How to Post Screenshots - Step by Step

whamm0

Well-known member
Often people have trouble uploading screenshots and posting them on the forums, and after looking around on the forums and not finding anything in the way of a 'how to' I decided I would take the time to list the steps for those who may need them. So here goes nothing.....

To post screenshots on the forums there are basically two ways (at least for the upload part) - within Trainz and external to Trainz. The step by step instructions below assume you have the TANE version of Trainz, but others are similar most likely. (locations of the screenshots may be different). It also assumes you will use the Trainz Gallery to host your pictures. There are several steps to this:


  1. Getting Your Screenshot
  2. Uploading Your Screenshot (Within Trainz OR External to Trainz)
  3. Get the Url for Your Screenshot
  4. Posting Your Screenshot on the Forum


Getting Your Screenshot

Take the screen shot using the usual functionality while running the game:

1) While running the game in driver mode, set up your shot by moving the camera where you like it.
2) In the upper right corner click the icon that looks like a piece of film
My-Trainz-Screenshot-Image.jpg


3) Click the submenu item labelled 'Capture Screenshot'

My-Trainz-Screenshot-Image.jpg




Uploading Your Screenshot

Review and upload the screenshot - from within Trainz:

1) In the upper right corner click the icon that looks like a piece of film
2) Click the submenu item labelled 'Screenshot review and upload'. A panel with the various screenshots available will be displayed.

My-Trainz-Screenshot-Image.jpg


3) Optionally add a caption in the box labelled 'Enter caption here...'
4) When satisifed with the caption etc, click the button in the lower right of the panel labelled 'Upload'.
5) A 'Please wait' message will appear. In a few moments it should return with a success message.

My-Trainz-Screenshot-Image.jpg


OR

Review and upload the screenshot - external to Trainz:

1) Open a browser and navigate to: http://www.trainzportal.com/mytrainz/
2) Login using your trainz username and password. You can find this in your trainz settings.
3) Once logged in, click on the 'Add Media' tab at the top of the page. This will open the form to upload a picture.

My-Trainz-Screenshot-Image.jpg


4) Locate the screenshot on your pc. For TANE this is located at: C:\Users\<your user name on the pc>\AppData\Local\N3V Games\TANE\build <build number>\screenshots The 'AppData' folder may be hidden. If so, in windows explorer (assuming a pc), click the 'View' menu, then make sure the check box for 'Hidden items' is checked.
5) Locate the screenshot you wish to upload. Drag and drop it onto the spot on the website form that says 'Drop files here to upload'. Add an optional title if desired, then click the 'Upload Media Post' button.
6) Follow the steps below for how to get the url for the forums.



Get the Url For Your Screenshot

Now that you have an uploaded screenshot, you need to get the url to use within the forums to post it. Unfortunately this isn't possible currently in game, so you will need to step out and go to the Trainz gallery to get the url.

1) Open your web browser and navigate to: http://www.trainzportal.com/mytrainz/
2) Your screenshot should be in the recent uploads (most likely first at the top of the page). Hover your mouse over the screenshot thumbnail image and click on 'Full Image'. The page will switch to a full view of your screenshot.

My-Trainz-Screenshot-Image.jpg


3) Right click the image on the new page, and choose 'Open image in new tab' (or similar). This will open the image by itself in a new tab.

My-Trainz-Screenshot-Image.jpg


4) In the tab with just the image in it, copy the url from url box. This is the url you need to have for your posting on the forum. It will look something like: https://images.n3vgames.com/trainzp...ots/63375/1000/My-Trainz-Screenshot-Image.jpg



Posting Your Screenshot on the Forum

1) Open a browser and navigate to the forum (https://forums.auran.com/trainz/forum.php)
2) Find the page you wish to post on.
3) Login if not logged in (you need to be logged in to post). Create a user login if needed.
4) Click the 'Reply to Thread' button near the bottom of the page. This will open an editor window on the page for your post (a box with edit icons on top in a menu)

My-Trainz-Screenshot-Image.jpg


5) To post the picture, click on the icon that looks like a picture with a tree on it (hover over it and it will display 'Insert Picture'). This will bring up a prompt that asks for the url to use. Paste in the url your copied earlier (you did copy it, right?)
My-Trainz-Screenshot-Image.jpg

6) Click the Ok button. This will add the formatting needed to put the image in your posting. Your image should now appear in the edit post box.
My-Trainz-Screenshot-Image.jpg

7) Click the 'Post Quick Reply' button to finish posting your image.

Congrats, you have now posted an image on the forums!
 
Last edited:
You don't just have to upload pics to the Trainz Gallery specifically though. Sites like Imgur and Gyazo work just as well, if not better. Imgur doesn't require an account, and Gyazo can be downloaded as a program for faster use.
 
