Revision as of 23:28, 1 August 2022

The information in this Wiki Page applies to TRS19, Trainz Plus and TRS22. This page is intended to provide information for understanding the different asset Status labels used by Content Manager.

Content Manager Status

Start Content Manager by clicking Manage Content from the Trainz Launcher.

The Status column in the Content Manager display gives information about each listed assets location, availability, and its "currency" (installed, obsolete, modified, Payware, unknown, etc).

If the Status column is not present in the Content Manager display, then:- right mouse click on the column heading where you want it to be inserted select Insert Column and then Status Columns in Content Manager Can Be  Removed  Right mouse click on a column heading and select Remove Column  Moved  Hold down the left mouse button on a column heading and drag it left or right  Resized  Move the tip of the mouse pointer onto the dividing line between two column headings, hold down the left mouse button and drag it left or right

Notes: It is important to remember that:- many assets on the Download Station (DLS) are available in more than one version, the original and at least one update. When an asset is updated by the release of a new version, the original, and any previously existing updates, will remain on the DLS for those who prefer to use them instead of the latest release. The status labels Newer version available and Obsolete are the result of updates. an update will not always have the same name as the original or previous updates. It may also have a completely different Asset ID (or <kuid> code number) as shown in the examples below.   Example 1: the list below shows the same asset, the original and 3 updates, using 4 different names for the same <kuid> - the trailing :digit> is the update number.   Example 2: the list below shows the same asset, the original and 2 updates, all with the same name but each has a different <kuid>. The fact that they are updates of the same asset can be shown with the List Asset Versions command. Assets with negative <kuids> can only be updated by issuing them with new <kuid> codes but this can also happen with any asset update. it is not uncommon for two completely different assets to have identical names. If one is not an updated version of the other then both will appear in the Surveyor asset selection lists and if they are of the same type, e.g. scenery, road spline or track object, then they will appear under each other in the same selection list.

Available for Download

Available for Download simply means that the asset is on the DLS and is not already installed on your system

The Status labels that you may see would include:-

The Status label "Newer version available" means that a later version of that asset is also available and can be downloaded and installed The Status label "Obsolete" means that a later version of that asset is already installed in Content Manager You can select and download any asset that is Available for download even if it is also labelled as Obsolete or Newer version available

	You can check to see what is the latest version of an asset that is listed as Newer version available or Obsolete. This will produce a list of all the previous versions (installed or not), currently installed (if any) and later versions of the selected asset.
	right mouse click on the asset select the command List Asset Versions The list can be sorted into alphabetical/numerical order using a particular column by clicking on the column heading. first click - sort ascending A to Z, 1 to 9, Jan to Dec second click - sort descending Z to A, 9 to 1, Dec to Jan third click - repeats first click, etc
	In the example shown above the latest version of the selected asset is already installed (Installed from DLS) and it does not have exactly the same name as the original. If it is the latest available version and is not already installed then it will be shown as Available for download without any additional labels.

Create an "Available for Download" Filter

This modified search filter will show all the freeware assets including their different versions that are available on the Download Station (DLS). Select the Content Manager search filter Download Station Open the filter (click the small triangle pointer on the left of the word Filter:) Remove (click the (-) buttons on the extreme right) of the filter lines:- Out of date and Obsolete You can save this as a new filter Click the Save button (which will appear as soon as you delete one of the filter lines) Give the new filter a name (e.g. Available for Download) Once saved you can reuse the filter whenever needed.

Create an "Updates Available" Filter

A very useful Content Manager filter to create and save is one that will identify and display any installed assets that have updates available on the DLS. Detailed step-by-step instructions for making the filter (it is a simple process) can be found on the Wiki Page  Using Content Manager to Update Assets but a summary is provided below. Create a Custom filter as shown in the figure below:- Set the Installed filter line to True (it normally is) Change one of the remaining filter lines to Out of date and set it to True Delete all remaining filter lines Save the filter - "Updates Available" would be a good filter name You can then highlight, right mouse click and select Download to get the updates for the selected assets. Note: This will show but not update assets that are Built-in or Base. See the Tip Box in the section Installing the Latest or an Older Version of an Asset below for a guide on updating these assets or the Trainz Wiki Page  Using Content Manager to Update Assets for more detailed instructions.

