TransDEM map invisible

rwk

Well-known member
I created a map in TrainsDEM to import into Trainz 12. When I go into the map in Trainz, it is invisible. What can I do to make it visible? All I see is sky and the compass.
 
Have you remembered to import and commit the TransDEM textures supplied with the software?
 
I tried importing the map to 2010, then saved as CDP, then imported that to 12. That seemed to work. The map is now visible. I'm referring to the main terrain that you actually build on, not the mini map. It was the actual route itself that was invisible. I'm working on a MASSIVE project, a several hundred mile Norfolk Southern route stretching from Harrisburg, PA, to Roanoke, VA, Knoxville, TN and Chattanooga, TN. Possibly Spencer, NC to Winston-Salem and Roanoke, VA as well. I'm going to be using the route to simulate the new "21st Century Steam Program" with 630, and later, 4501. I was using The National Map Viewer to download terrain data and route lines data for roads, rails, and water. The terrain data comes in small square chunks, though, so I might have to trim some boards so that the route size isn't so big. I have no idea how fishlipsatwork made his routes with TIGER lines so that the routes were trimmed down to follow the rail lines with only a few baseboards on each side. In TransDEM, the option is there, but the route data for roads from the National Map comes in square chunks, so it forces me to export an entire square of data into Trainz, well I merge several squares together for each segment not necessarily in a big square, but following the route of the railroad. This is going to be one massive route when done, probably over 1000 miles worth of route. I'm going to TRY to merge all the segments together and pray it works. It is a project for my personal enjoyment for now, because who would want to download a possible 2 gb to 4 gb route that requires a super computer to run? I'm just guessing at the final route size. I "kitbashed" a 630 using Ben's S&A 750 with the mesh from the Reading and Northern 425 mod so that there's no eagle on the front, and replaced the wheels with a 2-8-0 arrangement by changing the kuid's in the config. I also made the Tennessee Valley water tender 51 using one of Ben's oil tenders, and 4501 was already made by Peter's Trainz using Ben's USRA 2-8-2, but I mad a mod for myself with the black darker, and a sharper, bigger 4501 on the tender and a different whistle, a 630 whistle from hobocat modified so that the sound continually plays when the H key is depressed.
 
G'day rwk,

...When you say "terrain", do you mean the same thing as we (others who use TransDEM) do? The term; "terrain", is generally used to refer to the lumps and bumps that are created by the program that 'display' the relevant geography for the area being 'modelled'. That which we call the "Topography" (or the map that shows where roads and railway lines et c., go) is a completely different kettle of fish. If you mean the latter, then, in my experience, there is one and only one reason for the Topography not to be visible and that is YOUR failure to install (into Trainz) the appropriate texture set for the ones being used by TransDEM during the creation process, as per the instructions supplied with the installation of the program. In thsi case, these would be the 'standard' TransDEM Colours...


...as for fishlipsatwork, his larger 'maps' were created the same way as everyone else has to do this, by creating small sections (in the program used to do this - in his case HOG and MicroDEM) that are later merged together in Trainz to form a larger 'whole'. You can use the 'Filter' Function (available in the export dialogue box in TransDEM) to limit the number of baseboards surrounding the rail line (which MUST be coloured Cyan for this to work), so that only the desired number of baseboards 'along' the rail line are created during export (again, all of this is in the very generous Help file and built-in Tutorials that accompany the program)...

Jerker {:)}
 
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I meant the actual route terrain, the ground that you paint with grass, lay track, etc. It was invisible (like just sky with the compass marker) when I imported a TransDEM route in to TS12 but I exported a route to 2010 first, them exported to CDP, then imported that into 12 and the route appeared.
 
I meant the actual route terrain, the ground that you paint with grass, lay track, etc. It was invisible (like just sky with the compass marker) when I imported a TransDEM route in to TS12 but I exported a route to 2010 first, them exported to CDP, then imported that into 12 and the route appeared.
 
G'day rwk,

Yep, by doing that, you have effectively, albeit in a round about way, done exactly as pfx has suggested and explicitly 'imported' the asset into Trainz (as is required by the nature of versions 2009 onwards and which is noted, again, in the instructions for transDEM). Until you do so, NO 'route' created by TransDEM will be visible in Trainz...

Jerker {:)}
 
TransDem has two separate sets of ground textures. V2 is for TS 10 and below. V3 is for TS12. Install both sets if your working in different versions.
Use the polyline tool in TransDEM to trace the rail line(s). Trainz DEM will trim boards using the polyline route as a reference.
I use actual USGS quadrant maps georeferenced to the DEM map in TransDEM. The maps contain a large amount of information about trackage, roads, rivers, etc; and can be exported as an overlay applied to your trimmed routes in Trainz. Googgle Earth imagery can be overlaid also.
 
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