Content Creation Help?

B

bigdave7533

New member
The main reason I like trainz was the prospect of creating my own content. I have followed every guide I can find. Created the 1st stall of my round house in Gmax and purchased 3ds max 7.0 and created it that way. The thing that I find real iritating is the fact that what I export is viewable in PEVs mesh viewer put Trainz can't load it and overs no explanation as to why. I would be willing to send these files to someone else and if you can get them into trainz you can claim them just so long as I can use them. If there is a creator close to Ironton, OH, USA then I could convey this via disc. Please someone help.
 
Post your config file, we may be able to spot the problem.

Do you have "auto-create 1" in the mesh table?

Mike.
 
bigdave7533 said:
The main reason I like trainz was the prospect of creating my own content. I have followed every guide I can find. Created the 1st stall of my round house in Gmax and purchased 3ds max 7.0 and created it that way. The thing that I find real iritating is the fact that what I export is viewable in PEVs mesh viewer put Trainz can't load it and overs no explanation as to why. I would be willing to send these files to someone else and if you can get them into trainz you can claim them just so long as I can use them. If there is a creator close to Ironton, OH, USA then I could convey this via disc. Please someone help.
Click to expand...
send me your stuff, compress it, send it here by email, it's your stuff, I will not take credit, lets get it working.:wave:
diamond_damon@southslope.net check your textures, no compression allowed, correct size?, make sure your config file is correct, is it scenery?


Read and use this check list below:


