Running numbers question
- Thread starter DragonI
- Start date
More or less, yes, that is how I learned setting up my running numbers on my created locomotives. Study this page carefully from the DevWiki about Locomotive numbering.
Study especial the meaning and referencing of "fonts" which are in effect the different (as in different colours and different orientation like italic, bold etc.) number styles that can be on a single locomotive. In effect one creates a square/oblong plane with sections of the numbers/letters used, whether 2 three up to six numbers per number set. Texturing each single, 10, 100, 1000 and so on number as described in the WoT tutorial, which in turn will show your alpha channel number set(s) you either create yourself or borrow for experimentation from an existing ARN equipped locomotive when the locomotive is in Trainz. In other words, YOU DO NOT texture your real numbers on these number panels, you place a texture a certain way with its naming as a PLACE HOLDER for the real number sets, so Trainz knows which number set to use for single numbers, 10s, 100s 1000s etc. and where to place these.
I have quite a few different locomotives on the DLS I created for TS09 to TS12 in the last 12 to 18 months, d/load any of these, study how I implemented/configured these fonts--> different number sets in the config.txt and how are the number sets named, how many fonts--> different number sets are listed in the config.txt and how the name of folder(s) of the number sets is/are named in the config.txt. You are free to use for experimentation any of my own created number sets (textures).
As it says in that WikiPage, it is important to follow current naming conventions for placing the "dummy" textures (digit_1.tga to digit_6.tga). mine are xxx.m.onetex named and the digit_6.tga texture can be ANY very small plain TGA texture and this will be your single number place holder, when placed/UVW wrapped, which will display your real alpha channel single texture from your "alpha_numbers" folder on your locomotive in Trainz, if set up and configured correctly. This will be for your furthest right hand panel of your loco numbers as this will be for the single numbers. The digit_5.tga texture placed/UVW wrapped next to it as these are the 10s, the digit_4.tga texture to the left of the 10s as this will be your 100s number and so on.
Should you happen to have any letters in your numbers, instead of creating separate numbers from 0 to 9, just create the individual alpha channel letter and name this same letter texture with the names of the alpha_number0 to 9.
There is NO mystery to auto numbering locomotives, mine have also separate entries in a script included, which also numbers these with certain number sets only as in real life but this is something you don't need as anyone can set numbers on an ARN equipped locomotive in Surveyor with the "?" icon. If you have further questions, post these here.
Cheers and have fun.
VinnyBarb
Thanks
I have the running numbers set up the way you told me and I set them up how it was shown in the tutorials but everything looks right on the mesh and in cmp but wend I go to lunch trainz the numbers don't show up just the color number plats in witch the numbers are to show up on after I have inputted them into the locos stats the plat meshes. No numbers just 4 textures Thow's are not to be there at all it the 4 box's shod be the numbers showing throw. Why is this and how do I fix it?
I have the running numbers set up the way you told me and I set them up how it was shown in the tutorials but everything looks right on the mesh and in cmp but wend I go to lunch trainz the numbers don't show up just the color number plats in witch the numbers are to show up on after I have inputted them into the locos stats the plat meshes. No numbers just 4 textures Thow's are not to be there at all it the 4 box's shod be the numbers showing throw. Why is this and how do I fix it?
Last edited:
hi dragonharh, didn't you say you weren't visiting the forums anymore?
http://forums.auran.com/trainz/showthread.php?104229-Last-Stop
http://forums.auran.com/trainz/showthread.php?104229-Last-Stop
NSWGR_46Class
Just call my Captain Rude
That happen when trainz can not find the textures in the mesh or relate to what you want it to do- something is missing - to fix this I need a few more details but since its a hush hush job are you will to share the config
Hi DragonH, you need to show more info, your config.txt and the structure of your folders in your project would be a start. Again, you need to import into your Material Editor (you do not state which 3D program you use, I assume 3DS Max or GMax), a texture named as per this web page of the DevWiki and name it with the right, current naming convention:
If only one font type is used:
Digit textures (digit_1.tga to digit_6.tga) are replaced automatically with alphanumber textures (alphanumber_0 to alphanumber_9) and the alphanumbers in your alphanumber folder also need these names (alphanumber_0 to alphanumber_9).to show up in Surveyor.
