The first post explaining how to install Torsetn's exporter does that also covers how to export.
http://forums.auran.com/trainz/showthread.php?t=72243
http://forums.auran.com/trainz/showthread.php?t=72243
Error message
- Thread starter Maddox61
- Start date
OK.
So I have read that entire thread. I don't think you understand
I have installed the exporters and have everything set up as needed. When I export the mesh to a file, I get a completed message in the system console.
The problem I am having is in CCP. When I try and create the asset, it gives me an error message about the texture file.
I have used .tga, .jpg and .png in every thing. I even tried to add the actual image itself.
I went as far as Buying a $75.00 program to convert files and still can not get it to work.
There is something I am doing wrong, or something that I am leaving out.
I have read the CCG for 2003, 2006, 2007 in full. And I still can not find what the problem is.
Here is the error message I get when I simply try and insert a mesh into the CCP:
Unable to load image file 'UV Block.jpg' for texture '..\..\..\..\documents and settings\hp_administrator\my documents\uv test file\UV Block.texture.txt' while validating mesh '..\..\..\..\Documents and Settings\HP_Administrator\My Documents\UV Test file\building10.im'
I have tried this one as well using all 3 file types. And no luck.
jayholland
Content Creator
If you are really hopelessly stuck, I suggest you try Gmax together with the Trainz Asset Creation Studio for modelling. Blender is all very well, but many people (self included) find it rather confusing. I suspect it has something to do with how one's brain is wired! While Blender is probably better in some ways and for some types of model, I find Gmax more intuitive, and the exporter works well (the 'Resource Collector' button makes sure everything is in the right place). There are lots of good tutorials for it, too. Terry Franks' (Tafweb's) excellent Bank Tutorial will teach you all the basics. The learning curve is probably not as steep, and less discouraging! With a bit of luck, you should be able to get your cube made, textured, exported into Trainz and working in under half an hour. After that, the world will be your oyster!
Here is the error message I get when I simply try and insert a mesh into the CCP:
Unable to load image file 'UV Block.jpg' for texture '..\..\..\..\documents and settings\hp_administrator\my documents\uv test file\UV Block.texture.txt' while validating mesh '..\..\..\..\Documents and Settings\HP_Administrator\My Documents\UV Test file\building10.im'
I have tried this one as well using all 3 file types. And no luck.
You can send me your cube and I'll take a look at it. It's probably something simple and easy to overlook.
Thanks for the shoulder up guys.
I was working on this yesterday way too long. I had been on my PC for over 14 hours.
When things get tough, I have a problem with not quiting until I get it right.
At times this can be a good thing, but on the other side of the coin, it can be your worst enamy.
Well another day. Gonna be a good one and I can feel it.
As for Blender, I have it pretty much figured out. The only problem I may have is, when exporting files from blender to Trainz, do they need to be exported to a perticular file, or simply one you create?
Fallowing this post, I will give a detailed discription of what happened. And if one has the time to look over it, it would be greatly appreciated.
Again, Thanks for all the help. I would be lost if not for this forum.
I was working on this yesterday way too long. I had been on my PC for over 14 hours.
When things get tough, I have a problem with not quiting until I get it right.
At times this can be a good thing, but on the other side of the coin, it can be your worst enamy.
Well another day. Gonna be a good one and I can feel it.
As for Blender, I have it pretty much figured out. The only problem I may have is, when exporting files from blender to Trainz, do they need to be exported to a perticular file, or simply one you create?
Fallowing this post, I will give a detailed discription of what happened. And if one has the time to look over it, it would be greatly appreciated.
Again, Thanks for all the help. I would be lost if not for this forum.
You start or create the file in the Content Manager then add the exported items from Blender into that file. Then add your picture files as needed.
Adding A simple block asset in Blender
This is a step by step detail of what I have done.
This is to create a simple Block an add UV mapping.
If I have added all the files from Blender, Trainz will send an error message and tell me that they are not required. I then will go back into edit and delete these from the file.
After all this, using .tga or .jpg file, I still get a texture file error.
