More s2 problems

[rhban]

With the help I've already been given in this forum, I am gradually coming to grips with this monster Surveyor 2 and have already laid quite a bit of track, but I got stuck with a couple of things.
1. Putting in a 2 track station - I used the DMT 200m station. The first one settled in fine, but I had to turn the second one round to get the platform on the correct side and while fine tuning, something went wrong and I somehow tipped it up at one end. No probs - I could see the the z circle, but could I get it to lie flat? No. OK, I'll delete and start again: move tool, T, delete - but it refused to be deleted - any help on getting rid of this item, please?
2. Bridges. I like to put a slight vertical curve on my bridges as is often or even usually the case with real life bridges. Obviously, not so violent a curve with rail as with road, but I never had a problem with trs19 and earlier: set the height at each end, add some spine points in 2 or more places in between and make them a metre or so higher - easy, except S2 won't let me do this - it keeps making the whole bridge flat, ignoring my varying heights. Have I just picked the wrong bridge (stone pier 2t)?

 

[rhban]

Gave up on deleting that station. Scrapped the entire route and started again. Once again, probs with station. To start with, I can't find the platform I want and eventually plumped for 8m 2 face 1 ramp place end to end so there's a ramp at each end, but huge problems selecting things. I had to move some track to fit the new platform width: select filter "track", try eye dropper - changes my selection to track objects and shows me 3 stations, 1 some sort of loader and 2 dogs!! Seems I cannot select that section of track without deleting all my stations and platforms first. This Surveyor 2 is like cracking the Enigma Code!

 

[pware]

I had no trouble doing both of those tasks using S20.

1. Putting in a 2 track station - I used the DMT 200m station. The first one settled in fine, but I had to turn the second one round to get the platform on the correct side and while fine tuning, something went wrong and I somehow tipped it up at one end. No probs - I could see the the z circle, but could I get it to lie flat? No. OK, I'll delete and start again: move tool, T, delete - but it refused to be deleted - any help on getting rid of this item, please?

If an object has been selected (it is shown highlighted in green with a yellow border) then click on its Context Tool Icon (or press the "T" key). One of the options in the popup menu will be Reset Object Rotation. Click this option to reset the asset to its "factory default" rotation settings on all of its axes.

2. Bridges. I like to put a slight vertical curve on my bridges as is often or even usually the case with real life bridges. Obviously, not so violent a curve with rail as with road, but I never had a problem with trs19 and earlier: set the height at each end, add some spine points in 2 or more places in between and make them a metre or so higher - easy, except S2 won't let me do this - it keeps making the whole bridge flat, ignoring my varying heights. Have I just picked the wrong bridge (stone pier 2t)?

Using the Fine Adjustment Tool I selected the first of the two added spline points. I was then able to raise and lower that point using the left mouse button on the blue vertical line. Alternatively, I could enter a value (e.g. 1) into the Height setting in the Tools Options Palette and hit the enter key. The spline point moved up accordingly. The same worked for the second of the two added spline points.

 

[pware]

I had to move some track to fit the new platform width: select filter "track", try eye dropper - changes my selection to track objects and shows me 3 stations, 1 some sort of loader and 2 dogs!! Seems I cannot select that section of track without deleting all my stations and platforms first. This Surveyor 2 is like cracking the Enigma Code!

The trick (and it is a very useful one) with selecting specific items in your route is to firstly set the Filter Drop Down Box (the one at the top of the Assets Palette) to Filter Selection. Then select the type of asset you want using either the asset Icon button or the Drop Down Box immediately below - for example click the Track icon or select Track from the options in the drop down list.

Now select the Eyedropper Tool. You can still click on anything you like in the route but only Track assets will be selected - click a tree and it will be ignored.

For the even more adventurous, after selecting the asset type (e.g. Track) set the Filter Drop Down Box to Filter Visibility. Every object apart from those that match your entered asset type (and textures and Effect Layers) will become invisible.

 

[rhban]

The trick (and it is a very useful one) with selecting specific items in your route is to firstly set the Filter Drop Down Box (the one at the top of the Assets Palette) to Filter Selection. Then select the type of asset you want using either the asset Icon button or the Drop Down Box immediately below - for example click the Track icon or select Track from the options in the drop down list.

Now select the Eyedropper Tool. You can still click on anything you like in the route but only Track assets will be selected - click a tree and it will be ignored.

For the even more adventurous, after selecting the asset type (e.g. Track) set the Filter Drop Down Box to Filter Visibility. Every object apart from those that match your entered asset type (and textures and Effect Layers) will become invisible.