Which means, if you need 4 running numbers (single, 10s, 100s, 1000s) on your locomotive, you have to import 4 of these plain (dummy) textures (picture of it further below) into your Material Editor named from digit_6.tga.m.onetex to digit_3.tga.m.onetex and texture and UVW unwrap these with the above stated plain/dummy texture on to your number board mesh(es). The digit_6.tga.m.onetex will be your 1s, digit_5.tga.m.onetex will be your 10s, digit_4.tga.m.onetex will be your 100s and so on. Hence you need to apply this plain/dummy texture (picture of it further below) named digit_6.tga.m.onetex to the place where the single number will be on your number board, the digit_5.tga.m.onetex where your 10s will be and so on.
This is if you only need one single font (number set) on your locomotive. You DO NOT USE THE ACTUAL ALPHANUMBER texture to texture your number boards, you ONLY use these above named dummy number textures (picture of it further below) textured on to these number board meshes AS A PLACE HOLDER only, so Trainz will know which number to pull from your alphanumber textures folder (alphanumber_0a to alphanumber_9a and alphanumber_0b to alphanumber_9b if more than 1 font is used, 2 different fonts are used in this example and compare their names with the single font names above to see the difference) and where to place these. Hence the correct naming and correct placing of these dummy textures is VERY IMPORTANT or you will have 10s mixed up with 1000s or such or these simply will NOT SHOW in Trainz.
Now this is getting a bit more complicated if you use MORE than one or 2 font (number set), meaning 2 or more different fonts, say, a black number on the side of the cab and a white number on the top of the cab's number board and possibly a different coloured large number board in the middle of a locomotive or such. The names to use are then different, depending on how many different fonts (number sets) one needs to use. As per the DevWiki:
If two or more font types used:
Digit textures (digit_1a.tga to digit_6a.tga and digit_1b.tga to digit_6b.tga etc) are replaced automatically with alphanumber textures (alphanumber_0a to alphanumber_9a and alphanumber_0b to alphanumber_9b)
and the alphanumbers in your alphanumber folder also need these names (alphanumber_0a to alphanumber_9a and alphanumber_0b to alphanumber_9b) for 2 fonts and (alphanumber_0c to alphanumber_9c and/or alphanumber_0d to alphanumber_9d) for subsequent fonts being used.
Hence you need to import as many differently named dummy textures into your Material Editor of your 3D program, to accommodate all the different alphanumber sets needed. Say, you need 4 numbers per number set, and you need 3 different fonts (number sets), you will need 3 times 4 (12) differently and correctly named dummy texture maps as per the DevWiki page in your Material Editor of your 3D program.
The name of your alphanumber folder is VERY important or Trainz will not know where to get these sets of alphanumbers from, hence study my config.txt of any of my late locomotives which all should have auto/running numbering. Important, the name can be any name, as long as that name is also the name of your alphanumber folder in your project. Hence study the WoT tutorial and any of my locomotive's config.txt files to see what you must do to get this name right. Another thing of importance, I use a 32x32 pixel dummy texture with a a few smaller coloured squares in it.
<----WARNING, this texture is a JPG, this needs to be a TGA format named as per the numbers names texts in the DevWiki.
This helps me in UVW unwrapping each digit_x(x).m.onetex uniform and the SAME SIZE to each section of the number board mesh (1s,10s etc.). By trial and error you soon will see if your alphanumber displayed in Surveyor will show its correct size on the number board mesh in Trainz. Adjust the UVW unwrapping accordingly if the number displayed is either a bit/shade too large or too small or too wide or too narrow.
Your dummy texture map used for all digit_x(x).m.onetex textures does not need to be large, the above dummy texture is a 32x32 pixel sized TGA, and MUST BE named correctly for each different number as per the DevWiki page.
If you still can not see any numbers after doing all above, then check the naming of ALL IMPORTANT components like numbers, dummies, alphanumber folder etc. in your 3D program (again, I do not know what you use) and where all these components are in your project folder and IF these are in the correct location where they need to be in your project. Also check if you UVW unwrapped the dummy texture large enough on your number board mesh, I usually use the almost full size of the above shown dummy textures on my locomotive number board meshes. If you UVW unwrap the dummy texture way too small or way too large, you will NOT differenciate or see any numbers on your number board mesh.
I placed extra text in here that others not familiar with auto numbering can get familiar with it. I had NO trouble following the WoT numbering tutorial in conjunction with the locomotive numbering DevWiki page.
Have fun, I think you will need it.
VinnyBarb
If only one font type is used:
Digit textures (digit_1.tga to digit_6.tga) are replaced automatically with alphanumber textures (alphanumber_0 to alphanumber_9) and the alphanumbers in your alphanumber folder also need these names (alphanumber_0 to alphanumber_9).to show up in Surveyor.
