TrainzOnline - User contributions [en]

Category:Trainz Wiki

2013-02-15T12:44:42Z

Retro00064:

This category should contain all category trees on the Trainz Wiki, and pages that do not fit into a category tree.

Category:Trainz Wiki

2013-02-15T12:43:54Z

Retro00064:

This category should contain all category trees on the Trainz Wiki, and pages that do not belong in a subcategory.

Route and Session Creation

2013-02-15T12:20:09Z

Retro00064: + Category:Content creation.

Unlike many other [[Content Creation]] techniques, route and session creation is performed within the comfort of the Trainz [[Surveyor]] environment with no need to manipulate external tools. This page provides information ranging from planning out a new route through to creating story-boarded gameplay [[session]]s. To get started quickly, please read [[HowTo/Create a session]].

==Route Creation==

* Researching a Prototypical Route
* Practical Limitations
* Shaping the Ground
* Ground Texturing
* Placing Water
* Laying Track
* Junctions
* Trackside Objects
* Interactive Industries
* Scenery Splines
* Scenery Objects
* Signalling
* Testing your Route
* Route Layers

==Session Creation==

* Session Layers
* Placing Trains in a Session
* Configuring Industries for a Session
* Configuring Junctions for a Session
* Configuring Environmental Options for a Session
* Triggers and Trackmarks
* The Surveyor Rules Editor
* Configuring Driver Commands for a Session
* [[:Category:Rules|The list of all documented rules]].

[[Category:TBD]]
[[Category:Content creation]]

Terminology

2013-02-15T12:19:23Z

Retro00064: + Category:Trainz Wiki.

This page describes some of the more common train-related, content-creation-related, and general computing terms used in the Trainz environment. Users are encouraged to add their own common terms to this page in a similar fashion. Please keep in mind that this site is dedicated to TS2009 content creation, and terms which are meaningless in this context may be removed.

=General Train Terminology=

* In Advance Of - Signalling term. A signal is said to be 'in advance of' something, if a driver stopped at that signal would have to drive forwards to get there.
* In Rear Of - Signalling term. A signal is said to be 'in rear of' something, if a driver stopped at that signal would have to drive backwards to get there.

TBD.

=Trainz Content Creation=
* Alias - An asset which takes it's ''mesh'' from another asset, but replaces one or more of the original ''textures'' with locally provided ones. Commonly used to reskin an asset. '''Note: TS2009 onwards do not accept aliased assets in Content Manager, though they still work in the game.'''
* [[Alpha blending]] - The process of using an opacity setting or texture alpha channel to allow partial transparency. Alpha blending is a hardware operation, however by itself blending does not combine well with a traditional hardware depth-buffer technique. The end result is that multiple overlapping layers of alpha blending will not be rendered in the physically correct order without some alternative non-hardware-accelerated techniques. Such techniques should be avoided due to the associated performance losses. In short: use alpha blending sparingly, and do not apply an alpha-blended material to polygons which could do without.
* [[Alpha masking]] - The process of using a texture alpha channel to "mask out" parts of the texture, allowing arbitrary see-through areas on the texture. Unlike ''alpha blending'', alpha masking does not allow semi-transparent areas - each resultant texel is either fully textured, or fully transparent. Alpha masking is a fully hardware-accelerated technique.
* Asset - A single item of content in the Trainz environment, consisting of a ''config.txt file'' and any associated resource files. Each asset is uniquely identified by its ''KUID''. An asset may reference any number of ''dependencies'' which are required for correct operation.
* [http://www.blender.org Blender] - A free [[Modeling]] tool with similar functionality to the commercial ''MAX'' software.
* [[KIND_Bogey|Bogey]] - Asset type used to represent wheels and suspension components. Used for anything that needs to rotate as the train moves along the track (e.g. wheels), or move (by rotation or translation) to match the angle and position of the track (e.g. subframe and suspension components). In the US this is normally referred to as a ''truck'', and in the UK as a ''bogie''.
* Bump mapping - Another term for ''Normal mapping''.
* Cab / Cabin / Interior - Asset made to represent the inside of an object, typically a ''Vehicle''.
* [[Content Manager]] - Program for querying and editing the ''Trainz Asset Database''. Common tasks performed with Content Manager include downloading, installing, editing, archiving and removing content.
* Dependency - An ''asset'' which is required by this asset in order to function properly.
* Dependent - An ''asset'' which requires this asset in order to function properly.
* Geometry - A three-dimensional ''mesh'', without any related textures or material properties.
* Indices - Each triangle has three indices. Each index is a reference to a vertex. (Vertices can be shared between multiple polygons).
* [[KUID]] - Unique identifier for a specific Trainz ''asset''. Consists of Creator ID, Content ID and Version number fields.
* [[Kuid-table_container|KUID Table]] - The [[Kuid-table_container|kuid-table container]] of an asset's [[config.txt file]]. Used to specify ''dependencies''.
* Level-Of-Detail / LOD - A technique where an object (typically a mesh) is built with a number of variations which look as close as possible to identical, but which trade off quality and performance to differing degrees. The engine selects between the various levels at runtime based on metrics such as distance from the observer. For textures, ''mip-mapping'' serves a similar purpose without requiring manual attention. All medium-to-high-detail meshes should supply LOD variants. [[LM.txt_file]]s are used for LOD on moving/animated models.
* Material - A named object with a specific material type in combination with its necessary parameters and ''textures''.
* MAX / 3D Studio Max - The commercial [[Modeling]] tool used and supported by Auran.
* Mesh - A three-dimensional ''model'' used in the game environment. The word ''mesh'' is often used to refer to a specific game file containing the three-dimensional ''geometry'' without related properties such as the model's textures.
* Mesh Library - An asset which other assets use. These assets refer to the mesh library by KUID, using a 'mesh-asset' tag in their mesh table. Nothing special is needed for an asset to be a mesh library, it just has to contain mesh files.
* [[Mesh stitching]] - A runtime optimization process which combines multiple individual mesh instances into a single ''draw call'' for performance reasons. This results in higher performance with no visible changes.
* [["mesh-table"_Container|Mesh Table]] - The [["mesh-table" Container]] of an asset's [[config.txt file]].
* Mip mapping - Process to reduce texture detail for objects in the distance, or at a sharp angle to the camera. Used to avoid problems with aliasing (flicker), which can occur where the texture is of comparable or higher detail than the display equipment.
* Model - A three-dimensional object, built in a special [[modeling]] package such as Blender or Max. The word ''model'' is often used to describe the concept of a three-dimensional object including properties such as its textures.
* [[Normal map|Normal mapping]] - A more advanced form of ''texture mapping'' which allows per-pixel control over the lighting conditions on the target geometry. Among other benefits, this technique allows a content creator to define small bumps and grooves in a surface in addition to simple coloration.
* Obsolete - An ''asset'' is obsolete if it has been replaced by a newer version.
* [["String-table" container|String Table]] - The [["String-table" container]] of an asset's [[config.txt file]]. Used for localization strings (i.e. anything that will be displayed to the user).
* Pixel - One individual point on a ''texture'' image, consisting of red, green, blue and alpha components (e.g. a texture size of 512 pixels by 512 pixels). May also refer to one individual point within a display (e.g. a display size of 1024 pixels by 768 pixels).
* Polygons - In modeling terms, a polygon is always a triangle. (Please note, this is different from the 3DSMax definition).
* Render call / Draw call - A single hardware rendering operation. This is an important concept when performance is a concern, as there is a substantial performance overhead to each draw call. By minimizing the number of draw calls, the same scene can be rendered at a notably higher frame rate. Each draw call associates one ''material'' with some quantity of ''vertices'' and ''indices''.
* [[KIND_Map|Route / Layout / Map]] - Asset created in ''Surveyor'', consisting of a textured landscape and one or more ''Layers'' containing ''scenery objects'', ''splines'', ''trackside objects'', ''Vehicles'', etc.
* [[KIND_Scenery|Scenery]] / Map object object - A scenery object is an instance of an ''asset'' that is placed in Surveyor at a given location and orientation.
* [[KIND_Profile|Session]] - Asset created in surveyor, which extends a ''map'' by placing on it additional layers of objects - commonly ''Vehicles'', but any ''scenery object'', ''spline'', ''trackside object'', etc, can also be added. The Session also contains all the saved script data from any asset in the combination of map and session.
* Specular lighting - Lighting effects that vary dependent on the angle of incident light.
* [[KIND_Track|Spline]] - A continuous linear 3D model such as a hedge, a fence, a road, or a track. Splines are placed in Surveyor as a series of ''spline control points'' and the geometry is built in a smoothed path between the control points.
* Texel - One texture pixel, once mapped onto a 3D Model and rendered in a scene. Does not correspond to one screen pixel.
* Texture - A two-dimensional image used for [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texture_mapping texture mapping].
* Texture Sharing - When two or more ''meshes'' in the same asset (which may be a ''mesh library'', and thus used by many assets) use the same ''material'' and ''texture''. Trainz can then use ''mesh stitching'' to render them in the same ''draw call'', with corresponding performance improvements.
* [[KIND_Scenery-trackside|Trackside object]] - A trackside object is a specialisation of a ''scenery object'' that is placed attached to a spline. When the spline is moved, the trackside object is also moved.
* [[Scripting|TrainzScript]] / [[Scripting|GameScript]] - Used interchangeably, these terms refer to the Trainz scripting language.
* Trainz Asset Database - Contains all the metadata information about Trainz content. Editable through [[Content Manager]] and [[TrainzUtil]].
* TrainzUtil - Command line tool to query and edit the ''Trainz Asset Database''.
* Trainz Native Interface - TBD
* Triangles - Three vertices (or specifically, three indices) form a triangle. The triangle is the basic unit of a ''mesh'' ''geometry''.
* [[KIND_Traincar|Vehicle]] - All ''assets'' which can be placed into a train (consist). Includes locomotives. Not to be confused with road cars, which are actually ''Trackside'' objects (as they are attached to roads).
* Vertices - The individual three-dimensional (x, y, z) coordinates that form the corner points of ''triangles'' in a ''mesh'' ''geometry''.

=File Formats=
* [[config.txt file]]
* [[.texture.txt_Files|.texture.txt file]]
* .texture file
* .pm file
* [[IM files|.im file]]
* [[LM.txt file|.lm file]]
* .gs file
* .gse file
* .cdp file
* .cmpa file

=Abbreviations=
* TAD - Trainz Asset Database.
* CM - Content Manager.
* LOD - Level-Of-Detail.
* IM - Indexed Mesh file format.
* PM - Progressive Mesh file format.
* LM - Level-of-detail Mesh file format.
* TNI - Trainz Native Interface.

[[Category:Trainz Wiki]]

Physics

2013-02-15T12:18:29Z

Retro00064: + Category:TBD.

''This page needs to be formatted into a decent information source, with commentary on what is simulated, what is not simulated, and what the suspected bugs are if any. -chris''

==Coupler Breakage==

The coupler breakage feature was a great idea in Trainz Railroad Simulator 2006 for the realist but it has problems with its script that doesn't allow a different calculation for stretch,expansion and buff,compression forces. Trying to include the "coupler-compression" in the script would do nothing. A train just moving down a track should not break a coupler aka "knuckle". The buff,compression force on a standard "Janney" knuckle is huge and the car is likely to be crushed or jackknifed before the coupler breaks. Under normal freight train conditions the slack is stretched, like a chain, through the whole train and when the train tops a hill and the last car(s) start accelerating and it can actually get going faster than the locomotive but only until the slack is bunched all the way to the loco, when the slack hits the loco it accelerates to the trains speed and then the slack is bunched. This happens not all at once but car by car starting with the last one and acts like dominoes. The tensile strength of a knuckle is around 390000 lbs ~1735kN static shock load can reach 520000 lbs or more.

''I'm uncertain on what your point is here. Trainz calculates the compression and expansion forces running through the couplers, and flags them as broken if these forces exceed the specified limits. You can tweak the limits to whatever you think is appropriate. Slack and compression of the entire consist is modelled appropriately to achieve this result. -chris''

chris, the point is couplers don't break in compression, cars are crushed or most likely jackknife aka derail. I know from experience that on a 13000 ton coal train, that when the train brakes are used even in an emergency application that the couplers don't break. Also trying to use dynamic brakes on the engine also break couplers and it usually happens between the engines, if the engine isn't powerful enough to break couplers in expansion then it should not be able to do so while dynamic braking. I was going to find a few pictures of where couplers have hit head on at high speed and the coupler survived the car or engine was crushed. i just couldn't find one on the net. when i try to use the physics, no matter how high i make the settings the couplers will break in compression the stock settings are 2500kn in expansion; there are no compression settings without changing the script manually; and I've tried 100000kn, and thats not a typo, and still break couplers in compression. The problem is, is that trainz does not separate compression from expansion calculations. if one or the other reaches the limit, the coupler breaks. Vehicle Physics,<kuid:-16:280742> is my version that is doing this. if you need more detail ill be back. thanks chris.

