I downloaded a reskin from ATS https://alanthomsonsim.com/downloads/class-322-north-western-trains/ and it has a file in it, geomod4.exe What is this and what does it do? There is also a bat file for copying the various files required by the reskin. Peter
Geomod is basically an installer, the .bat triggers the installer to copy and move the files, the Geomod injects parameters or additional lines of text into existing scripts (something .bat cannot do by itself as far as I'm aware) You can delete it once the installation is complete, it's a shame they don't make it self delete at the end of the process especially as there's a few versions (with different version names) still in use so you can end up with 3 or 4 of them in your RailWorks folder, but as I said they are safe to delete once finished with.
It is also quite an annoying programme as you will likely get constant UAC warnings when using it. I haven't experimented but perhaps opening that BAT as an administrator would prevent it from doing this?
I downloaded two reskins for the AP 321/322 one of them just has a bat file to do the copying of the files. The other one used this installer. It ask for permission and if you say No it pops up again a second later and asks again and there is no way to stop asking. Seems a bit strange if one reskin can use just the bat file that works ok. Peter
Nothing strange at all, like I said a .bat can copy, move, delete files but cannot inject additional text into files, the ones that "work ok" with just the .bat file obviously don't inject anything into the scripting (.lua .xml .GeoPcDx whatever) that's why the one's that do require additional script will utilize the GeoMod.
It's completely harmless if that's what you are worried about. As others have said, it's just there so when the batch calls for file copying, it uses this program to do it.
As the name suggests it MODifies the GEOpcdx shape files that come with various DLCs. Why might people want to do this? Sometimes an item cannot be hidden via a specific node with a ripting, but if it has a unique material, then it can be made invisible by editing the Geo - obviously the people making the skin cannot distribute a modified shape file, so GeoMod is a way for them to distribute their work and then get the same modified shape file on to the end users installation of train simulator. Hope this helps.
I have tried installing something and got this "geomod4.exe" constantly opening Windows prompts over and over again, the only way to stop it is to logout or restart, I suspected it was a virus at first as I couldn't stop it.
That was GeoMod doing its job... Modifying "Geo's" (GeoPcDx files) some mods have multiple GeoPcDx files to modify and this is done through command prompts which GeoMod automates to allow the reskin to work on all intended variants. You basically aborted mid install.
It is a hassle having to constantly press Alt+Y to get through them, but it does its job when you put up with it.
I don't mean the CMD box, it constantly opens the warning box, pressing yes does nothing but open another.
I haven't used that but the warnings are likely due to the fact that many have Steam (and thus RailWorks) installed to "C:\Program Files (x86)" which is an UAC protected path, and Windows' job is to make sure all changes to files in that path are authorised by the user because damage can be done. I've installed Steam directly to C:\Steam and that can avoid a lot of hassle.
That's normal. It will display multiple user account control dialogue boxes while it goes through its processes. Interestingly it does the same thing for me when TS is installed on a separate drive entirely. I'm not sure why though.
In that case, it's Windows Defender jumping in because binary manipulation of files by external programs is a high security risk.
If you look carefully at the scripted actions to be performed by Geomod.exe, you can do the same by dropping the file on Serz.exe and edit the .xml to change this texture path or that, remove this node and whatever. For me, running the automated Geomod or PowerShell editing of .bin files always ends in broken DLC
