Changing track ballast color

Greetings,

Not sure if this is a simple task or an involved process.....

Is it possible to change the color of the ballast associated with a track asset?

There is a type of track that I like to use in my routes but not the color of the ballast that goes with it.

If this is possible, what is the process to do so?

Fred Bray

It shouldn't be too complicated. Go into Surveyor Classic. Go to "Bulk asset update/replace." Select the current ballast in the left box and the new ballast in the right. Make sure it says "anywhere on the route." Hit Begin and Presto, new ballast is there.

Thanks for the info, but I already know about the bulk asset replace for replacing ballast textures.... but what I am looking for is this - every track asset on the DLS unless it is Rails Only has ballast already part of the track. What I want to know is how to change the color of the ballast that is part of the track.

Thanks in advance.

Fred Bray

The only way to change ballast on the track asset it's self would be to reskin it.

I've done this a number of times. My re-ballasted tracks are rusty ones I use for sidings and branches where clean track is too perfect for what I want.

Using Paint.net or a similar application, I replaced the ballast with the texture I wanted to use. For older-type tracks such as the Jointed Rail US 132 lb. track, it's fairly easy. Procedural track requires you find the texture library and update the textures in that. PBR textures are a different matter and I've never played around with those, and I can't help.

As always, work with a clone to make your own version.

I've done similar ballast replacements as John has done and I used Paint.net as well. I was using Pencil42's 60lb track on my coastal tramways and I needed dirty ballast as well as a mixed sand and shingle ballast. Changing the ballast textures were reasonably straightforward for plain track, modding procedural track libraries were a bit more tricky, but I figured it out. The nice thing about modding Pencil42's track is that he's completely open to having it uploaded to the DLS and he even passed some nice comments about what I'd done.

PBR textures though, - I stay away from those in case the jelly monsters come and get me.