[markus_GE]

http://www.elvastowe...eenshot&id=1821
File Name: Diesel Power Updater (DPU) VX3.0
File Submitter: markus_GE
File Submitted: 13 Apr 2014
File Updated: 24 Apr 2014
File Category: Computer Utilities

Diesel Power Updater - DPU VX3.0

by Markus Gelbmann

A "command line", DOS-box-style utility to upgrade MSTS diesel locomotive .ENG files: It can change smoke, DoesHornTriggerBell, VigilanceMonitor and DieselEngineMaxRPMChangeRate settings. Additionally, DPU can correct the unit of the MaxPower statements to be kW and remove any AWSMonitor sections, that are of no use. Any of these operations can be defined and customized in extrenal "data profiles" (ASCII-formatted .INI files in subfolder "userdata" of the main installation). By Markus Gelbmann (markus_GE / markus1996).

• Contents:

Installation
What does DPU do to my files?
Changes over DPU 2.2
How to Use DPU
Building your own Data Profiles & Otherwise Customizing DPU
Version and Revision History
DPU Family Tree
DPU History
Help
Copyright & Liability

• Installation:

Installing DPU on you local system is fairly easy:

• Download the compressed (ZIP) file to your harddrive.
• Unzip the folder you downloaded and move it to anywhere on your harddrive you like. You can delete the downloaded ZIP file.
• This is the most important step: In you newly created instalation folder of DPU, find the subfolder "prgmdata". Inside this folder find the file "DPU.ini". Open this file in an ASCII text editor (such as default Microsoft Editor) and follow the instruction shown therein. Save the changes to this file!
• You´re ready to run DPU!

• What does DPU do to my files?

DPU does a little more than only upgrading your loco´s smoke settings: It...

...backs up every file you pass to it in the subdirectory "!UpdtOldLocos" of the Trainset folder of the MSTS installation you referenced in "DPU.ini". These backup files are saved as *.ENG_BEFORE_UPDT files and are unchanged from your original files. Only the file type ending is changed, which can easily be reverted using "DPU_BU2ENG.exe" (in subfolder "utils" of the DPU installation).

...adds a line to every processed file stating it was edited by DPU and with which settings this was done. Information on when the update was done, so you can retrace your changes to the file, will also be included (a "history" of a maximum of three of these statements is kept in each file).

...cleans up the file by removing excess blank lines, so that a maximum of one blank line in succession is left.

Additionally:

...Smoke settings can be made "compatible" (so they look good) to Openrails (ORTS) latest X releases with the new smoke code, using data from external "data profiles".

...MaxPower statements can be checked for the correct unit (kW) and adapted accordingly, if specified in the data profile used.

...DoesHornTriggerBell can be changed, according to the data profile specified.

...AWSMonitor sections can be removed (since they are of no use), if required per the data profile.

...VigilanceMonitor settings can be changed utilizing data from a data profile.

• Changes over DPU 2.2

DPU X3.0 incorporates a whole lot of new features, yet please note that this is just an eXperimental release. Thus, this version by far does not utilize all the power the final Version 3.0 will have (hopefully still to be released this year).

Anyway, a whole lot more power than in the previous releases is already available in this version. The main feature is the newly added customizability of almost anything and partially even more than DPU 2.2 provided for. This said, all features of DPU 2.2 are still present, plus the ability to change the DieselEngineMaxRPMChange rate. Provisions are also included to define data for this statement as well as for smoke settings, DoesHornTriggerBell and the VigilanceMonitor. See "documentation.txt".

• How to Use DPU

Inside you DPU installation you will find the binary (executable) file "DPU.exe", the main program file. In order to update a file you need to "pass" it to h´this executable in some way. This can either be done using a commad line interface (cmd.exe or a batch file; see "documentation.txt" for more details) or by simply dragging-&-dropping the file onto DPU.exe.

The latter probably is the way you want to go, since it actually is pretty easy: Just open the your DPU installation folder in a window of Windows editor that covers one half of you screen (drag the window to one side of the screen until the cursor touches the side, then release). On the other half of your screen you open the folder where your.ENG file is located in another Windows Explorer window. Then you just drag and drop the file you want to pass to DPU as described above.

DPU.exe is, however, not the only program you can drag-&drop-pass a file to. The following list gives details on all alternatives you can choose from.


DPU.exe: This is the core executable of the DPU program suite. It does all the update work and the other executables and batch files do nothing but pass files to this program. DPU.exe can only update one file at a time, so drag-and-dropping multiple files onto will only update the first of these files.
When passing a file to DPU.exe, you will be asked about the smoke set-up you want to use on this loco. Follow the on-screen information to chose your set-up. If you want to speed up things a little, then use one of the following options.

Any Batch (.BAT) file in the main installation folder of DPU: If you pass (drag-&-drop) a file to any of these files, it will pass on the file and data profile information included in the file (usually obvious from the file name) to DPU.exe. Thus, the input prompt you receive when using only the main DPU.exe is omitted, saving youa little time.

