Hello, I have a very weird error in the Consist-Editor. When the consist menu is downloaded everything is fine but as soon as I click on a consist, my screen goes black and no consist appears. Instead, the screen turns black and flashes and I see the Train Simulator Classic background picture where the consist is supposed to appear. What is going on?? Any help or advice would be appreciated, I've never had this error before and I suspect the new Train Simulator Classic update might have something to do with it. Before you ask, I have both verified the integrity of game files and cleared my cache several times but to no avail.. Watch the pictures below for more information.
Do you have 3rd party Antivirus software installed other than Windows Defender (Microsoft Security Essentials)? Many AV related issues have been reported, be sure that the code of TS has not changed since the update. Try disabling your AV, and start TS again. See if that's the cause.
I don't have 3rd party antivirus software installed and I've never had any AV issues since I've had this game going back to 2014.
In case you have BNSF stuff, have you unticked all ROW/unbranded assets in the DLC list (Steam Game Properties)? Try to start TS with the parameter -disableFastload and see if that makes a difference.
It is disabling the new .ap fastload routine which can prevent crashes when loading two or more asset packs containing the same files. (There was an issue with Japanese routes that got fixed, but still happening in JustTrains DLC) See: https://forums.dovetailgames.com/threads/train-simulator-2022-update-notes-–-18-11-2021.48848/#post-413516 Enter it here or in your desktop shortcut Edit: case sensitive, type -DisableFastload (Capital D and F - got it wrong in the screenie)
I tried your suggestion and it's still not working. It could be something as "simple" as a faulty asset that I installed recently but it doesn't make much sense that it would cause the Consist Editor to glitch and turn the screen display black yet not cause the game to crash once it's in driver's mode (QD, Career Mode etc.) The problem is that I have over 500 Assets files so for me to find out which Asset (or Consist) is causing this would take weeks perhaps. EDIT: I saw your edit and tried again, it now seems to be working. Any idea what caused this??
Actually it's not working, the consist appears yes but when I assemble it and put it on the toolbar below, I see circles turning but the consist never loads. Then if I save it as it is and load it in a scenario, I get an out of memory error.
Yes. But I'd have to sit in front of your PC. 1. Start normally - go to Consist Editor, let it crash- 2. Use Windows file search, search for "blueprints.pak". Note down all occurances with zero filesize. 3. Inspect the folders containing these 0-byte cache files. There might be conflicting files. This may or may not work. In the end it's about finding the DLC which causes the crash, which can be a time-consuming operation depending on your library. The problem with the Consist Editor is it builds up a file called RVDBCache.bin. To make it, it is scanning every single .bin file in your Assets folder recursively for rolling stock blueprints and consist preloads. If there's just one thing that's not correct it will crash the Editor although the loco may work in the game. I have stopped using it a long time ago, due to having too many assets. Workaround is using TSTools' editor. Running LogMate.exe can help you track down the bad Asset folder. Edit: Can you post the file "RailWorks\Content\ConsistTemplates.bin" here? Zip it to upload - don't send the xml version! Post RVDBCache.bin too please It will give a hint which assets were used before crash. (if your last consist was successfully saved)
The thing is, it doesn't really crash. It either loads up entirely but then does the black screen glitch as soon as I click on a consist (Wagons, Diesel, Electric, Steam) forcing me to do ctrl alt delete and exit the game entirely OR if I use -DisableFastload like you suggested, it will make all the consists appear normally on the screen without any glitch (aka black screen as per the screenshots) BUT then I won't be able to see them in the toolbar below, I'll just see circles turning and loading. Then if I save the created consist nontheless and try to play it in QD mode for example, my game will crash and produce an out of memory error. I know this because I tried loading a certain route with an already established consist in QD mode and it worked but when I tried to do it with a consist I created in QD mode (thanks to -DisableFastload) on the same route, it crashed with an out of memory error. Maybe it's just an unfortunate coincidence but I don't think so. Overall it's a mess, I have never seen something like this before. Could simply deleting RVDBCache.bin solve the problem maybe? I can post it here sure but I don't have any ConsistTemplates.bin in RailWorks\Content\ConsistTemplates.bin, I just have all my routes there in different folders.
Yes you can delete it but first upload it. It could give some hints. And having no ConsistTemplates.bin means you've simply not added a custom consist successfully. That's where they are stored. Again, run Logmate.exe (Railworks folder), then start Consist Editor and play. After the crash post the logfiles (found again in the main Railworks folder). Concerning the -DisableFastload, finding the 0-byte "blueprints.pak" will tell you which assets are failing to load normally.
Ok stay tuned, I will post both the logmate and the RVDBCache.bin soon. Could deleting the 0-byte "blueprints.pak" solve the issue?
It is important to know in which folder the 0-byte blueprints.pak(s) reside(s) to get closer to the core problem. Deleting it will NOT solve anything - it is an indicator of the problem not the problem itself.
How do I upload the RVDBCache.bin? The format here doesn't allow for the extension to be uploaded. I made a mistake, I did have a Consist Templates file, I deleted it. I checked and I don't have any 0-byte "blueprints.pak".
Ok, yes - the 0-byte blueprints only appear without the DisableFastLoad option and after a cache clearing. They can lead to corrupt assets. Uploading a bin, simply zip it to upload. As finding the cause for your issue is extremely difficult not sitting in front of your machine, I can only offer you a TeamViewer session if you like. Just tell me if and when it might suit you and I'll see if we can do this.
