Is there something like PEV's Mesh Viewer for Mac?

[epa]

I'm a lifelong Windows user finally packing up all my Trainz stuff and going to Mac.

Now as I'm sure you've all noticed from the screenshots I post, I reskin stuff. A lot. And I guess it didn't occur to me until just now that there's seemingly no way to view meshes with textures on them outside of Trainz itself on the Mac, as PEV's Mesh Viewer is Windows only, and the way Crossover works, I don't think I can actually access files on the Mac from Windows programs. So that's kind of a surprise roadblock.

I know the Trainz Mac user base is already pretty small, and the number of Mac content creators is probably somewhere in the single digits, so I can see why there wouldn't be a whole ton of demand for a Mac Mesh Viewer.

So, my fellow content creators on Mac, is there any way to see what a skin in progress looks like before fully committing it into the game?

Matt

 

[pdkoester]

I'm a lifelong Windows user finally packing up all my Trainz stuff and going to Mac.

Now as I'm sure you've all noticed from the screenshots I post, I reskin stuff. A lot. And I guess it didn't occur to me until just now that there's seemingly no way to view meshes with textures on them outside of Trainz itself on the Mac, as PEV's Mesh Viewer is Windows only, and the way Crossover works, I don't think I can actually access files on the Mac from Windows programs. So that's kind of a surprise roadblock.

I know the Trainz Mac user base is already pretty small, and the number of Mac content creators is probably somewhere in the single digits, so I can see why there wouldn't be a whole ton of demand for a Mac Mesh Viewer.

So, my fellow content creators on Mac, is there any way to see what a skin in progress looks like before fully committing it into the game?

Matt

There actually *are* ways to preview meshes with textures on macOS — you’re not stuck committing every skin into Trainz.

1. You can run PEV’s Mesh Viewer through CrossOver. Just map a shared folder (e.g. Z to a macOS directory and Mesh Viewer will open your Trainz assets normally. This is what most Mac creators do.

2. A tiny Windows VM (Parallels, UTM, VMware Fusion) also works great. Mesh Viewer is so lightweight that even a minimal VM runs it perfectly.

3. If you want a pure‑Mac workflow, you can export the mesh from Trainz as FBX/OBJ and load it in Blender. It won’t read .im files, but it’s fine for reskin previews.

So yes — you *can* preview skins on Mac without committing them into the game.

 

[epa]

...

1. You can run PEV’s Mesh Viewer through CrossOver. Just map a shared folder (e.g. Z to a macOS directory and Mesh Viewer will open your Trainz assets normally. This is what most Mac creators do.

...

Huh, I figured it would work in Crossover, but I didn't know you could do shared folders. I've dabbled in it some, bought it cheap on Cyber Monday, but I haven't done much with it yet.

I will check that out. Thanks!

Matt

 

[rwk]

It seems that in the PC world, Windows computers are way more popular than Apple Macs. IBM computers for home use came out in 1981, and Windows came out in 1985, but Macs came out in 1984. But, Apple iPhones are more popular and better than Android phones. I guess with Macs you are more limited with what software you can use vs. Windows computers.

 

[Forester1]

with Macs you are more limited with what software you can use

I remember when I ran a Mac Network in the late 80s early 90s, every time I ordered a hard drive for a Mac it would come with Megabytes of BMUG shareware (A lot in those days). I had to resist the temptation to play during work hours! But they also had lots of useful utilities and apps. Sadly I think those days are gone. Nowadays I use a Windoze PC and an Android phone, but I still think Apple developers often create more creative software that what I find on PC or android. Scarab of Ra was one of my favorite after hours games, and games like Prince of Persia had graphics years ahead of DOS and early Windoze.

 

[pdkoester]

It seems that in the PC world, Windows computers are way more popular than Apple Macs. IBM computers for home use came out in 1981, and Windows came out in 1985, but Macs came out in 1984. But, Apple iPhones are more popular and better than Android phones. I guess with Macs you are more limited with what software you can use vs. Windows computers.

Windows are more popular, now. I cannot say for sure, but I have seen them not be as popular as when they were at peak. Mac computers were more a niche or special for some things, not as mainstream as they have become. Linux is helping to hold that back a little, too.

 

[epa]

Windows are more popular, now. I cannot say for sure, but I have seen them not be as popular as when they were at peak. Mac computers were more a niche or special for some things, not as mainstream as they have become. Linux is helping to hold that back a little, too.

Windows 11 in its current form is what pushed me away, after using Windows my entire life and Trainz for nearly 20 years. It was just a coincidence that my hardware was starting to become quite old and I was looking to build a new rig.

I ended up buying an M4 Max MacBook Pro 16" instead. Overshot my budget by... a lot, but I don't regret it. Having a mobile system with full desktop performance is worth it to me, especially since I can easily dock it and use it as a desktop. Trainz is buttery smooth at high-ultra settings (Surveyor Classic has some odd bugs I don't think are present in Windows versions, but it is what it is), and other games I've played both natively and through Crossover play like a dream. The Mac gaming world is, unfortunately, kneecapped by a fairly low install base, and an even smaller amount of users who care about gaming on them, and Apple doesn't seem too interested in trying to court gamers to their platform. These things are designed for productivity, being incredible at gaming is just a bonus.

If I were a more diehard PC gamer, I would've maybe built a Linux system. Trainz and American Truck Sim are really the only PC games I play anymore and they both have native Mac versions (though Windows ATS through Crossover plays far better), so I went with a Mac instead. The vast majority of my non-sim gaming is on console.

I wish Apple would realize what they're missing out on. There are a lot of us out there who are over Windows but still want PC gaming to be accessible.

Matt

 

[pdkoester]

Matt,

I think Apple is more focused on being video and audiophile and not geared for gaming until recently. The thing that keeps me and other into Windows is so many titles that will not work without anti cheats, TPM 2.0 and secure boot. Also, the hardware pricing, I can get more powerful stuff for a lot less.

Since Linux has basically the same capable features, as a Mac, I would go that route myself.
I have delved in Linux 25 years ago; a ton has changed since my latest install of Ubuntu LTS on a 7th Gen Intel laptop. That has only 8GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD. Works beyond what I would expect.

The change to Mx chips in Apple computers means a lot of stuff will never migrate to that platform.