Route Thumbnail

[Fierogt87]

For ten years, through every iteration of Trainz that I have been exposed to, and probably at least 6 different computers and graphics cards, This has never worked. It seems intuitive once you find that it can be done in the "Edit Route" dialog.

Today, with the echoes of Twisted Sister in my head, I decided I was through with "Taking It", and looked online for the proper method, which I find, is exactly as I had been trying to do it previously. Again, I followed this procedure exactly as written. It doesn't work. The snapshot taken shows in the preview, but does not save to the route. Any route. What am I doing wrong?

 

[Christopher824]

I've had this happen with routes and other assets as well, it may be the 'precache'. To get past it, do a database rebuild. It will cache the correct image.

 

[pware]

As a test I just tried the posted instructions for setting the route thumbnail and it worked exactly as advertised. Worked in the beta version as well.

I have no explanation for what you may or may not be doing wrong.

 

[JCitron]

Don't feel left out. The process works once but if you decide to change thumbnails at a later date it does not work. I ended up doing a manual change by replacing the file reference in the config.txt with the one for a new image.

 

[pware]

Hmm. I just tested that and cannot confirm it.

Loaded my test route into Surveyor, reset the camera point of view, took a new thumbnail, saved, exited Trainz back to the desktop, loaded CM, checked thumbnail. Confirmed that it had been updated.

Moved the camera POV again, took a new thumbnail, saved, exited Trainz back to the desktop, loaded CM, checked thumbnail. Confirmed it had been updated (again).

 

[rhban]

I've never had problems with saving a thumbnail for the route. What I do find difficult is getting different pictures for each session or even the one and only session. I take the snapshot in Edit Session and it also changes the Route picture. I've found that by just going through the same procedure over and over again, I do eventually get separate pics, but it's not straightforward.

 

[on30gn15]

getting different pictures for each session or even the one and only session

Hmm, hadn't ever had that thought.

Might have to try it.

Now, granted, I'm using TANE on a something like 8 year old PC but the last few months I've been frequently changing route thumbnails as several WIP each get a little more done on them, and that function is functioning well as far as I've noticed.

So, so, many variables with computer stuff - what computer you have, what edition OS the computer has, what version and build of Trainz is in use, what else the computer has in it, what else the computer may have been running process for at the time, and quite likely even more factors that I don't know enough about computers to even imagine what they might be.

 

[oknotsen]

Create a screenshot, cut out a 240x180 pixel image, go into "Content Manager" (or whatever it is called in your version), edit the route or session, put in the picture, edit the config so the thumbnail part contains the exact name of the image (including the .jpg), commit, done.

Edit:
If you want to go really funky / cool / hip / whatever, add multiple pictures of the route / session to your route / session.

Example of the code to do so:

thumbnails
{
  default
  {
    image                               "thumb_multi_240.jpg"
    width                               240
    height                              180
  }
 
  00
  {
    image                               "thumb_multi_256.jpg"
    width                               256
    height                              256
  }
 
  01
  {
    image                               "overview_01.jpg"
    width                               720
    height                              540
  }
 
  02
  {
    image                               "overview_02.jpg"
    width                               720
    height                              540
  }
}

Search for (and download) my "Multi Level Layout" on the DLS to see the results of the above code (very short download / small route; no worries).

Note that you will NOT see the result in your game (or at least not in TANE) before you upload and re-download your route or session.