This is definitely not what is happening for me. I had Track selected, but Eye Dropper on the track to see what sort of track it was, immediately changed the selection to Track Objects and, as I said, offered me amongst other things, some dogs. I will, however, look for Filter Visibility

 

[rhban]

I should have added, I don't seem to have the same number of assets available as in trs19 using the old surveyor, but even there, the selection of platforms types seems limited - there are a large number, but all rather similar, so that when you want a wider or narrower one, with or without ramps, you find you are limited to 4, 5, 8 or 12 metres, but mainly 4m, often in non-matching colours. I haven't yet explored assets not associated with track.

 

[rhban]

I am very disappointed that I don't have the BR train "Tranpennine" available, as it's the first electric train I've found that seems to have the acceleration and top speed that I associate with modern electric trains. It does, however, lack something important: there is no inside. OK in cab view, but if you can look into the cab from the outside, you see the same bare, carriage interior.
Anyhow, I wanted to try what track I've laid, so I assembled the ETR train, named it and set in session mode. Whoops! Wrong track. That's when I discovered I don't know how to select an entire consist except by shift clicking car after car. There must be a better way and also why doesn't my named consist now show up among "trains"?

 

[GaryReggae]

If you double-click on one of the cars in the consist it should select the whole thing but I still generally use Classic Surveyor for consist management as it is easier for now.

Kind regards,

Gary

 

[Tony_Hilliam]

I don't seem to have the same number of assets available as in trs19 using the old surveyor

Have you installed all the same content? Or if you're using the same local data folder, ensure you allow the db repair to complete when you start up as there will be problems otherwise (and we recommend never going back to an earlier build once you've used your local data folder in a newer build).

I am very disappointed that I don't have the BR train "Tranpennine" available

Is it installed? What is preventing you from seeing/finding/using it?

why doesn't my named consist now show up among "trains"?

Ensure you select the whole consist (double-click), hit "T" to open the contextual menu, Save as Consist Asset (i.e. name it and save it).
Then type in the name of the asset in the trains filter and your saved consist will appear in the list.

Regarding the original problem, perhaps you somehow separated the station and the track since there are two selectable pieces for the one object.

 

[rhban]

Have you installed all the same content? Or if you're using the same local data folder, ensure you allow the db repair to complete when you start up as there will be problems otherwise (and we recommend never going back to an earlier build once you've used your local data folder in a newer build).

I suspect I'm not going the correct route and should have downloaded from the lunch - oh, clever predictive text! LAUNCH window, but the Filter gives you a Download option and it wasn't appearing in that. I'lll check again from the Lauch Window, but many of my downloaded assets from my games with trs19 do seem to have transferred without my doing anything.

Ensure you select the whole consist (double-click), hit "T" to open the contextual menu, Save as Consist Asset (i.e. name it and save it).
Then type in the name of the asset in the trains filter and your saved consist will appear in the list.

Hmm, I thought I had done that, but I'll have to try again.

 

[pware]

I had Track selected, but Eye Dropper on the track to see what sort of track it was, immediately changed the selection to Track Objects

If you hold (without clicking) the eyedropper pointer on an object its name will appear in a tooltip below the pointer. Hold for a few more seconds and its <kuid> and author will also appear.

If you click the eyedropper pointer on an object then the selection in the assets palette will change to the type of object you clicked on and to its name in the filter. If your "track" suddenly changed to "Track Objects" then the track you thought you were clicking on was not actually track at all.

 

[pware]

As a result of this and other similar threads about using S20, I am putting together a new Trainz Wiki page on How to Use the Surveyor 2 Tools.

It is not finished yet but it is now in a viewable format. There will probably be revisions and other changes that I will have to make to those sections that I have "completed" but the unfinished work is available for viewing (and comments) at:-

https://online.ts2009.com/mediaWiki/index.php/How_to_Use_S20_Tools

 

[PC_Ace]

pware: I am putting together a new Trainz Wiki page on How to Use the Surveyor 2 Tools.

That's a brilliant, much appreciated contribution to our community, pware. Thank you!

 

[rhban]

If you hold (without clicking) the eyedropper pointer on an object its name will appear in a tooltip below the pointer. Hold for a few more seconds and its <kuid> and author will also appear.

If you click the eyedropper pointer on an object then the selection in the assets palette will change to the type of object you clicked on and to its name in the filter. If your "track" suddenly changed to "Track Objects" then the track you thought you were clicking on was not actually track at all.

It seems to pick the nearest object it fancies, with preference to objects over spines.

 

[rhban]

As a result of this and other similar threads about using S20, I am putting together a new Trainz Wiki page on How to Use the Surveyor 2 Tools.

It is not finished yet but it is now in a viewable format. There will probably be revisions and other changes that I will have to make to those sections that I have "completed" but the unfinished work is available for viewing (and comments) at:-

https://online.ts2009.com/mediaWiki/index.php/How_to_Use_S20_Tools

Very much looking forward to that.

