What assets in what layers?

[CofG509]

Is there a way to see a full list of what assets are in a specific layer?

 

[pware]

The short answer is no.

The only way that I know of is to do a visual inspection of the layout after hiding the particular layer to see what has vanished.

I can see that such a list can be useful for quickly identifying problems such as objects accidentally assigned to the wrong layers.

I would suggest posting this in the suggestion forum.

 

[CofG509]

The short answer is no.

The only way that I know of is to do a visual inspection of the layout after hiding the particular layer to see what has vanished.

I can see that such a list can be useful for quickly identifying problems such as objects accidentally assigned to the wrong layers.

I would suggest posting this in the suggestion forum.

Thanks. I'll go post it there and hopefully they'll add that feature. Sure would be helpful in moving assets between layers.

 

[Tony_Hilliam]

Note that technically "assets" aren't in a layer, but each instance of an asset placed in the route is.
So to identify all objects in a layer, you could hide all layers but one, then select the items (using marquee select) and then list them in CM.
Not sure what you want to do next. You could add them to a picklist, but of course an asset could them appear in many picklists (which may work for your purposes or not).

 

[pware]

I think what he is asking, and I also think this would be a handy tool in route/session development, would be something like:-

1. Right Mouse Click on a layer in the Layers Palette (currently this opens a menu with "Delete", "Rename", "Merge Up" options - with "Edit" instead of "Merge Up" for Effect layers)
2. Select a new option (probably only for non-effect layers) "List Assigned Assets" (or similar)

This option would produce a list of assets (Name, KUID, Type) of all the assets assigned to that layer.

My suggestion anyway.

 

[CofG509]

I think what he is asking, and I also think this would be a handy tool in route/session development, would be something like:-

1. Right Mouse Click on a layer in the Layers Palette (currently this opens a menu with "Delete", "Rename", "Merge Up" options - with "Edit" instead of "Merge Up" for Effect layers)
2. Select a new option (probably only for non-effect layers) "List Assigned Assets" (or similar)

This option would produce a list of assets (Name, KUID, Type) of all the assets assigned to that layer.

My suggestion anyway.

Yes. This is what I was talking about. Having that feature would make it a lot easier to see and drop assets from one layer to another especially if you only wanted to drag just a few assets but not the whole layer into another.

 

[wreeder]

Tony is correct. Having a list of "assets" used on a layer is useless unless you just want to add them to a pick list.

Let's keep this simple. You place a tree on a layer. That is an instance of the tree object. By placing it on the layer, it acquire certain properties that are unique to only that instance, like location in 3D space, rotation, which layer the instance is on. Place a second tree at a different spot and that instance will have different properties. It will also have a different internal identifier so the game engine can place it correctly when loaded. Each will reference the original object. This is how the bulk replace tool works. It simply changes the reference to a different asset of each instance leaving the location, rotation and layer values untouched.

What you're asking for is a version of the bulk replace tool that is restricted to moving instances of assets from one layer to another layer. You would choose the layer where the erroneously placed instances appear in the tool. Then build a list of the referenced assets to be moved and choose the target layer. The tool simply changes the layer property of each instance to the new layer.

The programming logic would be something like for each referenced asset which has instances on layer A change the layer property to be layer B.

 

[CofG509]

Tony is correct. Having a list of "assets" used on a layer is useless unless you just want to add them to a pick list.

Let's keep this simple. You place a tree on a layer. That is an instance of the tree object. By placing it on the layer, it acquire certain properties that are unique to only that instance, like location in 3D space, rotation, which layer the instance is on. Place a second tree at a different spot and that instance will have different properties. It will also have a different internal identifier so the game engine can place it correctly when loaded. Each will reference the original object. This is how the bulk replace tool works. It simply changes the reference to a different asset of each instance leaving the location, rotation and layer values untouched.

What you're asking for is a version of the bulk replace tool that is restricted to moving instances of assets from one layer to another layer. You would choose the layer where the erroneously placed instances appear in the tool. Then build a list of the referenced assets to be moved and choose the target layer. The tool simply changes the layer property of each instance to the new layer.

The programming logic would be something like for each referenced asset which has instances on layer A change the layer property to be layer B.

Wouldn't be useless. If I want to move several assets from one layer but not all of them it would be useful of having a list so you can just grab which assets you want to move from one layer or another without having to go through your route tagging objects to see what layer they're in. Very simple.

 

[wreeder]

Try reading beyond the first sentence of my post. I know what you are asking for and suggested the only way you're going to get it. My way makes use of existing programming with only a slight change to the interface. You are implying that a whole new interface be created.

 

[CofG509]

Try reading beyond the first sentence of my post. I know what you are asking for and suggested the only way you're going to get it. My way makes use of existing programming with only a slight change to the interface. You are implying that a whole new interface be created.

So being able to drag certain assets from a list from one layer to another would be harder than dragging a whole layer from one to the other?

 

[wreeder]

Yep, it would basically require a rewrite of the layer panel of Classic Surveyor which isn't likely to happen as Surveyor 2.0 is destined to replace it. Now drag and drop might happen in Surveyor 2.0 which is only available to subscribers. It isn't that what you asked for is a bad idea, I happen to like it but N3V is very careful in allocating funds and no changes to Classic Surveyor are going to be made unless they can be done cheaply and also implemented in Trainz Plus as well. Since the bulk replace tool is being worked on in Trainz Plus at the moment due to it not working correctly with Surveyor 2.0 then a simple tweak to add the moving of instances of assets from one layer to the another is maybe something that might get a green light to do. That update could reach TRS22 in a future update before Surveyor 2.0 does.