Hello to all,

For those who were there in early 2007 was done my very first template, that was the Northwest Line version 2. Today, close to six years later is being worked version 6, the third template for this route ( v2 & 3 done). Rory Rice, its creator has done a very good job on this one as he took advantage in MSTS advancements of the last years. For example, for those who had run Ted Kocyla's Mactier route, some of the work done there can be found here as well, like the switches components, including small propane tanks for heating the switches, etc. The scenery has been enhanced throughout the entire route. Good job Rory!

Preparation of the template has started three months ago but has been halted when was released the Blue Comet (BC) route and have decided to create the BC template first. Now this being done, I have resumed its construction and have now finished the nine templates. Four (4) templates for the mainline templates (EB and WB) for each the CN and CP lines. Another four (4) has been done for the local templates (EB and WB). Fianlly the last one is a yards templates for the main cities, Delmenton and Korimer areas. The number of serviceable sidings has increased to more than 220 from the previous 130.

Benny has volunteered for testing and has started doing so. Thanks again Benny! Let me know if you wish to test the templates.

Shots of the route and the templates:





















Will update later

Will, Benny made me do it!!!!

I've started updating the track diagram for version 3 to version 6.

Craig

Great to hear from you again Craig!

Thanks again for your time with the update.

Hi to all,

Work along the template package is going very well and have created a tenth template. This one is a locals with return paths to their point of origin. It has nine (9) different paths. A lot of work has been done on this one to redefine regions to accomodate this template. There is no AI traffic on the CN line, it has been set instead along the CP line.

Benny is continuing to send reports of the acts and checks out sidings to make sure all sidings have the proper car attribute.

I have started working on a detailed readme file and will be updating the readme as work progresses and requires additional details.

I am posting 16 images among the SLG acts done so far. I will be posting the first half here and the remaining eight on the next post

The shots:

















The remaining eight next post

The last eight

















Will update later

Hello to all,

Testing the templates has been very conclusive and Benny has given me the clearance on his side to have the package released. I will prepare the zip file to have it sent to Steve for uploading.

To Benny, a big THANKS for his work in testing the package. He has been testing my templates since the beginning (almost six years ago) and appreciate his sustained work. Two Big Thumbs up Benny!


Here are the last images during testing of the templates.





















Will confirm later once sent to Steve.

Hi again,

The zip file (about 240 files included in the package) has been sent to Steve for uploading in the templates page

Here's the image that will be seen in the templates page.



Will confirm later its uploading

Just to confirm the template package is now available in the templates page.

Thanks again Steve and happy trainsimming to all!

Thought to let you know that I can't start any activity with Northwest Templates because as soon as the program of Train Simulator started and the warning message popped up on the screen. Look below:

Alert

Activity complete

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Now I did not even started with any activity because the simulation is over with the word, " Activity Complete."

Guess that this need to be fixed first before upload the files again.

Thank you,

John

Have created several activities on both CN and CP with no problems. Have done 2 locals and 3 through trains. Not sure what could be causing your problem.

Thanks for your reply and that's strange for me that I can't run this template but you can. I wonder if I can remove the alert with " Activity Complete " in MSTS Editors and Tools program? Or should wait for D. Gionet to see what he have to say about his work on this templates.

John

Hi John,

Don't forget to use the SLG-generated activities AG creates and not the basic template files. This issue is often encountered when activating by accident the xxx.ACT file instead of the SLG-XXX.ACT file, generating the "Activity complete" message.

It happened to me me more than once during templates construction.

Okay and should I remove the xxx.ACT file in Activity Folder of Northwest 6? Or leave it alone as is.

John

No, the xxx.ACT files are the basic files AG uses to generate the SLG-xxx.ACT files. While the user uses the SLG-xxx.ACT files to run his activities, the xxx.ACT file must remain untouched in the ACTIVITIES folder.

I gave up with this because I have download the zip files and install them all afternoon and still nothing work right. Yes I did remove all the files first for that activity in the ROUTES Folder of Northwest 6 before installing the files again not overwrite them. Still the same thing with the word popped up right at the beginning of the MSTS simulation -- ALERT! Activity Complete. That is really annoying with this part. Guess that I can't run this activity that was created by Denis Gionet. By the way my operating system is Microsoft Windows Professional SP-3.

Thank you,

John

I believe that you are selecting the wrong activity to run. If you are getting 'ALERT! Activity Complete' right from the start, you are selecting the Activity Template that is used for creating runable activities. I just tested my theory and I got the same result that you have encountered. After generating your activity in Activity Generator, when starting Train Simulator, you need to run the activity that begins with SLG-xxx. Make sure you look for it. Denis created 10 different Activity Templates for this route so it might be buried in the list.

Jim

Jim -- thanks for your time to reply about this problem. OK yes I do have a program of Activity Generator in my computer. But I need to understand what to do with this program?

John

Did tried with Activity Generator to generate the activities and still the SAME with nothing change with activities to be able to simulate on the program of Microsoft Train Simulator. I believe that this is the responsibility of the creator who create the templates should correct the problem not us. I did tried few times this morning to generate the activity and nothing work with the Alert message disappear. Can I delete this stupid message out of each template in different way? Or if you got your templates working and upload them in templates section for anyone who want to download the files. Or send me your files via e-mail.

