Help with PEV’s Quickshadows needed

K

KenGreen

Active member
I’m trying to fix three flatcars for use on Cayden’s MBC route but when I run Quickshadows it says “finished” but I can’t find what has happened to the newly created shadow mesh.
The three assets are:

CP Rail 52'8' Bulkhead Flatcar With Center Stakes,<kuid:37049:15116>.
Error: Unable to load mesh file: 'bulkheadflatCP_CenterStakes_shadow\bulkheadflatCP_CenterStakes_shadow.pm'

CP Rail 52'8' Bulkhead Flatcar With center stakes and angled ends,<kuid:37049:15117>.
Error: Unable to load mesh file: 'bulkheadflatCP_CenterStakes_angled_Ends_shadow\bulkheadflatCP_CenterStakes_angled_Ends_shadow.pm'

CP Rail 52'8' Bulkhead Flatcar3,<kuid:101340:15116>
Error: Unable to load mesh file: 'bulkheadflatcp_centerStakes_shadow\bulkheadflatcp_centerStakes_shadow.pm'

This is my first attempt at running Quickshadows, I’ve installed it so it is available from Openwith and I am merely highlighting the item in TS2010 CM, rightclicking and selecting Open with Quickshadows, the routine then runs and says “finished”

I must be doing something wrong but as a complete novice I don’t know where.

Any help would be appreciated as I would like to get to grips with PEV’s routines.


Ken
 
Ken,

Here's an example mesh-table. Substitute any information needed, delete the paths to the shadow if the shadow.im is in the same folder as the rest of the traincar or loco.

Code: 
[SIZE=2]mesh-table
{
  default
  {
    mesh                                "xpt_cl_new_xd_body/xpt_cl_new_xd_body.im"
    auto-create                         1
  }
 
  shadow
  {
    mesh                                "xpt_cl_new_xd_shadow/shadow.im"
  }
}
[/SIZE]

John
 
Thanks Shane and John for replying so quickly.
I can't find the shadow.pm or im anywhere I've looked in the body folder and art folder but can't find it. The config file doen't show the shadow mesh entry - as far as I can see.

Ken
 
That's surprising. If you are using Windows Vista or 7, it may be worth making sure QuickShadows is set to run as administrator, just in case Content Manager is not calling it with the correct privileges.

Shane
 
It won't be a shadow.pm, it will be a shadow.im since progressive meshes (.pm) are no longer used. Simplest way to fix old stuff is to open in content creator, that automatically updates to 2.9 and red flags all the old stuff and errors so you can just click the X to delete them. If you're doing it in explorer and manually hacking the config.txt you need to look at the actual path and filename, and set the line in the config to point to that exact path and filename.

http://www.trainsim.com/vbts/showthread.php?302069-My-choo-choo-is-broke

http://www.trainsim.com/vbts/showth...y-assets-to-2-9-for-TS2009-and-later-versions

The original is calling for bulkheadflatcp_centerStakes_shadow\bulkheadflatcp _centerStakes_shadow.pm

I assume you already went into bulkheadflatcp_centerStakes\ and used PM2IM to convert bulkheadflatcp _centerStakes.pm to bulkheadflatcp _centerStakes.im, then you need to change the config so it's looking for the new bulkheadflatcp _centerStakes.im instead. Right click on bulkheadflatcp _centerStakes.im and select Open With, QuickShadows, and it should create a shadow.im file in that same folder. So now you have the config calling for bulkheadflatCP_CenterStakes_shadow\bulkheadflatCP _CenterStakes_shadow.pm which is not where the new one is, change it to bulkheadflatCP_CenterStakes\shadow.im and double check that's the actual path and file you see in explorer.
Quick tip for those who want to hack files;

http://www.trainsim.com/vbts/showthread.php?304396-Windows-Explorer-for-dummies

Change the appearance of explorer so you're looking at actual filenames with extensions, the program is not looking for cute little icons and you should be looking at exactly what the program sees.
 
Sniper, I'd advise caution if you are going to advise use of CCP. Some locomotive scripts (especially ARN scripts) will stop working at trainz-build 2.9 or higher.

Shane
 
Actually all the ones with ARN scripts will stop working because "name-it" is an obsolete tag, and CCP automatically deletes it. You have to replace obsolete tags with current tags to get it working again, which of course is another subject - don't get me started on why N3V doesn't provide working examples or step by step instructions on how you're supposed to make their new improved error checker happy.
CNW F7A 1,<kuid:522774:100404> is an example of an old 1.3 model updated to 2.9 with working ARN.
I advise using CCP to update to 2.9 regardless of how much work it takes to figure it out, simply because that's the way to the future, and it will make the whole process easier in the long run. If you're creating content in 2009 or 2010, disable compatibility mode and get with the program.
 
Last edited:
I agree - another issue though, that you may not be aware of.

Updating to 2.9 also requires removal of asset-filename, which is used by the ARN to display the numbers (as it tells the game where to find the relevant information). There is a workaround though, and that is to change asset-filename to fonts-path using Notepad or another text editor.

