Datsville rev328

[Michael Horvath]

Datsville revision 328 is out. There are several added buildings and vehicles, including a depot for city-owned vehicles and an airport.

The latest city map can be viewed here:

https://code.google.com/p/datsville/wiki/Maps

The model files can be downloaded here:

https://code.google.com/p/datsville/wiki/Downloads

Enjoy!

[Steffen]

Hello Michael,
I browsed through all of https://code.google.com/p/datsville/ but couldn't find anywhere a hint on how to
contribute to (or: edit/correct) datsville. That's a question I've asked myself already some years ago
and then later forgot about that. Can you point me to somewhere telling me about that?
Or is it that simple that you simply get a Google code account and start to modify things on the Trunk codeline?
Is there a separate codeline where everybody can tinker, and then someone takes over things to Trunk?
- Steffen

[Michael Horvath]

I would be happy to add whatever contributions you want to make! Just tell me where you think it should go and send or attach the MPD file to your post.

I hope more new people take interest in the project! The recent additions were mainly gotten by digging through old posts on LUGNET and finding submissions that were neglected when Datsville went into a slump of inactivity years ago.

Thank you!


Michael

[Steffen]

yeah, thanks, but I just wanted to know the procedure.
is it "send file to Michael via e-mail, and he will put it into the Trunk codeline on Google code"?

the thing I spotted is that rail_splitright.ldr uses the wrong (tapered) point part and puts it onto
snapping sleepers which only can fit into the slotted variant.
but then I noticed that the slotted variant isn't official yet...

[Michael Horvath]

You could send it to me via email (mikh2161 at gmail dot com) or I could make you a member of the Google Code group and you could edit the files directly. It's up to you.

I'm not familiar with the train parts, so I'm not surprised there's a mistake.

Mike

[Michael Heidemann]

I just downloaded this release and check it with MPDCenter.

It looks, like a file dx901.dat, that is used in vehicle_059_graymotorcyclewithbluerider.ldr, is not in the package.
It looks, like a file dx900.dat, that is used in vehicle_059_graymotorcyclewithbluerider.ldr, is not in the package.

Edit:
The original folder contains 378 elements.
If I export the files from MPDCenter only 289 elements are exported.
Given that MPDCenter works correctly there are a lot of files that are not used by datsville.ldr.

Edit:
I just found your dir_bat.txt etc. those files needs to be substracted from original folders count
I copied dir_bat.cmd in the export folder and created a dir_bat.txt file that I attached to this post.
I hope this helps.

one more Edit:
I now used the function "Search for unused files" and got the following result:

Code:

The file 'CitycatTourist.ldr' in vehicle_053_citycat.mpd is not used!
The file 'CitycatBusinessman.ldr' in vehicle_053_citycat.mpd is not used!
The file 'building_062_floor_3.ldr' in building_062_officebuildinglarge.mpd is not used!
The file 'building_088_column.ldr' in building_088_fighterjethangar.mpd is not used!
Should they all be deleted?

As MPDCenter is still BETA for these things, please use the above information with care.

[Michael Horvath]

Thanks for taking a look!

It looks, like a file dx901.dat, that is used in vehicle_059_graymotorcyclewithbluerider.ldr, is not in the package.
It looks, like a file dx900.dat, that is used in vehicle_059_graymotorcyclewithbluerider.ldr, is not in the package.

Fixed.

Code:

The file 'CitycatTourist.ldr' in vehicle_053_citycat.mpd is not used!
The file 'CitycatBusinessman.ldr' in vehicle_053_citycat.mpd is not used!
The file 'building_062_floor_3.ldr' in building_062_officebuildinglarge.mpd is not used!
The file 'building_088_column.ldr' in building_088_fighterjethangar.mpd is not used!
Should they all be deleted?

Fixed. Except for "building_062_floor_3.ldr" which was intentional.

I compared your "dir_bat.txt" with mine using WinMerge and noticed some issues.

1. "pedestrian_029_blueteamstanding.ldr" is missing from yours though it is being referenced by "building_064_baseballpark.mpd".
2. "pedestrian_009_manblueoverallsmustache.ldr" is missing from yours though it is being referenced by "building_020_baitshop.mpd".

I think the problem is that you are not exporting LDR models when they are being referenced by an MPD file but are not actually contained in the MPD file but are instead external. I hope you understand what I mean.

Thanks again!

Mike

[Michael Horvath]

Also, I was thinking of creating male and female versions of the rail parts, but that doesn't seem to be possible like it was with Lionel rails.

[Michael Heidemann]

Code:

I compared your "dir_bat.txt" with mine using WinMerge and noticed some issues.