''From what you're saying here, it sounds like we're modelling both compression and expansion correctly (and yes, we model these seperately) but we're not modelling any kind of compression within the vehicle itself. This is quite true - we assume that the vehicle is infinitely rigid, so any movement applied to one end of a vehicle will result in an equal movement at the other end of the vehicle. This will certainly exaggerate the forces on the couplers, even if the coupler calculations are correct. I doubt that there's a fault in the actual coupler calculations, because that's just a measurement of the force as a byproduct of the movement simulation, rather than a seperate simulation for the purpose of coupler breakage. Remember that we do not simulate any destruction of the vehicles, nor do we simulate any off-center forces on the train other than the effect of curved track, so if something is going to give internally, it will be the couplers. -chris''

ok Chris here it is, a picture of the head on where the coupler survived and the engine was crushed.
[http://www.csx-sucks.com/pictures/?al_head_on.jpg Head on]
btw I'm not an English major and don't know how to format, but I know physics and trains.

Please Chris - if we're going to have a Wiki at least make an effort to actually read what is written. The previous contributor just stated that even when he sets the breakage value under compression to a ridiculously high figure, the couplers still break. You then say it sounds as if everything is working correctly?!

''Please re-read what i said above. -chris''

The other problem is that despite what you say Chris, the current implementation does not break couplers if the specified force is exceeded in tension. The simple test is as follows. On the Tidewater route there is a grade that climbs from the river up to the tunnel (the one you guys used to do the steam physics demo session in TRS2006). On this grade put an SD40-2 and the 3000 tonne US Coal consist. Add the vehicle physics rule to the session and set the coupler breakage value in tension as 1Kn.
The standard SD40-2 enginespec throttle curve puts out 165Kn tractive effort at zero speed in notch 1, so as soon as we release the brakes and open the throttle to notch 1, we should have exceeded the first coupler's breaking tension by a factor of 165 times!! They don't break though.

I personally suspect that Trainz actually calculates neither tension or compression forces correctly. My test could likewise be used to test compression sinply by putting the loco at the back of the train and pushing. The only time I've had couplers break is when there is a speed difference between two cars equal or greater to the speed value set for "couplers break when coupling above X mph" in the rule. -Stuart

''The forces at the couplers are not a separate calculation, but rather are an integral component of the train movement physics. If this was not functioning, the train would not move. So I think it's reasonably safe to say that the actual forces are being calculated correctly. Now, that doesn't mean that the coupler breakage code is working, or that the rules which control the coupler breakage setting is working - so I am not saying that there are no bugs here, but rather that I don't think that there are any problems with the coupler force calculations themselves. If you have a reproducible case which demonstrates a failure of one of these components, then I'd strongly encourage you to bring this up on the public test forum where the QA guys will see your comments and follow it up. The wiki is a documentation tool, not a bug reporting tool. -chris''

Are there any connection between forces in couplers and couplers' expansion? I can't find any expanding or compression of couplers after the train has been put in motion, even using reverse traction force (until the train stops to change the direction). Also the "expansion" and "compression" functions of GS are mixed up, their arguments have to be in Newtons, not kiloNewtons. -Vladimir

==Cab Sway==

The cab sway was also another idea that never worked in TRS2006 no matter how much you changed the settings and should be addressed or removed. -dmatlock

''It works as designed. If you'd like to see a nicer effect, please specify details about what you think the effect should be. -chris''

chris i can't tell that the engine(in cab mode) sways or cars for that matter they all hit a turnout and its like nothing happened. in real life I've never seen a car or engine not sway even when going on straight track. all cars/engines sway and most have a resonance between 22km/h and 35km/h and can sway enough to derail under the right conditions. the taller the car (you guessed it) the more it sways. speed, cg, and springs on the trucks all have a little to do with it, even the wind and direction have an effect. if trainz really wants to make this part work they must have the cg of the cars and engines and the cg if its loaded and calculate the sway of each. Man thats a lot of calculations just for physics, and thats not all thats needed to make a train in trainz look, act, and feel like a real train. later chris. -dmatlock

I feel I should mention that I have seen cars and engines with the sway working but the sway has been way to much; more like a ship in a storm than a train going across the desert. -peter

ok chris ive looked at the "sway" again and it does have an effect but its more leaning than sway. when i think sway its not steady, but varies as the springs compress and release. -dmatlock

I think that sway must be simple, not to overload the core of the game. It may be created to join tracks or a junction. In such a place would train made sway, which can be defined in CONFIG. This definition is only a "solid spring", nothing more. Simply setting from 0 to 1 is needed ;-)
Big sway may also be made manually, using a set connection tracks - its downgrade/reduction (I make it in TRS04: not bad results :-)
Professional term is (cross) Fall. Sorry for my school english :-) -drew

[[Category:TBD]]

Download Station

2013-02-15T12:16:55Z

Retro00064: + Category:Trainz Wiki.

The Download Station is N3V's public repository of 3rd-party custom content. Any Trainz user may upload their home-built content and download content made by others.

Content on the Download Station has historically shown significant rates of errors or missing dependencies. This is being addressed via the [[Download Station Cleanup]].

[[Category:Trainz Wiki]]

Content Management

2013-02-15T12:16:29Z

Retro00064: + Category:Trainz Wiki.

'''Content Management for typical end-users'''

People use Trainz in a variety of ways and have many different skill levels, areas of interest and needs. Users tend to restrict themselves to one of the following modes:

* Use Driver with built-in routes only.
* Use Driver with downloaded routes/sessions/scenarios.
* Use Surveyor with built-in content only, and never upload.
* Use Surveyor with downloaded content, and never upload.
* Use Surveyor with downloaded content, and upload routes.

Most of these users do not want to deal with the make-up of individual items of content, faulty content, missing dependencies, and the like. Each of the above usages needs to be available as a one-click solution without unexpected hurdles.

'''Content Management for Content Creators'''

Once you move beyond downloading or uploading routes and into creating 3D objects , sessions or scenarios, you qualify as an advanced content creator. Content Creators need to understand a lot more about the inner workings of Trainz content, and computers in general. While there is a grey area where simple content can be manufactured following step-by-step instructions without the user really understanding why they are performing each step, there is a steep learning curve to move into full-blown content creation.

Users who choose to create and distribute content have some implicit responsibilities - that their content will work, that their content does not cause problems for other users, etc. Content creators also have certain reasonable expectations - that a Trainz update will not break compatibility with their content, that N3V will not impose unnecessary effort onto the content creator, and that given a base level of computer literacy, sufficient instruction and feedback will be available that any problems can be resolved.

'''Content Creation History'''

N3V's content creation workflow is designed to balance the above requirements on typical end-users, content creators, and N3V.

With the original Trainz versions, custom content was unmanaged, presenting a range of problems including incompatabilities between content supplied by different creators, incompatibility with newer Trainz versions, etc. This was addressed by the introduction of an official content-packaging mechanism (CDP) and the Content Creation Guide (CCG) which detailed the process of creating content of various types.

As the range of custom content and the number of supported Trainz versions increased, a new problem became evident- content broke in newer Trainz versions, and it became difficult to download content without numerous errors and missing content items being flagged. This impacts heavily on the user experience, especially for the typical end-users. In some cases this was due to specification changes (deliberate or otherwise) on N3V's part, but in the vast majority of cases this was the direct result of content creators failing to follow the CCG - because of human error, because of insufficient clarity or examples, and because creators wanted to stretch the game to capabilities beyond those detailed in the CCG.

It's fairly easy to see that the following workflow is ideal:

* N3V provides accurate and complete documentation.
* N3V provides content creation tools which both allow flexibility and reduce the chance of violations of the CCG.
* Content creator uses the tools and documentation and their own skills to create quality content.
* N3V provides tools for the content creator and other users to validate that content is not faulty.
* N3V provides easy-to-use mechanisms for end-users to locate and download content that will work with their Trainz version.

Additionally, errors are inevitable from all parties. There needs to be a way to rectify errors at every step:

* Documentation updates and communication of changes.
* Content Creation Tool updates.
* Mechanisms for the content creator to become aware of problems, and assistance given in fixing problems.
* Newly identified issues are added to the validation process.
* Mechanisms for end-users to become aware of content fixes, and to receive updates without causing additional problems or effort.

TRS2006 took the first serious steps towards the above workflow. The implementation was far from perfect - some areas are too lax and others too restrictive - and the required workflow was significantly different from that which existing content creators were accustomed.

[[Category:Trainz Wiki]]

Trainz Online

2013-02-15T12:14:54Z

Retro00064: + Category:Trainz Wiki.

Trainz Online - a window to the exciting world of Trainz.

Trainz Online is a union of technology and content that encourages Trainz users to become part of the online community. It enables content creators to showcase their content and provide additional information and real world background about their route, loco or even scenery objects. It enables users to locate and browse useful information without leaving the Trainz game environment. It also allows users to share their feedback with creators directly and to share information amongst themselves.

== Content ==

Trainz Online is a new community-driven website that will provide mechanisms for the online community to share information, content, and participate in discussions of Trainz-related topics. Whilst in development, Trainz Online is a subset of the TrainzDev site. As it is fleshed out more it will be tested online and then in-game prior to being fully launched in conjunction with the launch of TS2009.

Trainz Online will provide numerous community features including forums, per-user blogs, per-user image gallery, a wiki, and some community management features such as news and home pages.

Future extensions of the Trainz Online site may include the ability for users to embed DLS content, content galleries, user-driven community groups, etc.

== Technology ==

Within the Trainz game environment, Trainz Online is expressed through an [[embedded web browser]] window. This allows new users to get a taste for the Trainz Online site without having to go out of their way to locate, sign-up, and participate in our web community. It is expected that frequent users will use a regular web browser for most online activities, since a regular browser is optimised specifically for browsing and does not carry the overhead of the Trainz game for simple browsing tasks. The intent of the embedded browser is not to compete with a regular browser, but rather to make specific content available in a context where a regular browser would be inappropriate.

From the point of view of a content creator, this means that users can click on a link from a menu page and become immersed in whatever content can be delivered through a web page. The current limitation to this in-game is the lack of support for Flash or other plug-ins. Currently it is expected that webpages will be published through an Auran controlled website for security reasons. Webpages will be published using similar tools to the current TrainzDev site.

The following specific tasks are intended to be solved through the use of the embedded Trainz Online browser:

* Encourage new users to become involved in the Trainz online community by providing integrated access to selected areas of the [[Trainz Online]] site from within the game environment.
* Allow the browsing of tutorials and rapid lookup of [[Help: Main Page|online community-driven help]] and information without leaving the game environment.
* Promote third-party content creation by encouraging [http://www.trainzdev.com/index.php?option=com_comprofiler&Itemid=26 personal] and [[Content Creation Groups|group]] areas within Trainz Online and allow content to lead the user directly to these areas.
* Allow the use of standard HTML editing tools for the creation of in-game tutorials and informational pages.

==In-game==
Within the game environment, [[Trainz Online]] can be accessed from anywhere- Surveyor, Driver, even the main menu. The user may open the [[Trainz Online]] interface at any time, and content may provide links to [[Trainz Online]] help or information pages. [[Trainz Online]] users have access to the following components:

* [[iTrainz Chat]] allows communication between users whenever they are in-game, enabling community chat channels and private messaging.
* The [[embedded web browser]] allows users to surf the [[Trainz Online]] site.
* The [http://online.ts2009.com/mediaWiki/index.php5/Help:Main_Page online help system] provides contextual information on tools and content.
* [[Trainz Online]] pages may provide asset links, which the user may preview or install without leaving the game environment.

[[Category:Trainz Wiki]]

TrainzOnline:Content Creation Projects

2013-02-15T12:12:15Z

Retro00064: + Category:Content creation.

''If you have a project or individual content items that you would like to submit for inclusion in TS2009, please provide details here. This could be scenery items, locos or fully fledged routes. Include a link to your [[Content Creation Groups]] page if applicable. Projects will be chosen with a focus on quality and ability to deliver on time. Content made to TS2009 specifications and quality guidelines is preferred (TBD- normal mapped, quad-detail terrain, etc.) Use the 'edit' button on the top toolbar to add your entry.''

==Submissions==

Your content submission here - Your content creation group or individual profile here - ''Project description here. Please include current status and estimated time to complete.''

====Routes====

* Peter Ware [pware] - I am continuing work on my SAR Peterborough series with the section from Peterborough to Mannhill - about 130km. Approx 20% complete and estimate completion about 5 months away. I currently have three other layouts of the same series on the DLS (Peterborough - Quorn, Peterborough - Terowie, Peterborough - Gladstone). None are based on DEM data but use eleveation data from Google Earth (manually applied). I have merged the three DLS layouts into a single large layout but have not yet uploaded it to the DLS - I am waiting to complete and add the Mannahill section before releasing it. Any (or all) of these would be available for use on TRS2009.

* titaniclover - Shipwreck Island & Shangri La Full Edition - Shipwreck Island, based off the novel "And Then There Were None" By Agatha Christie, is a run down line found on an island far off the coast. The only way of contact is by a small fishing harbor. (Project is entering final stages of completion.) Shangri La Full Edition is a revamp/expansion of the original Shangri La layout. Mixing bits of some of the built-in routes to TRS2006 like City & Country USA, British Mainlands, Industrail Wasteland, and Highland Valley to create an interesting and scenic running layout with mountains, rivers, sea, city, country and more. (To be complete by end of summer 2008.)