Installing the Latest or an Older Version of an Asset

To Install the Latest Version: You can select the version that is labelled Available for download with no other qualifier (Obsolete or Newer version available) or you can select ANY Available for download version (including those marked as Newer version available and Obsolete) and Content Manager will download and install only the latest version.

In the figure above all the assets shown are different versions of the same original asset with the last entry the latest available version. Select (left mouse click on) any version of the asset, it does not matter if it is labelled Obsolete Right mouse click on the asset and select Download Content Manager will ignore all the listed versions to download and install only the latest available version, even if that version is not shown in your filtered list.

To Install a Specific Older Version: You can download and install an earlier version of an asset (one that also has the label Newer version available or Obsolete) if you don't want the latest version.

In the figure above all the assets shown are different versions of the same original asset with the last entry the latest available version. Select the specific version of the asset you want, it can be one labelled Obsolete which means that you already have a later version of the asset installed Right mouse click on the asset and select Download this Version Content Manager will ignore any and all newer versions of the asset and will download and install only the selected version.

Some assets will show a status of Newer version available or Obsolete but the Download and Download this Version options will be greyed out and cannot be selected. This will always occur for all Built-in and Base assets and will usually occur for Packaged and Payware assets. In these cases select the List Asset Versions option. This will list all the available versions of the selected asset or assets and allow you to select one that can be downloaded (Available for download). Packaged and Payware assets are normally updated through the Update option in the Content Store but can sometimes be updated through Content Manager to become freeware (Installed from DLS) as shown in the example below. If the asset is Packaged or Payware and still does not show an available download, then check the Content Store for updates.

Installed

This built-in search filter will show all the assets that are installed in Content Manager. Set the Content Manager search filter to Installed. The Status labels that you may see would be:-

The Status "Newer version available" added to a label means that a later version of that asset is also available and can be downloaded and installed The Status "Obsolete" added to a label means that a later version of that asset is already installed in Content Manager An asset that was originally Base, Built-in, Packaged, Payware or Third Party can be updated to Installed from DLS if a newer version becomes available on the DLS Packaged and Payware assets can ONLY be deleted (Uninstalled) using the Content Store and are usually updated through the Content Store

For simplicity only the major labels are shown Base Built-in The asset was installed when Trainz was installed Installed from DLS The asset was installed from the DLS Modified The asset is one you have created yourself, modified or cloned from another asset or have installed from somewhere other than the DLS (e.g. a 3rd party web site) Packaged The asset is included in a DLC package that you have installed but it may also be found on the DLS. See the  Packaged and Payware section below for more information Payware The asset is exclusive to a DLC package that you have installed. See the  Packaged and Payware section below for more information Third Party The installed asset may have been previously available on the DLS but is now unavailable

Notes: You can delete assets that are labelled as Installed from DLS, Obsolete You cannot delete assets that are labelled as Built-in, Obsolete or Base, Obsolete You can ONLY delete assets that are labelled as Packaged or Payware using Uninstall in the Content Store, not from Content Manager. But before you uninstall any assets see the  Warning   Uninstalling DLC below.

Base, Built-in

You will often see the following label on installed assets:-

Base and Built-in The asset was installed when Trainz was installed on your system. When you installed your current version of Trainz, or do a reinstall, the Base and Built-in assets will be the only ones installed. All the other assets have to be manually added later from the DLS, DLC or other sources.

Installed from DLS

You will often see the following label on installed assets:-

Installed from DLS You have downloaded and installed the asset from the DLS. You may have performed this manually by selecting and downloading the asset or it was downloaded and installed automatically as a dependency of another asset that you have manually selected and downloaded from the DLS, for example a route.

Modified

You may often see the following label on installed assets:-

Modified You have created, altered or cloned the asset, or not installed it directly from the DLS.

This label will appear on all assets that you have:-

• created yourself (it will have your kuid code)
• modified from an installed asset
• cloned from an installed asset (it will have your kuid code)
• imported directly into Content Manager without using the Download command - as a result Content Manager will not know the source of the asset

Open for Edit

Open for edit The asset is currently in use by another process such as Surveyor, Driver or Content Manager.

