I've attached two pics. #1 pic shows the Players Profile page where you can see the London to Brighton route image is missing. # 2 pic shows the Main Menu where the route image is present. I opened the Players Profile bin file using SERZ but am not sure if this is the file I should be looking for to add the route image so that it shows in pic # 1. Hope someone can advise. Thanks
The profile thumbnails are stored in the PreLoad folders, the images in the Drive menu are stored in the RouteInformation\image.png. The images in the Build menu are stored in the TemplateRoute folder. Not sure why it doesn't display L2B in the profile, but it's not only on your end. I've checked the metadata blueprint, it references the image correctly, also the image itself is ok. If I find the answer I'll let you know.
I notice in both the Profile pictures the line is called London to Brighton Route Add-On But in the game its just London to Brighton
Thanks for that info. One thing I have never understood is the PreLoad folder. Some routes have it listed in their respective folders, some don't. In the Options tab of Railworks Tools, there is a selection to identify the location of the PreLoad folder in TSC. And what is the exact function of the PreLoad folder seeing that it is found in some route folders yet not others.
I checked the DLC window in Steam and most of the routes are listed as "Addons" as well as many Loco's, but not all. In the Contents/Routes folder, I noticed that the route ID number is slightly different than all other routes. It is listed as 00000034-a000-0000 etc. In the second group of numbers, instead of a "0" it starts with the letter "a". Don't know if this any bearing on anything or not.
I usually use RWInfo as my reference. I know there was the original route and the extension to the route. Would be curious to see what RWInfo shows. Also LocoSwap may also be useful as a reference to see your routes. Respectfully
The "Profile" data is gathered by Steam and cannot be manipulated. The images are retrieved from Steam's DLC database. (And only routes purchased on Steam are shown). It shows London to Brighton "Addon" which is retrieved from the steam sub name of the DLC - that string is nowhere to be found in the local files. Regarding the Preload folder, the devs faced an issue when it was obvious that people's collections would grow massively, and there was need for a method to have the program gather data quickly, that's mostly not arranged in any standard paths. (You can make a loco and setup your asset folder arbitrarily, the game then retroactively scanning for "EngineBlueprints" which hold all references. PreLoad is basically for storing all consists (and fragments of which a consist can be composed) used in QuickDrive. As opposed to other folders in the Asset subfolders, its path and name is standardized so the engine can do a quick search for the contained blueprints without scanning ALL asset contents (which QD consist editor has to do, therefore needing its own cache file RVDCache.bin).
The PreLoad folder contains a selection of Consists that are already made up. When you place a train on the track it is a slow processe if you have to place all vehicles individually. You can select a consist from the PreLoad folder for quick placing of a train on the track - useful for scenario builders. They are what the Quick Drive looks at when you pick a train to drive and what the game looks for to make AI trains in a Quick Drive.
Thanks for the detailed explanation. At least I now have a broader understanding of its function. I currently do not have a PreLoad sub folder in my Assets folder. Should one be there? I only ask this, as previously mentioned, as one of the categories in the RWT Options tab, is asking to identify the location of the TS PreLoad folder in TSC. Well, there are a few PreLoad folders scattered about in various route folders. As an example, my Castlerock route folder (00000006-0000-etc) has two image files, one being a Tgpcdx and the other a Metadata file. So am I correct in thinking that PreLoad foldrers can also contain files other than consists or fragments?
Each route asset pack comes with that folder, separate for each product. Example: Assets\Provider\Product\PreLoad\ is the fixed path. So in this case, Assets\RSC\BrightonMainLine\PreLoad (inside the .ap archive) Yes, the RouteInformation\image.png were added later in development to the routes, as you can have different routes using the same assets. The TgPcDx files are used for the QD consist preview thumbs - if they are not there the LocoInformation\image.png is used. Remember TS is an evolution of RS-RW-TS. Before the ads were shown during route loading, a route preview image was displayed as in its forerunner MSTS, which was done by the same team of coders, Kuju. These route preview images are still there in the assets, but not used anymore. I still see people demanding MSTS2 from MS, not realising that TSC is actually MSTS2, being from the same devs. (MS eventually decided to do MSTS2 on their own, after Kuju quit (and made a deal with Fund4Games and EA to release what they had started under MS contract), but failed and dropped the project, because with Kuju, all the knowledge was gone as they were contracted to make MSTS and it was a success and the base for what we're still playing. Microsoft themselves never coded any train sim. Bill Gates never coded a DOS , just bought Tim Paterson's QDOS (which itself heavily borrowed from Gary Kildall (highly capable but much too gentle and naive for the harsh business)'s CP/M) for 50,000 dollars, only changin a few strings in the source to "PC-DOS", then fooling IBM in a very clever way to build his empire and marketing the same again as "MS-DOS".
Spikee1975 Thanks again for your input and history lesson! I see by your Profile background pic you might also be a flight simmer. Been at that since 1999! Stayed with FSX even with its 4GB limitation. MSFS 2020 looks to daunting for me.