Problems with Model Exports
[FONT=Arial,Arial][FONT=Arial,Arial]Some suggestions for common problems in having a model export to Trainz:
[/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Arial,Arial][FONT=Arial,Arial]1. The object shows in Trainz but has white surfaces, no [/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Arial,Arial][FONT=Arial,Arial]texture:[/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Arial,Arial][FONT=Arial,Arial]• t[/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Arial,Arial][FONT=Arial,Arial]he texture file is not a recommended size;[/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Arial,Arial][FONT=Arial,Arial]• [/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Arial,Arial][FONT=Arial,Arial]it has been saved as a compressed file;[/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Arial,Arial][FONT=Arial,Arial]• the reference name is spelt incorrectly; or• [/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Arial,Arial][FONT=Arial,Arial]the texture files have not been exported to the Trainz [/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Arial,Arial][FONT=Arial,Arial]Custom directory (use the Resource Collector).
[/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Arial,Arial][FONT=Arial,Arial]2. Some faces of the model are invisible in Trainz:
[/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Arial,Arial][FONT=Arial,Arial]The faces or surfaces have a single sided texture and the normals are facing away from the viewer.
[/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Arial,Arial][FONT=Arial,Arial]3. Some surfaces of planar objects show darker colours (in shadow) when lit by the sun in Trainz:
[/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Arial,Arial][FONT=Arial,Arial]The sun side of the object shows dark, and the unlit opposite side of the object shows a lighter colour if the normals are facing away from the viewer for a 2 sided textured object.
This can happen when a plane object is copied to the opposite side of a model, plates on a steel bridge for [/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Arial,Arial][FONT=Arial,Arial]instance, and the normals have not been flipped to face [/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Arial,Arial][FONT=Arial,Arial]outwards towards the viewer, on that side of the object.
After selecting the face, and clicking the Show Normals box, use the Normals: Flip option to change the normal direction to align with other normals of the model.
[/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Arial,Arial][FONT=Arial,Arial]4. Building walls which include transparent windows are see-through:
[/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Arial,Arial][FONT=Arial,Arial]A transparent texture with an alpha channel or opacity map has been applied to the windows as part of the wall texture. Window transparency must be applied to window planes separate from the main building wall and separate textures must be used for the window and for the wall. Do not add an opacity layer to the wall texture.
[/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Arial,Arial][FONT=Arial,Arial]5. The animation does not work in Trainz:[/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Arial,Arial][FONT=Arial,Arial]• [/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Arial,Arial][FONT=Arial,Arial]the anim.kin file has not been exported;
[/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Arial,Arial][FONT=Arial,Arial]• parts of the model were hidden when exported;
• all the dummies were not included in the export;
• [/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Arial,Arial][FONT=Arial,Arial]the config.txt file is incorrect, particularly with reference to names of files, missing lines in the file, incorrect [/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Arial,Arial][FONT=Arial,Arial]matching brackets or quotes;
• the animation-loop-speed 1 tag has not been entered in [/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Arial,Arial][FONT=Arial,Arial]the config.txt file; or
[/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Arial,Arial][FONT=Arial,Arial]• the default modelling units are not consistent.
[/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Arial,Arial][FONT=Arial,Arial]6. The animation is working but the animated parts are scattered over the landscape in Trainz: [/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Arial,Arial][FONT=Arial,Arial]• the axis of the parts were not aligned to the World coordinates before linking and animating; or
• the objects have been moved after linking, but the movement was not recorded as part of the animation, and the axis reference has changed; or
• parts are linked to the incorrect dummy.
Unlinking the parts and dummies, and re-aligning the axis [/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Arial,Arial][FONT=Arial,Arial]does not always fix the problem. Often the dummies have [/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Arial,Arial][FONT=Arial,Arial]to be deleted and replaced, with all the aligning, linking and animation redone.
[/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Arial,Arial][FONT=Arial,Arial]7. The lettering on a sign using the a.name attachment point option is not visible or is facing the wrong way:
[/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Arial,Arial][FONT=Arial,Arial]The axis of the attachment point is not facing the correct direction. You must rotate the attachment point, not the axis, in 3dsmax/gmax. Refer to Page12 for the corrrect method and orientation.
Orientation can also be a problem with corona visibility.
[/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Arial,Arial][FONT=Arial,Arial]8. Deleting a model in Trainz sometimes leaves the track attachment points behind, or attachment point changes [/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Arial,Arial][FONT=Arial,Arial]do not show.
[/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Arial,Arial][FONT=Arial,Arial]When developing a mocrossing type object, you may have changed the location of attachment points in 3dsmax/gmax. If the model has already been placed in Trainz, these changes do not show unless the original model is deleted and replaced.
When a model is deleted, sometimes the attachment point circles remain. Change to the Track menu in Surveyor to delete the obsolete attachment points.
[/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Arial,Arial][FONT=Arial,Arial]9. Changes to queue values in the config.txt file do not [/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Arial,Arial][FONT=Arial,Arial]show in Trainz.
[/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Arial,Arial][FONT=Arial,Arial]You have made changes to commodity start values [/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Arial,Arial][FONT=Arial,Arial]for instance, in an industry, within the config.txt file. An [/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Arial,Arial][FONT=Arial,Arial]already placed model in Trainz will not register these changes - delete the model and replace it to have the changes take effect.
[/FONT][/FONT]
 
Last edited:
I have autocreate set to 1 in the config.txt. What I don't understand is why it shows up perfectly in PEVsofts trainz mesh viewer.
 
There may be a problem in your exporting process. First of all, are you using the plug-in that allows you to export to Trainz?
Mike
 
Detailed History I started with Gmax and the gamepak exporter provided. I have researched and printed 15 to 20 PDFs on content creation. I purchased 3d Max 7.0 and have downloaded from auran all the proper plugins. I have repaired textures on about 100 peices of faulty content downloaded from the DLS. I have an associates in electronic engineering and a deploma in mechanical drafting. the Inedxed Meshes I export are without fault in Peter Villaume's trainz mesh viewer.
 
kuid <kuid:323193:1004>
username "Bigdave7533"
trainz-build 3.1
category-region "00"
category-era "1800s"
kind "industry"
category-class "BI"
mesh-table
{
default
{
mesh "RH_Stall 1.im"
auto-create 1
}
}
Also all of my textures are power of 2 my bumpmap and opacity maps are grayscale bmp. In content creator the only error mesage it gives is that the mesh can not be loaded.
 
Try it without bumps and opacity for a moment - TS09/10 are VERY fussy about the material slots you use in GMax. Alternatively use PEV's PM2IM set up to 'strip textures' on the .IM file. Presumably you don't have an older (less fussy) version of Trainz to try it on...

