Did You All Get An Update From Steam Yesterday?

I logged in to Steam yesterday and had to sit through a 35GB update in my game, after waiting for hours it has put back all the .AP asset files in my DTG folder that I had opened to install upgraded routes from the German community, and put in loads of loco and wagon repaints, etc, etc. It also put my routes back into .AP packs again, massively infuriating as I certainly didn't see any warning this was going to happen, and a good thing I had the extra capacity on my hard drive to incorporate everything, what was it all about, any idea folks?

Cheerz. Steve.

 

It sounds like maybe it did a file verify, not sure why it would do it without manual intervention though.

 

Nothing like that happened for me either (thank god, I've only just come out of the long dark tunnel of hell aka a fresh install and everything is just finally re-installed), as andy said it sounds like a file verification but as to why... *shrugs*

 

Nothing here either.

 

It does not put the files "back in to the ap asset files" as they were never removed.
It has deleted the extracted files
When you extract files it is a copy of what is in the ap folder
Next time you do that you will see the ap doesn't change size

 

Sorry, I'm not with you. I have extracted all my asset and content folders out of .AP files using TSTools over the last few years. The .AP file then either gets deleted, or, put onto a USB stick. Yesterday, Steam re-installed ALL the .AP files that I had removed previously, Steam doesn't have access to individual asset folders, only the relevant .AP file for each route, I have attached a screenshot from RSC ECMLSouth to show you what I mean. And Steam has put them all back in, every developer like Thomsons, DTG and RSC that had an .AP file in every route asset folder, it's replaced it. And I have never done a file verification as my Steam library stands at over 300GB and I don't have enough room for any missing files on my hard drive as it puts the whole .AP file back in, NOT, the missing asset..

 

And there is the problem - when Steam does updates it checks the .ap files - if you remove the .ap files Steam thinks they are missing and there is something wrong with your folder so it replaces the missing .ap files.

If you had left the .ap files in their correct folders Steam would see the file and ignore them.
Like you I have extracted the ECMLS .ap file but mine is dated 25/11/2015 as I did not delete/move it.

 

Why does it seem I'm the only one who doesn't extract the complete .ap archive?

If I need a .GeoPcDx for an asset or reskin then I open the .ap archive with 7zip (note I said open not extract) find the file that I want and then drag it to where the install instructions for said reskin asked me to put it, by dragging the file out of the opened .ap file within the 7zip window you do not remove said file but just copy it and place it (much like if you right click, drag and "copy here" but you don't need to right click it to drag it you just left click and drag) it will then unzip that copy of the file (a .Geo for example) and it's then where it needs to be.

Same with RouteProperties.xmls required by TSTools and other software to read your scenarios, in fact TSTools can even bulk do this for you within the TSTools options.

I have 10's of reskins and not one fully extracted .ap archive, yet they all work.

Edit:
Just to add, it also makes uninstalling 3rd party mods easier as you know they're going to be in the outside of .ap archive folder structure...
e.g. /Class1234567Pack_01/ChooChoo/Engine/TOC U Installed.. You just delete the "TOC U Installed" file.
Actually what I do is look in the downloaded .zip and see what else needs finding and removing, still so much easier if you don't need to navigate a full extracted .ap archive, if it was an .exe installer btw just run the installer and set the file path to a dummy location (I literally have one called "Fake RailWorks" for this purpose) that way you can see what was installed and where in your real RailWorks directory.

 

Possibly of only small relevance but the 2021 Core Update fixed performance issues with the AP files (in case people are still extracting them for that reason)

https://forums.dovetailgames.com/threads/train-simulator-2021-core-update-2nd-march-2021.36321/

 

It is counterintuitive to extract the .ap files and /or delete them. Your PC as you start TSC now has to read thousands and thousands of extracted files when it only had to process a single file ie the .ap file. Steam does NOT delete any files (especially those outside the .ap file structure), it merely REPLACES any .ap file that is different from the master database (including date, time, and attributes).
If you alter the .ap file or remove it, Steam will replace it. Pre .ap files are treated differently and any alterations to any part of the file will be replaced if they do not match the master database.

 

On the contrary Sir, you obviously haven't had the problem of substituting assets in TSTools when something is missing from a route, and you CANNOT substitute anything from within an .AP file as TSTools can't look inside them. The other glaringly obvious issue is that you cannot search for any asset in your Asset folders as Microsoft doesn't identify what an .AP file is and just ignores it. If i am looking for a specific scenery item, such as a pallet truck, or, an excavator, or, a German buffer (Prellbock) you won't find anything if they are all locked away in route .AP files, it will only find stuff that is from a 3rd party developer that you've installed manually and is easy to locate.
The other thing I do is get rid of all those childish coughs and sneezes from Platforms from within the Audio folder for every route that has them installed, by drilling into the .AP file with 7zip, you can delete anything from inside an .AP file, but, I appreciate that the file will then be re-acquired if you do a verify, which I don't do, we all play this game differently, is that not allowed!!!!