Thank you,

John

"Did tried with Activity Generator to generate the activities and still the SAME with nothing change with activities to be able to simulate on the program of Microsoft Train Simulator. I believe that this is the responsibility of the creator who create the templates should correct the problem not us. "

First off, YOU seem to be the only one having this problem. I don't see how it is the template creators "responsibility" to "correct the problem".

2nd, your statement that you don't understand how Activity Generator works is the root of the problem. AG must be used to generate an activity. Without going into a tutorial on how to do this here, READ THE INSTRUCTIONS and watch the how-to videos on Skyline computings web site. It is a very good program, and allows you to create however many activities you wish to.

I would take a look at the manual and view the tutorial video.
http://www.skylinecomputing.com/VideoTutor...Edit%20(2).html

This video will show the basics on how to create an activity and how to load the activity you created. You cannot try to run the template activities as they will not work properly. They were never intended to be run. All they are used for is TEMPLATES so you can CREATE an activity for you to run.

As for the templates, there is nothing wrong with them. Just as in the previous post, I have used them 'right out of the box' and they work correctly for generating and activity.

Jim

Hi John. I have been running Activity Generator all most exclusively sense it came out with very little trouble with it. I have almost all of the posted templates.
I am running the same route as you are and generated 6 to 8 runs to date mostly returns.
I have a suggestion. Delete the template and all of its sub folders ( acts, paths, services, traffic,and any reference in the consist files ) and start over.
Re download the template and try again. Something may have went wrong with the download the first time. Hope this works. Greg.

Want to say thank you for your reply and have done this to download and copy/paste all the files in Northwest 6 Folder also train consists at the most 6 times so far. Nothing change in the simulation and keep getting the warning message right at the beginning of the simulation ALERT! Activity Complete. I know the other members kept saying to me to generate the activities. Now I am not very familiar with this but do have the program of Activity Generator on my computer. Guess that I am going to have to use this to generate the templates and see if that will work after generated.

Smile,

John

Ok now I am in the program of Activity Generator to generate the templates and not going to change anything in templates. All I want to leave as is what Denis Gionet have done with his templates? The template is " SWLTDBNWL6CNEBTemplate.csv " But one thing I don't understand with the message popped up on the screen after I clicked " Ok - Generate Activity " And here is the message below that I have copied from the program of Activity Generator below.

Unable to Continue

You didn't select any Industry tracks to service, or any destination tracks to your train on. Activity Generator
cannot generate an activity without some track or tracks to set out on cars.


Now you see the message above. What am I suppose to do next with this? I don't want to mess up Denis's templates as a few members here suggested to me that I should generate the templates. Please explain what next to do with this part?

Thank you for your patience with me.

John

Looking at the 'Customize Your Activity' window, you will need to select some tracks to work in the 'Work Tracks' section, or select tracks in the 'Optional Destination Tracks' at the very bottom of the window. Also, you should select some 'Source Tracks' so you will have some cars to pickup in the yard. You can also start out with cars in the train if you put a number in the 'Maxium Cars in Starting Player Train' box. Once you have all those options set, you can click 'OK-Generate Activity'. Once Activity Generator does it's thing with your settings, a work order should pop up on the screen listing the tracks for you to work. If you open the manual, there is a detailed explaination begining on page 11. I would suggest reading from page 11 to 15. These pages give descriptions of each section in the 'Customize Your Activity' window.

As for generating a new template, it's not as easy as it may seem to be. You need to have an understanding of the Activity Editor works. If you don't, you will really get frustrated.

Jim

Do you have an MSTS activity generator icon on your desk top. (1)If so single or double click on it. This will bring up the slg exe page .(2)Click on run. This will bring up the main template page. It should be Activity generator version 4.2.12. (3)Then click on "choose activity (cvs) file". (4)click on Fan03. (5)click on activities. (6)choose one of the templates in the list any one will do except the one that has a turn in it. I choose swlactnw6cnlocalsebtemplate.This will open the template page. (7) click on generate activity.(8) on the left (select route paths) I selected aspen river to delmemton.(9) on th right side you will find source tracks. This is where your player engine will be. cn aspen river. (10)pick one source track and uncheck the rest as this is a through trip . Don't bother the work tracks for now you can figure them out later.(11) go to the bottom section where it says optional and check cn west delmenton yd 1 for a final destination.Uncheck the rest.(12)go to set railcar fill. depending on your computer I would set them at 1 or 2 on the slide pointer.(13) go to change engines and use the one that is there or select your own.(14) pick the seasons ,weather,check for AI or not, reach 20mph for ending the act. At the bottom click on ok generate activity. A list of pickups and setouts will appear, exit, and go to MSTS and look for the generated activity in the list. This is just the bare bones act but as you get used to working with it you will find much more can be done with this program. Greg (A Canadian Too) .

Hi to all,

Just to say that Craig Kawahara has released yesterday at TS the Northwest Line v6 route system maps and is now available to download.

Thanks again Craig for your constant and excellent work on maps.

Enjoy and happy trainsimming!

Thank you Craig and Denis....I have been attempting to run with old map of this route and an up to date one is really appreciated..
Ted

Hello to all,

Benny found a small issue while running the CNWB Template.

In the PRO file, which determines the regions for each path. I have selected the wrong region number for the CN Spruce Grove area. Instead of number 6 (CN Spruce Grove), I have selected number 44 (CP Spruce Grove).

I have made the correction and am including as attached the corrected PRO file. Simply unzip it and overwrite the old file in the ACTIVITIES folder. I will be sending later to Steve the updated template package file.

Thanks Benny for finding the issue.