Surveyor questions from a novice

[jakobkh]

Hi,

I just bought TS2010 yesterday, and I'm now experimenting with Surveyor. As such, it's quite easy to use, but I also sense that Trainz has somewhat of a learning curve, and the so-called Manual does not help all that much.

I am convinced that people with more experience than me have already solved the problems I have encountered, so rather than growing more grey hairs than necessary, I figured I'd ask here.

At the moment I have three questions, although I don't doubt that more could arise. They are all connected to topography/laying tracks in Surveyor. I hope someone could point me in the right direction

1. I have created a piece of raised terrain, and I want to make a tunnel through this terrain. I located what seems to be the only tunnel available (a two track tunnel... I guess there must be more tunnel designs available for download, right?), and I have succeeded in creating the tunnel. However, the side of the mountain is visible through the entrance of the tunnel. That is: when you are driving towards the tunnel entrance, it looks as if you are going to drive into the side of the mountain. Once you reach the tunnel entrance, the train drives straight through the side of the mountain as if it wasn't there. I have attached a screenshot below. How can I place the tunnel so the side of the mountain is not visible through the entrance?

2. I have figured out how to manipulate the terrain grid in order to make a flat plateau surface, but I cannot figure out how to make a vertical surface. In many station areas it is common to have tracks at different levels. Two parallel tracks could run along each other, but one is perhaps elevated 6 metres compared to the other. In stead of a small hill the embankment of the upper track is bordered by for instance a vertical brick wall.
I would like to implement such a design, but it doesn't seem that the terrain grid allows vertical surfaces. I have sttached a screenshot of how "vertical" I can get the grid below (as you can see, it's more like a really steep incline). What I'm searching for is more along the lines of the brick wall that can briefly bee seen at 0:12 in this video (although it's just a wall... there is no elevated track in the video) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2Uy2bsMBdw&feature=fvw

3. Finally, is there any way you can superimpose an image onto the grid? If for instance I have a track layout on paper, is there a way I could scan it and import it onto the grid in Surveyor? that would make it a lot easier to get distances and track positioning right

I appreciate any help!

Jakob

 

[stagecoach]

Hi Jacob welcome to the addictive world of trainz.

You will find lots of info on how to do things and you will never fully find the extent that trainz is capable of as creators keep pushing the limits.

Q1 You are using an object tunnel entrance which dont remove the ground. This can be done by using a dig hole. But for now look in the track section for tunnel, these have the dig hole already in them so no need to be fiddled with. They act the same way as track and the spline points can be raised and lowered in the same way as track.

Q2 You cant get it to be vertical, the closest is one grid square apart. The trick is to use embankments, in the object spline section, and place where needed. Again these can be adjusted in height to match the ground levels.

Q3 Basemaps would be the answer in your case. They are 1km square, so slightly bigger than the baseboard. You will need an image that equals 1km square and is 1024 x1024 in size. Save as a jpg file and exchange with the imag in the basemap folder.

This is the short response, more details can be given.

keith

 

[Ghost42]

On your first question, build up the terrain over the top and sides of the tunnel, it will look as if you have buried it whilst doing it. Keep at it till you can see into the tunnel.
Second question, vertical sides cannot be achieved, there was a thread a few weeks ago covering this, perhaps one of the cotributors will chime in.
Third, not a clue but I am sure it is possible.
Rog

 

[Ghost42]

Oops, I bow to Keith's superior knowledge.... slither...
Rog

 

[itareus]

Not a reply to your specific questions, as they have already been covered in outline by stagecoach, but just to say that you will find some very good general tutorials here:

http://trains.0catch.com/tutorial.html

 

[jakobkh]

Thanks for all the replies

I will try out the solutions as soon as possible (right now my 1 year old will probably wake up from his noon nap at any moment, so better wait until I have the chance to spend a little longer with Surveyor).

Just as a note: Trainz seems to have a great community here!