This label will appear on any asset that you have:-

• currently open in Surveyor (a Route that is being edited) or Driver (a Session that is running)
• opened in Content Manager for editing - for example changing its config.txt file or image files
• imported into Content Manager from a Content File (.cdp file) or a Content Folder when the same asset is already installed

In the first case, exiting Surveyor or Driver will close the open Route and Session assets.

In the second and third cases you will need to manually close the open assets.

To manually close open assets:- select (left mouse click on) the open assets (individually or as a group) right mouse click on an open asset select the Submit Edits command to close them with the edits saved, or select Revert to Original to cancel the edits and return the assets to their previous unedited states, or select Revert if Unchanged if you have opened the assets (in Explorer or have just viewed their config,txt files) but have made no changes. Any opened assets that you have changed will remain Open for Edit

Notes: Assets that are Open for edit cannot be exported to a .cdp file or uploaded to the DLS. They must be closed first If you import assets into Trainz from a Content File (.cdp) or a Content Folder then Content Manager will not search for and install any missing dependencies from the DLS. You will have to do this manually. See the  Missing Dependencies section below If Trainz unexpectedly closes while using Surveyor or Driver, such as a Crash To Desktop or it is terminated by Windows Task Manager, then the loaded Route and Session will be Open for edit when you restart Trainz. See the Trainz Wiki Page  Route and Session Basics for more information on dealing with this situation

Packaged, Payware

If you have installed routes or other assets from the DLC then you see the following label or labels on installed assets:-

Packaged and Packaged, Payware The asset has been installed as part of a DLC package.

Both labels mean that the asset was included in a DLC package that you have downloaded and installed.

• Packaged by itself means that the asset can be cloned and modified for your personal use. Many, but not all, Packaged assets will also be found on the DLS
• Packaged, Payware means that the asset is exclusive to a DLC package and will not be found on the DLS. Some Payware assets are encrypted and cannot be cloned or modified

It is up to the creator of a DLC package to decide if an asset they have created will also be available on the DLS, or if it will be encrypted.

See the  Packaged and Payware section below for more information.

Third Party

You may occasionally see the following label on installed assets:-

Third Party The assets availability is "questionable". It may be best to avoid using until its status is resolved.

This will appear on assets that:-

• you have uploaded to the DLS but they have not yet been approved for distribution. Usually it takes 24 hours (sometimes more) before approval is given. After approval the Third Party label will be changed to Installed from DLS
• have been removed from the DLS listing, for a variety of reasons:-

• if the reason was copyright violation then the assets will no longer be available to anyone who had not already downloaded and installed them before they were removed. If you had downloaded them before their removal then they will appear as Third Party in your Content Manager.  If you include them in an uploaded Route then they will appear as <unknown assets> in the Content Manager of users who have downloaded your Route but do not already have the assets. 
• if the reason is repair work then they can still be downloaded and installed, as Third Party assets, and the repaired assets will (eventually) become available as updates that will be identified using the "Updates Available" filter as shown in the example below.
• in some circumstances a removed asset might still be downloaded as a dependency of another asset but not as an individual asset in its own right. It will receive the label Third Party once downloaded.

Running the Updates Available filter (see the  Create an "Updates Available" Filter section above) will identify any Third Party assets that have updates available as shown in the figure below:- Highlight all the listed assets, right mouse click on any one of them and select Download from the pop up menu. The updates for the selected assets will be downloaded and installed. After the update, Third Party assets should be shown as Installed from DLS

Disabled

You may occasionally see the following label on installed assets:-

Disabled The asset has been manually Disabled (from the Content menu select Disable). The label will be added to an existing label on the asset (e.g. Packaged, Disabled) and the words will be "grey" not black.

Disabling assets will "hide" them from other assets, including Routes and Sessions, so they cannot be used. It is a useful technique for deleting troublesome assets from a Route or Session without actually deleting the assets themselves.

For an example of this see the Trainz Wiki Page at  Deleting Stubborn Scenery Assets.

Normally you would restore the Disabled assets after fixing the Route or Session (from the Content menu select Enable).

Payware assets that are Disabled will have Payware (not active) as their status label.