DPUmult.exe allows you to save even more time: To this program you can pass a bunch of .ENG files (there is virtually no limit to the number passed). Then you once have to select which data profile you want to use on ALL of these files. With that done, you just have to acknowledge every time a file was passed to the main DPU.exe that you are fine with what you are shown in the evaluation.


The evaluation shows you, if DPU could correctly update your loco. Problems that might occur are, that some locos (especially modern ones) are totally missing their "Exhaust" emitters, which will throw a warning about "NozzelWidth" that can usually be ignored. For any other problems, manually check the file.


DPU_BU2ENG.exe: Passing (drag-&-drop) a .ENG_BEFORE_UPDT file (backup of an .ENG file updated previously) to this program will revert the file type ending to .ENG, which is recognized by MSTS and ORTS. You should only revert files to this type if you want to use your original file instead of the updated one again.

• Building your own Data Profiles & Otherwise Customizing DPU

In order to build your own data profiles or customize DPU, please read "documentation.txt".

• Version and Revision History

DPU Family Tree (see also "FamilyTree.jpg")

	DPU1.0
	|
	|-DPU1.2
	|
	|-DPU2.1
	|
	|--DPU V2.2
	|  |
	|  DSU V1.0
	|
	|
	|~~DPU VX3.0
	|  |
	DPU V3.0

DPU History (read from bottom to top)

DPU V3.0: yet tp be developed / released

DPU VX3.0: reduced-functionality "pre-release" eXperimental version of DPU V3.0; released in file libs of TS & ET
- introduce basic customizability of functionality of DPU V2.2
- add DieselEngineMaxRPMChangeRate changer to functionality

DSU V1.0: Diesel Smoke Updater V1.0, derivative of DPU V2.2
- Data update over DPU2.1
- Updates only smoke settings
- not to be developped any further (finctionality to be included into DPU)

DPU V2.2: First public release on TrainSim.com (TS; in file library); first public release in file library of ET
- Data update over DPU2.1

DPU2.1: Second public release, on ET, similar to DPU1.2
- New frontend programs

DPU1.2: First public release in a thread somewhere on Elvas Tower (ET; not in file library!)

DPU1.0: Original private program, not released to public

• Help

If you have any problems, questions or suggestions regarding DPU, feel free to contact me, using the information found at the bottom of this file.

• Copyright & Liability

This software is copyright 2013-2014 by Markus Gelbmann. You may not redistribute it in any way without first obtaining my permission.

If you want to take a look at the source code, feel free to contact me using one of the ways described below. You are free to produce you own versions of the program, as long as it is for you private purposes and you do not distribute it.

This software is released as freeware and is to remain that way. If you want to redistribute your own version of it after you have received permission to do so, you may not charge anything for the redistribution nor may you include the files in any payware or shareware package.


This software has been extensively tested and built according to my best knowledge.

Nevertheless, you use this software on you own risk. I am not liable for any harm it might do to you files or computer. Yet, I´d like to add that maybe you virus scanner might think DPU is a virus. I guarantee that it does not contain any viral program parts and can be used safely.

If something odd does happen feel free to contact me using one of the ways shown below.



Markus Gelbmann
Leoben, STMK, AUT, APR-13, 2014


Elvas Tower: markus_GE
Trainsim.com: markus1996
Gmail: gelbmann.markus@gmail.com
Web: mgelbmann.jimdo.com

On forums, please only contact me via the private messenger (PM). Please do not post on my profile pages when inquiring about this program.

© 2013-2014 by Markus Gelbmann

Click here to download this file

[markus_GE]

Follow up that is not included in the readme:

If you don´t want some of the possible changes to be done, simply comment out the <data> block that does that change. Thus, the functionality of DSU is also covered in DPU now, allowing you to switch off certain changes by removing them from the data profiles.

See "documentation.txt" on how to edit data profiles.

Cheers, Markus

[rrfan96]

Markus I cannot get this version to work, after typing in the appropriate letter for the smoke type it gets to the loading screen, but that's as far as it gets. I've tried different engine files but the same result keeps happening. What am I doing wrong?

Edit: I did a dumb. :lol: I messed up an alias. Sorry for the fuss. :good:

[markus_GE]

Not a problem, errors are just human :D

Glad you got it to work (so many glitches have been found already...)

Cheers, Markus

[Smecty]

Hi Markus,

Love what DPU v.3 does and always modify a file I've put in a custom "OpenRails" folder I create in each engine's root folder. So the backup function to the !UpdtOldLocos folder is actually unnecessary.

That said, I've never been able to get this functionality to work in v.3. I follow instructions in how to set up the DPU.ini file; here's my line: "C:\MSTS\"

Your instructions indicate that the slash after "TRAIN SIMULATOR" *must* be present. Well, I've got that slash, but my MSTS installation doesn't have the words "TRAIN SIMULATOR" anywhere, just "MSTS." Is this the problem?

Cheers,

Dave