*Chrisracer8903 & [http://www.RRmods.com RRmods.com] - CN/ GTW Holly Sub, CSX Saginaw Sub, Conrail Lincoln Secondary and Detroit Connecting Railroad. All these routes except the Detroit Connecting Railroad are currently at the Trainz Download Station, but have expanded the branch-lines and added greater details than the current versions avalible. Status: All routes complete, Detroit Connecting Railroad just needs more beta testing around BOC Yard. Estimated: A few weeks. I decided to add on the Saginaw Sub west of town through Salem Hill so there can be sessions involving the 2-3 weekly coal trains that need a push from the local switcher in Plymouth. Also, adding the Alburn Hills branch to the GTW Holly Sub.

* [[Glen Innes to Wallangarra]] - [[Cardiff Workshops]] - The Northern leg of the [[NSW Great Northern Railway]]. Status: virtually complete, previously unreleased. Estimated 6-8 weeks feature adaptation.

* Virtual British Rail - Severn Valley Railway and Mid Norfolk Railway - Two high quality British preserved railways set in the present. To be built from TransDEM data. It will include custom built scenery and building and some of the railways diesel rolling stock, including a new Class 20, Class 56, Class 14, Class 52 and Class 101. Currently in Research and Planning stage, Est. Finish December 2008

* misterchugg - caboolture to rockhampton. very long run but not to dem data. typical of the route with most stations in place. cannot be fully tested as it crashes constantly in my TC 1+2. hope to be finished before december 08. setting from the transition era to the present by changing vehicle data in route config file

* Cheops - Fictional Britsh Railway based on operational experience (from a Guard's perspective) covering steam, diesel and AC motive power. Including mixed signals. It will be as large and as complex as 4Gb memory will allow. Both frieght and passenger operation can complete by Dec 2008. Finshed awaiting testing in 09

*PVincent342 - Trainz Commuter Rail - PROJECT CANCELLED

*Zwabberaar - On offer is a micro route based on a model train lay-out. The subject of said route is a logging operation and the lay-out promises some great shunting possibilities in combination with running a small business type railroad company. This all comes without the need for miles' long driving sessions thus creating the perfect solution for people without the time to run 1 hour plus sessions. I am a one-man party at the moment and welcome content creators to supply this short route with the necessary content, like building, scenery and rolling stock. Examples of my previous work can be viewed in my image gallery and progress on building the same rout in a TrainClassics version can be followed in my blog entries.

====Rolling Stock====

* MichaelWhiteley. I am currently creating a class 50 to replace the original Auran Class 50. This one will have more details (mesh and textures) and more features. I have already released one, however that one wasn't very good and I thought was very disappointing, so I have started again and this one is looking much, much more successful!!
It should be finished sometime this month.
Progress: Everything is going to plan. The loco is now in TC3. I now have permission for the engine/engine sounds/horn sound thanks to Crazy, Nameplate script (easily select nameplates with numbers thanks to Eldavo. Still need to sort other things out. The loco and bogeys are about 90% complete, the script is about 99% comlelte and the attachments…that’s about 60% done. So all in all it should be done by this mounth!
Normal maps can be added and the textures and mesh are suitable for LODs.
Pictures:
[http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd82/Mikkle_03/Screen_022-1.jpgimage 1]
[http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd82/Mikkle_03/1c-1.jpg image 2]
A new skin:
[http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd82/Mikkle_03/Screen_024-1.jpg image 3] < Still needs plenty of work!
I hope to do all liveries. Also if some one would like to create a reskin it is mapped out so it simple to do so!
I do work on my own but I am happy to work with and for group and to work with each other to get things done.

*GreatEastern (Andy Littlejohs) - British Rail Class 60 - Project to model the British Class 60 locomotive. This is well on its way, with the cab being worked upon now. Other remaining tasks are LOD models, a few textures and the Engine Spec.

* [[Southern Streamliners Project]] - [[East Coast Trainz]] - High quality creation of the 1941 Southerner and Tennessean specifically for TS2009.

* [[Southern Railway Steam Project]] - [[East Coast Trainz]] - High quality creation of most Southern Railway steamers.

*VinnyBarb - Australian diesel locomotives like the AN Class updated for TRS09 with scripted driver/headlights and marker lights change, SAR Bluebirds DMUs, upgraded Southern Railways (possibly with AN and SAR liveries too) Ghan-, Indian Pacific- and SAR Overland coaches with animated doors and passengers enabled, scripted marker lights change and some others - http://www.the-commander.com/screens.htm, possibly the Adelaide Transport 2000-[2100] and 3000-[3100] Class DMUs and AN CLP and CLF Class diesel locomotives. Currently working on upgrades of most and planning and research and progress of the others as well as TRS09 upgrades with normal maps to most of my TRS04 created buildingd etc.. Est. finish late 2008 or thereabouts.

* Earl White(Apogee10) - I created 3 streetcars that are prototypes of the New Orleans streetcar system. Desire Streetcar is the historical streetcar that operates on the St Charles line. Riverside Streetcar operates on the Riverside line and Canal Streetcar operates on the Canal Blvd line. The models were created for TRS2004 and will need updating as required for TRS2009. The streetcars are on the DLS.

* Euphod - I am in the process of updating the Pacific Locomotive and Tender to meet TC 1&2 error checking requirements. I then plan to update to TC3, and intend to have them released with 2009, if possible. The Pacifics are currently on the DLS. Certain signage and scenery items may also make it to 2009, and I would be happy to skin North American rolling stock for 2009 if I was given the information concerning same beforehand. As a member of TrainzProRoutes, and knowing we as a group are currently negotiating with Auran, I can't speak to route building, although I do have an idea for a quick route for North America that would not rely on much custom content.

*Dylanviey - Trainz Commuter Rail - Southern SW1 #1004, The ETA for completion Update: some time in the next week or 2 as long as i don't com across any new snags. .has platform for safely walking from the locomotive to a passenger car. Also a Custom Cab may be ready by December. But until than it's using the default SW cab. Also if you want to use one of my Other SW1's already released or still in the works. I can also make them a priority and get their "improvements" out faster. they are my first ever model so theres defiantly room for improvements witch i plan to improve sooner or later. Custom trucks are also an idea for a later date. if there's any other of my projects that i am currently working that you all would like in TS2009 than just ask. i can put anything as a priority and finish it quicker by putting off all other projects and only working on that one project all day long.

*trw1089 - [[Tuscan_River_Works|Tuscan River Works]] - Union Pacific 2-8-0 (about 2 weeks work left on texturing, and a couple for a new cab), any of my existing items, locos, buildings, sound packs. Further sound modifications and enhancements (e.g. stereo 32bit support). Previously developed P32ACDM for TC1&2 in 4 weeks, with custom cab, custom sounds (engine and horn), plus updated/reskinned other content (shoreliner III cars) and assisted with sound packs etc.

*Dylanviey - Trainz Commuter Rail - New Jersey Transit Bi-levels, ETA some time in December (hopefully) going to feature fully prototypical interior, Fully operating cab car, accurate trucks. passenger interactive. I'm also hoping to make an ALP-46 to go with it. Progress photos are on the auran forums under freeware "NJT Bilevel"

*USLW Team - US Locomotive Works - Trinity 2 Bay covered hopper (waiting to finish up normal mapping)
Pulpwood and Flatbed Bulkheads (also waiting on normal maps)

*Lilb-I will be including my GE 25 Ton and maybe some more engines and rolling stock. Some of the rolling stock I will be doing: F30A Class 40ft Flatcar, 40ft Boxcar, 40ft Tank Car and maybe some more. You can see the progress of these at my Forum : http://lilbscreationz.freeforums.org/index.php . The GE 25 Ton should be done in a 1-2 weeks. The cars 2-3 weeks.

*Tom Anderson [lesley] and Zec [S301] - Victrainz - Victorian Railways IT Wagon. Uses the 'Supercript' to handle the running numbers and ground shadows. The model has normal maps and two stages of LOD. Carry's both the Auran Lumber and my own Timber Load (which also uses normal maps). Visit the Victrainz Forums to see pics. The model is currently on the DLS.

====Scenery====

* pommie - Any of my skies already on the dls that are deemed good enough to use, I am also going to do some for 09 only (only one done so far), if you want I could submit it/them for consideration for inclusion.

* [[User:Pencil42|Pencil42]] - Carson Car Shops - industry interactive water tower for refueling steam locomotives. '''If time''', update my early 20th century box car, flat car, and ventilated box car reskinned for generic owners and a light truss bridge.

* USLW Team - US Locomotive Works - Several ground textures ,Crossings, Road splines, and multiple industrial buildings.

====Multiple Categories====

* [http://www.edetrainz.com EdeTrainz] - Enjoy the content that we show here, register to be informed of the developments, make your comments and do not forget to vote for articles published, if you want to work with us using the contact form..

* Hana Warau - [[Magickmaker]] - Accurately detailed Japanese branch line set firmly in the steam days of Japan. Featuring realistic period models as well as wide vistas and scenic opportunities. Status: Under construction, should take about 9 weeks to complete. May include Japanese steam locomotives and stock.

* SVoyager - TRS could use a modern subway route for a change. May it be the Stockholm's tunnelbana layout or the u-bahn or some other. The T-Bana has already a section of one of its lines completed and the C20 is also mostly done for it (and i will upgrade it to trs2009 standards as soon as these are clearly set). [http://www.svoyager.com C20 and T-Bana homepage]

*[[Darjeeling_Himalayan_Railroad|Darjeeling Trainz]] - We have released the DHR to the TRS community a while ago and have been talking about expressing interest in having our layout and scenarios included in TS09.

*[[User:S301|S301]] - ZecRail content - Any of my Victorian Railway content that is deemed to be acceptable for TRS09. I would be more than happy to update it to TRS09 specs. Currently working on a Victorian Railways T class locomotive that might be suitable, although more designed for use in TRS04/06 at the moment.

*'''FMA, HO TTrainz, ZBF''' - creators: Guriga, Vendel, Sura, ZemplénIC. All our abilities are offered for helping to develop the "best train sim ever". Those are the contents on DLS, the content on our [http://www.trainz.hu website], the Debrecen-Nyíregyháza layout we released last time, inclusive scripting and programming abilities. An example from the extension of the route Debrecen-Nyíregyháza:

[[Image:Debrecen station.jpg]]

'''Debrecen Station''' created by Guriga. The train on the image is a not released FMA product.

*'''Carré Web, le monde du train!''' : Since 2006, content creators from [[Carre Web, le monde du train!|Carré Web, le monde du train!]] make quality freeware for Trainz Railroad Simulator.

Trackside Objects, Routes, and also Scenery, Tracks and Trains (soon) from France and other countries are proposed for download.

As there was few French material integrated in the previous versions of TRS, we propose a set of scripted signals and reflective signs to be integrated in TRS 2009. Please download our pack here : http://www.carreweb.fr/temporaire/French%20Signals%20and%20Signs%20(SNCF).zip . Enjoy ;-)

====Other====

*Dylanviey - Trainz Commuter Rail - If you want you can use my GG1 Tyfon A-200 horn replacement for the GG1. So the GG1 will have an accurate horn
for TS2009. It's currently up for download at TCR but there's a few things I probably would like to update before it's put in to TS2009. (EDIT: the update is done but i've noticed in the beta that u used someone else's A-200 o well)

* 6900 - Moved from the rolling stock section, assuming locos are going here...I'm willing to contribute my C36-7 (UP,NS,MP)as well as my SD90MAC-H and SD9043MAC (both UP). I have started to retexture and bump map my U50C to bring it up to the level of these two, however is a very slow process. The only problem is that they all use stock cabs as of now. I would be willing to give a cab a shot if I could get adequate photos of cab details. They are all on the DLS now, except for the U50C which is an old version that would not be good enough. The SD90MAC-H on the DLS has a slight white halo around the door locks. This was corrected on the 9043, and I do have an updated version of the -H that I never got around to uploading, but that should not be a problem.

* Boston Main Signals (7)Completed, tested in TRS2004,06,09 now working on the Gantry Signals to complete the collection. See My Profile for Screenshots, Damon 61556

[[Category:Content creation]]

Content Creation Groups

2013-02-15T12:11:35Z

Retro00064: + Category:Content creation.

''This page is intended for Content Creation groups (and individuals) to link their details. Please create an appropriately named wiki page for your group and link to it from here. On your group's wiki page, detail the scope that your group covers, current projects, group members, that kind of thing. Remember that you can link to other pages on the trainzdev site, not just the wiki pages. Be sure to use meaningful and distinct page names.''

==Content Categories==
''Please place your group pages into the following categories as appropriate:''

* [[:Category:Session Creators]]
* [[:Category:Route Creators]]
* [[:Category:Train Creators]]
* [[:Category:Scenery Creators]]
* [[:Category:Track Creators]]
* [[:Category:Script Creators]]

==Content Creation Groups==
[[N3V]] - Software Developers

[http://www.amtraktrainz.co.cc Amtrak Trainz Group] - Textures, Audio Artists, & route builders specializing in Amtrak content, however other assets are made.

[[AC MonkeyWrench Models]] - Content from standard scenery to high-detail drivable trainz, road trucks and cars, even motorcycles.

[[US Locomotive Works]] - Best Freeware available for trainz. Locomotives, Rolling Stock, Routes & Scenery.

[[Trainz Multiplayer User Group]] - German Trainz community focused on multiplayer activities. If you are interested in playing multiplayer sessions with or without prototypically aspects you are welcome. Nearly every weekend we try to start a mp-session. For communication we use a TeamSpeak3 Server with enough free slots. You'll find the TS3 address at our page.

