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All working now thanks - updated yesterday!

Hi Sounds great - looking foward to it! Sadly, I cannot get this to download more that 4% stating a server error. Just letting you know in case you were not aware?

Click the update number above - hopefully You just require the update - then perhaps in certain circumstances it has returned with the latest DTG core update tinkering!

This was an issue quite awhile back and was resolved in an update after some discussion - unfortunately I cannot find the thread ATM! Perhaps some one else could point you in the right direction? It was originally fixed in an update as below in the next item I have posted:

Excellent! Just what us UK users wanted! (Well me at least!)

I see that Dovetail Games are to update Railworks Classic to an improved higher standard. I do hope this will not mess up RWE2! https://live.dovetailgames.com/live/train-simulator/articles/article/train-simulator-classic-the-future

That’s very interesting - l wonder if RW Central can confirm that is the situation? It wasn’t like that for me though before the MS update, the small lower edge of the banner appeared at the top of the screen. I have always used Vulkan since it was incorporated into RWE2.

So I have received another auto update! The History so far: Feature update to Windows 10, version 22H2 - Successfully installed on ‎19/‎10/‎2022 2022-10 Update for Windows 10, version 22H2 for x64-based systems (KB4023057) - Successfully installed on ‎26/‎10/‎2022 2022-10 Cumulative Update Preview for Windows 10 version 22H2 for x64-based systems (KB5018482) - Successfully installed on ‎27/‎10/‎2022 The initial startup of RWE2 is still a bit intermittent - it seems several times that unless 'T' is pressed the only other way to start RWE2 is to click around on the screen. One route tested had both internal and external announcements heard - the second test on the Barnstaple Exeter route only had the internal - no platform.

I assume I should report this separately. Full info is in my Azure problem feedback.

A question- I ran the Brighton Reigate route earlier and although there were platform announcements I did not hear any in-train announcements. Having not previously run this route, is that normal, or am I possibly still having occasional problems? MORE INFORMATION - next day: I tested another route today and all announcements worked. So I then ran the Brighton Reigate route and all announcements also worked! However, I think that there is an issue with the RWE2 startup link with TS since the MS update. Since that time the link at the top of the screen isn’t always there at the scenario start. If one is quite quick to press 'T' to open the doors, then the RWE2 start screen is hidden until you click around the screen - I suspect MS have done it to you again!. Perhaps not all of the features are then started correctly?

Perhaps the fact MS is stated in the press to be laying off staff is not helping! I must admit that I’m not very pleased to see that Win11 will, in effect, be compulsory in 2025 when security support for Win10 will cease. I don’t mind upgrading if it’s worthwhile, but to have to scrap my Haswell i7 (runs very well at 4.3ghz) and motherboard and even possibly RAM too as it might not work in a newer motherboard, I find frankly galling! And what about all this tech being scrapped adding to the e-waste issue?! For those who are unaware of what I’m saying the following is a cut n paste from an article: “One of the controversies about Windows 11 is it’s ridiculous hardware requirements. Specifically, among other things, your computer needs to support Secure Boot and feature Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.0. Neither is essential to the day-to-day operation of the computer. The two are so non-essential that hardware vendors often disable them by default on computers that support them.”

Brilliant!! Thank you RW Central - that link fixes the problem - all seems well again and I'm a happy chappy! So back to normal after wasted time - no thanks to ****** MS!

Despite a full reset nothing has changed. I’m afraid it’s as a s/w developer told me years ago, MS can be a real pain when they alter their OS without proper testing and this can break so many normally stable programs. I’m afraid this seems to have happened yet again! For me their 'update' has broken your excellent program - very sad. At least years ago we could remove the offending update!!

Hmm! It didn’t work for me! The update 2022-10 21H1 KB5018410 which MS installed on 12/10/22 seemed to be the time of damage. Installing 22H2 failed to fully resolve the issue with intermittent success. The startup link of RWE2 when on TS is now very dodgy and I have to click around the screen for some time to get things working. Announcements sometimes work on the train, but not on platform. Some routes nothing happens. I swapped the speech back to SAPI in your settings and the announcements came back on but in Azure! I'm currently trying a full reset. Years ago when an MS update caused problems you could uninstall it quiet simply. This no longer seems the case - sad.

Not simple for us older users! It’s not clear to me where the Win10 patch actually is? Could you possibly give an exact link location and name for the Win10 patch please? (I have to say this seems to be another example of MS not properly testing!!)

My missing rolling stock issue is now fixed after a long rescan, but I did need to check the 'Try to load corrupted TS content' and then rescan again after rebooting RWE2. I am amazed to see stock that I had long forgotten I had! Brilliant and thank you!

With help, advice and guidance from RW Central I have modified the shaders to help with this problem. I will post this shortly for download in the shader section if anyone wants to try it. I have also uploaded to the gallery two screen shots using the modified shader. I think it also helps with dark or late evening scenarios with other than steam locomotives. I think it important to add that trying to provide a shader set that covers for all conditions is probably impossible. As we all know, one of the great things about RWE2 is the visuals which have a sharpness and vibrancy that adds another level to the sim. However to achieve these higher levels increased contrast is required which does increase the lightness and darkness of the subjects. My shader is designed to be a useful aid to be able to view the subjects more clearly when the lighting/subject conditions become more difficult. You may choose to use this shader overall, but my intention was that the user would switch back and forth between the latest RWE shader and mine as the subject matter dictates! Happy driving!

Hello Reef - yes I had tried all the monitor settings, including my Adobe Photoshop calibrated one. The issue is really one of contrast adustment in that if you lighten the image too much so that you can pickup the detail, the lighter areas become bleached out. I do not use any of the gaming settings on the monitor because I find that the contrast level is usually 'overblown'. I have attached a totally different pic from the GWR Riviera route to better show the issue - I have also attached one from my XP11 flight sim (DXVK) with an early morning backlit image - here you can see the 'in shadow' detail quite clearly indicating that it probably is possible. As I mentioned previously, the contrast levels in RWE2 are brilliant for pretty much all modern stock. Its the older steam loco's that need the contrast adjustment which is why I suggested maybe an alternative setting for these. I hope it might be possible to arrive at a compromise that does not lose the effectivness of the existing.

Screenshots attached. As you know, I have two copies of Railworks - one on Steam and a separate version on another drive (you still need to open Steam to run it). The first screenshots are from the separate drive using your latest shaders, however I did discover that switching to the legacy shaders in RWE2 was not the same as using the Steam version (i.e. the correct comparison). It seems the legacy shaders via RWE2 may actually not be as the per original version. The first 2 pics are RWE2, the second 2 are from the Steam original Railworks. The locomotive is a Class 7f on the North Lincolnshire route - actually the in-cab views are not as bad as on the 3f 'Jinty' for instance.

Do you possibly have some guidance on how I could achieve being able to lighten the steam locos by a simple shader adjustment. I have briefly tried the gamma setting which helps, but, for instance, platforms can appear bleached out. Maybe it’s a contrast setting? I could save this and use this shader for steam locomotives. I wouldn’t want to lose your current shader settings because foliage, buildings and modern railway company stock does look amazing on those settings! Thank you. I ask this because it almost impossible to make out any detail in the cab or externally.