Unknown, Incompatible, Not Installed

Set the Content Manager search filter to All Content and click the Status column heading (once or twice) to sort the very long list according to their Status labels. Scroll down the list and you may see:-

Unknown Location

The Status label "Unknown location, Obsolete" means that a later version of that asset is already installed in Content Manager

Unknown location The asset is listed as being on the DLS but it is unavailable

The Unknown location label can sometimes appear if a later version of an asset has been uploaded to the DLS but the original version was not or had been removed for some reason, as shown in the example below.

If the asset is simply labelled as Unknown location then try the following:- right mouse click on the asset select List Asset Versions You may find a later version is Available for download

Incompatible

Incompatible The asset is designed for a more recent version of Trainz than you are currently using.

For example: The SP4 versions of TRS19 and Trainz Plus will load Routes and Sessions with asset build numbers up to and including 4.9. Routes and Session with build numbers 5.0 and above will be labelled Incompatible and will need a later Trainz version (for example TRS19 SP5 for build 5.0 or TRS22/Trainz Plus for build 5.1) to be loaded.

The Build Version column will identify the minimum Trainz build that the asset needs.

To display the Build Version column in Content Manager:- right mouse click on any column heading where the new column will be inserted select Insert Column and then select Build Version A list of all the Trainz Build Version Numbers with their corresponding Trainz Version Names and service pack (SP) numbers can be found on the Trainz Wiki Page at  "Trainz-build"_number

Not Installed

Not installed, Payware (not active) The asset is in a DLC package and must be installed using the Content Store option from the Trainz Launcher

This status label can appear if you uninstall a DLC package (e.g. a Route) that you have modified or cloned as a new asset. Most Payware assets can be modified but conditions apply. See the section  Modifying and Sharing Payware below.

Unknown Asset

An <unknown asset> can appear when using the List Asset Versions or the List Dependencies commands on a selected asset.

The label "<unknown asset>" will be shown in the Name column and the Status column will be blank.

unknown asset The asset cannot be found on your system or on the DLS.

Using the List Asset Versions command on a selected asset will often reveal one or more unknown assets. In this example:- the first version of the asset (<kuid:122285:1161>) is also the original version and is available on the DLS but it is now Obsolete as a later version is already installed the fourth and latest version (<kuid2:122285:1161:3>) is labelled as Packaged and is installed in Content Manager. It was installed from a DLC package and it may also available on the DLS The two intermediate versions (:1 and :2) are unknown assets and are not available on the DLS. They may have been created but never uploaded. It is not unusual for asset creators to leave "gaps" in the Asset ID update numbers (the trailing ":digit" in the <kuid>) during the development process. If the two unknown assets shown above had been uploaded to the DLS then they would have been made Obsolete by the latest version.

Apart from the example above, unknown assets are almost always dependencies of other assets that you have downloaded and installed. The installed assets would be labelled has having Missing dependencies. See the  Missing Dependencies section below.

Note: Having an <unknown asset> is not necessarily a problem. If an installed asset with an unknown asset as a dependency is not classified as Faulty then it can often be ignored. A Route, for example, can be labelled as having unknown assets but still function perfectly well.

The unknown asset may:-

• be from an independent (3rd party) web site
• have been made by the same creator as the dependant asset but was not uploaded to the DLS
• have been removed from the DLS for some reason (a rare event but it does happen)
• simply not exist, anywhere

Fixing this may not be easy. Possible solutions are:-

• There is a very long thread in the Trainz Forum where you can find posts looking for missing/unknown assets. See  Missing kuids? Post them here
• You can try contacting the creator via email (their address may be in the config.txt file) or a PM (Personal Message) through the Forum

Neither is a guaranteed solution.

If the unknown asset is in a Route or a Session then a third option is to use the Delete Missing Assets command from the Tools menu in Surveyor, but make a backup copy of the Route or Session first.

Packaged and Payware

	Packaged assets are installed from DLC packages and may also be available on the DLS or elsewhere
	Payware assets are exclusive to DLC packages or other payware sites
	DLC packages can only be installed, updated and uninstalled using Content Store from the Trainz Launcher

Notes: All new DLC packages downloaded and installed from the Content Store now contain ALL the required dependencies in the download package. This includes any assets that are on the DLS or on independent web sites that in the past would have to be downloaded separately from the DLS or elsewhere. If you already have the exact same version of an asset that is included in a package you are installing then you will NOT end up with two identical copies of that asset. Your installed copy of the asset will be re-labelled as Packaged. If the version included in the package is more recent than your current version then the newer version will be installed and the previous version will become Obsolete - this is the normal process for asset updates. Problems can arise if the asset included in a DLC package has a higher version number (the :digit> at the end of a kuid2 number) than the copy on the DLS. This usually occurs when the DLS copy has not been updated to match the DLC copy. See the  Tips: How to Check the DLS Status of Packaged Assets below. However, it is important to remember that the content creator decides if the updated asset should also be available on the DLS.

