Auran's uploading assets!

[Forest_Runner]

Has the irony of the DLS URL escaped anyone??

http://www.auran.com/TRS2004/DLS.php

Seriously, for reputational reasons, would recommend an update.

 

[Dinorius_Redundicus]

I'd have to side with the other "whingers" on this. I can understand why an N3V technical person like Chris would not like the idea of a CCG because it means more work and the need to think like a customer instead of a programmer, but if the N3V Marketing people were really doing their job properly, listening to the voice of the customer, I think they would be absolutely insisting on a CCG.

I haven't read anything complimentary about the Wiki from any customer/creator apart from perhaps John Whelan (sorry if I've got that wrong John). Clearly, most creators would appreciate a change in attitude from N3V in this regard. I guess the wiki could still serve as a site for capturing changes from the baseline CCG, or as a sop to those who actually prefer it.

Has the irony of the DLS URL escaped anyone??

http://www.auran.com/TRS2004/DLS.php

Seriously, for reputational reasons, would recommend an update.

Embarrassing isn't it, but maybe appropriate, since the majority of assets on it are still for TRS2004 and builds previous to that.

 

[WindWalkr]

I can understand why an N3V technical person like Chris would not like the idea of a CCG because it means more work and the need to think like a customer instead of a programmer

No, I prefer the new format because it's more detailed than the static format can easily handle and can be expanded by multiple users- this isn't about how much work but rather about different people wanting to provide different viewpoints.

It would be nice to provide "snapshots" of parts of the wiki as standalone guides, but im told that we can't afford a technical document writer position so that's not on the cards any time soon.

Embarrassing isn't it

It was certainly shortsighted. We did it again with the in-game site (which includes the wiki.)

chris

 

[angelah]

Me too!

Ah, there's the answer then. Just put the trainz-build line at the bottom of the config and it will be none the wiser?
:hehe: (just kidding)

I'll probably do what you say, wait until I get TS2010, continue creating in gmax then use TS2010 to validate them. It might buy me some time to really learn all the new tricks, but if Vinnybarb's diatribes about the Wiki are anything to go by, I'm in for a tough time on the learning curve.

Hiya,
That's exactly what I have been doing for some time, validating with 2010 that is but first putting the asset into 2004 to check it works there also.
If I get problems, and I do sometimes (now there's a surprise!), then I can check the 'fault9s)' in 2010's CM3 and know what to do about it.

I also notice that uploads seem to have stopped for some reason....

Dinorius, please don't give up, keep with us creators, your content is brilliant.

Angela

 

[VinnyBarb]

Snip.....
Sometimes I think that Vinny just loves to have a whinge Whether you like the wiki suits you better or worse than the older downloadable format depends on your personal preferences, but I can say that the wiki is substantially more detailed on many subjects than the older CCGs were. We try to explain the how and why rather than limiting ourselves to the 'what'.

Kind regards,

chris.....Unsnip

It is not so much my "whinging" about the DevWiki as you so eloquently put it, it is the easiness of reading a PDF file or printing it to peruse this wherever and whenever needing to do so if a CCG for TS09/10 were available in such a format. Compare this to the present way of looking up something required in that infamous devilish "easy" to follow DevWiki.

Granted, the DevWiki is now a bit more fleshed out and getting updated somewhat regular(ish) compared to the state it used to be in just a few months ago (when it was really needed to get knowledge for/of the new way of content creating for TS). Now, there are already quite a few examples of new TS content on the DLS to check their config.txt file (of how this is done) and in general the way the creator has gone about in constructing his/her new TS content. Then, in the not so long ago past it was sort of the blind leading the blind, especiel after the DevForum closed down with ALL its useful questions and answers to the new way of content creating contained in it. But complaining of this is NOT "whinging" per se, it is just the pointing out of the obvious mistakes made by the powers that be .

But it is STILL a pain in the proverbial to follow a particular line of a required knowledge needed in the DevWiki. As one needs to crisscross back and forth over lots of web pages to collect and assemble what is needed for a particular inquiry. Not so long ago, the DevWiki was lacking in examples of particular configuration text entries in the config.txt, this is now getting addressed somewhat and is complimented that this is now so. (Did I just praise the DevWiki? )

I regularly save web pages of needed content information to my hard disk from the DevWiki for perusal offline. Even there it is a pain to follow up all needed info as my content of these web pages has blown out considerable.

Has anyone any more info yet of the state of a request by AURAN/N3V looking for a person to write manuals and I presume some sort of Content Creation Guide for TS? Has such person been hired at this point in time?

Just to clarify some of my "whinging" .

Cheers

VinnyBarb

 

[VinnyBarb]

Snip....We consider the Trainz community a rather symbiotic entity. Both sides contribute, and both sides benefit. The majority of information on the wiki has been provided by N3V employees, but it's beneficial if the more knowlegable community members can participate in extending the documentation, and some have done just that.......Unsnip

chris

This is generally OK as it is AURAN/N3V's programmers who know why things work the way they work now in TS compared to the "old" way of creating as they implement the new way needed into the code of TS. It is no good extending the documentation by content creators if they do NOT know what is required in the first place.

Also, not everyone is a documentation writer (or wants to be one), I would love to pass on my knowledge of what I have learned in the last 12 months about content creating for TS, like working with normal/bump mapping, getting specular and alpha layer to work, working out the new tags needed in the configuration of assets, getting transparency to show satisfactorily, say, for windows with a specular shine on these, work with reflection, gloss or whatever else to work now etc.

But I simply do not have the time needed for such a project, I would not even know where to begin (if I had the time) nor am I versed in the words nor in the technicalities like the Paul Hobbs's and others who regular contribute to the DevWiki. I simply leave my explaining of how I do this for the Content Creation forum here if needed.

Cheers

VinnyBarb

 

[WindWalkr]

Has anyone any more info yet of the state of a request by AURAN/N3V looking for a person to write manuals and I presume some sort of Content Creation Guide for TS? Has such person been hired at this point in time?

Nothing at the moment. My request for a full-time Documentation position was turned down due to the cost involved, so it sounds like we'll just have to continue as we are until we are in a position to expand.

To be completely clear- a CCG exists for TS2010 and this is hosted on our wiki. What you are referring to is a PDF rendition of the same, but we can't afford to waste our current resources taking regular snapshots of the CCG and reformatting them for PDF- this will have to wait until we can afford a full-time Technical Document Writer.

Kind regards,

chris