[[Newfoundland Railways]] - Modelling the CN railway of Newfoundland of the 1960s.

[[Razorback Railway]] - Activity Creation (sessions & scenarios)

[[VicTrainz]] - Victorian Railways (and general Australian) creations

[[East Coast Trainz]] - ''Linking the Atlantic to the Mississippi'' - Eastern United States Content Creators

[[UK Branch Lines]] --- We are a group of like minded UK railway Enthusiasts that love creating models. We like to cater for every one young and old.

[[Cardiff Workshops]] - Creating quality Trainz content for the NSW enthusiast, covering all eras of train operation.

[[Magickmaker]] - Creating a Japanese themed tourist/preserved line.

[[Whitepass]] - Creating older US rolling stock before 1970.

[http://www.protrainz.com ProTrainz] - The #1 producer of US Passenger Content for Trainz.

[[Paulz Trainz]] - Payware Content mainly steam era from all over the World, locos, rolling stock, scenery from 1830-1960 http://www.paulztrainz.myenet.info/

[[Darjeeling Himalayan Railroad]] - Creating Darjeeling Himalayan Railway for Trainz.

[[Chicago 2010]] - "The Ultimate Chicago Trainz Experience. We are a number of community memebers wishing to bring Chicago to Trainz - The CTA, Metra, NICTD, Belt Line, etc.

[[West Midlands Rail Corp.]] - In conjunction with MTW, the WMRC is dedicated to distributing some of the finest UK rail stock to the Trainz population. Home to the West Midlands Mainline v1.0 route for TS2009 and other contents. Managed by IsaacG

[[Metropolitan Trainz Works]] - In conjunction with the WMRC, MTW is dedicated to distributing some of the finest US rail stock to the Trainz population. Home to the F59PHI Super-Pak v1.0 for TS2009 and other contents. Managed by IsaacG and Content Creation Assistance by Dylanviey

[[Trainz Pro Routes]] - Creators of some of the finest prototypical routes available.

[[Spain Trainz Rutas]] - Creators of spanish routes & add-ons. Quality.

[[Toronto Rail Lands(TTR)Team of the TRHA]] - Creators of the Toronto Rail Lands simulation in TRS2006

[[Tuscan River Works]] - Developer of built-in content and sounds for TC 1,2 and 3 and custom content for all versions of Trainz

[[Trainz Carriage Wagon Works]] - Loose group of creators with a UK interest we do a fair number of reskins, routes, wagons and carriages

[[Trainz commuter Rail]] - Creators devoted to the Commuter Railroads of the United States of America,but with a touch of freight.

[[Trainz Station]] Quality freeware add-ons from SP_or_BUST and 22alpha. Modern American diesels, and some rolling stock.

[[VR Construction Corps]] - Creators of routes and content; special interest in narrow gauge and short line subjects from US Rocky Mountain, Pacific Northwest, Southeast and Northeast regions in the 1870s - 1950s time frame.

[http://www.ibertrainz.eu IBerTrainZ®] - The Iberian Trainzy site '''par excellence'''. Every kind of assets done. Not only Iberian but now international. Created in 2003 (one of the oldest in Trainz) and still a long life ahead . It has an [http://foro.ibertrainz.eu/index.php?board=17.0 International subforum] too (A quick registering process is needed).

[[EdeTrainz]] - Site dedicated to the virtual simulation Trainz Railway.Creations for Trainz, objects, tracks, tunnel, locomotives, wagons, buildings and industries. News and more content...

[[H0 TTrainz Team]] - Creators of hungarian routes & contents.

[[FMA]] is a well known Hungarian group in the Trainz Community (FMA stands for Festett Malaszt Alkotókör = Painted Grace Workshop). Both members will take part in the content development for TRS2009. Vendel is much more known because of his published high quality assets, Sura the other member of the group, makes loads of photorealistic textures and contents as well.

ZBF Team is the third group from Hungary, delegating a member into this new Hungarian Content Creator Group: ZemplénIC, who is good in layout building and scenery creation.

[[Carre Web, le monde du train!|Carré Web, le monde du train!]] : Since 2006, content creators from '''[http://www.carreweb.fr/index_en.html Carré Web, le monde du train!]''' make quality freeware for Trainz Railroad Simulator.

Trackside Objects, Routes, and also Scenery, Tracks and Trains (soon) from France and other countries are proposed for download.

As there was few French material integrated in the previous versions of TRS, we propose a set of scripted signals and reflective signs to be integrated in TRS 2009.

[http://www.lafranceentrains.com La France en Trains] Over 3000 assets created for Trainz TRS2004 to recent releases. French railways , rollingstocks, signaling system and sceneries.

==Related Links==

[[Modeling]]

[[TS2009 Content Creation Groups]]

[[Category:Content creation]]

Routes

2013-02-15T12:08:34Z

Retro00064: + Category:Content creation.

''TBD: Everything about creating and sharing routes.''

==Surveyor==

* [[Ground Editing Tools]] - ''everything you ever wanted to know about terrain editing in Surveyor, including new TS2009 features.''
* [[Ground Types]] - ''TS2009 allows a different ground type for each baseboard.''
* [[Planning]] - ''approaches to route design.''

==TS2009 Routes==

Routes built for inclusion in TS2009 are expected to meet certain quality and performance guidelines. Full details will be made available as TS2009 development proceeds, however the following recommendations are a good starting point:

* TS2009 track assets should be used for all track. Track made for older Trainz versions will look sub-par, and will generally perform worse.
* TS2009 ground textures should be used exclusively. There is a significant visual difference on any modern video card.
* A mix of 10m- and 5m- ground grids should be used. The 5m is used near the track when the high detail is required, the 10m grid is used at all other times for performance reasons.
* Alpha-blended objects should be avoided. The performance of alpha-blended objects is generally poor, and better visual quality can result from other techniques.
* TS2009 trees should be used. The older trees are typically alpha-blended and appear unfocused in addition to performing poorly. Mixing the two types can lead to a jarring visual experience where some trees are in clear focus and some are blurred.
* Other TS2009 scenery objects should be used where available, to avoid degredation in performance or visual quality.
* Where feasible, repeats of the same scenery object (eg. grass, trees, rocks, buildings) should be used in moderate proximity, rather than many different type of object. This allows significantly better performance. This peformance gain does not apply to alpha-blended objects.

[[Category:Content creation]]

Content

2013-02-15T12:06:02Z

Retro00064: + Category:Trainz Wiki.

This page aims to list and describe all content available for [[TS2009]].

Content detail pages should have a 'Content/' prefix and are linked by inclusion in one of the following categories. Each individual content page should include a description of the content including real-life photos, compatibility and usage information, a link to the content creator's wiki page and a download station helper link. It is recommended that content detail pages do not include off-site links, as Trainz users will not be able to follow these.

* [[:Category:Rolling Stock]]
* [[:Category:Scenery]]
* [[:Category:Routes]]
* [[:Category:Scripts]]
* [[:Category:Track]]
* [[:Category:Operations]]

[[Category:Trainz Wiki]]

Tools

2013-02-15T12:05:09Z

Retro00064: + Category:Trainz Wiki.

==Auran-provided Tools==

The following executable tools are made available to Trainz users.

[[Content Manager]] - ''Auran's included content management GUI, which provides functionality for downloading, installing, managing and building custom content.''

[[Content Creator Plus]] - ''Auran's included content creation GUI, which provides functionality for creating, editing, viewing and validating asset configurations.''

[[Trainz Mesh Importer]] - ''An xml-to-im converter that can be used to simplify conversion of models from various formats into Trainz .im format.''

[[TrainzUtil]] - ''A command line content management tool.''

==Third-party Tools==

The following Trainz-related tools are maintained by Trainz 3rd-party developers.

[[AssetX Wiki|AssetX]] - ''A multi purpose toolbox by Andi06 and PEV designed to view, edit and repair the majority of files used in all versions of TRS from TRS2004 onwards.''

[[Trainz Tools by PEV]] - ''View all image types used Trainz, and convert them to TGA files using "Images2TGA", or convert PM's to IM's with "PM2IM", or view object meshes with "Trainz Mesh Viewer".''

More ''TBD''

==Native APIs==

Auran provides some native (C++) libraries which allow Trainz 3rd-party developers to access specific Trainz internal files and functionality which are otherwise opaque. These are provided in DLL form within the Trainz installation, and should not be redistributed as their implementation is specific to each Trainz install version.

[[TrainzNativeInterface]] - A helper DLL which provides the basic functionality for communication between Trainz executables and third-party DLLs.

==Documentation==

[[Command Line Guidelines]] - ''Details guidelines for developing Trainz-related command-line utilities with the intention of creating a standardised, easy-to-use interface.''

''TBD''

[[Category:Trainz Wiki]]

LM.txt file

2013-02-15T11:55:19Z

Retro00064: /* .txt file extension */ fixed header size.

'''LM.txt files''' are ASCII text format files describing a single model with multiple levels of detail. LM.txt files have a ".LM.txt" name extension, however when a LM.txt file is specified within a [[config.txt file]] or similar, the ".txt" must be omitted, leaving the ".LM" extension.

==Usage==

[[Level of Detail]] (or 'LOD') is a technique used for asset mesh reduction. Trainz uses a different mesh dependant on the viewing distance. For objects further away a simpler, less detailed mesh is used. [[LM.txt file]]s provide one LOD technique, which is commonly used for [[KIND Traincar]] and [[KIND Bogey]] assets. For other asset types, other [[Level of Detail|LOD techniques]] are generally more suitable.

In the example of the PB15 loco below there are four meshes, the closest being a highly detailed [[normal map]]ped model of the loco body, and the farthest being a simple mesh of the shape with the texture and, in this case, with very simple low poly representations of the bogeys. ''(more on this below)''

Do not use separate textures for each LOD mesh; the same texture can be used for all because textures have their own built-in LOD reduction.

Assets with LOD reduction must be made with 'indexed meshes' or [[IM files]] only (exported from 3DSMax, Blender, etc.)

Trainz locates these .im files through paths specified in the .lm.txt (LOD mesh file) which is in turn referenced via the asset's config.txt file.

The following images show the four meshes used for the PB15 loco.

Note: Only Figure 4, the hi-res version, is normal-mapped.

'''Figure 1'''
[[Image:Lod1_PB15.jpg]]
PB_15_body_lowest.im (600 polys)
bogey attachments flagged ':Cull',
bogeys represented in mesh ''(see below)''

'''Figure 2'''
[[Image:Lod2_PB15.jpg]]
PB_15_body_low.im (1947 polys)

'''Figure 3'''
[[Image:Lod3_PB15.jpg]]
PB_15_body_med.im (5066 polys)

'''Figure 4'''
[[Image:Lod4_PB15.jpg]]
PB_15_body.im
(10578 polys, and normal-mapped)

==File Format==
The user-editable *.lm.txt files are ASCII text formatted . Please note that this format is not the same (despite some similarities) as other text-based formats used by Trainz. Please be aware of the [[filename character restrictions]] when naming [[LM.txt file]]s and [[IM files]].

Use only non-formated text to create the .lm.txt file i.e. Use a simple text editor such as notepad.

The use of upper and lower case letters, and semi colons in the file data is important, please follow the example.

==An LM.TXT Example==
 
'''LOD Mesh File (PB_15_body.lm.txt) Auran's steam loco:'''
version 1.0 
offset = 0.01;
calcpoint = center;
multiplier = 1.0;
animationCutOff = 0.00;
renderCutOff = 0.00;
attachmentCutOff = 0.06;
mesh("0.07")
{
name="PB_15_body_lowest.im";
}
mesh("0.30")
{
name="PB_15_body_low.im";
}
mesh("0.52")
{
name="PB_15_body_med.im";
}
mesh("1.0")
{
name="PB_15_body.im";
}

==Breakdown of LOD Mesh File==

version 1.0 ''must be included but for internal use only;leave value as 1.0''

offset = 0.01; ''The offset that prevents "popping" between two levels of of detail repeatedly''

calcPoint = center; ''The position where the level of detail is calculated from (center,near,far)''

multiplier = 1.0; ''A level of detail multiplier (leave as 1.0)''

animationCutOff = 0.0; ''The level of detail where animation stops''
'' (to screen width) 1.00 = full width,''
'' 0.5 = half screen, 0.00 = never stop animation''

renderCutOff = 0.0; ''The level (to screen width) where rendering stops (no longer visible)''

attachmentCutOff = 0.06; ''The level where Cull flagged attachments are dropped (to screen width) *See note below''

'' ''' Note:''' Meshes referenced within a LOD file must be in ascending width order.''

mesh("0.07")
{
name="PB_15_body_lowest.im";
}
'' When the mesh is displayed at 0.07 of the screen, the mesh "PB_15_body_lowest.im" is displayed.''
'' Note the figure is just bigger than the attachment cut off figure above. This ensures the ''
'' modeled bogeys in this LOD mesh are rendered before the actual bogeys are culled.''

mesh("0.30")
{
name ="PB_15_body_low.im";
}
'' mesh "PB_15_body_low.im" is displayed when the mesh is at 0.3 of screen width.''

mesh("0.52")
{
name = "PB_15_body_med.im";
}

mesh("1.0")
{
name = "PB_15_body.im";
}

'''''Note:''''' 
'''attachmentCutOff = 0.1;''' Attachment cutoff specifies the level where attachments with the flag ":Cull" are dropped. ie To stop drawing the bogeys of the trains at a specific level of detail, append "''':Cull'''" to the bogey attachment point name in 3DSMax, or Blender. (ie "a.bog0:Cull" ). This can apply to any attachment eg passenger or driver attachments.

