I finally figured out what GAMMA setting is for.

[JonMyrlennBailey]

In TS12, it is the brightness/contrast setting for the game. T:ANE seems to lack a global gamma setting. I found out in TS12, I like a setting of 1.00 for daytime and a setting for 0.63 for nighttime play. When I take screenshots, the gamma setting properties in Trainz won't be apparent in the captured image. The picture shot will look as if the gamma was set to 1.00 or "none". I like night Trainzing a lot and wish to make the landscape appear as dark as if the naked human eye were to see it in the real world. I can't post an accurate screenshot image here of my nighttime Trainz route on a dark gamma setting. I have the gamma set dark enough to make green grass look almost black at night. What I don't like about the hemlock trees in T:ANE is that they have a light-colored bark insterad of the dark brown bark they show in TS12. I like to make the forest scenery look as dark and spooky as possible at night. What I did do in Picture Manager was edited the brightness to a level of darkness as I see it on the screen with a darker gamma setting. The forest in back of the train station is about pitch black.

Of course, brightness, contrast, colors, darkness and artificial lighting effects may never be well emulated in any edition of Trainz now or in the future. If I set the gamma to a darker value, the train's headlights seem to dim also. It's tough to get a realistic super bright vehicle ground illumination in contrast to a super dark moonless landscape at night. I have streetlights sunk a meter below ground to eliminate the unnatural-looking light pools.

 

[boleyd]

Author erased...

 

[griffinjim]

Oh my god... HOW did I never know this?
Where can you toggle it?

 

[JonMyrlennBailey]

In 2012, Main Menu/Options/Video. T:ANE doesn't seem to have this convenient function. In T:ANE you have to monkey with the three color dials in Surveyor/Edit Environment/Lighting/Preview Ambient Color for each and every one of various times of day or night. They did not see fit to include a global gamma control as well as fog controls Under Options(Settings in T:ANE)/Video as they did in 2012. In 2012, I can change gamma and fog in Driver as well as in Surveyor. Do any post-T:ANE editions have the old familiar gamma control back again?

Another "una-T:ANE-able" thing post-2012 is the trainzoptions file so I can move my camera around inside the cab. What T:ANE does offer is compatibility with the nice TRC road crossing system by vincentrh. The ATLS system by boat is not nearly as good. Static 3D automobiles throw shadows in T:ANE whereas they did not in TS12. It's like a trading a cow for a bean. We can't have everything.

 

[griffinjim]

Thanks! I'm going to have a lot of fun with this feature. TS12 is probably the peak of Trainz, it had a nice GUI, it had the best content manager, and it had multiplayer.
How about "unobTANEable"?:hehe:

 

[JonMyrlennBailey]

Yes, I really do like the TS12 content manager a whole lot better. I think the game engine in pre-TANE was called Jet. It seems as T;ANE did away with trainzoptions file. Does any later than TANE edition bring back the global gamma setting? A lot easier than fiddling with color dials and hour markers on the time-of-day clock.