Editing .texture Files

[NJCurmudgeon]

I'm sure that this is an old question, but can someone please direct me to a thread or tell me how I can edit .texture files for reskinning? When I open them, it opens TGATool2, but the screen is blank. I normally edit .tga files in Photoshop, but .texture files don't open in Photoshop.

Thanks!

 

[Dinorius_Redundicus]

You can split a .texture file into it's .tga and .txt components using PEV's Images2TGA utility. Then edit the tga using the standard graphics program of your choice. When you commit the asset back into the CM database, the .tga and .txt files will be automatically re-combined into .texture format (I think).

 

[Dermmy]

Off topic - haven't laughed out loud like that in ages Deane - brilliant!

 

[NJCurmudgeon]

I downloaded Images2TGA again (evidently there is a newer version from when I downloaded it the first time). When I open it for the first time, it asks me for Trainz2012's "Root File." Would that be the "Trainz Simulator 12" folder? Or is it something more specific?

Dermmy: Did I miss something?

Thanks!

 

[NJCurmudgeon]

Never mind, I figured it out! Thanks!

 

[NJCurmudgeon]

I've finally got around to playing with this...but I have no idea what I'm doing! I opened a file in Images2TGA but the screen is blank white. So I ask yet again - can anyone please direct me to a tutorial where I can learn how to actually use this program? Thanks.

 

[dnevans8]

http://members.optusnet.com.au/~villaump/tutorials/Images2TGA%20Tutorial.pdf

 

[mjolnir]

Actually, dnevans8, that is not the best current link, as it is thought to be disappearing soon. The present and future link to PEVsoft tutorials and software is at

<http://trainz.shaneturner.co.uk/tutorials/index.php/home/utilities/pevsoft-trainz-tools>. Perusing the site, I see some of the tutorials have not yet been moved to the new site.

ns

Edit: actually, Shane informs me that the tutorials are linked to from the appropriate tool pages.

 

[NJCurmudgeon]

Awesome. Thanks guys!

 

[cascaderailroad]

I don't know why Trainz is so hard to edit a simple TGA, or a Texture File, not to mention the complexity of editing a PM File.

You open the Texture File with the PEV TGA tool, and edit the image in Irfanview ... but how do you get the edited TGA back ito the Texture File ? ? ?

It seems the edited image never saves, nor commits ... I can not understand why all this Trainz/PEV complexity exists.

It seem that Trainz files are like a round hole (locking you out) from inserting a square peg (the TGA Image) back into the file.

 

[Dinorius_Redundicus]

If you have the .tga and its associated .texture.txt file in the asset folder with the .im mesh where they belong, the act of committing the asset back into Trainz using Content Manager combines them into .texture format behind the scenes. There's no need (and as far as I know, no way) to create and save the .texture file first.


.

 

[mjolnir]

I don't know why Trainz is so hard to edit a simple TGA, or a Texture File, not to mention the complexity of editing a PM File.

You open the Texture File with the PEV TGA tool, and edit the image in Irfanview ... but how do you get the edited TGA back ito the Texture File ? ? ?

Well, for starters, one begins with a copy (or clone) of the asset. Then when one has edited the ~.tga file, one saves it back to the exact same name, as the original, so that the original is overwritten. Then when one commits the file, CMP is none the wiser, and loads your edited texture in place of the original.

ns

 

[cascaderailroad]

It seems that Images2TGA will not save, and the edited image is lost, and Images2TGA does not save the image ... it is very user unfriendly as is PM2IM also is user unfriendly.

What exactly is a Texture Image ?

What exactly is a PM ?

Are these files that have a TGA inside them ? And why are they so hard to replace ?

It seems that once the TGA is edited ... it cant be placed back into the CMP with Images2TGA

 

[mjolnir]

Images2tga may not save, but as I recall (though in truth it's been several years since I used irfanview, and matters may have changed) irvanview will overwrite the ~.tga file. Itr may mean different things; for example, in these forums a "PM" may be a "private message"; however it's a "progressive mesh" file, an older and now obsoleted file format used by Trainz, having been supplanted by the indexed mesh (~.im) format. A "~.pm" file is most likely not editable; to make changes one would have to have access to the original files from which it was mad (probably 3DS MAX, GMAX, or 3D crafter; probably little content in ~.pm format was made in Blender). Note that some assets are textured with other filetypes that ~.tga files. For example, the asset "Ferry boat Sophie 38 v3 drivable", <kuid:524343:6146> on the DLS is textured with ~.jpg files, so one would need to edit and overwrite the relevant ~.jpg file to be able to reskin it. If you open a file which is originally a ~.jpg, and save it as a ~.tga file will save fine, but the mesh will not see the new texture.

It might be useful if you'd post the asset name and KUID of the asset you're trying to skin, so we can be all on the same page.

ns

 

[NJCurmudgeon]

I'm not sure what I want to reskin yet. I really like some of the Chinese engines and stock - the realism is wonderful! - but would like to "Americanize" them. I have two fictitious railroads, one for freight and one for passenger service. I would like to put their livery on them. I've tried opening the .texture files but since I really haven't working in this software, I wasn't sure what I was doing. I want to review the info in the links above and get a better grounding in how this stuff works first. When I feel more comfortable, I will try reskinning. I've done some already with non-.texture files with some success. But I encounter stock I'd like to make tweaks to or change liveries but have been confused how to go about it.

 

[cascaderailroad]

What is wrong with Images2TGA is: that its editing ability is so limited ... there is no cut/copy/paste/edit or a drag and drop feature.

Once you have extracted and edited the TGA out of the Texture File ... there is no way to place it anywhere ... and you are stuck with an un-edited Texture File that never get overwritten.

 

[cascaderailroad]

Well I sort of worked my way around it ... I did manage to get the Texture File convrted to a TGA ... then I deleted the Texture File, and now the TGA is working in it's stead.

What I am working on is a Gen_sd cab interior that is for night use, without all that brightly lit, barfy blue interior, and I ripped out my engineer and conductor seats (that no one seems to sit in anyway, as there are never and actual crewmembers inside the Trainz cab).

 

[PEV]

Keep in mind that Images2TGA is not an editor.. It's a conversion program. It does, however, allow you to connect your choice of editor (Photoshop, PaintshopPro, Irfanview,Gimp) to it so the editor can be opened directly from Images2TGA.

READ THE HELP FILE.. or download the tutorial.

 

[cascaderailroad]

Perhaps I'm using it wrongly, but I am getting results.

When I just Save the unedited open PEV Images2TGA file, it creates a TGA, as well as a text file for use of the TGA ... I found that deleting the TEXTURE File, enabled the TGA to show. I simply edited the TGA in Irfanview, and saved it, as the Images2TGA does not put the TGA back into place inside the original TEXTURE File.

Of course I am using TRS2006, so that may be the root of my problem.

No seats, or fire extinguisher that you don't need:

http://i525.photobucket.com/albums/cc339/cascaderailroad/Screen_006-16_zps654c8e86.jpg

My night time cab project.

 

[PEV]

Perhaps I'm using it wrongly, but I am getting results.


Of course I am using TRS2006, so that may be the root of my problem.

Yep... TS2009 was the first to exclusively use ~.texture.txt and images automatically to re-create textures. TRS2006 needs you to hand-delete any texture files.