Where the above applies (bogeys culled) the body mesh will need a low poly representation of the bogeys, as in '''Figure 1''' above

Attachment culling cannot be made to work by modifying the config.txt file; you must modify the model's attachment names.

Keep in mind all [[LM.txt file]]s, .im meshes, and textures must be located within the same directory.

The LOD Mesh file is referenced from the config.txt file as follows.

;Config.txt file extract

kuid <KUID:-3:10024>
kuid-table
{
}
obsolete-table
{
}
mesh-table
{
default
{
mesh "PB_15_body/PB_15_body.lm" <---- ''Note the "lm" file extension here (lowercase of "LM")''
auto-create 1
}
shadow
{
mesh "PB_15_shadow/PB_15_shadow.im"
}
reverser
{
mesh "PB_15_body/reverser/reverser.im"
anim "PB_15_body/reverser/reverser.kin"
auto-create 1
att a.bog2
att-parent default
}

==.txt file extension==
[[LM.txt file]]s have a ".LM.txt" name extension, however when a model file is specified within a [[config.txt file]] or similar, the ".txt" must be omitted, leaving the ".LM" extension. For example, a model file named ''box.LM.txt'' is specified in a [[KIND Traincar]] config file using the syntax ''mesh "box.lm"''.

[[Category:File formats]]
[[Category:Modeling]]

LM.txt file

2013-02-15T11:54:15Z

Retro00064: Replaced Category:Blender with Category:Modeling; more generic category.

'''LM.txt files''' are ASCII text format files describing a single model with multiple levels of detail. LM.txt files have a ".LM.txt" name extension, however when a LM.txt file is specified within a [[config.txt file]] or similar, the ".txt" must be omitted, leaving the ".LM" extension.

==Usage==

[[Level of Detail]] (or 'LOD') is a technique used for asset mesh reduction. Trainz uses a different mesh dependant on the viewing distance. For objects further away a simpler, less detailed mesh is used. [[LM.txt file]]s provide one LOD technique, which is commonly used for [[KIND Traincar]] and [[KIND Bogey]] assets. For other asset types, other [[Level of Detail|LOD techniques]] are generally more suitable.

In the example of the PB15 loco below there are four meshes, the closest being a highly detailed [[normal map]]ped model of the loco body, and the farthest being a simple mesh of the shape with the texture and, in this case, with very simple low poly representations of the bogeys. ''(more on this below)''

Do not use separate textures for each LOD mesh; the same texture can be used for all because textures have their own built-in LOD reduction.

Assets with LOD reduction must be made with 'indexed meshes' or [[IM files]] only (exported from 3DSMax, Blender, etc.)

Trainz locates these .im files through paths specified in the .lm.txt (LOD mesh file) which is in turn referenced via the asset's config.txt file.

The following images show the four meshes used for the PB15 loco.

Note: Only Figure 4, the hi-res version, is normal-mapped.

'''Figure 1'''
[[Image:Lod1_PB15.jpg]]
PB_15_body_lowest.im (600 polys)
bogey attachments flagged ':Cull',
bogeys represented in mesh ''(see below)''

'''Figure 2'''
[[Image:Lod2_PB15.jpg]]
PB_15_body_low.im (1947 polys)

'''Figure 3'''
[[Image:Lod3_PB15.jpg]]
PB_15_body_med.im (5066 polys)

'''Figure 4'''
[[Image:Lod4_PB15.jpg]]
PB_15_body.im
(10578 polys, and normal-mapped)

==File Format==
The user-editable *.lm.txt files are ASCII text formatted . Please note that this format is not the same (despite some similarities) as other text-based formats used by Trainz. Please be aware of the [[filename character restrictions]] when naming [[LM.txt file]]s and [[IM files]].

Use only non-formated text to create the .lm.txt file i.e. Use a simple text editor such as notepad.

The use of upper and lower case letters, and semi colons in the file data is important, please follow the example.

==An LM.TXT Example==
 
'''LOD Mesh File (PB_15_body.lm.txt) Auran's steam loco:'''
version 1.0 
offset = 0.01;
calcpoint = center;
multiplier = 1.0;
animationCutOff = 0.00;
renderCutOff = 0.00;
attachmentCutOff = 0.06;
mesh("0.07")
{
name="PB_15_body_lowest.im";
}
mesh("0.30")
{
name="PB_15_body_low.im";
}
mesh("0.52")
{
name="PB_15_body_med.im";
}
mesh("1.0")
{
name="PB_15_body.im";
}

==Breakdown of LOD Mesh File==

version 1.0 ''must be included but for internal use only;leave value as 1.0''

offset = 0.01; ''The offset that prevents "popping" between two levels of of detail repeatedly''

calcPoint = center; ''The position where the level of detail is calculated from (center,near,far)''

multiplier = 1.0; ''A level of detail multiplier (leave as 1.0)''

animationCutOff = 0.0; ''The level of detail where animation stops''
'' (to screen width) 1.00 = full width,''
'' 0.5 = half screen, 0.00 = never stop animation''

renderCutOff = 0.0; ''The level (to screen width) where rendering stops (no longer visible)''

attachmentCutOff = 0.06; ''The level where Cull flagged attachments are dropped (to screen width) *See note below''

'' ''' Note:''' Meshes referenced within a LOD file must be in ascending width order.''

mesh("0.07")
{
name="PB_15_body_lowest.im";
}
'' When the mesh is displayed at 0.07 of the screen, the mesh "PB_15_body_lowest.im" is displayed.''
'' Note the figure is just bigger than the attachment cut off figure above. This ensures the ''
'' modeled bogeys in this LOD mesh are rendered before the actual bogeys are culled.''

mesh("0.30")
{
name ="PB_15_body_low.im";
}
'' mesh "PB_15_body_low.im" is displayed when the mesh is at 0.3 of screen width.''

mesh("0.52")
{
name = "PB_15_body_med.im";
}

mesh("1.0")
{
name = "PB_15_body.im";
}

'''''Note:''''' 
'''attachmentCutOff = 0.1;''' Attachment cutoff specifies the level where attachments with the flag ":Cull" are dropped. ie To stop drawing the bogeys of the trains at a specific level of detail, append "''':Cull'''" to the bogey attachment point name in 3DSMax, or Blender. (ie "a.bog0:Cull" ). This can apply to any attachment eg passenger or driver attachments.

Where the above applies (bogeys culled) the body mesh will need a low poly representation of the bogeys, as in '''Figure 1''' above

Attachment culling cannot be made to work by modifying the config.txt file; you must modify the model's attachment names.

Keep in mind all [[LM.txt file]]s, .im meshes, and textures must be located within the same directory.

The LOD Mesh file is referenced from the config.txt file as follows.

;Config.txt file extract

kuid <KUID:-3:10024>
kuid-table
{
}
obsolete-table
{
}
mesh-table
{
default
{
mesh "PB_15_body/PB_15_body.lm" <---- ''Note the "lm" file extension here (lowercase of "LM")''
auto-create 1
}
shadow
{
mesh "PB_15_shadow/PB_15_shadow.im"
}
reverser
{
mesh "PB_15_body/reverser/reverser.im"
anim "PB_15_body/reverser/reverser.kin"
auto-create 1
att a.bog2
att-parent default
}

=.txt file extension=
[[LM.txt file]]s have a ".LM.txt" name extension, however when a model file is specified within a [[config.txt file]] or similar, the ".txt" must be omitted, leaving the ".LM" extension. For example, a model file named ''box.LM.txt'' is specified in a [[KIND Traincar]] config file using the syntax ''mesh "box.lm"''.

[[Category:File formats]]
[[Category:Modeling]]

Level of Detail

2013-02-15T11:51:58Z

Retro00064: + Category:Modeling.

[[Level of Detail]] (LOD) refers to a technique where several variants of an object are created, ranging from "high quality and high performance cost" through to "low quality and low performance cost". Each variant should look as close to possible as identical with the exception that overall object quality is lost as you go down the scale. These variants are then packaged together as a single asset with instructions to the game engine to use the most appropriate variant based on how far the object is zoomed out on the screen. When the player is close to the object, the "high detail LOD" variant will be displayed, showing the object in its full glory. As the player moves away from the object, the game can swap from the detailed version to the lower-detail-but-faster-to-render variant since the player is too far away to see the details anyway.

TBD: Image of several LOD meshes seen from close up, then the same meshes shown at the appropriate LOD ranges.

== LOD in Textures ==

All textures are subject to LOD, and the process is simple and automatic. Each texture already has a number of [[Mip Maps]] which are automatically generated by [[Content Manager]]. The highest map is used whenever one texel represents one or more pixels on the screen. Once the object is far enough away that one pixel represents two texels, a half-size map is used, and so on. This is handled transparently by the GPU with no action required on the part of the content creator.

In cases where no visible object is currently using the higher mip level(s), they may be fully unloaded to conserve RAM. When an object again nears the player, the higher mip levels will be reloaded.

=== Benefits ===
* Higher GPU performance because the active texture maps are smaller.
* Lower RAM usage.
* Avoids moire effects on noisy textures.
* Don't have to load the full-detail version of all textures immediately, but can bring them level-by-level as the player approaches an object.

=== Disadvantages ===
* Can blur texture details to some extent (mitigated by higher Anisotropy settings on the GPU.)
* 33% increased ram usage for a fully-loaded texture.
* User can sometimes see objects up-close which have not yet loaded their high-detail textures.

=== Gotchas ===
* Since a single copy of the texture is shared between all relevant objects in the scene, having a single object at close range prevents unloading the higher texture mips, even if all other objects are distant. The GPU will still render using the appropriate mip levels, but the game will be forced to keep the high-detail mips loaded in this case.
* Since the selection of texture LOD depends on the texel-to-pixel ratio on display, it is possible for a single mesh to use different mip levels simultaneously. To some extent, this is deliberate- distant parts of the mesh may be at lower detail than closer parts of the mesh- but it's also possible for a content creator to worsen this effect by scaling the texture differently on different parts of the mesh. For example, if a 2048x2048 texture is stretched over the entirety of a distant object, then typically the game could select a 256x256 or lower version of the map for rendering. However, if the object also includes a black band around its circumference that is mapped from a single texel of that 2048x2048 texture, then you suddenly have a case where that one texel is mapped to a large number of pixels, requiring the texture to be loaded at highest detail. The game applies some logic to attempt to mitigate such cases, but the content creator should avoid such significant variations in mapping scale where possible. This problem can also occur as the result of reusing portions of the same texture at different scales for different LODs- it is often an automatic response to think that a small portion of a large texture can be set aside for the LOD meshes, however in doing so you are forcing the texture to be kept at full detail rather than degrade naturally.

== LOD in Meshes ==
Mesh-based LOD is a more hands-on technique, and is what is usually referred to by the unqualified term "Level of Detail" since texture LOD is mostly automatic. There are several mesh LOD schemes currently employed in Trainz depending on the type of asset being used. All methods boil down to selecting one quality variant from a small list provided by the content creator. The creator will typically build the highest-detail mesh first- still ensuring the number of polygons is not overkill for the object being created- then create successively smaller mesh variants, each one typically dropping to 20-50% of the polygon count of the previous variant.

When creating LOD variants, there are a few things to keep in mind:

* The content creator's aim is to ensure that each LOD variant looks like the immediately higher variant. They should ideally also look like the highest-level variant, but it's inevitable that some detail will be lost and it's more important to minimise each transition than to minimise the overall appearance change.
* The human eye will pick up on silhouette and shading changes much more than changes to the internal detail of the object. Try to avoid changing the silhouette more than necessary.
* If you take a flattish object made by many small polygons which are nearly but not quite in a plane, and replace that with a single plane, the angle of light from your object will change. This will often result in the variant darkening or lightening as compared to its higher-quality sibling. The normal map can be used to neutralise this effect by ensuring that the lower-detail variants still maintain the appropriate surface normals, even though the geometry lacks the appropriate polygons.

=== Spline LOD ===
[[KIND Track|Spline-based assets]] (track, hedges, fences, power lines, etc.) use a specialised form of LOD selection which works by subdividing the spline stretch (the space between two user-editable spline vertices) into a number of ''repeats'' which are then further subdivided as necessary. This process is controlled by the asset's [["track-lod-tree" container]], which accounts for numerous input variables such as the distance from the observer, the curve angle of the spline, season, random variation, and so on.

The component meshes are sourced from the asset's [["mesh-table" container]], but the selection technique does not use the [["mesh-table" container#lod-level|"lod-level"]] or [["mesh-table" container#mesh-season|"mesh-season"]] tags.

=== LOD on Moving or Animated Objects ===
This technique mainly applies to [[KIND Traincar]] and [[KIND Bogey]] assets, however all types of animated or regularly moving objects have a few things in common:
* They are not good candidates for [[mesh stitching]]. If Trainz is aware that an asset instance will be moving or animated, it will render directly rather than attempting to stitch the meshes.
* They are typically high-polygon.
* They are often comprised of several components using [[Attachment Points]].
* They typically have a higher performance cost that the base mesh would imply (additional animation costs, attachment costs, scripting costs, physics costs, etc.)