 

[rhban]

As a result of this and other similar threads about using S20, I am putting together a new Trainz Wiki page on How to Use the Surveyor 2 Tools.

It is not finished yet but it is now in a viewable format. There will probably be revisions and other changes that I will have to make to those sections that I have "completed" but the unfinished work is available for viewing (and comments) at:-

https://online.ts2009.com/mediaWiki/index.php/How_to_Use_S20_Tools

I've been reading the notes. Wish I had read them earlier! However, I do have a couple of questions:
1. How do I find the current height of an object or spine point or terrain? This used to be easy with the old tool, but I can't see how S2 does it.
2. I am puzzled about raising an object - I placed a gantry spine and under it 2 columns (York black), but they were too short. While I was fiddling around with something else, magically one of them "grew" and then a left click on the other made that right too - very handy, but I don't know how I did it. I assume it was similar to changing the height of a spine point, but I don't think I did that.

Unrelated to the HOW TO notes, but I cannot find in Download Station a gantry, non-semaphore signal that indicates a turn (Left, Straight & Right, Straight). In trs19 there is one, although it doesn't always seem to work correctly. I have no idea how to create objects, let alone anything as complicated as a signal, but now I have started laying my tracks closer together, I really need gantry signals.

 

[pware]

I've been reading the notes. Wish I had read them earlier! However, I do have a couple of questions:
1. How do I find the current height of an object or spine point or terrain? This used to be easy with the old tool, but I can't see how S2 does it.
2. I am puzzled about raising an object - I placed a gantry spine and under it 2 columns (York black), but they were too short. While I was fiddling around with something else, magically one of them "grew" and then a left click on the other made that right too - very handy, but I don't know how I did it. I assume it was similar to changing the height of a spine point, but I don't think I did that.

Good questions and thanks for reminding me. I had forgotten to add this to the notes.

The answer is in the Info Palette.

Select a scenery object or a spline point with the Free Move Tool or the Fine Adjustment Tool.

The info palette will have a line showing something like Pos: 398.06, 345.11, 1.25

These are the XYZ co-ordinates of the selected scenery object or spline point.

If you click the small triangle left of the label "Pos:" then it will open up to show the three values as separate text entry boxes. Each box has Up/Down control icons on its right end.

You can type new values into the three boxes (followed by the Enter key) or hold the left mouse button down with the mouse on top of any of the Up/Down arrows and move the mouse forward or backward to change the XYZ values.

Next to the Z co-ordinate (height) box is a small down arrow. When clicked this gives a message "use height for brush" but so far I have not be able to get it to transfer the Z value to the brush height (if that is what it is supposed to do).

No help on the gantry question - sorry.

The S20 adventure continues.

Peter

 

[rhban]

Good questions and thanks for reminding me. I had forgotten to add this to the notes.

The answer is in the Info Palette.

Select a scenery object or a spline point with the Free Move Tool or the Fine Adjustment Tool.

The info palette will have a line showing something like Pos: 398.06, 345.11, 1.25

These are the XYZ co-ordinates of the selected scenery object or spline point.

If you click the small triangle left of the label "Pos:" then it will open up to show the three values as separate text entry boxes. Each box has Up/Down control icons on its right end.

You can type new values into the three boxes (followed by the Enter key) or hold the left mouse button down with the mouse on top of any of the Up/Down arrows and move the mouse forward or backward to change the XYZ values.

Next to the Z co-ordinate (height) box is a small down arrow. When clicked this gives a message "use height for brush" but so far I have not be able to get it to transfer the Z value to the brush height (if that is what it is supposed to do).

No help on the gantry question - sorry.

The S20 adventure continues.

Peter

Many thanks. I have saved a screen shot of your answer for reference.

One small complaint: when I change my filter settings, I frequently forget to erase whatever search item I had typed in and wonder why my new search isn't working. I would expect this text to be erased when I leave the page. Better still, would be to save it just for that setting, so that when I go from Scenery Objects, "station" to Track Objects "signals", both station and signals are kept on the respective pages. Failing that, it would be much nicer and save more time, if they were erased when changing filters.

 

[rhban]

Another question: there is, as far as I know, no Find function with S2, so how do I find named stations {or other objects} by the name I have given them?
I thought Filter: scenery objects, "name", but that doesn't work.

 

[pware]

Another question: there is, as far as I know, no Find function with S2, so how do I find named stations {or other objects} by the name I have given them?
I thought Filter: scenery objects, "name", but that doesn't work.

Ctrl+F still brings up the Find Object dialogue box in S20 just as it does in S10 and, as far as I have noticed, works in exactly the same way. What is currently still missing from S20 is the Ctrl+Shift+F Content Search Filter - but that may eventually be added OR the Asset Palette Filters may be the better option.