Custom weathering question

[Firefighterdan]

My Father-in-law stopped by today while I was running Trainz and he loved it. He asked how do I get the custom locomotives and rolling stock. I explained to him I download them from different custom creator websites. He has Photoshop and would like to weather some stuff for me. This is where my question comes from, does he need to buy the sim to make custom skins and weather stuff for me or is there a program out there he can use then put them on a flash drive and give to me. Any help with this will be appreciated very much. Thank you, Danny

 

[mp202]

The only way I think it would work is if you send him the .TGA file. I'm just going by what my friend told me...

 

[KenGreen]

Go into Content Manager open the particular asset in explorer and COPY the folder onto the desktop. Recommit the item. Do not try this for built in assets.
The folder will identify the asset.

Ken

 

[cascaderailroad]

Working on weathering an asset, clone the asset, and open for "edit it in explorer" and re-name the cloned asset in the config file username line, any name that you wish. ie: "CSX Y2K Weathered".

Always work on a cloned copy, instead of the original asset.

Weather the image ... replace the original image, with the weathered image ... and commit the asset.

 

[Firefighterdan]

So, he does not need the sim to weather a locomotive or rolling stock? He lives about forty minutes away so can I just email the file to him?

 

[johnwhelan]

So, he does not need the sim to weather a locomotive or rolling stock? He lives about forty minutes away so can I just email the file to him?

Correct but to see it in the game he'll need a copy of Trainz. The downloadable version of TS12 is currently available here for $28 http://www.simulatorcentral.com/index.php/trainz-simulator-12.html and I suggest he might do better with that that.

Cheerio John

 

[NSWGR_46Class]

And if he downloads the PEV tools trainz mesh viewer he can also view the loco and and art work in place with out having trainz installed

 

[johnwhelan]

And if he downloads the PEV tools trainz mesh viewer he can also view the loco and and art work in place with out having trainz installed

But it doesn't render quite the same as Trainz does.

Cheerio John

 

[Firefighterdan]

If I want to try this weathering stuff myself, does GIMP work for this type of thing?

 

[NSWGR_46Class]

Yes it will rather well

If I want to try this weathering stuff myself, does GIMP work for this type of thing?

 

[mezzoprezzo]

Detailed weathering

.
I use Gimp to re-skin items. It took me a while to get the hang of it (like everything else!) but I do like it now.

I’ve not tried PEV’s mesh viewer, but it sounds as if it might have some advantages.

One of my major problems is knowing where the weathering will appear on the model in relation to the flat texture image of the model.

For example, I weathered a guards van and wanted a rusty streak on the roof bleeding down from the chimney stack. Although I had no problem in artistically creating the manky grime and detritus in Gimp, and placing it in general areas, I could see no easy way of placing the more precise requirements down from the chimney, other than with a lot of trial and error.

I had the same problem in rusting the centre of the circular buffers which had it's round image sourced from a square area on the texture image. I eventually succeeded with both of my fussy requirements, but it took a long time.

Would PEV’s viewer help with this, and does it work with TRS2004?

Cheers
Casper

 

[cascaderailroad]

I know one of th PEV tools opens IM, or PM, files, but how to edit the images, and change them back into IM's, or PM's is a mystery to me. My AM eyes are hardly opened, I needz more Cawfee !

 

[mcguirel]

Use CG Textures and Layers in Photoshop. Best way to weather rolling stock and engines.

 

[Richarde57]

IM's or PM's are not images.
They USE the images.

Do a "open for edit" and a window pops up with all the textures.
Leftclick on a image to see what it is. (Normaly your Photoviewer will start and show the picture)
Rightclick on a image and do "open with" Paint Shop Pro for example. (or any other image editor that can save .tga UNcompressed!!)
Change it the way you want and save it back.
Use PEVtool to check if everything is ok.
If that's the case, commit the asset to use it again in Trainz.

Just try... It's not difficult at all.
With a clone of course!

☼☼

 

[Firefighterdan]

My father in law sent the map1 file back to me to see his work so far and it is in a .xcf file. How do I convert it back to a .tga file... Thank you

 

[wva-usa]

My father in law sent the map1 file back to me to see his work so far and it is in a .xcf file. How do I convert it back to a .tga file... Thank you

.xcf is the native format of Gimp.

 

[Firefighterdan]

How do I convert it from .xcf to .tga?

 

[wva-usa]

How do I convert it from .xcf to .tga?

If your father-in-law is using Gimp, you might as well use it. It's freeware. Download it. Install it. Run it. Open the .xcf file. Save it as .tga.

 

[mjolnir]

If your father-in-law is using Gimp, you might as well use it. It's freeware. Download it. Install it. Run it. Open the .xcf file. Save it as .tga.

Well, depending upon the version of GIMP you install, this might not quite do it. Since the release of version 2.8 of GIMP, GIMP was reconfigured so that save only saves a file in an ~.xcf format. If you want to convert a file from ~.xcf format to ~.tga, on uses the "export" option, not "save".

ns

 

[wva-usa]

Well, depending upon the version of GIMP you install, this might not quite do it. Since the release of version 2.8 of GIMP, GIMP was reconfigured so that save only saves a file in an ~.xcf format. If you want to convert a file from ~.xcf format to ~.tga, on uses the "export" option, not "save".

ns

Really? Well, Gimp does always seems to end up doing things differently or using different naming conventions in its menus... I run Gimp on my Macs and haven't updated it in a good while. ("It ain't broke...")