For these types of asset, the [[LM.txt file]] style of LOD should be used. This style of LOD outright prevents the mesh stitching optimisation and is also more expensive to load and maintain than other styles of LOD, thus it should only be used in the conditions described above. Regular scenery meshes should never use this technique.

This style of LOD explicitly supports animation and attachment points, including providing controls to hide attachments in lower-detail variants.

[[LM.txt file]]s are a drop-in replacement for the regular [[IM files]]. In cases where this form of LOD is acceptable, you can simply substitute the "xxx.im" reference in the asset's [[config.txt file]] for an "xxx.lm" reference (note that there is no trailing ".txt" in a resource reference.) On disk, you will include a single "xxx.lm.txt" file which will then reference multiple "xxx-n.im" files.

=== LOD on Static Scenery Objects ===
LOD on static scenery objects is by far the simplest technique and has the lowest performance cost. The asset's [["mesh-table" container]] is populated with all the necessary mesh variants, each configured to display correctly (such that they would normally all appear simultaneously and interpenetrate.) A small number of extra tags are then added to the asset's [[config.txt file]] to control the mesh visibility for LOD purposes:

* The [[KIND Mesh#mesh-detail-level-count|"mesh-detail-level-count"]] tag is added to the asset's [[config.txt file]] to specify how many LOD variants should exist.
* The [["mesh-table" container#lod-level|"lod-level"]] tag is added to each variant's [["mesh-table" container]] entry. This ensures that the variant mesh will only be displayed when the object is at the specified LOD level.

Note that this approach deliberately does not provide any mechanism for controlling the distances at which various LOD levels are selected. The content creator should also avoid measuring the distances at which the changes occur in the game. This is because the LOD selection is not defined in terms of fixed distances, but rather varies depending on the version of the game in use, user detail settings, game performance, and so on. Instead, the content creator should set the game to high detail settings, create the high LOD at a reasonable quality bar, and then attempt to reduce the detail as much as possible over the course of 2-4 LODs. The lowest LOD should be in the 5-100 polygon range (lower is obviously better.)

[[Category:Modeling]]

Category:Modeling

2013-02-15T11:49:16Z

Retro00064: Duh; meant to add Category:Content creation, not a recursive link. :-o

This category contains pages about making 3D models for Trainz.

[[Category:Content creation]]

Category:Modeling

2013-02-15T11:48:27Z

Retro00064: + Category:Modeling.

This category contains pages about making 3D models for Trainz.

[[Category:Modeling]]

Category:Trainz Versions

2013-02-15T11:45:17Z

Retro00064: + Category:Trainz Wiki.

Below is a list of all wiki pages detailing [[Trainz Release Versions]].

[[Category:Trainz Wiki]]

Category:Script Class

2013-02-15T11:44:26Z

Retro00064: + Category:TrainzScript.

[[:Category:Script Class]] covers pages describing the features of built-in script APIs.

To place your page into this category, add the following wiki tag at the bottom of your page:
<nowiki>[[Category:Script Class]]</nowiki>

[[Category:TrainzScript]]

Category:Train Creators

2013-02-15T11:43:53Z

Retro00064: + Category:Content creators by type.

[[:Category:Train Creators]] is intended for active [[Content Creation Groups]] and individuals who are developing Locomotives or Rolling Stock for Trainz.

To place your page into this category, add the following wiki tag at the bottom of your page:
<nowiki>[[Category:Train Creators]]</nowiki>

[[Category:Content creators by type]]

Category:Track Creators

2013-02-15T11:43:11Z

Retro00064: + Category:Content creators by type.

[[:Category:Track Creators]] is intended for [[Content Creation Groups]] and individuals who are developing track-related assets for Trainz. The following are examples of assets that fall into this category:
*Spline track.
*Signals.
*Fixed Track pieces.
*Turntables.

To place your page into this category, add the following wiki tag at the bottom of your page:
<nowiki>[[Category:Track Creators]]</nowiki>

[[Category:Content creators by type]]

Category:Session Creators

2013-02-15T11:42:54Z

Retro00064: + Category:Content creators by type.

[[:Category:Session Creators]] is intended for [[Content Creation Groups]] and individuals who are developing detailed session or scenario assets for Trainz. Sessions which simply define a few starting parameters and consist placement do not qualify for this category.

To place your page into this category, add the following wiki tag at the bottom of your page:
<nowiki>[[Category:Session Creators]]</nowiki>

[[Category:Content creators by type]]

Category:Script Creators

2013-02-15T11:42:24Z

Retro00064: + Category:Content creators by type.

[[:Category:Script Creators]] is intended for [[Content Creation Groups]] and individuals who are developing scripts for Trainz. This is intended for scripters who are capable of making original scripts, and not for people producing content which are largely derived from someone else's script code. The following are examples of assets that fall into this category:
*Rules.
*Scripted Industries.
*Scenarios.
*Driver Commands.
*Libraries.

To place your page into this category, add the following wiki tag at the bottom of your page:
<nowiki>[[Category:Script Creators]]</nowiki>

[[Category:Content creators by type]]

Category:Scenery Creators

2013-02-15T11:41:58Z

Retro00064: + Category:Content creators by type.

[[:Category:Scenery Creators]] is intended for [[Content Creation Groups]] and individuals who are developing scenery assets for Trainz. The following are examples of assets that fall into this category:
*Trees
*Buildings
*Industries
*Ground Textures

To place your page into this category, add the following wiki tag at the bottom of your page:
<nowiki>[[Category:Scenery Creators]]</nowiki>

[[Category:Content creators by type]]

Category:Route Creators

2013-02-15T11:41:25Z

Retro00064: + Category:Content creators by type.

[[:Category:Route Creators]] is intended for active [[Content Creation Groups]] and individuals who are developing full routes for Trainz, whether prototypical or fictional.

To place your page into this category, add the following wiki tag at the bottom of your page:
<nowiki>[[Category:Route Creators]]</nowiki>

[[Category:Content creators by type]]

Category:Content creators by type

2013-02-15T11:40:32Z

Retro00064: Removed Category:Trainz Wiki; added Category:Content creation.

[[Category:Content creation]]

Category:Content creators by type

2013-02-15T11:39:25Z

Retro00064: Created page with "Category:Trainz Wiki"

[[Category:Trainz Wiki]]

Category:Help

2013-02-15T11:37:11Z

Retro00064: Removed categorization of this category into itself; added Category:Trainz Wiki.

'''Category:Help''' help pages describing the various features of Trainz.

To place your page into this category, add the following wiki tag at the bottom of your page:
<nowiki>[[Category:Help]]</nowiki>

[[Category:Trainz Wiki]]

Category:TBD

2013-02-15T11:35:13Z

Retro00064: + Category:Trainz Wiki.

This category page includes a list of wiki pages that have been flagged for more attention.

[[Category:Trainz Wiki]]

Category:Rules

2013-02-15T11:34:22Z

Retro00064: + Category:Trainz Wiki.

This page lists all [[KIND Behavior|Surveyor Rules]] that have been documented on this wiki. The list of rules included in each version of Trainz may vary as new rules are created and older rules fall into disuse. Numerous additional rules can be found on the [[Download Station]].

[[Category:Trainz Wiki]]

Category:Licenses

2013-02-15T11:33:14Z

Retro00064: + Category:Trainz Wiki.

The pages in this category represent various legal agreements, licenses, or restrictions used by N3V in the operation of Trainz and its related products and services. Copies of the license text is provided here for informational purposes only.

[[Category:Trainz Wiki]]

Category:Content creation

2013-02-15T11:32:44Z

Retro00064: + Category:Trainz Wiki.

This category should contain all pages related to Trainz content creation. Pages should be located in subcategories where applicable.

[[Category:Trainz Wiki]]

Category:Feature Request

2013-02-15T11:31:22Z

Retro00064: + Category:Trainz Wiki.

[[:Category:Feature Request]] is intended for pages taking feature requests against various components in the Trainz environment.

To place your page into this category, add the following wiki tag at the bottom of your page:
<nowiki>[[Category:Feature Request]]</nowiki>

[[Category:Trainz Wiki]]

Category:Trainz Wiki

2013-02-15T11:30:36Z

Retro00064: New top-level category for all pages and categories on the wiki.

This category should contain all pages and categories on the Trainz Wiki.

Category:How-to guides

2013-02-15T11:25:40Z

Retro00064: + Category:Content creation.

This category contains "how-to" guides that describe how to achieve certain tasks related to Trainz content creation.

[[Category:Content creation]]

Category:TrainzScript

2013-02-15T11:24:02Z

Retro00064: + :Category:Content creation.

Pages in this category relate to the [[TrainzScript]] language, and the use of scripting features within the Trainz environment.

[[Category:Content creation]]

Category:Content configuration

2013-02-15T11:23:29Z

Retro00064: Added :Category:Content creation.

This category contains pages about configuring content for Trainz.

[[Category:Content creation]]

Category:Content creation

2013-02-15T11:22:07Z

Retro00064: New top-level category for pages and categories related to content creation.

This category should contain all pages related to Trainz content creation. Pages should be located in subcategories where applicable.

Normal map

2011-09-05T02:48:45Z

Retro00064: Introduction: cleaned-up reference to Wikipedia

The '''normal map''' is an additional texture file used simulaneously with the [[diffuse map]] to allow per-pixel lighting control. An overview of the normal mapping technique can be found on Wikipedia [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Normal_mapping here].

The color channels (red, green, blue) of the normal map determine the X, Y, and Z value for the pixel normal in tangent space. This information is not considered human-editable, and you should not attempt to manipulate these channels directly. Specifically, do not adjust the dimensions or contrast of an existing normal map. If you need to adjust the size of a normal map, you will need to rebuild the normal map using the original tools. If you need to adjust the bump height in a normal map, you will need to adjust the source geometry and rebuild the normal map using the original tools.

Editing the normal map in photoshop or similar will cause undefined behavior in-game. Additionally, any form of lossy compression (such as .JPG format) will destroy a significant amount of the information contained in a normal map. Do not use lossy formats for storing normal maps even as an intermediate step.

The alpha channel of the normal map is typically used to provide per-pixel control of the [[specular highlight]]. White gives a strong specular, suitable for metals and water. Black gives no specular, more suitable for dark earth. Grays are a mid-strength specular. It is safe to edit the alpha channel in a tool such as photoshop, provided that the color channels are not modified in any way.

If no alpha channel is specified, the normal map will default to a full white alpha channel. Since a white alpha channel indicates a strong specular, which will look strongly metallic or plastic on most textures, it is not usually suitable to provide a normal map with no alpha channel. For this reason, it is recommended that the .TGA file format is used for alpha channels.

==How a Normal Map works==
Normal maps work by modifying the normal of the pixel. Typically a normal will stick straight up from the surface; a normal map will rotate that normal on either the Y or X axis.

In the following example we look strictly at the red channel; which controls the X axis of the normal. The arrows represent the normals. In example A there would be no normal map applied so all the normals would point straight away from the surface. In example B a normal map would be applied, modifying the normals in the appropriate areas.

[[Image:normalhow01.jpg]]

There are a couple important things to note about this example. Let’s take a look at the red channel of the above example. On a given axis a normal can be rotated 90 degrees in either direction. The grayscale values in the normal map represent which way the normal is rotated. In our example a value of 0 would rotate the normal -90 degrees, for a value of 128 the normal would be rotated 0 degrees, and for a value of 255, the normal would be rotated +90 degrees. The green channel works in the same way.

[[Image:normalhow02.jpg]]

==Examples==
A typical normal map will look similar to the following image.

''Note that this image is for illustration purposes only - jpg format is not appropriate for normal maps.''

:[[image:demo-normal.jpg|Normal map illustration]]

==Displaying Normal maps in 3D Studio Max==

Displaying normal maps in 3D Studio Max

The appropriate way to display a normal map in 3D Studio Max is to use a “Normal Bump” map in the bump slot of the material. If you load a map directly into this slot it will display/render, but is viewing the map as a bump map and will not display correctly.

[[Image:displaymax01.jpg]]

To display Trainz normal maps from within max we need to flip the Green channel to display the map correctly. This can be done within the material editor without having to actually modify the map.

In the properties for the Normal Bump under Channel Direction you need to check “Flip Green(Y)”. Lastly, load your normal map into the “Normal:” Slot.

[[Image:displaymax02.jpg]]

There’s one last step to displaying your normal maps within Max. There is a different way of previewing the normal map depending on which version of max you are using.

'''3D Studio Max 9 and below:'''

In the material editor for the material you want to display under the DirectX Manager rollout make sure to check “DX Display of Standard Material” In the upper right hand of the material editor there is a blue checkered box which will turn pink, indicating that you are using DX display of the material. Click that button to show the maps in the viewport.

[[Image:displaymax03.jpg]]

'''3D Studio Max 2008 and Above:'''

Click and hold on the blue and white checked box in the material editor. A popup will open with two options, a blue and white checked box and a pink and white checked box. Select the pink and white checked box to display the material as a DirectX shader in the viewport.

[[Image:displaymax04.jpg]]

==Getting Started with Normal Mapping==
Refer to [[Getting Started with Normal Mapping|this page]] for notes on setting up an asset to illustrate these techniques.

