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So like RAR or ZIP, this is another format you can compress into. I have downloaded some .ace files but have no idea what progr open them. Can you all help me?
==========

Ok, new mission. If you look near the bottom of this page, you will see we have solved this .ace dilemma and we now need to figure out how to transfer a model in S extension to a model in MSH extension. We found a link inlolving OBJ files and how they are arranged, see below for more details

The .ace files that you are talking about here are compressed image files(textures) specifically for Microsofts Train Simulator created by the MakeAce program. Have a read through THIS web page.

The .ace in your train model is not the same as the archival format, train. I already checked .

So one needs the "MakeAce" program to extract them?

Caleb1117 wrote:So one needs the "MakeAce" program to extract them?

You can use Tgatool2 to view the .ace texture files.

For such a search, Wikipedia comparison articles are your guide. A quick count showed 13 programs supporting .ace. Take your pick: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison ... _archivers

Um, it says win-rar supports .ace files, however mine won't open it, I just get: "No Archives Found"
I also tryed win-zip, and 7-zip, same thing. I guess I'm owned.
http://caleb1117.JustGotOwned.com
Go ahead and click it, you know you want to, I promise its not totaly retarded.

Caleb1117 wrote:Um, it says win-rar supports .ace files, however mine won't open it, I just get: "No Archives Found"
I also tryed win-zip, and 7-zip, same thing.

I already told you that those particular .ace files that you have are image files and can be viewed with TgaTool2.
The .ace files you are trying to open are not the same as the compressed archive .ace files that those programs are designed to extract data from.
The model you are searching for is contained within either the .s or .sd files.

Lol what a coincidence! I just figured that out a few minutes ago and came here to report that and then you give it away!

The S files are the model and if I understand what you all are saying, the .ace thing contains compressed skins

But is the .ace file the actual skin itself (in compressed format) or is it just another zip format that contains the skins inside?

trainmaster611 wrote:But is the .ace file the actual skin itself (in compressed format) or is it just another zip format that contains the skins inside?

The .ace file doesn't contain anything, it IS the skin, it just has a custom file extension designed for the Train Simulator game engine.

Ah, ok I found the s and sd files (I always though file extentions needed to be atleast 3 characters)
Now begins trying to convert the s and sd files into a msh.

Yeah I figured out that the S files were the models because they were siginificantly larger files than the others so I figured they were models

The SD files aren't models (check them, they are only 1KB). I believe they might be something like the msh.option files were are familiar with.

I'm going to skip the 611 and use the Mikado file since we don't have to mess with the .ace problem for the skins and the Mikado skins are already in a GIMP friendly format and are in a ZIP file so we just have to convert them to TGA with GIMP

http://www.amabilis.com/msts.htm

This is a little thing about Train Sim modeling and something about the S files. Apparently it requires 3D Canvas. What we will do is see if there is a format that 3D Converter and 3D Canvas share and then convert them

-[EDIT]-

Ok so I downloaded the program and tried to open up the Mikado model but apparently, its not giving me the option to choose S extensions In fact, it doesn't even have the option 'All Files'! (so I can't click all files and then type in Mikado.S or whatever the model name is )

The good news is that you can save it in *obj* format........... cha ching!

-[EDIT2]-

Ok so I opened it up with the S files up with notepad and believe it or not, it uses English and values like ODFs do! I saved it in .3dc format (one of only two formats supported by 3D Canvas) but when I opened it up in 3D Canvas, it said something about an invalid error or something. So obviously, there's a problem with getting it to read the file properly

