapper essentially encapsulates and converts 32-bit values to 64-bit parlance and enables a 32-bit driver to be loaded in a 64-bit environment.

"It was done that way for TS1 because of a critical failure by OpenAL themselves to distinctly name the dlls differently. Both their 32-bit and 64-bit drivers are named exactly the same. So, we had to come up with a creative solution to the issue because we had no access to the source code at the time it was published.

"When we got to GBRJ, we were able to secure the source code for OpenAL and were able to assemble the drivers differently and so they were named differently to differentiate between the two. For Train Simulator, it's a much more complex process but will be brought into line with GBRJ when we get around to the next core.

"From the player's perspective, there really isn't any difference in the two files used between TS and GBRJ, they're just named differently and referenced differently in the core code. TS can use either version because it's been coded that way. However, you might find you'll get audio anomalies in TS depending on your sound hardware."
Click to expand...

Since then I have used the GBRJ versions in TS20XX - no issues.

torfmeister · Feb 15, 2022

Thanks Peter, that was not exactly what I meant.

I know the thing about the 32/64 bit dlls having the same name. The SetupAudio.bat was introduced as a hotfix because there were audio issues after TS 64-bit was introduced.

Now TS is shipped with two updated separate OpenAL.dlls in the main folder. One for 64bit and one for 32bit. I would reckon the SetupAudio.bat is obsolete and possibly dangerous because running it your default 2MB OpenAL32.dll from 2020 will be permanently overwritten with either one of the two 400k *32.dlls from 2018.

Not that I'm having issues, I'm just trying to rule out possible complications, and I take it if you run 64-bit only (like I do), TS will use the Railworks\OpenAL64.dll anyway.

I just checked in GBRJ the 408K OpenAL32.dll (2018) was renamed to OpenAL64.dll. (not the same as the current one distributed with TS)

Peter Hayes · Feb 16, 2022

Torf

Not that I'm having issues, I'm just trying to rule out possible complications, and I take it if you run 64-bit only (like I do), TS will use the Railworks\OpenAL64.dll anyway.
Click to expand...

Yes!

torfmeister · Feb 16, 2022

Pete

Peter Hayes said: ↑

Torf

Yes!
Click to expand...

Thanks!

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