I was just describing what I use in the hope it may help others who are struggling perhaps with getting their screenshots posted. I was not aware of some of the other tools (imgur and bandicam I have heard of, but have no direct experience with) I'll have to look into those other tools. Thanks.
 
Thanks whamm0, no more complicated than using a commercial hosting site, no other log-in details to remember and being all done in-house little chance of the site closing in the future because if it should we will have stopped posting anyway. Peter
 
Sorry, but as a first-time user of Trainz Gallery, I find it doesn't behave as described. I can get my image into the Gallery ok, but run into trouble trying to get the URL.

I get as far as Get the Url For Your Screenshot, step 4);

"In the tab with just the image in it, copy the url from url box. This is the url you need to have for your posting on the forum. It will look something like:
https://images.n3vgames.com/trainzpo...shot-Image.jpg"

In my case, the URL in the address box is like this:
http://www.trainzportal.com/mytrainz/view_media_post?media_post_id=80144 . That's not a link to an image and doesn't work for inserting screenshots in the forum.

Feeling dumb, but any advice as to what I'm doing wrong?
 
Correct, guess it behaves differently in different browsers? whatever......
With Firefox, right click on the image, click copy image location then just paste that into the add image dialogue.
 
Sorry, but as a first-time user of Trainz Gallery, I find it doesn't behave as described. I can get my image into the Gallery ok, but run into trouble trying to get the URL.

I get as far as Get the Url For Your Screenshot, step 4);

"In the tab with just the image in it, copy the url from url box. This is the url you need to have for your posting on the forum. It will look something like:
https://images.n3vgames.com/trainzpo...shot-Image.jpg"

In my case, the URL in the address box is like this:
http://www.trainzportal.com/mytrainz/view_media_post?media_post_id=80144 . That's not a link to an image and doesn't work for inserting screenshots in the forum.

Feeling dumb, but any advice as to what I'm doing wrong?

I had a similar problem with Microsoft Edge in that I couldn't get the url. In order to do it, I had to open it in Internet Explorer. In the upper right corner of your address bar, there's a button represented by '...'. Click on that, select 'Open in Internet Explorer'. You'll then have to type in your username and password again to access Trainz Gallery. Once you do that, repeat step 2 from 'Get the Url For Your Screenshot'. Next, right click on the picture and select 'properties'. Copy and paste what's next to 'Address: (URL)' into 'insert image' on the forums. That's how I get my screenshots onto the Forums. It's a little bit confusing, but it works.
 
Jeez, what a nightmare.

Until Trainz Gallery learns to work properly with MS Edge, I'll be sticking to Imgur.com as my hosting site.

In the meantime, it would be nice if these elaborate instructions had a big warning right at the beginning that the Gallery isn't compatible with MS Edge browser!
 
4) Locate the screenshot on your pc. For TANE this is located at: C:\Users\<your user name on the pc>\AppData\Local\N3V Games\TANE\build <build number>\screenshots

That location is specific to your installation. For other users it may be at a completely different location, either somewhere else on the C: drive or on a different drive.
 
But why are people trusting Microsoft with Internet browsers after (This is my opinion.) disasters like Internet Explorer 6...

For browsers I would recommend using browsers based on the blink/chromium browser engine (Like Opera,Google Chrome,and any other browser based on the blink/chromium engine.) I recently got Opera and it handles the Trainz gallery fine... so did Google chrome,also Firefox if I recall right. Firefox just refused to download .cdp files unless you did "Save as..." which sometimes can't be done. (I think Firefox didn't download .cdp files unless you did "Save as..." because Firefox did not know what a .cdp file was and thought that it was "Protecting" you from a dangerous file.)

Although you can still use Microsoft Edge if you want,I would just use a different browser if Edge is being such a hassle. Just my recommendation,you don't have to do it.:p
 
These instructions assume you have recently uploaded the image to the gallery.
Edit:
With recently I mean within a few hours of uploading. If you upload your images at the end of your playing session, they should be near the top of the page and you maybe have to scroll a bit to find them. If you have to use search to find your image, the below steps don't apply.

Instructions for doing it in Chrome:
  1. Go to http://www.trainzportal.com/mytrainz/
  2. Hover your mouse over the image and click on "FULL IMAGE"
  3. Right-mouse-click the image and select "Copy image address"

Instructions for doing it in Internet Explorer:
  1. Go to http://www.trainzportal.com/mytrainz/
  2. Hover your mouse over the image and click on "FULL IMAGE"
  3. Right-mouse-click the image and select "Properties"
  4. Copy the address listed behind "Address: (URL)"

Instructions for doing it in Firefox:
  1. Go to http://www.trainzportal.com/mytrainz/
  2. Hover your mouse over the image and click on "FULL IMAGE"
  3. Right-mouse-click the image and select "Copy Image Location"

Instructions for doing it in Edge:
  1. Go to http://www.trainzportal.com/mytrainz/
  2. Hover your mouse over the image and click on "FULL IMAGE"
  3. Right-mouse-click the image and select "Copy"

Please take the time to read this suggestion and leave your support for it (if applicable):
https://forums.auran.com/trainz/sho...Add-easy-function-to-use-screenshots-on-forum
 
Last edited:
Instructions for doing it in Edge
:

Sorry, but that just does not work.

