Re-skinning a DRM protected Loco

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Re-skinning a DRM protected Loco

Postby RealRails » Fri May 23, 2014 1:46 pm

The problem I had was that the cab and passenger view windows were blocked up when I copied over my Geo files to my Grand Central folder. Obviously I can understand why DTG put the system in, and maybe they would allow me to have fully functional files to copy over if I sold the skin on their marketplace, but if I published it I would want the whole community to enjoy it. I think the freeware community Is very nearly dead compared to what MSTS had, and these things certainly don't help.

But anyway, piracy and DRM is such a controversial thing. All I was trying to say is that DRM needs to be implemented in such a way that it befits the user more than is creates problems. I've never pirated any content for TS in my life, and as I've said I've bought 90% of APs products. I've spent far too much on this sim, some could argue, so I just want the community around TS to be the best it can be.
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Re: Re-skinning a DRM protected Loco

Postby rfletcher72 » Fri May 23, 2014 1:50 pm

RR,

When you say the windows were 'blocked up', what do you mean?

Can you post a screenshot and we'll try and fathom what it is that is going pear-shaped, as it were?

Regards,
Richard
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Re: Re-skinning a DRM protected Loco

Postby Pjt1974 » Fri May 23, 2014 2:19 pm

@ Real Rails

I don't know how experienced you are with Railworks/TS2014, and please accept my apologies if I'm preaching to the converted, so to speak, but there was a problem a while ago with HST reskins in particular where once you went in cab all the scenery outside kind of went 'strobey'. I think Jim, our gracious host, sorted out a few of them in the Freeware Pack.


Regards

Phil

**If I may also add as an edit, that AP included a Grand Central reskin for the ECMLS HST in one of their scenario packs for the ECMLS , AP scenario packs 36 and 37. So you must be able to copy over the .geo one way or another. It isn't something that's easily overlooked like the .geo file is still 'read only' after unpacking is it?
Last edited by Pjt1974 on Fri May 23, 2014 2:29 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Re-skinning a DRM protected Loco

Postby RealRails » Fri May 23, 2014 2:25 pm

rfletcher72 wrote:RR,

When you say the windows were 'blocked up', what do you mean?

Can you post a screenshot and we'll try and fathom what it is that is going pear-shaped, as it were?

Regards,


Thanks for the offer of help :)

Looking into it, the Kuju Geo file is >700KB; the ECMLS one is only 329KB. It may be the case that it is only like that because of compression, but there are only so many ways you can compress vectors in geo files, I would imagine.

The blocking up would appear to not just be the windows. The model is not there at all, and weird grey "walls" pop up in areas.

Screenshots here.
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Re: Re-skinning a DRM protected Loco

Postby rfletcher72 » Fri May 23, 2014 2:37 pm

Thanks for those,

There are more learned individuals on here who may know exactly what is going off, but in my humble experience the only time I have ever seen owt like this is when what seems to be the same .geo is moved from one item of DLC to another, I get the impression that is what you have done?

I tried to raise the buckeye on the 4VEP by using the 4CIG coupler (might have been the other way round). Both are named exactly the same, but the end result was something along the lines of what you are seeing.

Hope this helps,
Richard
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Re: Re-skinning a DRM protected Loco

Postby DPSimulation » Fri May 23, 2014 2:46 pm

It's probably best to get this thread separated at some point (Jim! :D ) and then strip everything back to basics to understand what exactly it is you are trying to do.

I presume Richard is right, in that you are trying to mix and match .geo files here, which isn't a good thing to do and DRM will intervene, it's doing it's job. But there should be no need to mix and match anyway.

Correct me if I am wrong, but I presume one reason you want to reskin the ECMLS coaches is to have a rain effect? But then the power cars are not correct in that they don't have buffers? If so, could you not just reskin the rake of coaches in GC livery, then reskin the buffered power cars?

Or am I thinking too simply? :lol:
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Re: Re-skinning a DRM protected Loco

Postby Nobkins » Fri May 23, 2014 2:55 pm

Can I suggest a new thread is started to discuss the reskinning as that is a topic not really related to piracy. Also nice to start afresh I think.
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Re: Re-skinning a DRM protected Loco

Postby DPSimulation » Fri May 23, 2014 2:56 pm

Can't it be split and moved? The keep these last few posts together?
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Re: Re-skinning a DRM protected Loco

Postby RealRails » Fri May 23, 2014 2:57 pm

As far as I'm aware the whole of the ECMLS Mk3 files were copied. I don't know if this is some form of DRM - I think I once saw something about not being able to copy Geos from DTG's recent products. Equally, this might just be a bug or something in the sim.

Anyway, I don't think I should really need help - AP has now released a better GC skin, even if it doesn't have a passenger view. I'll just stick to using the Kuju geo, which is much easier for most users to copy over. The problem might well be just what you suggested, but I wouldn't be likely to release this skin as it uses Waggonz Mk3s for Mk3 buffers as well as Oovees HST buffers, so its a bit much for the average user to get this thing working.

Thanks anyway :D

Darren, I already did the reskin for the coaches (on top of Waggonz's Mk3 loco hauled coaches) if that's what your saying. And I appreciate that if it is DRM that it is just doing it's intended purpose, the issue is this sim has enough bugs that I don't know if its a bug or DRM :lol:

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(Also, Jim, what image resolution would you recommend here? I think UKTS's tiny 800x600 is far too small for 2004, let alone 2014!) And yeah Darren, we might need this seperated off :P
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Re: Re-skinning a DRM protected Loco

Postby rfletcher72 » Fri May 23, 2014 3:00 pm

It is not a bug, it is the DRM.

If it is the passenger view that is the crux of the matter, then a good old compromise may be the order of the day - an essential tool in the art of reskinning,

Regards,
Richard
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