==Baking Normal Maps Using Max==
[[HowTo/Build_normal_maps_in_Max|Baking Normal Maps in 3D Studio Max]]

Note that normal maps produced by Max typically have a reversed green (Y) channel. At the current time, this must be fixed after export by manually opening the resultant normal map in photoshop, selecting only the Green channel, and using the Invert (ctrl-I) tool. Failure to correct the green channel results in incorrect lighting effects within the game environment, destroying the effectiveness of the normal map.

[[Category:Normal mapping]]

Normal map

2011-09-05T02:47:23Z

Retro00064: Introduction: made the initial occurance of "normal map" bold.

The '''normal map''' is an additional texture file used simulaneously with the [[diffuse map]] to allow per-pixel lighting control. An overview of the normal mapping technique can be found on wikipedia [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Normal_mapping].

The color channels (red, green, blue) of the normal map determine the X, Y, and Z value for the pixel normal in tangent space. This information is not considered human-editable, and you should not attempt to manipulate these channels directly. Specifically, do not adjust the dimensions or contrast of an existing normal map. If you need to adjust the size of a normal map, you will need to rebuild the normal map using the original tools. If you need to adjust the bump height in a normal map, you will need to adjust the source geometry and rebuild the normal map using the original tools.

Editing the normal map in photoshop or similar will cause undefined behavior in-game. Additionally, any form of lossy compression (such as .JPG format) will destroy a significant amount of the information contained in a normal map. Do not use lossy formats for storing normal maps even as an intermediate step.

The alpha channel of the normal map is typically used to provide per-pixel control of the [[specular highlight]]. White gives a strong specular, suitable for metals and water. Black gives no specular, more suitable for dark earth. Grays are a mid-strength specular. It is safe to edit the alpha channel in a tool such as photoshop, provided that the color channels are not modified in any way.

If no alpha channel is specified, the normal map will default to a full white alpha channel. Since a white alpha channel indicates a strong specular, which will look strongly metallic or plastic on most textures, it is not usually suitable to provide a normal map with no alpha channel. For this reason, it is recommended that the .TGA file format is used for alpha channels.

==How a Normal Map works==
Normal maps work by modifying the normal of the pixel. Typically a normal will stick straight up from the surface; a normal map will rotate that normal on either the Y or X axis.

In the following example we look strictly at the red channel; which controls the X axis of the normal. The arrows represent the normals. In example A there would be no normal map applied so all the normals would point straight away from the surface. In example B a normal map would be applied, modifying the normals in the appropriate areas.

[[Image:normalhow01.jpg]]

There are a couple important things to note about this example. Let’s take a look at the red channel of the above example. On a given axis a normal can be rotated 90 degrees in either direction. The grayscale values in the normal map represent which way the normal is rotated. In our example a value of 0 would rotate the normal -90 degrees, for a value of 128 the normal would be rotated 0 degrees, and for a value of 255, the normal would be rotated +90 degrees. The green channel works in the same way.

[[Image:normalhow02.jpg]]

==Examples==
A typical normal map will look similar to the following image.

''Note that this image is for illustration purposes only - jpg format is not appropriate for normal maps.''

:[[image:demo-normal.jpg|Normal map illustration]]

==Displaying Normal maps in 3D Studio Max==

Displaying normal maps in 3D Studio Max

The appropriate way to display a normal map in 3D Studio Max is to use a “Normal Bump” map in the bump slot of the material. If you load a map directly into this slot it will display/render, but is viewing the map as a bump map and will not display correctly.

[[Image:displaymax01.jpg]]

To display Trainz normal maps from within max we need to flip the Green channel to display the map correctly. This can be done within the material editor without having to actually modify the map.

In the properties for the Normal Bump under Channel Direction you need to check “Flip Green(Y)”. Lastly, load your normal map into the “Normal:” Slot.

[[Image:displaymax02.jpg]]

There’s one last step to displaying your normal maps within Max. There is a different way of previewing the normal map depending on which version of max you are using.

'''3D Studio Max 9 and below:'''

In the material editor for the material you want to display under the DirectX Manager rollout make sure to check “DX Display of Standard Material” In the upper right hand of the material editor there is a blue checkered box which will turn pink, indicating that you are using DX display of the material. Click that button to show the maps in the viewport.

[[Image:displaymax03.jpg]]

'''3D Studio Max 2008 and Above:'''

Click and hold on the blue and white checked box in the material editor. A popup will open with two options, a blue and white checked box and a pink and white checked box. Select the pink and white checked box to display the material as a DirectX shader in the viewport.

[[Image:displaymax04.jpg]]

==Getting Started with Normal Mapping==
Refer to [[Getting Started with Normal Mapping|this page]] for notes on setting up an asset to illustrate these techniques.

==Baking Normal Maps Using Max==
[[HowTo/Build_normal_maps_in_Max|Baking Normal Maps in 3D Studio Max]]

Note that normal maps produced by Max typically have a reversed green (Y) channel. At the current time, this must be fixed after export by manually opening the resultant normal map in photoshop, selecting only the Green channel, and using the Invert (ctrl-I) tool. Failure to correct the green channel results in incorrect lighting effects within the game environment, destroying the effectiveness of the normal map.

[[Category:Normal mapping]]

Category:Blender

2011-09-05T02:46:40Z

Retro00064: Added Category:Modeling.

This category contains pages about making 3D models for Trainz using the Blender application.

[[Category:Modeling]]

Category Class

2011-09-05T02:43:42Z

Retro00064: /* Category-class Codes */ organized the different classes into proper sections.

Each Trainz asset [[config.txt file]] includes a single [[KIND_TrainzBaseSpec#category-class|category-class tag]] which helps describe the 'intent' of the Asset in the game, as opposed to the internal structure of the Asset. The classes represent a standardized system for referring to the various types of Locos, Rolling stock, Scenery, Spline and Industry assets.

==Category-class Codes==

===Class A: MOTIVE POWER===
*AA Electric Multi-current
*AC AC Electric
*AD DC Electric
*AE Experimental or Special
*AG Gas Turbine
*AH Diesel Hydraulic
*AL Diesel & Diesel Electric
*AM Mammal
*AS Steam Loco & Tender
*AT Steam Tank

===Class B: BUILDINGS & STRUCTURES===
*BB Buildable (Kind Buildable)
*BC Commercial (scenery non-functional)
*BI Industrial (scenery non-functional)
**BIN Industry asset with product processing functionality
*BH Home & Residential (scenery non-functional)
*''Subclass BP: Passenger Station''
**BPF Passenger Station with passenger processing functionality
**BPN Passenger Station (non-functional)
*BR Railway (scenery non-functional)
*BS Special (e.g. military) (scenery non-functional)
*BT Traffic & Streetscape (scenery non-functional)
*BU Utility (incl. Civil buildings) (scenery non-functional)

===Class C: CABEESE===
*CB Brake van
*CC Caboose

===Class D: DEFENCE===
*DA Military motive power
*DE Military experimental & special vehicles
*DP Military equipment - lab & personnel vehicles
*DX Military equipment - freight

===Class E: ENVIRONMENT===
*ES Sky
*EW Water

===Class F: FOLIAGE===
*FC Cactii
*FF Flowers
*FO Orchards & Crops
*FS Shrub
*FT Trees

===Class G: GROUND===
*GA Arid
*GL Lush
*GS Seasonal

===Class H: MESHES===
*HM Mesh

===Class I: PRODUCT===
*IC Container Category
*IP Passenger Category
*IB Bulkload Category
*IL Liquid Category

===Class J: TEXTURES===
*JC Corona
*JI Icon
*JP Particle Effects Texture
*JO Other Texture

===Class L: LIGHT RAIL & MONORAIL===
*LS Articulated train sets
*LT Trolleys, trams & streetcars
*LM Monorail vehicles

===Class M: MAINTENANCE of WAY===
*MA Camp vehicles
*MB Ballast cars
*MC Cranes/lifting
*MD Diagnostic vehicles (e.g. dynamometer)
*ME Instructional vehicles
*MF Fire vehicles
*MI Inspection vehicles
*MT Track vehicles (e.g. tamper)
*MP Snow ploughs
*MS Section cars (e.g. fairmont)
*MX Freight equipment (for MoW traffic)
*MW Weed spray

===Class O: ORGANISM===
*OA Animal Kingdom
*OH Human
**OHD Locomotive Driver

===Class P: PASSENGER & MAIL CARS===
*PA Suburban/short haul (no W.C.)
*PB Baggage cars
*PC Coach/chair cars
*PD Dome cars
*PH Bar/cafeteria cars
*PL Lounge cars
*PM Mail cars
*PO Observation cars
*PP Power cars
*PR Buffet/dining/restaurant cars
*PS Sleeping cars
*PU Special cars (e.g. Gaming Cars)
*PV Private cars
*PX Composite passenger cars

===Class R: RAILCARS & MULTIPLE UNIT SETS===
*RA AC electric
*RC DC electric
*RD Diesel & diesel electric
*RH Diesel hydraulic
*RP Petrol
*RS Steam

===Class S: SPLINES===
*SF Fences
*SR Roads
*SP Platforms
*SS Structure
*SV Vegetation

===Class T: TRACK===
*TB Bridge
*TR Rails
*TT Tunnel
*TF Fixed Track

===Class V: VEHICLES===
*VA Air
*VL Land
*VS Sea

===Class W: WAYSIDE===
*WA Signalling
*WS Trackside signage
*WX Accessories

===Class X: FREIGHT CARS===
*XA Auto transporter
**XAA Open sides
**XAB Auto box car
*XB Box car/covered van
**XBD Dangerous goods
**XBG General service
**XBI Insulated
*XF Flat
**XFA Articulated
**XFC Intermodal
**XFD Depressed center
**XFH Heavy duty
**XFM General service
*XG Gondola/open wagon
**XGB Bottom dumping
**XGC Combination bottom/end/side dumping
**XGE End dumping
**XGR Rotary dumping
**XGS Side dumping
**XGT Covered
*XH Hopper
**XHB Bottom dumping
**XHC Combination bottom/end/side dumping
**XHE End dumping
**XHR Rotary dumping
**XHS Side dumping
**XHT Covered
*XI Foundry
**XIB Bottle/torpedo cars
**XIT Tipper/slag cars
*XL Livestock
**XLA Single deck
**XLC Multiple deck and convertible
**XLH Horse box
*XR Refrigerated
**XRI Ice chilled
**XRM Mechanically chilled
*XS Special
**XSN Novelty
**XSU Unclassified
*XT Tanker
**XTA Domeless
**XTS Single dome
**XTM Multiple dome
*XV Ventilated car/louvred van
**XVG General service
**XVP Produce service

===Class Y: MAPS & SCENARIOS===
*YM Map
*YS Scenario
*YP Profile/Session
*YR Rule
*YD Driver Command
*YH HTML-Asset

===Class Z: TRAIN PARTS===
*ZB Bogie/Truck
*ZE Enginespec
*ZH Hornsound
*ZI Interior
*ZP Pantographs
*ZS Enginesound
*ZX PaintShed-Template

[[Category:Config Tag|"]]

Content Configuration

2011-09-05T02:38:12Z

Retro00064: /* Category Tags */ modified the Category Class link to point to Category Class.

This page acts as reference manual for all Trainz content. It is intended to provide accurate and concise description of the capabilities and configuration of current-version content. For a new-user walk-through explaining how to create various types of content, see the [[HowToGuides]] page instead.

==Structure of a Trainz Asset==
Each item of Trainz content ("an asset") is distributed as a single folder, containing a [[config.txt file]] and some number of supporting files and/or folders. Files located in the content folder must obey the [[Filename character restrictions]] and should be directly relevant to the asset in question.

==Content Types==
Each asset built for the Trainz environment follows a preset template, which defines what tags can be included in the [[config.txt file]], what capabilities the asset will have, and how the user can manipulate the asset in-game. The following types of custom content are supported by Trainz:

* [[KIND Achievement-category]] - Achievement category descriptor.
* [[KIND Achievement-group]] - Achievement group descriptor.
* [[KIND Behavior]] - Session rules.
* [[KIND Bogey]]
* [[KIND Buildable]] - Basic scenery object with attached track.
* [[KIND Drivercharacter]]
* [[KIND Drivercommand]]
* [[KIND Engine]]
* [[KIND Enginesound]]
* [[KIND Environment]] - Defines a set of skies.
* [[KIND Fixedtrack]]
* [[KIND Gameplaymenu]] - Main menu page.
* [[KIND Groundtexture]] - Textures for painting the ground.
* [[KIND Hornsound]]
* [[KIND HTML-asset]]
* [[KIND Industry]] - Scenery object with attached track and product processing functionality.
* [[KIND Interior]]
* [[KIND Library]] - [[Class Library#Configuration & Examples]] - Script Libraries.
* [[KIND Map]] - Routes.
* [[KIND Mesh]]
* [[KIND MOCrossing]] - Grade crossings.
* [[KIND MOJunction]] - Junction levers.
* [[KIND MOSignal]] - Railroad signals.
* [[KIND MOSpeedboard]]
* [[KIND Pantograph]]
* [[KIND Product]]
* [[KIND Product-category]]
* [[KIND Profile]] - Sessions.
* [[KIND Region]] - Defines the area of the world, as well as traffic style.
* [[KIND Scenery]] - A basic object.
* [[KIND Scenery-trackside]] - Object that attaches to track.
* [[KIND Servlet]] - TBD.
* [[KIND Steam-engine]]
* [[KIND Texture]] - A texture defined for use in other objects.
* [[KIND Texture-group]] - A group of textures defined for use with other objects.
* [[KIND Track]] - (including Bridges and Tunnels) and scenery splines are built using TS2009 Stitched track.
* [[KIND Tracksound]]
* [[KIND Traincar]] - Locomotives and Rolling Stock.
* [[KIND Turntable]]
* [[KIND Water2]] - Water for rivers / seas.