Which means, if you need 4 running numbers (single, 10s, 100s, 1000s) on your locomotive, you have to import 4 of these plain (dummy) textures (picture of it further below) into your Material Editor named from digit_6.tga.m.onetex to digit_3.tga.m.onetex and texture and UVW unwrap these with the above stated plain/dummy texture on to your number board mesh(es). The digit_6.tga.m.onetex will be your 1s, digit_5.tga.m.onetex will be your 10s, digit_4.tga.m.onetex will be your 100s and so on. Hence you need to apply this plain/dummy texture (picture of it further below) named digit_6.tga.m.onetex to the place where the single number will be on your number board, the digit_5.tga.m.onetex where your 10s will be and so on.
This is if you only need one single font (number set) on your locomotive. You DO NOT USE THE ACTUAL ALPHANUMBER texture to texture your number boards, you ONLY use these above named dummy number textures (picture of it further below) textured on to these number board meshes AS A PLACE HOLDER only, so Trainz will know which number to pull from your alphanumber textures folder (alphanumber_0a to alphanumber_9a and alphanumber_0b to alphanumber_9b if more than 1 font is used, 2 different fonts are used in this example and compare their names with the single font names above to see the difference) and where to place these. Hence the correct naming and correct placing of these dummy textures is VERY IMPORTANT or you will have 10s mixed up with 1000s or such or these simply will NOT SHOW in Trainz.
Now this is getting a bit more complicated if you use MORE than one or 2 font (number set), meaning 2 or more different fonts, say, a black number on the side of the cab and a white number on the top of the cab's number board and possibly a different coloured large number board in the middle of a locomotive or such. The names to use are then different, depending on how many different fonts (number sets) one needs to use. As per the DevWiki:
If two or more font types used:
Digit textures (digit_1a.tga to digit_6a.tga and digit_1b.tga to digit_6b.tga etc) are replaced automatically with alphanumber textures (alphanumber_0a to alphanumber_9a and alphanumber_0b to alphanumber_9b)
and the alphanumbers in your alphanumber folder also need these names (alphanumber_0a to alphanumber_9a and alphanumber_0b to alphanumber_9b) for 2 fonts and (alphanumber_0c to alphanumber_9c and/or alphanumber_0d to alphanumber_9d) for subsequent fonts being used.
Hence you need to import as many differently named dummy textures into your Material Editor of your 3D program, to accommodate all the different alphanumber sets needed. Say, you need 4 numbers per number set, and you need 3 different fonts (number sets), you will need 3 times 4 (12) differently and correctly named dummy texture maps as per the DevWiki page in your Material Editor of your 3D program.
The name of your alphanumber folder is VERY important or Trainz will not know where to get these sets of alphanumbers from, hence study my config.txt of any of my late locomotives which all should have auto/running numbering. Important, the name can be any name, as long as that name is also the name of your alphanumber folder in your project. Hence study the WoT tutorial and any of my locomotive's config.txt files to see what you must do to get this name right. Another thing of importance, I use a 32x32 pixel dummy texture with a a few smaller coloured squares in it.
This helps me in UVW unwrapping each digit_x(x).m.onetex uniform and the SAME SIZE to each section of the number board mesh (1s,10s etc.). By trial and error you soon will see if your alphanumber displayed in Surveyor will show its correct size on the number board mesh in Trainz. Adjust the UVW unwrapping accordingly if the number displayed is either a bit/shade too large or too small or too wide or too narrow.
Your dummy texture map used for all digit_x(x).m.onetex textures does not need to be large, the above dummy texture is a 32x32 pixel sized TGA, and MUST BE named correctly for each different number as per the DevWiki page.
If you still can not see any numbers after doing all above, then check the naming of ALL IMPORTANT components like numbers, dummies, alphanumber folder etc. in your 3D program (again, I do not know what you use) and where all these components are in your project folder and IF these are in the correct location where they need to be in your project. Also check if you UVW unwrapped the dummy texture large enough on your number board mesh, I usually use the almost full size of the above shown dummy textures on my locomotive number board meshes. If you UVW unwrap the dummy texture way too small or way too large, you will NOT differenciate or see any numbers on your number board mesh.
I placed extra text in here that others not familiar with auto numbering can get familiar with it. I had NO trouble following the WoT numbering tutorial in conjunction with the locomotive numbering DevWiki page.
Have fun, I think you will need it.
VinnyBarb