These are a few lines from the S file

SIMISA@@@@@@@@@@JINX0s1t______

shape (
shape_header ( 00000000 00000000 )
volumes ( 1
vol_sphere (
vector ( -1.19209e-007 2.29193 -0.375209 ) 8.41186
)
)
shader_names ( 2
named_shader ( BlendATexDiff )
named_shader ( TexDiff )
)
texture_filter_names ( 1
named_filter_mode ( MipLinear )
)
points ( 2219
point ( 0.712164 2.58498 6.05336 )
point ( 0.411967 2.28478 6.05336 )
point ( 0.00188922 2.1749 6.05336 )
point ( -0.408188 2.28478 6.05336 )
point ( -0.708386 2.58498 6.05336 )
point ( -0.818266 2.99506 6.05336 )
point ( -0.708386 3.40513 6.05336 )
point ( -0.408188 3.70533 6.05336 )
point ( 0.00188907 3.81521 6.05336 )
point ( 0.411967 3.70533 6.05336 )
point ( 0.822044 2.99506 6.05336 )
point ( 0.712164 3.40513 6.05336 )
point ( 0.50099 2.7069 6.20656 )
point ( 0.290045 2.49596 6.20656 )
point ( 0.00188919 2.41874 6.20656 )
point ( -0.286267 2.49596 6.20656 )
point ( -0.497211 2.7069 6.20656 )
point ( -0.574423 2.99506 6.20656 )
point ( -0.497211 3.28321 6.20656 )
point ( -0.286267 3.49416 6.20656 )
point ( 0.00188909 3.57137 6.20656 )
point ( 0.290045 3.49416 6.20656 )
point ( 0.578201 2.99506 6.20656 )
point ( 0.50099 3.28321 6.20656 )
point ( 0.00188913 2.99506 6.36126 )
point ( 0.967699 2.43745 6.04982 )
point ( 0.5595 2.02925 6.04982 )
point ( 0.00188925 1.87984 6.04982 )
point ( -0.555721 2.02925 6.04982 )
point ( -0.963921 2.43745 6.04982 )
point ( -1.11333 2.99506 6.04982 )
point ( -0.963921 3.55267 6.04982 )
point ( -0.555722 3.96087 6.04982 )
point ( 0.00188906 4.11028 6.04982 )
point ( 0.5595 3.96087 6.04982 )

and so on....

-[EDIT3]-

So I opened up a map in ZE and saved one of the objects there as an OBJ. Apperently, you can open up OBJ and it has the a similar point system as you see above

# Creator ZeroEditor ver. Z, (c) 2005 Pandemic Studios
# Date # User Pandemic Studios
# Object File

o Scene_Root

g object_collection

v -1131.500488 -10.521162 -191.277451
v -1131.410645 -10.521162 -187.195175
v -1131.410278 -10.720099 -187.178543
v -1131.410645 -10.521162 -187.195175
v -1131.500854 -10.720099 -191.294083
v -1131.500488 -10.521162 -191.277451
v -1134.460449 -10.473617 -191.212311
v -1134.460449 -10.473617 -191.212311
v -1134.370728 -10.473617 -187.130035
v -1134.370728 -10.473617 -187.130035
v -1137.420532 -10.426071 -191.147171
v -1137.330811 -10.426071 -187.064911
v -1137.330811 -10.426071 -187.064911
v -1137.420532 -10.426071 -191.147171
v -1140.154419 -10.413999 -191.087021
v -1140.064575 -10.413999 -187.004745
v -1140.154419 -10.413999 -191.087021
v -1140.064575 -10.413999 -187.004745
v -1142.888184 -10.401927 -191.026855
v -1142.798340 -10.401927 -186.944580
v -1142.888184 -10.401927 -191.026855
v -1142.798340 -10.401927 -186.944580
v -1145.621948 -10.389854 -190.966705
v -1145.532104 -10.389854 -186.884430
v -1145.621948 -10.389854 -190.966705
v -1145.532104 -10.389854 -186.884430
v -1148.355713 -10.377782 -190.906540
v -1148.265991 -10.377782 -186.824265
v -1148.265991 -10.377782 -186.824265
v -1148.355713 -10.377782 -190.906540
v -1148.355713 -10.488489 -190.906540
v -1148.265991 -10.488489 -186.824265
v -1131.410645 -10.521162 -187.195175
v -1131.500488 -10.521162 -191.277451
v -1131.975220 -10.925664 -192.276840
v -1131.840942 -10.925664 -186.175873

and so on....

So theoretically, you could open up the S file in Notepad, save it as an OBJ object and they should function the same way (I think ..... )

So what program do you use to convert OBJ to MSH? (I'm almost afraid to ask that )

Changing the file extension doesn't change the contents of the file, but it might be possible to convert the .s file manually to an .obj file by editing it's contents(example: change "point" to "v" among other things), then you could import the .obj file into XSI and re-apply the textures then convert it to .msh using Pandemics XSI addon.