"Opens With" mistake?

[Eldon45]

I think I did something dumb and I can't figure out how to get out of it.

While making a movie track for a campaign, I was opening an .msg file in notepad in order to make subtitles.

However, instead of opening an .msg file, I opened an .ntrk file with notepad. Of course there was an error. But: now ALL my .ntrk files are listed as "OPENS WITH NOTEPAD" files because the computer automatically changes them.

The .ntrk files still play fine from the "Play Track" menu. However, I get an error message when I try to play them from the "Training" menu. I think the "notepad" transformation is what's doing it.

I can't figure out how to change the .ntrk files back to their original icon. When I try to change the "opens with" function, my computer only, of course, gives me options it knows about already. The .ntrk file type, however, as originally given with the game, is "unknown" to my computer.

Does anyone know how to fix this? I'm not very computer literate. Thanks in advance for any replies!

[Eldon45]

I think I did something dumb and I can't figure out how to get out of it.

While making a movie track for a campaign, I was opening an .msg file in notepad in order to make subtitles.

However, instead of opening an .msg file, I opened an .ntrk file with notepad. Of course there was an error. But: now ALL my .ntrk files are listed as "OPENS WITH NOTEPAD" files because the computer automatically changes them.

The .ntrk files still play fine from the "Play Track" menu. However, I get an error message when I try to play them from the "Training" menu. I think the "notepad" transformation is what's doing it.

I can't figure out how to change the .ntrk files back to their original icon. When I try to change the "opens with" function, my computer only, of course, gives me options it knows about already. The .ntrk file type, however, as originally given with the game, is "unknown" to my computer.

Does anyone know how to fix this? I'm not very computer literate. Thanks in advance for any replies!

[Eldon45]

Here is the error message I'm getting: "Track file 'Training/[track name]' not included section [$$$record]"

[Zeus-cat]

You didn't do anything stupid, Windows did.

Select one of your .ntrk files and right click on it. Use the "Open With" option. Select "Choose Program". Hopefully you can assign it to IL-2 or PF from here. If not, I'm not sure what you can do.

I can relate a little. All of my skin files (.bmp) now have the icon for my wife's embroidery software. How manly...

Zeus-cat

[Eldon45]

Thanks for your reply Zeus-cat. I tried selecting PF as the "open with" program. It succeeded in superficially changing the icons on all the .ntrks; but still no luck playing .ntrk tracks from the "training" menu. Unless I'm missing something obvious (which I hope is the case), it seems like just trying to OPEN an .ntrk file with notepad made it unplayable from the training menu. I don't get it. I've made several films this way but have never had this problem!

[Zeus-cat]

Are all your .ntrk files screwed up, or just the one you tried to open?

Zeus-cat

[Eldon45]

All the .ntrks play fine from the "PLAY TRACK" menu. NONE of the .ntrks play anymore from either the "TRAINING" menu, or when I insert them in a campaign. It's as if once I take them out of the "records" file, they become unreadable. Very strange. Why would they still play from that menu but no others?

[plumps_]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Eldon45:
I think I did something dumb and I can't figure out how to get out of it.

While making a movie track for a campaign, I was opening an .msg file in notepad in order to make subtitles.

However, instead of opening an .msg file, I opened an .ntrk file with notepad. Of course there was an error. But: now ALL my .ntrk files are listed as "OPENS WITH NOTEPAD" files because the computer automatically changes them.

The .ntrk files still play fine from the "Play Track" menu. However, I get an error message when I try to play them from the "Training" menu. I think the "notepad" transformation is what's doing it.

I can't figure out how to change the .ntrk files back to their original icon. When I try to change the "opens with" function, my computer only, of course, gives me options it knows about already. The .ntrk file type, however, as originally given with the game, is "unknown" to my computer.

Does anyone know how to fix this? I'm not very computer literate. Thanks in advance for any replies! </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Opening an ntrk in Notepad has nothing to do with the fact that ntrks don't play from the Training menu. I guess they didn't play even before you did that.

You need to remove the ".ntrk" file extension from the file names to make them playable from these folders. (Also see Extreme_One's tutorial "Creating tracks for campaigns - step by step.")