 

[clam1952]

If you are only seeing one tunnel I suspect you need to go into Menu > Options > Surveyor Settings > Untick Only display favourite content. You should get a lot more stuff showing to play with then, Plus if you untick the Yellow Star at the top of the Routes Menu you will get a lot more routes.

And....

There are two grid sizes you can use in surveyor 10m which is the default and 5m which is better for what you are trying to achieve.

You can change the size on a board by board basis, In the Topology Tab right click on the Section Icon, select 5m in the box that comes up, click the tick and then click the ground. Better done before adding any textures as changing the size tends to mess them up a bit and they need redoing.

 

[cascaderailroad]

I just burns my britches a tunnel that snaps to the grid ... I do know how you can disable it by changing the config file.

I also get jumpin' up and down mad when a tunnel that cuts its own trench and self lowers terrain ... I suppose there is a way to disable that annoying built in feature also.

The most annoying thing about tunnels is the huge monolith, big block head portal ... who's big fat bright idear' was that ?

Its no wonder I use only tunnel tube inserts, and use static, scenery item tunnel portals, and very short segments of stone viaduct, as a portal, and apply my own dighole by hand.

 

[jakobkh]

Junior is taking a long nap today... good for me

Thanks for the trick with the grid size, Clam1952!! I would NEVER have figured out to right-click on the section icon. You are right, the 5 m grid definitely serves my purpose better.

I have also solved the tunnel problem. I used a dighole, and everything works fine. Only problem was that I had to find the dighole first (I would think they would be listed along with the tracks and tunnels, but no... they are with the buildings etc. Oh, well...)

I am still struggeling with the basemap. I have created the basemap jpg file with correct size etc., but I cannot seem to find out how to add it, so it replaces the standard basemap. I have used Content Manager to find the one basemap I have, and have right-clicked it and chosen edit -> edit in explorer. In the config file it then says that I should give my basemap the name "1km square G.jpg" and "Copy a scan of your map over '1km square G.jpg' and restart Trainz". Only problem is, that there IS no such file in TS2010 (it seems that the config file was written for a previous version). The only files present are "1 km basemap g.im", "1km square g.texture", the config file and a screenshot file. I have tried to just copy the "1 km square G.jpg" file to the folder and commit the changes, but then the basemap file lists as faulty (so I reverted to the original version).

Is there any tutorial for basemaps for TS2010? I have located a tutorial or two using Google, but they are for older versions of Trainz.

 

[stagecoach]

You should have in the basemap folder

1km basemap a (IM file)
1km square a (jpg image)
1km square a.texture
config
screenshot (image)

If your image is 1024 x 1024 and jpg delete the 1km square a (jpg image) from the folder and put your image in its place. Rename your image the same as the deleted one. If yours is missing look in the texture file and copy the name but dont put the .jpg on it.

 

[jakobkh]

This doesn't seem to work.

When I use content manager to look for all installed basemaps, I have only one: 1 km Basemap G

This basemap contains the following:
1 km basemap g.im
1 km square g.texture
config.txt
screenshop.jpg

I then used download manager to download the 1km Basemap A file. This file contains the files stagecoach describes. However, when I replace the generic jpg file with my own, nothing seems to happen. I restart Trainz, create a new route, but no basemap is present.

Is there somewhere I should choose what basemap to use when creating a new route?

Also, I cannot open the texture file in the Basemap G file. It is huge (over 600 KB) and not a txt file as in the Basemap A file.

EDITED:
OK - I think I got it working. I had assumed that the basemap would just replace the greyish background of the grid, not that it was an object I should add myself from the object menu. It seems to work now - thanks for all the help so far!!

 

[Hot_Box_Detector]

Basemaps can be a wonderful thing, but a little finicky to move around. I find it best to move the "view camera" to vertical, so you are looking strainght down on the basemap before trying to move it. If not, it may take off into the outer limits. Try using the "wireframe" view, the button in the upper left toolbar. This lets you look below ground. Adjust the basemap up or down as needed using the height adjustment tool on the objects tab.