Paul
 
martinvk said:
and the material names have to follow a strict naming convention too. No more free-form names.
Click to expand...

True - see the trainzdev wiki for details. TS09/10 will accept free-from material names if you use a trainz-build less than 2.9, but then normal mapping may not work...

Paul
 
I Just tried reducing all the textures to the simplest forms possible. I have tried importing in versions ranging from 2006 through 2010.
index.cfm
Here is the URL to a image of my texture structure. http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/ind...dID=205788053&albumID=669604&imageID=37948512
 
bigdave7533 said:
kuid <kuid:323193:1004>
username "Bigdave7533"
trainz-build 3.1
category-region "00"
category-era "1800s"
kind "industry"
category-class "BI"
mesh-table
{
default
{
mesh "RH_Stall 1.im"
auto-create 1
}
}
Also all of my textures are power of 2 my bumpmap and opacity maps are grayscale bmp. In content creator the only error mesage it gives is that the mesh can not be loaded.
Click to expand...



You forgot the 2, where's the 2? in the Kuid Number

above: Example:<kuid2:323193:0000:1>


Damon:wave:
 
seniorchief said:
It has to be like this: auto-create 1


Damon;)
Click to expand...


the mesh editor only looks @ the mesh only not textures.

Check your textures to make sure the are not compressed @ all.

textures power of 2 = 8x8,16x16,32x32,64x64,128x128,256x256,1024x1024
 
Last edited:
I can't read a word of the picture, but it looks like your material names are too short to be of the correct form. See this page for details: http://online.ts2009.com/mediaWiki/index.php5/Material_Types

It also looks like you're using a large number of materials in your model. This will affect performance quite substantially. If you can get it down to 2 or 3 it will speed up rendering in-game. For a simpler building it should really be 1.

Using a kuid2 number is not essential for TS09/10. Note that <kuid:XXX:YYY> is equivalent to <kuid2:XXX:YYY:0>. <kuid2:XXX:YYY> should NOT be used.

Note textures do not have to be square, so 128x256 is OK. Maximum ratio of length to breadth is 1:8.

Paul
 
paulzmay said:
I can't read a word of the picture, but it looks like your material names are too short to be of the correct form. See this page for details: http://online.ts2009.com/mediaWiki/index.php5/Material_Types

It also looks like you're using a large number of materials in your model. This will affect performance quite substantially. If you can get it down to 2 or 3 it will speed up rendering in-game. For a simpler building it should really be 1.

Using a kuid2 number is not essential for TS09/10. Note that <kuid:XXX:YYY> is equivalent to <kuid2:XXX:YYY:0>. <kuid2:XXX:YYY> should NOT be used.

Note textures do not have to be square, so 128x256 is OK. Maximum ratio of length to breadth is 1:8.

Paul
Click to expand...
Oh, thats good to know thank you have not made content yet for 09 and 10.

Damon:)
 
I am not sure if it’s your problem; but Trainz can be a bit fussy about mesh names.
Try altering the line in your config file that says: mesh "RH_Stall 1.im".
To: mesh "RH_Stall_1.im".And change the mesh name to suit. Trainz does not like spaces in mesh names I have found. Don’t know if this is your problem but it may be worth a try. Also I only use kuid 2 for updates to an asset already on DLS and it is not at all needed with first time assets.

Belkenn:wave:
 
Last edited:
My problem was in the texture naming. I have made great progress and now I only need to figure out how to orient the a.track0a point so Y points in the correct direction and animate the doors tying it to targets so when a loco aproaches the doors open and once in they close.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

G
How to delete content list in content manager?
Replies
2
Views
273
gt350
G
J
Newbie Intro and Question
2
Replies
34
Views
3K
blueodessey
B
H
Archive of content from Trainz Pro Routes?
2
Replies
28
Views
2K
johnwhelan
J
L
help with layers
Replies
7
Views
1K
Lacker
L
P
Content Manager -- "unknown location" -- a plea for a fix
Replies
13
Views
894
JCitron
J
Back
Top