WARNING: Uninstalling DLC If you Uninstall a DLC package then ALL its Packaged assets will be deleted, even if those same assets were previously labelled as Installed from DLS The Uninstall process has no way of "knowing" if an asset was previously Installed from DLS or came from the package itself. This could result in other installed assets becoming faulty due to Missing dependencies. The solution is to run a DBR (Database Repair - see the Wiki Page  How to Perform a DBR for details) after the Uninstall then reinstall the missing assets from the DLS Be aware that it is possible that some of the Packaged assets that were uninstalled may NOT be on the DLS - that is a decision made by the creator of the DLC package

Some of the Status labels that can appear on Packaged and Payware assets are:-

The Status label "Newer version available" means that a later version of that asset is also available and can be downloaded and installed The Status label "Obsolete" means that a later version of that asset is already installed in Content Manager An asset that was originally Packaged or Payware can be changed to Installed from DLS if an update is installed from the DLS. It is possible for a Payware asset to be replaced by an updated "Freeware" version,

Packaged The asset is included in a DLC package that you have installed. See Notes: below Payware The asset is part of a payware package, usually from the DLC. Most DLC Payware can be modified but restrictions will apply. See the section  Modifying and Sharing Payware below. Exactly which assets in a package are Payware and which are Packaged is decided by the creator of the package Payware (not active) The asset is part of a payware package that is no longer active on your system. You may have uninstalled the package, disabled it, or it may have been installed for a free trial period which has now expired Packaged, Payware The asset is Payware and was installed as part of a DLC package. Some Payware assets are encrypted and cannot be cloned or modified Modified, Payware The asset is Payware that you have modified or cloned. See the section  Modifying and Sharing Payware below

Notes: You can ONLY delete assets that are labelled as Packaged or Payware using Uninstall in the Content Store, not from Content Manager. Modified, Payware is an exception as these are assets you have modified and can be deleted using Content Manager. But before you uninstall any assets see the  Warning   Uninstalling DLC above.

If a Payware asset has the label Newer version available and no update can be found on the DLS, then open the Content Store (from the Trainz Launcher) and select the Updates option to check for any updates to the installed DLC packages

Notes: For current DLC packs, there are two important clarifications for the term Packaged:- Packaged - means that the asset is from an installed DLC package. DLC packages are normally installed using the Content Store selected from the Trainz Launcher. If there is no Payware label after the Packaged then the asset may also be available on the DLS or on an independent 3rd party web site but that decision is entirely up to the creator of the asset Packaged, Payware - means that the asset is Payware and was installed from a DLC package. It is not available from the DLS. Some Payware assets are encrypted and cannot be cloned or modified

You can identify the DLC package that a Packaged or Payware asset was installed from. Select (left mouse click) the Packaged or Payware asset Open the Content menu on the Content Manager menu bar Select the Report Containing Packages option at the bottom of the drop down list The DLC package or packages will be identified by their code names (e.g. "sc491d").

How to Check the DLS Status of Packaged Assets Set the Content Manager search filter to show the Packaged assets that you want to confirm are available on the DLS - for example you may want to use them in a route you will be uploading to the DLS. In the example shown left the assets are in a saved Picklist named Fences & Walls but it could be the Installed filter sorted on the Status column to group all the Packaged assets together or use a Custom filter with Packaged = True. Select (left mouse click on) the Packaged asset or assets to be confirmed as being on the DLS. Right mouse click on any of the selected assets and select List Assets in New Window from the drop down menu This will open a new search window with the selected assets. In the new search window, add the filter line On Download Station and set it to True Any assets that remain in the display will be found on the DLS. Any that vanish are not on the DLS. As a variation to the above, set the On Download Station filter to False. This will reveal any of the selected Packaged assets that are NOT on the DLS. In this example none of the selected assets are missing from the DLS.