BTW in Windows when you choose a program to open a file with, there's a little box that says "Always open that file..." or something like this. You need to uncheck that box if you don't want Windows to always use the same application for the file type.

But those Windows file associations shouldn't be relevant to IL-2 at all. All they do is tell Windows what application to open when you click on the file name from inside Windows. Once the application IL-2 is running, it doesn't matter what Windows would do with an ntrk. IL-2 should know this without asking Windows.

[Eldon45]

Thanks for the reply plumps_. I am reassured that the act of opening the .ntrk in another program didn't mess them up. However, I've tried them with and without the .ntrk file extensions in the title and it doesn't make a difference--no luck. Formerly, as according to ExtremeOne, they WOULD play whether or not I had ".ntrk" in the title of the folder. Is there some other way I need to designate them other than deleting (or adding) ".ntrk" from behind the proper title? None of the .ntrks, by the way, in the "records" folder, have ".ntrk" after their titles anymore. I can't remember if they were there before. On the other hand, all the .trk files DO have ".trk" behind their titles. Is this a sign that something weird has happened? I'm just having no luck.

Thanks for your replies.

[bird_brain]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Eldon45:
... in the "records" folder, have ".ntrk" after their titles anymore. I can't remember if they were there before. On the other hand, all the .trk files DO have ".trk" behind their titles. Is this a sign that something weird has happened? .... </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

All the files in my Records folder do have either .TRK or .ntrk extensions on them. The .TRK extension is just a different type of track file...I believe with less detail from the original IL2, but I may be mistaken.

[Eldon45]

Thanks bird_brain for your reply (and also for the excellent campaigns you've created).

Your reply makes me think that Notepad somehow changed the way that the files are titled.

I noticed the following: in the "training" menu, I give my .ntrk a name like "FIRE," for example. But when I put mouse arrow on it without clicking, all it says is "Type: .NTRK file" ALL the other training tracks in there, however, show their full title like "Bf109_Landing" with "Type: File" underneath the title when I put the arrow on them. This makes me think that when I try to play "FIRE" from the training menu, FB is not picking up the title at all. The track is there ready to go, but the program won't grasp it due to something strange Notepad did to the title.

However, in the "records" file, some of the stock .ntrks show their titles (e.g. "Black Death") when the arrow is on them, and some only say "Type: .NTRK". It doesn't matter--they all play from that menu! What the heck?

I'll keep trying. Thanks for any tips.

[plumps_]

You're the victim of one of the most stupid default settings in Windows. Open Windows Explorer, go to Tools &gt; Folder Options &gt; View. Clear the "Hide extensions for known file types" check box. Then you will see the .ntrk extensions in the "Records" folder, and you will see that the tracks in the "Training" folder don't have this extension.

It's possible that you did see the .ntrk extension in Windows Explorer before you opened the track in Notepad. By associating Notepad with that file type in Windows, .ntrk has become a "known file type" to Windows, and with the default setting (which is also a security risk (http://www.computerwriter.com/Star/2000/jul/cw072000%20-%20getting_windows_to_display_file_.htm)), it will now hide that extension.

[Eldon45]

Plumps_: That was it. You are awesome! Thank you very much, all, for your help.

[Tully__]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">The .TRK extension is just a different type of track file...I believe with less detail from the original IL2, but I may be mistaken. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Different recording/playback scheme.

.trk records original mission file and player control inputs. Because of timing problems, it is not available for multiplayer modes. Playback relies on the correct timing of playback of the player control inputs and on the AI and player aircraft responding exactly as they did in the original mission. They are save using the "Save Track" button available at the end of single missions and offline campaign missions. Because of this, .trk files only play back correctly in the same game version as they were recorded and only if there is nothing to interfere with timings. Things that can mess them up are:

1. Use of pause or time compression during recording
2. Swap file access (not enough RAM)
3. Other pauses that result from background applications, low end video cards, etc.


.ntrk records original mission conditions and the location, orientation, velocity and damage state of every object in the mission and are saved using the quick record option in the ESC menu during a mission or the quick record keyboard control. The are not subject to the gross inaccuracies that timing interruptions can cause in the .trk files, but are still subject to minor visual inaccuracies during playback, particularly when recording in multiplay missions.