Shane
 
Hi Sniper
Thanks for the detailed help. I've managed to create and find the newly created Shadow.im I thought that this was created by right clicking the asset in content manager I thought the program trawled through the directory and subdirectories looking for im & pm files and created the shadow accordingly.
However, I still haven't fixed the first asset yet as it's still looking for a pm file and for the life of me I cannot find the shadow entry in the config file.
This is reproduced below. {I will leave messing with Content Creator until I know what I am doing.)

kuid <kuid:101340:15116>
bogey <kuid:45681:50001>
engine 0
trainz-build 2.4
name "CP Rail 52'8' Bulkhead Flatcar3"
mass 84863
origin "CAN"
company "CP Rail"
enginespec <kuid:-1:42004201>
description "A bulkhead flat created by Chris Caswell. The config file has been altered to make the car compatible with TRS2004"
category-class "XFM"
category-region-0 "CA"
category-region-1 "US"
category-era-0 "1990s"
obsolete-table
{
0<kuid:37049:15017>
}
asset-filename "bulkheadflatcp_centerStakes"
kind "traincar"
username "CP Rail 52'8' Bulkhead Flatcar3"
thumbnail
author "Gary_Evans"
organisation
contact-email "evans@uisreno.com"
contact-website
license
kuid-table
{
0 <kuid:45681:50001>
1 <kuid:-1:42004201>
}


Ken
 
Right. Which is why I suggested that C&NW F7, it's an example of an old 1.3 loco updated to 2.9. Which wasn't simple or easy to figure out how to do, whatever documentation might exist is scattered all over the wikinet, but once you have a known good example to go by you don't need to hunt for how-to guides, just make it like the one that works. And of course once you get the first one working the rest are a lot easier. Like teaching a snake to tapdance, once you figure out how to get the shoes on him the rest should be easy.
 
Typing while you were typing Ken, let's have a look. Good example of why people should use content creator, you're going to need to learn how to use it sooner or later anyway.


asset-filename "bulkheadflatcp_centerStakes"

Obsolete. New format;

mesh-table
{
default
{
mesh "bulkheadflatcp_centerStakes\bulkheadflatcp_centerStakes.im"
auto-create 1
}

shadow
{
mesh "bulkheadflatcp_centerStakes\shadow.im"
}

Or whatever the actual path is, note that the backslash "\" indicates that everything before that is the folder name.
 
I do take your point about Content Creator but out of interest where is the reference to the shadow mesh in the existing config file.

Ken
 
Didn't have one because earlier versions assumed a certain folder and file format. One of my earliest reskins;

PON Alco S4 400,<kuid:522774:1022>

That's a build 1.3 uploaded before the restrictions, still uses PM files and shows the yellow ! in content manager, but it works. In that;

asset-filename "CP7109_SW4"

And it looks for the matching folder and file name;

\cp7109_sw4_body\cp7109_sw4_body.pm

Where's the shadow? Hard coded to look for;

\cp7109_sw4_shadow\cp7109_sw4_shadow.pm

Later versions sometimes have more than one mesh and other folders for other things, so the programming was changed to use a mesh table instead.

A later clone and reskin of that same model;

ChiMet_Alco S4 431,<kuid:522774:100123>

"asset-filename" is gone from that one, I just ran it through content creator, then PM2IM, than back into content manager to create the mesh table and point it at the .im files instead of the .pm files.

mesh-table
{
default
{
mesh "cp7109_sw4_body/cp7109_sw4_body.im"
auto-create 1
}

shadow
{
mesh "cp7109_sw4_shadow/cp7109_sw4_shadow.im"
auto-create 0
}
}

That makes it hunkydory for the error checker gizmo, except the "art" folders are no longer used and it now has to have a thumbnail to be uploaded to the DLS.

thumbnails
{
0
{
image "screenshot.jpg"
width 240
height 180
}
}

Or you can use "thumbnail.jpg", main thing is to point to what it's called and where it's at. Example;

thumbnails
{
0
{
image "some subfolder\another subfolder why not\thumbnail.jpg"
width 240
height 180
}
}

That would be required if you were silly enough to have the thumbnail.jpg in \some subfolder\another subfolder why not\ instead of moving the file to the root folder of the asset.
 
Thanks for the detailed explanation I though that must be the case. I will clone the the flatcar and then edit the clone in content creator at least that way I will see what is happening better. I can always do fine tuning to the config file. Your comment about cutting and pasting to notepad when repairing items is very useful by the way.

Ken
 
Yeah, I've been playing around with computers for over 30 years, and I still find tYp!ng mist@kes to be my biggest problem. Exercise for the students learning to think like a computer - if the program is looking for the top string, it would fail to see it the way the human eye does in the second and third. What does the program see that's different?

\where you at\iskobobble.tga
\where-you-at\iskobobbIe.tga
\where_you_at\iskobobb1e.tga
 
Sniper
Sorry to bother you but I've managed to fix those three assets and have moved onto the next one, this is:

CP 200068 (LARS),<kuid:87907:15102>
This gives the error
Error: The texture 'cp_200068_(lars)_art/preview.bmp' failed to load.

But when I add the thumbnails section and convert a bmp to jpg and resize to 240 x 180 it give the following error:

Error: Unable to load source texture 'hash-f1\copytempsrc8s5j53hf13\cp_200068_(lars)_art\cp_200068_(lars)_art_512.convert-tex' in subst 'local'
Message: <kuid:87907:15102> committed

As far as I can see there is no pm or im mesh only textures - is this unfixable?

Ken
 
Hi Shane
I've been backwards and forwards with this asset for a couple of hours now if I put the screenshot in if gives me one error and if I leave it out the error is preview.bmp failed to load

Ken
 
Can I check exactly what error is being shown with the screenshot in? Bear in mind that it would need to be in the root asset folder, not in one of the subfolders, and ideally would be named screenshot.jpg or something similar (and with the relevant thumbnails section in the config)

Shane
 
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