Modifying and Sharing Payware

It is possible to modify a DLC (payware) route or session and upload it to the DLS provided the creator of the route allows this to happen. There are some conditions that apply:-

1. Some DLC assets are encrypted and cannot be cloned or modified
2. Your modified route or session will be saved as an alias of the original and, provided the original remains on your system (i.e. it is not deleted or disabled), then your modified copy will work
3. You can upload a modified DLC route or session to the DLS (again, if the creator allows this) for others to download and use but they must also have the original unmodified route (and session) installed on their system
4. It is NOT possible to merge a DLC route, or a cloned DLC route, with another route (payware or freeware) as this will remove the payware protection from the route

These restrictions are to protect the rights and intellectual property of the payware creators.

WARNING: If you uninstall or disable the original payware asset then your cloned or modified copy will no longer work. The original DLC payware asset must be present and active in Content Manager for your copy to work.

What happens to my modifications if the creator of the original payware route issues a new update? If the update is issued by the normal method, as an increase in the build number (the trailing :digit> at the end of a kuid2 number) then your modifications should not be affected. If, however, the content creator has released the update with a completely new <kuid> number then your modifications will most likely not work.

Using Packaged Assets in Routes or Sessions Uploaded to the DLS

Packaged assets can be used in routes and sessions that you upload to the DLS provided the asset is also on the DLS

An asset will be labelled as Packaged if it part of a DLC package that you have installed. It may also be on the DLS or a 3rd party web site. The same asset can be in both a DLC package and on the DLS and its status will be labelled according to how it was installed.

The most important first step is to confirm that the Packaged asset you have added to your route is available in the identical version on the DLS. See the  Tips: How to Check the DLS Status of Packaged Assets above. A Packaged asset that is NOT on the DLS will appear as an <unknown asset> or as Not installed, Payware (not active) if your route is downloaded and installed by other users. For example:- You have installed a DLC package that contains an asset NZ House 1-4 as shown. Even if you had this exact same asset from the DLS before you installed the DLC package, it will now be labelled as Packaged in your Content Manager. If, after confirming that this asset is on the DLS (see  Tips: How to Check the DLS Status of Packaged Assets above), you then use this asset in a route that you have uploaded to the DLS. Anyone who downloads and installs your DLS route, and who does not already have the asset or the same DLC package installed, will have NZ House 1-4 downloaded and installed from the DLS by their Content Manager as normally happens with all DLS dependencies during the asset installation process. When they look at the asset in Content Manager they will see:- If they later install the same DLC package, or another that contains the same asset, its status will change to Packaged.

Missing Dependencies

This is a label to be avoided.

Missing dependencies The asset relies on the presence of other assets (dependencies) that must be installed on your system and at least one of those assets has not been installed.

The first thing to check is to see if the missing asset or assets can be identified. Right mouse click on the asset select the command List Dependencies All the assets that are required by this asset will be identified. In this case, the Missing dependency is shown as Available for download so it is on the DLS and can be installed to fix the problem. If there are several assets that are listed as Available for download, select and download them all. If the Missing dependency is an <unknown asset> then it can be a much harder problem to solve. See the section  Unknown Asset above for possible remedies.

This situation shown in the example above can occur if you have:-

• deleted the asset without realising that it is needed in other assets, such as a Route or a Session, or
• used the Import command to install the asset from a .cdp file or a content folder - Content Manager will not search for and install missing dependencies when you import an asset.

If you have imported an asset from a .cdp or content folder and see the Missing dependencies label then:-

1. right mouse click on the asset or assets with the missing dependencies and select List Dependencies
2. select all assets marked as Available for Download, right mouse click on any one of them and select Download
   

To avoid the possibility of accidentally deleting an asset that is a dependency of other assets:- right mouse click on the asset to be deleted select the command List Dependants This will give a list of all other assets that use the selected asset. Deleting the selected asset ("Abuttment 2" in the example shown) will produce Missing dependencies errors for all the assets shown in the Dependants list.

Trainz Wiki

More Tutorials and Guides to Using Trainz How to Guides Driver Commands List Session Rules List (Alphabetical) with Parameters Session Rules List (Categories) With Parameters

This page was created by Trainz user pware in January 2022 and was last updated as shown below.