Cheerz. Steve.

 

Not good to extract your .ap files.

And I found Steam recently doing a verification before installing new DLC, you can only override this by using a dummy RailWorks folder and a seperate appmanifest file which lists all DLC except for 24009 (the core files) disabled to skip the verification. Then manually copy the newly installed files to my main RailWorks folder.

Finally doing a copypaste operation enabling the new DLC in my main appmanifest file.

This method gives me full control over my installation which is roughly 500 GB and heavily modded, so I do not want a full verification to happen.

 

Yeah had that happen to me a few days back, unfortunately for me I'd removed all my non UK routes from the content folder so it re-installed them.

If this is something DTG quietly introduced to "fix peoples issues" by forcing verifications then they need to stop it and reverse the decision.

If this is something Steam has done off it's own back then DTG need to tell them to revert it, this is not a standard thing through all game titles this is a decision someone somewhere has decided to introduce on TSC, the amount of third party content this potentially breaks is reason enough for this to be regarded as a very bad idea/decision!

 

Why fix things when they aren't broke?

 

The problem is not extracting files from an *.ap archive but DELETING the ap archive afterwards.
Doing that is what caused your problem
If you had extracted then left the *.ap archive in place TSTools would have no need to look inside it.
Steam would have found the correct file in the correct folder and ignored it.

As I said in my reply above

 

Steve
I was merely commenting on how TSC works and it is always better to leave the .ap file intact and make any changes outside of it. Nothing more!

 

I don't disagree Peter, but, we don't all have the room on our hard drives to have both the extracted folders AND the .AP file sitting in the same place, you've doubled the volume of that particular folder in essence, and with well over 250 .AP files for all the British, German and American route asset folders, and all the DLC locomotive and wagon packs that we now have countless reskins for, plus virtually every route in the Contents area all in .AP files, it's impossible to have everything sitting there in our game to be available for searches, etc, that is why I extract the .AP file and archive it off my computer.

Cheerz. Steve.

 

Don't be surprised when it happens again.
I don't normally extract all the .ap files - just the RailVehicles folder.

Like you my drive was getting full so I got a bigger drive for the game.

 

Servus torfmeister , kannst Du mir Deine Vorgehensweise bitte noch einmal auf deutsch erklären? Ich habe Deine Post mit Deepl übersetzt, war nicht so der Knaller.
Gruß Jörg.

Hello torfmeister , can you please explain your procedure to me again in German? I translated your post with Deepl, it wasn't that great.
Regards Jörg.

 

Yes please DTG fix this issue All my mods are gone now and even after extraction again they get nullified again if left online to steam!
Also, I am in a bad position with ap files as the game can't "see" inside them, this is an issue I've had with this software for many years with no solution to it, all I get is; that's impossible, but here I am with no assets and no scenery if they are in the ap file structure.
Please do not let the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few or the one!

 

Peter, it does not ignore the extracted files it wipes them irrespective this has happened to me twice now since the update.

 

Ahh, so is this Steam update the reason why myself and a friend lost all their AP locos and other 3rd party stock a few weeks ago and had to reinstall them all?

 

Is this full files verification happening everytime you install a new DLC ? It will make me reluctant to buy anything new until this is fixed honestly...

 

No, I hadn't purchased anything prior to this update, loaded a route, and piles of missing scenery. Had to unpack them all again this morning from both asset and content folders! Gone offline now.

 

What do DTG need to fix I have had no issues like the majority on this forum.

 

Then lucky you, doesn't mean its not a problem for us that are having the issue and it is very real!

Have you polled the whole forum? You seem very certain in your claim that the majority aren't having this issue, I'll be honest if it wasn't for the fact someone as knowledgeable and respected as torfmeister wasn't having the very same issue I'd have suspected it was something my end and probably not have posted about it yet either.

 

In fact I'm tagging DTG JD & TrainSim-Steve in every post I make regarding this until it either gets acknowledged or I get banned.

 

As I said not a problem for the majority of people on here. If you want to muck around with your AP files and do things that shouldn't be done with them then Steam picks it up and puts everything back in order. If you want to complain about things that you shouldn't be doing maybe complain to Steam not on here.

 

I have mullered the sales

Hate to add to your problems but I personally have butchered the sales from both Steam & 3rd party suppliers over the last week and of as to date not had a re-verification.
Even as late as last night I inadvertantly purchased a DB 424 from steam that I didn't really need but hey ho sale and all that jazz...
Purchased - installed - runs no problem.
This does not appear to be a global issue as if it was we would all be affected.
Can I just cast out another thought for consideration: maybe 3rd party RWE etc.?
Apologies for possibly adding to confusion, hope you find a solution
Best wishes

 

When did I say I mucked around with .ap files? Fyi, I don't, because I don't need to, I'm knowledgeable enough with TSC to know that you create a duplicate file structure outside of the .ap and only extract/copy/paste the files actually required for the modification to work correctly, these get left alone in my install even after a verification so not sure what others issues are with having external files deleted by Steam because that is not what happens with me.

