Locomotive transfer from MSTS to Trainz

A long time ago when I didn't know any better, I asked a well-known content creator if it was possible to bring in the heavyweight coaches from RW to Trainz as that's something we're sorely lacking - even today. His reply:

you cant convert one way or another. its just not that simple. each game requires different things for the models. there would be no shall we say legal way to convert those models, and it would be just like starting from scratch anyway. you have to make the geometry and re-apply all of the materials and reset them for TRS and im format.... you are just better off starting from a clean slate and making your own rather than worrying about a conversion. its just not worth the hassle.

i was able to do both TRS and RW and MSTS models at the same time because i own the models and i made them. so all i had to do was recofigure the source models for each game.

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JCitron said:

You can have Trainz installed on multiple computers as along as they don't all go online at the same time. I run a copy on my laptop when I travel, and have my main copy on my desktop. Works perfectly.

John

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Same thing here. I have a copy on my main computer, and a copy on my laptop for when we go out of town.

You really have to decide which rail sim you want to run ... you can have several rail sims on your PC ... but transferring them from game to game is very complex ... and Trainz already has most of them that you want ... and what Trainz doesn't have, go run it on the other sim ... IDK it just sounds like allot of work with non-interchangeable parts ... sort of like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqettwJC4ME
[url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wfnnog3kGLU
[/URL]

MSTS models use the same track dimensions as Trainz does. I've done MSTS conversions before, and depending on the loco it took me 15 minutes tops. Any experienced Trainz modeler/animator could get a MSTS port done easily. As far as legal issues surrounding MSTS models, Microsoft doesn't care if you port the Kuju content as long as you credit them somewhere in the release. Kuju is a developer, so you follow the publisher's copyright policies, not the developer (I thought it was the other way around, but it's not). Again, this only applies to the default content, but hey, I love that content.

It is possible to reverse-engineer Trainz models. I have a model viewer that can convert it to a common format, but of course I don't tell/give it to anyone. It's quite helpful if you lost the source files to the mesh like I did for two of my models.

Remember, nearly anything can be reverse-engineered.

Really TomixNscale89? I did not know that you have converted MSTS models. I'm still trying to figure it out myself.

I don't really recommend it. People look down on you, and will discourage it. If you are going to port MSTS models and release them, the Kuju models are your only option.

There are some Czech diesel locomotives on a Trainz website that were old MSTS models from about 7 years ago, so, it is possible to get rolling stock into Trainz, but, of course, you need the original creator's permission, and the knowledge in how to do it, good luck.....:hehe:

Cheerz. ex-railwayman.

GDennish said:

I don't really recommend it. People look down on you, and will discourage it. If you are going to port MSTS models and release them, the Kuju models are your only option.

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I've just been trying to do it for my own use, to convert the MSTS version of Thomas models, nothing else. And before anyone once again quotes me, YES, I know of SI3D films.

I don't really see the need for that since the Si3D models are more to the standards of today, but your choice.

I have gotten trainz 2006 and I have a lot of the locos that I want. The only two things that I want to try to see if someone else did already was a AC6000 or New York Central Flexivans. I haven't seen any of these anywhere. And, I bought a copy of TRS2006 and made sure it was valid by the Auran Helpdesk. And, I have stopped using MSTS for a little while because the detail isn't as good as what you can get for Trainz.