Problem with Exeter..

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Problem with Exeter.. 11/04/2010 at 14:24 #1105
DrPepperExpress
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44 posts
Hi folks,

I have recently started faffing about with my old TT which i started sometime in the middle of last year. I have a problem with one train in particular which refuses to spawn on-time, and insists on spawning 22 minutes late. 15/15 tests confirmed this.

Had a quick browse through the Exeter Sim section and found something which sounded similar, but not quite the same:

http://www.SimSig.co.uk/index.php?option=com_agora&task=topic&id=1071&Itemid=54

So wondering if it WAS the same issue, only, for me just one train affected, i went here:

http://www.SimSig.co.uk/index.php?option=com_jfusion&Itemid=73&jfile=doku.php&id=nicksandpit;timetable_cleansing

Then here..

http://www.SimSig.co.uk/index.php?option=com_jfusion&Itemid=73&jfile=doku.php&id=nicksandpit;convdata

Then here..

http://www.davros.org/rail/SimSig/

Then FINALLY here..

http://www.SimSig.co.uk/index.php?option=com_jfusion&Itemid=73&jfile=doku.php&id=nicksandpit;import-export

..i now have the convdata.exe in D:Program FilesSimsig

The WIKI however doesn't explain very well exactly what to do with convdata.exe once you've got it there. I've double clicked it and i get a DOS box flash up for half a second then nothing happens. I've moved the exe into various folders within Simsig and tried the same, with the same result. It sounded like a fairly easy thing to use, but obviously because the WIKI doesn't explain HOW to use it, it's not that easy for someone who's never used it before, like me. I'm not bad with computers, and no doubt it is something really stupid i need to do with it which i haven't thought of to get it to work, but again, if it was explained in more detail on the WIKI, i wouldn't be here asking for help. So some advice on how to get this thing to work, would be very much appreciated!

Kindest regards,

Simon.

Edit:
Before anyone yells at me for not downloading the manual from the convdata site mentioned above, for some odd reason or another, that won't download to my machine. Firefox just 'Hangs' then crashes. IE won't even make the hyperlink clickable.

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Problem with Exeter.. 11/04/2010 at 14:24 #8387
DrPepperExpress
Avatar
44 posts
Hi folks,

I have recently started faffing about with my old TT which i started sometime in the middle of last year. I have a problem with one train in particular which refuses to spawn on-time, and insists on spawning 22 minutes late. 15/15 tests confirmed this.

Had a quick browse through the Exeter Sim section and found something which sounded similar, but not quite the same:

http://www.SimSig.co.uk/index.php?option=com_agora&task=topic&id=1071&Itemid=54

So wondering if it WAS the same issue, only, for me just one train affected, i went here:

http://www.SimSig.co.uk/index.php?option=com_jfusion&Itemid=73&jfile=doku.php&id=nicksandpit;timetable_cleansing

Then here..

http://www.SimSig.co.uk/index.php?option=com_jfusion&Itemid=73&jfile=doku.php&id=nicksandpit;convdata

Then here..

http://www.davros.org/rail/SimSig/

Then FINALLY here..

http://www.SimSig.co.uk/index.php?option=com_jfusion&Itemid=73&jfile=doku.php&id=nicksandpit;import-export

..i now have the convdata.exe in D:Program FilesSimsig

The WIKI however doesn't explain very well exactly what to do with convdata.exe once you've got it there. I've double clicked it and i get a DOS box flash up for half a second then nothing happens. I've moved the exe into various folders within Simsig and tried the same, with the same result. It sounded like a fairly easy thing to use, but obviously because the WIKI doesn't explain HOW to use it, it's not that easy for someone who's never used it before, like me. I'm not bad with computers, and no doubt it is something really stupid i need to do with it which i haven't thought of to get it to work, but again, if it was explained in more detail on the WIKI, i wouldn't be here asking for help. So some advice on how to get this thing to work, would be very much appreciated!

Kindest regards,

Simon.

Edit:
Before anyone yells at me for not downloading the manual from the convdata site mentioned above, for some odd reason or another, that won't download to my machine. Firefox just 'Hangs' then crashes. IE won't even make the hyperlink clickable.

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Problem with Exeter.. 11/04/2010 at 15:03 #8392
Peter Bennet
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5363 posts
To actually do a convertion as opposed to editing the txt file you get is a lot easier these days than it used to be with typing an instriuction into a dos box. Simply go to any Sim (does not need to be related to the timetable) and go to "timetable>Export/import" and thre you have an interface to work Convdata. Best place to put the convdata program is in the root directory which does vary depending on your OS. But on VISTA it's C:Windows.

Peter

I identify as half man half biscuit - crumbs!
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Problem with Exeter.. 11/04/2010 at 20:00 #8411
AnyFile
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101 posts
To run the program convdata.exe from the MS dos window (dos prompt) you have two ways
(this is a standard thing about invoking ms-dos program, or windows program that run from command line)

a) the exe file is put in a directory which is included in the MS-DOS PATH. In this case you can invoke the program from any directory by just typing the name of the program without the need to specify the full path

b) the exe file is put in a directory which is not included in the MS-DOS path. In this case you can invoke the program by typing just the name of the program only if you are in the directory where the program is. If you are not in the directory where the program is, you must specify the full path of the executable. You can specify the full path of the executable in an absolute form like
C:diradirbconvdata.exe
or in a relative form like
....convdata.exe
subdirconvdata.exe

(in any case you need not to specify the ending .exe, you can just invoke the program as convdata or C:diradirbconvdata or ....convdata )

First of all try to see if you can run the program (call it without any arguments).

If you need to change the working directory you have to use the cd command (note that this may be a little bit difficult if the directory name has some space or strange character in it.

When you are able to run the program you need to provide the needed arguments (which are some switch that tell the program what type of conversion you want to do and the name of the input file and, optionally, the output file.

My personal opinion is that it is better to change the working directory to the directory where are the files you want to work on and invoke the program from this directory (in this way you just have to specify the full pathname to the exe program, but you need not to specify the full pathname for the input and output files).

This are the links to the page of the manual
convdata manual
example - how to do a timetable

Newer simulations have an interface to invoke the converter program from inside the simulation (if I remember correctly in order for this to work, the convert program file should be in the same directory where the simulation program is or in a directory which is in the dos path).

P.S. After reading your message better ...

How do you open the dos windows? Do you invoke a MS DOS prompt or just you double click on the file?
In the second case the window closes just after the program ends (successfully or unsuccessfully). If I remember correctly there should be an option to keep the window open after the program has terminated (but that would not be enough useful, because you need to pass some argument to the program, and you can do this only from a prompt).

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