1. "pedestrian_029_blueteamstanding.ldr" is missing from yours though it is being referenced by "building_064_baseballpark.mpd".
2. "pedestrian_009_manblueoverallsmustache.ldr" is missing from yours though it is being referenced by "building_020_baitshop.mpd".

I think the problem is that you are not exporting LDR models when they are being referenced by an MPD file but are not actually contained in the MPD file but are instead external. I hope you understand what I mean.

Yes, but not completely true.
The import of unofficial files should avoid distributing of models where some parts missing (main goal).
I thought I could also use it for your complex work with datsville. But at this point there are differences.

First datsville.ldr is loaded into MPDCenter.
By "import unofficial files" each referenced file is search and imported.
- if the referenced file is a plain ldr/dat file it will be imported into the internally created mpd content file in which datsville.ldr is the first file.
- if the referenced file is a mpd content file, it will be imported as next mpd file.

After that first step each file in each mpd will be scanned for further references and if unofficial imported into the calling mpd.

Therefore the files you mentioned are not missing, but imported into another mpd.

Currently I do not have any idea how to solve this inconsistence between both approaches.

[Michael Horvath]

Oh, that's too bad.

[Michael Heidemann]

No, I think that is not bad, as I could give some useful hints with the help of MPDCenter

You made a structure to datsville that can not be driven by application until you make a lot of considerations. But all those considerations are mainly only useful for datsville. Therefore you will need a special application for maintaining datsville

MPDCenter can be this kind of tool without two aspects:
1) Edit datsville files - as there is currently no build in editor feature.
2) Save the files in the structure you like to have it.

Many other aspects MPDCenter can do for you:
1) Are all references valid.
2) Which reference is used in which file.
Just to name two of those.

[Michael Horvath]

Datsville revision 337 is out.

A list of changes can be found here:

https://code.google.com/p/datsville/source/list

The latest city map can be viewed here:

https://code.google.com/p/datsville/wiki/Maps

The model files can be downloaded here:

https://code.google.com/p/datsville/wiki/Downloads

Enjoy!

[Michael Heidemann]

I got a claim for missing "pedestrian_065_policewhiteshirtandtie.ldr" called from building_083_airportlounge.ldr in building_083_airportlounge.mpd.

The file 'building_062_floor_3.ldr' in building_062_officebuildinglarge.mpd is not used!

Maybe you should start using MPDCenter for at least check datsville before release

[Michael Horvath]

The file 'building_062_floor_3.ldr' in building_062_officebuildinglarge.mpd is not used!

That was actually intentional as I said before.

I thought you said that MPDCenter would not work for Datsville?

Currently I do not have any idea how to solve this inconsistence between both approaches.

[Michael Heidemann]

The problem is that MPDCenter export is not the same as your files, as MPDCenter imports all necessary files into the calling mpd content file.

Go and try and you will see what I am talking about.

Datsville has been a very good project to eliminate a lots of errors that I had before, because those files are not necessarily well formed - header wise

[Roland Melkert]

By "import unofficial files" each referenced file is search and imported.
- if the referenced file is a plain ldr/dat file it will be imported into the internally created mpd content file in which datsville.ldr is the first file.
- if the referenced file is a mpd content file, it will be imported as next mpd file.

After that first step each file in each mpd will be scanned for further references and if unofficial imported into the calling mpd.

Therefore the files you mentioned are not missing, but imported into another mpd.

Technically the files are missing, cause the contents of mpd's can not be shared except of the main model one. So e.g. a 3005.dat in a.mpd can not be used from b.mpd. You need to also add that (probably same) 3005.dat to b.mpd, or write it as a loose 3005.dat in the target folder.

It might work in LDView if the part is in the top level mpd, but that's because of a bug if I remember correctly.

[Michael Heidemann]

Code:

Technically the files are missing, cause the contents of mpd's can not be shared except of the main model one. So e.g. a 3005.dat in a.mpd can not be used from b.mpd. You need to also add that (probably same) 3005.dat to b.mpd, or write it as a loose 3005.dat in the target folder.

No, they are not missing. They are added to the mpd content file where they are used.
But you are right, best thing would be to write all double files as loose file into the target folder. But to do this, I need to be sure that both files do have really the same content. This could be the solution that I was looking for.
Sometimes it can be so easy

Code:

It might work in LDView if the part is in the top level mpd, but that's because of a bug if I remember correctly.

No bug is needed
I have used in MPDCenter an idea that I had already some years ago.

The attached file should have the extension xmpd, but that is not a valid file extension for upload, so I changed that to plain mpd.
From the structure this is a normal mpd content file. But it contains several mpd files - cooked together in one file