I do need to check on one thing. As I am naming files, some programs will recognize ( My Image.jpg ). Does this stand true in Trainz? Or must it be ( my_image.jpg )
If what I am doing is correct, and the steps listed above should work. Please,
someone should add this to a tutorial for those of us that are real new to Trainz. If it is close, then change what you think needs changed and use it. Because, after all the learning and heart ache, can you amagine the thrill that one gets after they create and load there very first asset? I know some of you are veterans, but I am sure you can remember that day!
Thanks again for all your help and taking the time to have a look at this.
This is a step by step detail of what I have done.
This is to create a simple Block an add UV mapping.
- Select the default cube in Blender.
- Enter edit mode and choose edge select.
- Select the edges that require seams. in front view(L, T, R on front) (L, T, R on rear) and (L bottom on left side)
- Ctrl-E select "Mark Seams".
- I then split the screen and open the UV Image Editor (in right screen)
- I return to my 3D view in the left screen tick "A" select all edges.
- Tick "U" and select unwrap. Here is the first problem My cube unwraps and is flipped 180 degrees "Y" off. I must go (R, Y, 180, enter) to get it back straight. Then (G, Y, Ctrl LM Drag up, to center).
- From here, I select new in the UV Image Editor and asign a name.
- At this point, I can either export this template to a file for editing in Photoshop or I can asign it an image. Here is the second problem When I save as in Photoshop, it will not allow me to save as file needed, only as a *.PSD;*.PDD File. Old version (Photoshop5.0)
- I then go to the Properties Editor Window and select the texture tab.
- Under "Type" I select "Image or Movie"
- Under "Image" Tab select "browse image" and select an image or the file name you created in the UV Editor window.
- Under Mapping tab, I select change "Generated" to "UV". Now the image that I have used will show up in the "Preview Window.
- I then render the image to make sure all is good.
- Now I select "File, then Export, then Trainz Mesh and Animation.
- At this point, I normaly will create a new file for my mesh that will be easy for me to find.
- I then name my file, (whatever.xml).
- Now the fun part. I open Trains and go to the "Content Manager"
- I select "New Asset" in the File dropdown tab.
- The window for "Content Creator Plus" (CCP) opens.
- I then select a Kind in the New Asset window. (Scenery)
- I fill in all the required fields, Kuid is a given, User Name, Category-Class, Category-Region, Catagory-Era. Here comes the third problem, I can select "default" within the mesh table on the left side of the screen and add my .im file for my asset. When I do this I get an error message: Unable to load image file 'UV Block.psd' for texture '..\..\..\..\documents and settings\hp_administrator\my documents\new block with uv texture\UV Block.texture.txt' while validating mesh '..\..\..\..\Documents and Settings\HP_Administrator\My Documents\New Block With UV Texture\Building 1.im' I have tried this with different file types and still get an error message. In this one, it was due to the .psd file.
- Now we select save.
- Back to the "Content Manager" window,
- I right click on the asset a drop down window appears
- I select "Edit" then "Edit in Explorer.
- I locate the files that I exported from Blender, copy and paste them into the file for the asset that Trainz has created.
- I close this window, right click on the asset again and select "Edit" and then" Commit.
If I have added all the files from Blender, Trainz will send an error message and tell me that they are not required. I then will go back into edit and delete these from the file.
After all this, using .tga or .jpg file, I still get a texture file error.
I do need to check on one thing. As I am naming files, some programs will recognize ( My Image.jpg ). Does this stand true in Trainz? Or must it be ( my_image.jpg )
If what I am doing is correct, and the steps listed above should work. Please,
someone should add this to a tutorial for those of us that are real new to Trainz. If it is close, then change what you think needs changed and use it. Because, after all the learning and heart ache, can you amagine the thrill that one gets after they create and load there very first asset? I know some of you are veterans, but I am sure you can remember that day!
Thanks again for all your help and taking the time to have a look at this.
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You are speaking of the the image files created for the texture, right? I am not supposed to add the actual .jpg image to the Trainz file, do I ?
Yes add the actual picture file. Blender dosen't export that.
Next, your text file must match the picture file type. Your text file indicates what picture is being used for the mesh.
I think I see what's going wrong here.
Change the UV Block.psd to a UV Block.tga. Then also, in your text file (Open with a text editor) change the name UV Block.psd to UV Block.tga. It should work.
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Yup, unfortunately, I tried that. It failed with the same error.