What I have done up until recently is remove routes that I'm not playing from the Content/Routes folder like US content or whatever, which keeps everything installed for 3rd party dependency reasons but doesn't bloat my route menu in-game, also there's still plenty of older DTG content that isn't in .ap file format for example the main one being the kuju sub folders, that are again relied upon or improved upon by so many other 3rd party routes, expansions and sound packs, also files in the data/textures/frontend folder for improved HUD and so on.

I suggest if you're going to be snippy with me at least ascertain what it is I'm actually talking about, I accept and respect the fact that may be a little above your knowledgebase but we're all here to learn are we not. If in doubt ask, don't assume.

Having said all that.........
I bought, and then Steam downloaded (obviously), the Huddersfield route last night without it verifying and downloading anything additional, so hopefully whatever it was was a temporary glitch in the Matrix.

I'll even not bother tagging staff at this point, ever the optimist.

 

Yeah it's weird, if you read the last bit of my previous post you can see that thankfully I didn't have the issue last night yet I did a couple of nights before.. Hopefully this means the issue is fixed?

 

Hi. I need some help with Open BVE. When I load the jubilee line and press “delete”, then “page up and down”, nothing appears on the master control switch black screen.
Can anyone help please?

 

Have you thought of trying to find Open BVE forums, it's generally not accepted to take a thread off topic and they don't get more off topic (different game) than this.
Hope you find your answers

 

I purchased the Holzkirchen-Worgl Route, at the sale price and the Euro BR 159 Electro-Diesel Loco at full price yesterday and have no issues.

 

I have looked online but people have commented years ago

 

It’s alright, I will find a way

 

Atomic Systems - BVE and OpenBVE (uktrainsim.com)

 

Thank you

 

Is there a concrete way of stopping these file erasures by renaming folders to a specific naming because in my content folder I have several route folders named Brit German etc but steam has ransacked those as well!

 

I know it doesn't help you, but I've never experienced the problems you've got. I have some folders outside the .ap files (created when using the editor) and few 3d party re-skins/mods etc, but all good so far.

 

Because you are changing the way the game is set-up
It is like renaming some of the folders Windows uses and then wondering why you have a problem

STEAM installs all Routes to \railworks\Content\routes in a separate folder
When you install anything new Steam checks you have what you purchased previously which is quite quick
But if it is expecting to find \railworks\Content\Routes\00000037-0000-0000-0000-000000002013\MainContent.ap and you have moved it to a different folder then it assumes your installation of that DLC is corrupt and reinstalls it fresh.

 

My game doesn't see inside ap. files I don't know how many different ways I can say that before someone lets that information sink in.

 

Maybe you should read this thread as your idea that the game does not see inside *.ap files in Wrong

https://forums.dovetailgames.com/th...tion-what-it-does-doesnt-do-an-opinion.62821/

 

Still doesn't change a thing for me Peter I don't know why people can't accept that?

 

If the game does not see inside an *.ap file how does it get the information?
All the route is in a MainContent.ap file and the trains are in individual files like MunichRosenheimAssets.ap file

I presume you will tell me you have extracted these *.ap files and the game sees them first
A lot of people, like myself, have extracted certain folders. The more you extract the more space you need.
You need to do this for reskins and the like to work correctly.

But if you have not extracted these *.ap files then the DLC will still work

 

Wait a moment. Does this mean my Class 66 from AP has been removed? If DTG is going to do this, they need to put older DLC into AP files to preserve the original content so mods can be created to piggyback off of the AP files. I know you can put new copies of files in and they replace AP files; as long as Steam is only checking AP files and not deleting my additions, which may include scenario edits, then I probably wouldn't care otherwise, But if Steam is deleting my AP 66 and reverting it to the standard one, I have a serious issue with this. Just being blatantly honest with that.

I have found you can't edit the contents of an AP file. What you can do is make a new archive, change the extension to .ap, and bingo, you have a new AP file. Steam will replace this if you do this to remove certain content or install mods to the file. You might also be able to revert .ap to .zip to edit it, then change it back. In these cases, I don't doubt you'd lose your mods. However, plop the mods in their own AP files and the game should hopefully still be loading those, but maybe it doesn't unless it's one of a subset of specific files?

Hi there.

 

On holidays right now, but I'll post a guide how to do it.

 

Why do you think DTG has removed your Class 66 from AP ?
(I presume you mean Class 66 Enhancement Pack as AP don't make a Class 66)
In this process it is STEAM that has been updating and removing wrong files
All the Class 66s in the AP Enhancement Pack are still present in my folders

I suppose you could open \railworks\Assets\RSC\Class66Pack03\RailVehicles\Diesel\Class 66 and look as I did

 

Ah, all right. The comments above led me to believe this type of thing was happening. I have not used the 66 for the last month or three, so I wondered if I might have to reinstall it.

 

It seems to have happened to some people but it is nothing to do with DTG but Steam.