I am currently in the process of deleting recently installed Asset files one by one to see if I can find the corrupt Assets that way, as soon as I am done and if it doesn't solve my problem, I think a TeamViewer session would be very useful. Here's the RVDBCache.bin
While you're at it, I'll tell you the most efficient way to do it. (I recommend a decent file manager like 7zip Manager that offers two-folder-view.) - create a second Assets folder in Railworks dir, name it Assets.storage e.g. - supposed you have 100 Asset provider folders. Move 50 to the Storage folder (as this is on the same HD partition it will happen instantly as files are not physically being moved) - Just make sure Kuju\RailSimulatorCore stays else TS won't start. - if Consist Editor still crashes, move 25 folders more to Storage - if it works, you know the problematic assets are now in Storage. Move 25 back Repeat this with the next 12, 6, 3, 2, 1 folders until you pinned down the Provider folder(s) causing trouble. This is far more effective and time saving than deleting just one and checking everytime. Make sure Steam is in Offline mode so it doesn't update while you are moving files.
So far I've deleted most of the Assets recently installed and have not been able to get rid of the black screen glitch. Could the problem be elsewhere say an Assets files with faulty assets that aren't railvehicles? Have you been able to check the cache?
Just do like I wrote - MOVE them to a Storage folder inside the RailWorks folder. This will only take seconds. If you first COPY and then DELETE them it will take longer, so MOVE them. (This is technically a different operation as the data stays in the same HD/SSD spot)
Because the game takes up about 120 GB in capacity, simply moving them to a storage folder would still take hours. Plus my computer doesn't have enough storage capacity for that.
This is not true. A MOVE Operation only updates the parent folder info. It will not take long as long as the destination is on the same partition, as it is different to a COPY/DELETE operation even if the result is the same.
I explained the difference above. If you move a file or folder from Railworks\Assets to Railworks\AssetsStorage, it is just the path that gets updated from old to new in the file header on disk. No space required since no duplicate file is made. If you copy it and then delete it, first a duplicate (which needs space) is made, and then the original file deleted. This also causes fragmentation - which the MOVE operation doesn't. You can move a folder by right-clicking it and dragging it to the new location, upon releasing the right mouse button select "Move" in the context menu. Or use a good file manager, I recommended 7zip because it natively opens all sorts of archives like .ap and .rwp.
7zip is my main tool. Free, fast and opens/reads everything. It does not support Drag&Drop but I see that as an advantage, it prevents accidentally moving stuff. And it's faster selecting stuff and clicking MOVE and it gets transferred to the path selected in the second view
I managed to do a move operation, indeed the Consist Editor opens up without any problems if I leave just the Kuju folder in the Assets files. I'm going to try slowly but surely with the other Assets file and see what happens, it might take me a while.
Let me know which folder(s) cause trouble. Then the next step will follow - repairing / fixing assets. I'm off now for today... good luck!
Ok so the consist editor so far is working with your method BUT I do have this issue of the consist not showing up on the toolbar at all..
The loco you are using is from SimTrain.ch, TrainPack8. Installs its assets to Kuju\RailSimulator (European Loco & Asset location) - not a good habit. But not necessarily the problem here. It might depend on files of another DLC to properly show? To test if there's an issue with the Editor (not the loco) or Autodesk Scaleform (TS User Interface - the menus) - again only keep the Kuju folder, delete RVDBCache.bin, start the Editor, make a consist with the default rolling stock and see if the the consist appears on the bar.
I've narrowed it down to 2 Assets so far, one containing 55 subfolders and the other one containing over 130 subfolders. I've only tested about 50 of the 550 Assets or so that I have (the main ones) so this is all assuming that the problem is not only here but elsewhere as well within Assets I haven't tested yet.
Please report them so we can compile a list and I will check those assets for errors. Just found one in the RSC Thompson B1 used in Netherfield Nottingham (2 duplicate engine files - the missing loco image made me suspicious and I checked the files and found the error.) 55 and 130??? Don't say it's the RSC and DTG folders ... then the hunt continues sorting out the subfolders...
Can you give me a list of your asset folders? Open the command prompt, CD to the Assets folder and type Code: DIR /A:D /B /S > folderlist.txt Then post the file "folderlist.txt" here. Thanks.
Those are third-party assets and subfolders, I'm not even sure I'm legally allowed to post a folder list including non-DTG files here. The subfolders have been compiled over the years, they weren't all updated at the same time so I don't think it should be too complicated to find the faulty consist.
Posting copyrighted files would be an issue - certainly not posting a list of files. The thing is for helping others in the future, please report the problematic assets. There's a big chance I might be fixing them to stop causing crashes.
The problematic assets is called Virtual_Railroads, I am still in the process of finding the faulty consist.
It doesn't crash when I remove it but that's not the solution. It's not possible that the entire Assets file (all the subfolders basically) is the problem, I've had it in the game for as long as I can remember and it only started causing problems recently for reasons that remain unknown. I deleted and tested all subfolders one by one and it still kept crashing every time, it makes absolutely no sense.
Sorry to hear that. Of course removing is not the solution, it's just for knowing what causes trouble and further investigating / fixing assets. You may also use TSTools for creating your consists.
I still don't know what is causing the issue, I just know where the issue is. Yes I know but I prefer doing it in the game instead like I did without any problems up until recently.
Correct. That would be a non-official folder. Could be the issue. That's why I was asking for a folder list.
No. This would be highly illegal! Maybe I have them, (500GB TS install), I only need to know their path. Again, please post the folderlist.