I recovered the one image I have in the gallery using "Search Image". I get a page with a thumbnail of the image.

- Hovering my mouse over it doesn't present the option of "FULL IMAGE".

- Left-clicking the thumbnail or clicking the "View" link beside the thumbnail, opens a large version of the image. Right-clicking that brings up a floating menu with "Copy" in it but it doesn't actually copy anything (confirmed by opening Notepad and see the "Paste" command is not active).

- Right-clicking the thumbnail brings up another floating menu with "Copy" (again useless) and "Copy Link" (but this only copies the page URL, not the image URL, so again is useless).

Should not be this hard.
 
Sorry, but that just does not work.
If you don't wait two days before you want to post your screenshot, it does ;). If you go to the gallery within a few hours of making the screenshot (or wait till at the end of your session to upload them), it will still be near the top so you can just scroll to it and apply the steps. Two days ago apparently is not recently enough :hehe:.
These instructions assume you have recently uploaded the image to the gallery.

Again, please take the time to read this suggestion and leave your support for it (if applicable):
https://forums.auran.com/trainz/sho...Add-easy-function-to-use-screenshots-on-forum
... because I do agree it takes a bit of knowledge how to get the image URL out of a website and I think it can be made easier.
 
Last edited:

If you go to the gallery within a few hours of making the screenshot (or wait till at the end of your session to upload them), it will still be near the top so you can just scroll to it and apply the steps. Two days ago apparently is not recently enough :hehe:
.



That's unbelievably bad design isn't it? What would Leonardo Da Vinci say if his Mona Lisa could only be seen if it was less than 2 days since he painted it?

Regarding your suggested improvement, I visited the page and added my enthusiastic support.


.
 
Last edited:
These instructions assume you have recently uploaded the image to the gallery.
Edit:
With recently I mean within a few hours of uploading. If you upload your images at the end of your playing session, they should be near the top of the page and you maybe have to scroll a bit to find them. If you have to use search to find your image, the below steps don't apply.

Instructions for doing it in Chrome:
  1. Go to http://www.trainzportal.com/mytrainz/
  2. Hover your mouse over the image and click on "FULL IMAGE"
  3. Right-mouse-click the image and select "Copy image address"

Instructions for doing it in Internet Explorer:
  1. Go to http://www.trainzportal.com/mytrainz/
  2. Hover your mouse over the image and click on "FULL IMAGE"
  3. Right-mouse-click the image and select "Properties"
  4. Copy the address listed behind "Address: (URL)"

Instructions for doing it in Firefox:
  1. Go to http://www.trainzportal.com/mytrainz/
  2. Hover your mouse over the image and click on "FULL IMAGE"
  3. Right-mouse-click the image and select "Copy Image Location"

Instructions for doing it in Edge:
  1. Go to http://www.trainzportal.com/mytrainz/
  2. Hover your mouse over the image and click on "FULL IMAGE"
  3. Right-mouse-click the image and select "Copy"

Please take the time to read this suggestion and leave your support for it (if applicable):
https://forums.auran.com/trainz/sho...Add-easy-function-to-use-screenshots-on-forum

Great work there Shane and O -- :D

Take Care both
Ish
 
I was just describing what I use in the hope it may help others who are struggling perhaps with getting their screenshots posted. I was not aware of some of the other tools (imgur and bandicam I have heard of, but have no direct experience with) I'll have to look into those other tools. Thanks.

Thank you very much for the time and effort you have taken in what is a most helpful and lucid post.

Regards
ess1
 
Thanks everyone for the additions about various browsers. I guess I overlooked differences in them. I was mostly going for a guide, knowing there would be differences (in browsers, OS, screenshot folder location, etc) but being unable to check/list them all.

Oknotsen, the suggestion you have for the gallery is excellent and would simplify things greatly.

As for Edge not working, most likely N3V never tested the gallery using that browser back when they created it (I assume it was around prior to Edge). I believe Edge uses a different codebase than IE series of browsers, so even if they tested against IE, Edge may still have problems. I would suggest a non Microsoft browser instead.
 
One other thought, for those having trouble finding their screenshots in the 'Recent Activity' tab of the gallery. Try searching for your user name (search tab). This will list just your uploads, no matter when you uploaded them.
 
Back
Top