The one thing I did not do is add the actual image file.
So , lets see if I got this right;
If I have a cube layed out with all 6 sides, and in Photoshop I crop, layer and add 6 different images (one in each face of the cube) then each of those image files must in turn be added to the assset file as well as the created texture image?
If so, I did not do that
Going to try that right now,
One other thing. In Blender, Just a minute ago, I was creating a new block and fixing a couple things that may have gone wrong. When I went to name the UV in the UV Editors windo, I noticed a tab that said, "Package".
Must this UV image be packaged?
If so, I did not do that either.
jayholland
Content Creator
Your detailed description of your problem gives me more clues. As I originally said, I am not very familiar with Blender, but its 'flipping' of your model does not seem quite right. However, that is not relevant to my comments now - even if normals are reversed, you should get at least something when it is exported to Trainz.
I can offer a couple of ideas on the rest of it. Your first post on this thread described the error message you were getting. I responded because I had had a similar error message just minutes before, and had quickly identified it as a missing texture file. Your comment that Photoshop will only allow you to save as a PSD or whatever file is, I suspect, the crux of this matter. I am now on Photoshop 7, and have forgotten PS5, but I am sure that 5 worked the same way. You should not just click 'Save', rather 'Save As'. This should open a window, where you should be given an option of choosing the format (in a bar below the filename one). Clicking on the down arrow to the right of that bar should result in a drop-down menu giving choices of TGA, BMP, JPG and several others.
For a simple model, Trainz needs the IM file, the texture.txt file and the original JPG, TGA or whatever image texture file. If the texture TGA, JPG or whatever is not present, you will get the error message you described in your first post. The texture.txt file refers to the image file, and must quote the same extension, TGA, JPG or whatever, as the filename.
I can offer a couple of ideas on the rest of it. Your first post on this thread described the error message you were getting. I responded because I had had a similar error message just minutes before, and had quickly identified it as a missing texture file. Your comment that Photoshop will only allow you to save as a PSD or whatever file is, I suspect, the crux of this matter. I am now on Photoshop 7, and have forgotten PS5, but I am sure that 5 worked the same way. You should not just click 'Save', rather 'Save As'. This should open a window, where you should be given an option of choosing the format (in a bar below the filename one). Clicking on the down arrow to the right of that bar should result in a drop-down menu giving choices of TGA, BMP, JPG and several others.
For a simple model, Trainz needs the IM file, the texture.txt file and the original JPG, TGA or whatever image texture file. If the texture TGA, JPG or whatever is not present, you will get the error message you described in your first post. The texture.txt file refers to the image file, and must quote the same extension, TGA, JPG or whatever, as the filename.
Package is a feature that adds the picture to the Blender file. This is not needed to get a model into Trainz.
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I just tried a new block with .tga as the image file, as well as making sure that the texture.txt, .im and original image .tga file was there and the asset went through. when I opened Trainz Servayor, the file that I named big_block was there. However, it was highlighted in red and the image was not there. Also in the asset the icon was for faulty was lit.
I tried a block simply using the paint tool in Blender, didn't work either.
I'm gonna get this if it kills me. LOL
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jayholland
Content Creator
Sounds a s if something is wrong with your config or something. If you like, I can send you a simple textured cube model that works. You can then see the file structure of the asset. You can then clone the asset and substitute your own files. When making a new asset, I generally clone an existing one - so much easier to get the configs right that way...
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jayholland
Content Creator
Right-Oh, here you are. No need to send this, actually, and I can't see how to attach a file to this message. I have a very simple model, consisting of a block with one tapered face and textured with a brick finish. On top is a plane, textured with a concrete finish. They are part of my set of models on the DLS. The asset you want is SR/LBSCR Brick Abutment Block, kuid:381430:1104, author jayholland. Download it and look at the file structure, particularly the config.txt, which is about as simple as they get. Ignore the .jpg file in the thumbnail section - this refers to the image that appears on the DLS, and is not necessary for the asset to work. Clone the asset, replace 'abuttaper.IM' with your own IM file, and 'lbscbrick.tga' with your own texture file and 'lbscbrick.texture.txt' with your own txt file, and it should work, in theory...
I've been off ro a while. Benn woking on my system.
I am going to check this out right now.
Thank you.