External Assistant for Run8
A free little systray program designed for use with Run8.
Config backup
Train inspector
Reference Materials
Vernometer reader
Chat and log viewer
Download now

Save Train Inspector (new in release 3 of EA4R8)
Now you can bring up a list of all the cars on your train and drag it to a second monitor!
The Save Train Inspector works by loading the most current "Auto Save Train.xml" file.
(For best results, set your Auto Save Train interval to 2 minutes in run8.)
You can see all the destination tags in a nice list, which is color coded to show cars that aren't blocked together.
There's also a little chart of the weight distribution of your train.
Release 4 of EA4R8 adds:
Double click a DLC item to open the relevant page at the Depot's Rolling Stock Database.
Select multiple rows to select/deselect

Chat History
If you use Run8 online, and occasionally need to step away, and want to confirm you didn't miss anything, this feature is for you.
(Note this works by looking at your run8.log file - it only shows messages received while you're connected to a Run8 server.)

Quick Access to Depot Maps, courtesy of the DepotServer.com
The Depot is known for their legendary Route Maps, now you can pull them up quickly from the systray.

Quick Access to Run8 Documentation (user guides folder)
The Run8 Documentation folder has a wealth of PDF files, but the folder can be hard to hunt down in the middle of a session.
Now they are just a click away.

Auto Open Folders
Have you ever exported something from Run8 like the industry config, and then wondered where the heck it was?
Auto Open Folders will automagically open Windows File Explorer every time you export a file
(You can disable this feature by unchecking it in the menu)

Vernometer
Nicely Display your Vernometer stats at the click of a mouse
Run8 V3 stores key runtime stats in a file named Vernometer.xml
You can view the stats with this program at any time.

Automatic Config file Backup
Creates daily zip files of your Run8 Config files.
+ Backs up Industry, Hump, AI spawning, and all your save files.
+ Great for server operators! Backup History lasts much longer than Run8's autosave rotation.
+ Great for advanced users who edit their industry/AI spawn config.
+ Great for insuring your config files are backed up before applying an update.
+ Keeps daily backups for 2 months.
+ Keeps monthly backups forever.
+ Uses windows task scheduler to run the backup job each day, and will auto run at startup if a day is missed.
- Does not backup the whole run8 folder.
- Does not backup Run8 Installers
- Not a substitute for a system backup.

Installation and Usage Tips
NOTE:
4/9/2023
Some users have experienced issues installing to the c:\program files\ directory
The installer for build 3 and later have been reconfigured to default the install to c:\EA4R8.
If you experience any trouble, please uninstall (via Windows "add/remove programs" functionality), then re-install the latest version.
Accessing the '8' icon in the windows system tray:
The program runs as a "Systray" icon - you can drag it directly to the tray for easy access.
If you're running Run8 full screen and your systray is hidden, just tap the "windows" key on your keyboard once to make it visible.
Auto Start:
You can have EA4R8 auto start every time Run8 starts! To do this, you'll need to launch Run8 one time as administrator so it can setup a Run8 category in windows Event logs.
Once this is done, go into EA4R8->Settings and check "Start/Exit External Assistant for Run8 automatically when Run8 starts/exits"
A word about Internet Safety...
Run8guides.com is the official home of External Assistant for Run8.
Do not use copies not downloaded directly from Run8guides.com.
The setup program has the following hashes:
build 4.1:
SHA256: 5fc16fcd326a54a18371643618369501b31dc232bdfd422a856ef6f87bffee03
MD5: 93081f5c48d6dbad12e8c53cc97cf622
build 4:
SHA256: 84a0cd9a26ec983dc46f8e6c957b18824e78300039526b87e3003f10788515ed
MD5: a200269227c0f167b8351d483c0a9156
build 3:
SHA256: aa5d5e7437bc472fe77ff7e491cefed18d84dc53d81d3cc525ee6bf238bc0e03
MD5: 5ea340e6c8f13134ebb3700747f072aa
These can be verified by uploading the installer to virustotal.com
This program does not need to be run as an administrator.
If you have any questions, you can find me on the Depot forums as "Jack8v3".
I am also on several run8 related discords as "basementjack".
This program is not affiliated with the Depot or with Run8 Studios.
Depot maps linked with permission.