==Category Tags==
*[[Category Class]] - For Category search.
*[[Category Region]] - For Region search
*[[Category Era]] - For Era Search

==Feedback==
[[Content Configuration Feature Requests]] - ''ask here for new config.txt files features''

==Categories==
[[:Category:Config Container]]

[[:Category:Config Tag]]

[[:Category:Asset KIND]]

[[Category:Content configuration| ]]

Category-class

2011-09-05T02:37:29Z

Retro00064: /* Return to Content Configuration */ removed Category:Config Tag: this page is a duplicate of Category Class, which is now in the aforementioned category.

==CATEGORY CLASS==

''(Taken from Content Creators' Guide for Trainz Classics)''

The Category Class is listed in the config.txt file of each item of content.

The classes represent a standardized system for referring to the various types of Locos, Rolling stock, Scenery, Spline and Industry assets.

==The Category Classes are:==

Class "A" Motive Power
Class "B" Buildings and Structures
Class "C" Cabeese
Class "D" Defence
Class "E" Environment
Class "F" Foliage
Class "G" Ground
Class "H" Mesh
Class "I" Product
Class "J" Texture
Class "L" Light Rail & Monorail
Class "M" Maintenance Of Way
Class "O" Organism
Class "P" Passenger & Mail Cars
Class "R" Railcars & Multiple Unit Sets
Class "S" Splines
Class "T" Track
Class "V" Vehicles
Class "W" Wayside
Class "X" Freight Cars
Class "Y" Maps and Scenarios
Class "Z" Train Parts

Each Category Class may have a number of subcategories as listed below. Please choose the most appropriate Category Class for your item. Select the Class from the [[Content Creator Plus]] drop down menu box - only one class may be selected for an asset.

Selecting a correct Category Class is important since Trainz will allow users to use the Category Class as a sort and selection criteria.

==A ... MOTIVE POWER==
AA Electric Multi-current
AC AC Electric
AD DC Electric
AE Experimental or Special
AG Gas Turbine
AH Diesel Hydraulic
AL Diesel & Diesel Electric
AM Mammal
AS Steam Loco & Tender
AT Steam Tank

==B ... BUILDINGS & STRUCTURES==
BC Commercial (scenery non-functional)
BI Industrial (scenery non-functional)
BH Home & Residential (scenery non-functional)
BR Railway (scenery non-functional)
BS Special (e.g. military) (scenery non-functional)
BT Traffic & Streetscape (scenery non-functional)
BU Utility (incl. Civil buildings) (scenery non-functional)
BIN Industry asset with product processing functionality
BPF Passenger Station with passenger processing functionality
BPN Passenger Station (non-functional)
BB Buildable (Kind Buildable)

==C ... CABEESE==
CB Brake van
CC Caboose

==D ... DEFENCE==
DA Military motive power
DE Military experimental & special vehicles
DP Military equipment - lab & personnel vehicles
DX Military equipment - freight

==E ... ENVIRONMENT==
ES Sky
EW Water

==F ... FOLIAGE==
FC Cactii
FF Flowers
FO Orchards & Crops
FS Shrub
FT Trees

==G ... GROUND==
GA Arid
GL Lush
GS Seasonal

==H ... MESH==
HM Mesh

==I ... PRODUCT==
IC Container Category
IP Passenger Category
IB Bulkload Category
IL Liquid Category

==J ... TEXTURE==
JC Corona
JI Icon
JP Particle Effects Texture
JO Other Texture

==L ... LIGHT RAIL & MONORAIL==
LS Articulated train sets
LT Trolleys, trams & streetcars
LM Monorail vehicles

==M ... MAINTENANCE OF WAY==
MA Camp vehicles
MB Ballast cars
MC Cranes/lifting
MD Diagnostic vehicles (e.g. dynamometer)
ME Instructional vehicles
MF Fire vehicles
MI Inspection vehicles
MT Track vehicles (e.g. tamper)
MP Snow ploughs
MS Section cars (e.g. fairmont)
MW Weed spray
MX Freight equipment (for MoW traffic)

==O ... ORGANISM==
OA Animal Kingdom
OH Human
OHD Locomotive Driver

==P ... PASSENGER & MAIL CARS==
PA Suburban/short haul (no W.C.)
PB Baggage cars
PC Coach/chair cars
PD Dome cars
PH Bar/cafeteria cars
PL Lounge cars
PM Mail cars
PO Observation cars
PP Power cars
PR Buffet/dining/restaurant cars
PS Sleeping cars
PU Special cars (e.g. Gaming Cars)
PV Private cars
PX Composite passenger cars

==R ... RAILCARS & MULTIPLE UNIT SETS==
RA AC electric
RC DC electric
RD Diesel & diesel electric
RH Diesel hydraulic
RP Petrol
RS Steam

==S ... SPLINES==
SF Fences
SR Roads
SP Platforms
SS Structure
SV Vegetation

==T ... TRACK==
TB Bridge
TF Fixed Track
TR Rails
TT Tunnel

==V ... VEHICLES==
VA Air
VL Land
VS Sea

==W ... WAYSIDE==
WA Signalling
WS Trackside signage
WX Accessories

==X ... FREIGHT CARS==
XA Auto transporter
XAA Open sides
XAB Auto box car
XB Box car/covered van
XBD Dangerous goods
XBG General service
XBI Insulated
XF Flat
XFA Articulated
XFC Intermodal
XFD Depressed center
XFH Heavy duty
XFM General service
XG Gondola/open wagon
XGB Bottom dumping
XGC Combination bottom/end/side dumping
XGE End dumping
XGR Rotary dumping
XGS Side dumping
XGT Covered
XH Hopper
XHB Bottom dumping
XHC Combination bottom/end/side dumping
XHE End dumping
XHR Rotary dumping
XHS Side dumping
XHT Covered
XI Foundry
XIB Bottle/torpedo cars
XIT Tipper/slag cars
XL Livestock
XLA Single deck
XLC Multiple deck and convertible
XLH Horse box
XR Refrigerated
XRI Ice chilled
XRM Mechanically chilled
XS Special
XSN Novelty
XSU Unclassified
XT Tanker
XTA Domeless
XTS Single dome
XTM Multiple dome
XV Ventilated car/louvered van
XVG General service
XVP Produce service

==Y ... MAPS & SCENARIOS==
YM Map
YS Scenario
YP Profile/Session
YR Rule
YD Driver Command
YH HTML-Asset

==Z ... TRAIN PARTS==
ZB Bogie/Truck
ZE Enginespec
ZH Hornsound
ZI Interior
ZP Pantographs
ZS Enginesound
ZX PaintShed-Template

==Return to Content Configuration==

[[Content Configuration]]

Category Class

2011-09-05T02:36:18Z

Retro00064: Added Category:Config Tag.

Each Trainz asset [[config.txt file]] includes a single [[KIND_TrainzBaseSpec#category-class|category-class tag]] which helps describe the 'intent' of the Asset in the game, as opposed to the internal structure of the Asset. The classes represent a standardized system for referring to the various types of Locos, Rolling stock, Scenery, Spline and Industry assets.

==Category-class Codes==

*'''Class A: MOTIVE POWER'''
**AA Electric Multi-current
**AC AC Electric
**AD DC Electric
**AE Experimental or Special
**AG Gas Turbine
**AH Diesel Hydraulic
**AL Diesel & Diesel Electric
**AM Mammal
**AS Steam Loco & Tender
**AT Steam Tank

*'''Class B: BUILDINGS & STRUCTURES'''
**BB Buildable (Kind Buildable)
**BC Commercial (scenery non-functional)
**BI Industrial (scenery non-functional)
***BIN Industry asset with product processing functionality
**BH Home & Residential (scenery non-functional)
**''Subclass BP: Passenger Station''
***BPF Passenger Station with passenger processing functionality
***BPN Passenger Station (non-functional)
**BR Railway (scenery non-functional)
**BS Special (e.g. military) (scenery non-functional)
**BT Traffic & Streetscape (scenery non-functional)
**BU Utility (incl. Civil buildings) (scenery non-functional)

*'''Class C: CABEESE'''
**CB Brake van
**CC Caboose

*'''Class D: DEFENCE'''
**DA Military motive power
**DE Military experimental & special vehicles
**DP Military equipment - lab & personnel vehicles
**DX Military equipment - freight

*'''Class E: ENVIRONMENT'''
**ES Sky
**EW Water

*'''Class F: FOLIAGE'''
**FC Cactii
**FF Flowers
**FO Orchards & Crops
**FS Shrub
**FT Trees

*'''Class G: GROUND'''
**GA Arid
**GL Lush
**GS Seasonal

*'''Class H: MESHES'''
**HM Mesh

*'''Class I: PRODUCT'''
**IC Container Category
**IP Passenger Category
**IB Bulkload Category
**IL Liquid Category

*'''Class J: TEXTURES'''
**JC Corona
**JI Icon
**JP Particle Effects Texture
**JO Other Texture

*'''Class L: LIGHT RAIL & MONORAIL'''
**LS Articulated train sets
**LT Trolleys, trams & streetcars
**LM Monorail vehicles

*'''Class M: MAINTENANCE of WAY'''
**MA Camp vehicles
**MB Ballast cars
**MC Cranes/lifting
**MD Diagnostic vehicles (e.g. dynamometer)
**ME Instructional vehicles
**MF Fire vehicles
**MI Inspection vehicles
**MT Track vehicles (e.g. tamper)
**MP Snow ploughs
**MS Section cars (e.g. fairmont)
**MX Freight equipment (for MoW traffic)
**MW Weed spray

*'''Class O: ORGANISM'''
**OA Animal Kingdom
**OH Human
***OHD Locomotive Driver

*'''Class P: PASSENGER & MAIL CARS'''
**PA Suburban/short haul (no W.C.)
**PB Baggage cars
**PC Coach/chair cars
**PD Dome cars
**PH Bar/cafeteria cars
**PL Lounge cars
**PM Mail cars
**PO Observation cars
**PP Power cars
**PR Buffet/dining/restaurant cars
**PS Sleeping cars
**PU Special cars (e.g. Gaming Cars)
**PV Private cars
**PX Composite passenger cars

*'''Class R: RAILCARS & MULTIPLE UNIT SETS'''
**RA AC electric
**RC DC electric
**RD Diesel & diesel electric
**RH Diesel hydraulic
**RP Petrol
**RS Steam

*'''Class S: SPLINES'''
**SF Fences
**SR Roads
**SP Platforms
**SS Structure
**SV Vegetation

*'''Class T: TRACK'''
**TB Bridge
**TR Rails
**TT Tunnel
**TF Fixed Track

*'''Class V: VEHICLES'''
**VA Air
**VL Land
**VS Sea

*'''Class W: WAYSIDE'''
**WA Signalling
**WS Trackside signage
**WX Accessories

*'''Class X: FREIGHT CARS'''
**XA Auto transporter
***XAA Open sides
***XAB Auto box car
**XB Box car/covered van
***XBD Dangerous goods
***XBG General service
***XBI Insulated
**XF Flat
***XFA Articulated
***XFC Intermodal
***XFD Depressed center
***XFH Heavy duty
***XFM General service
**XG Gondola/open wagon
***XGB Bottom dumping
***XGC Combination bottom/end/side dumping
***XGE End dumping
***XGR Rotary dumping
***XGS Side dumping
***XGT Covered
**XH Hopper
***XHB Bottom dumping
***XHC Combination bottom/end/side dumping
***XHE End dumping
***XHR Rotary dumping
***XHS Side dumping
***XHT Covered
**XI Foundry
***XIB Bottle/torpedo cars
***XIT Tipper/slag cars
**XL Livestock
***XLA Single deck
***XLC Multiple deck and convertible
***XLH Horse box
**XR Refrigerated
***XRI Ice chilled
***XRM Mechanically chilled
**XS Special
***XSN Novelty
***XSU Unclassified
**XT Tanker
***XTA Domeless
***XTS Single dome
***XTM Multiple dome
**XV Ventilated car/louvred van
***XVG General service
***XVP Produce service

*'''Class Y: MAPS & SCENARIOS'''
**YM Map
**YS Scenario
**YP Profile/Session
**YR Rule
**YD Driver Command
**YH HTML-Asset

*'''Class Z: TRAIN PARTS'''
**ZB Bogie/Truck
**ZE Enginespec
**ZH Hornsound
**ZI Interior
**ZP Pantographs
**ZS Enginesound
**ZX PaintShed-Template

[[Category:Config Tag|"]]

"Category-class" tag

2011-09-05T02:29:12Z

Retro00064: "Category-class" tag moved to Category-class over redirect: Revert: there is already another Category Class page to rename instead.

#REDIRECT [[Category-class]]

Category-class

2011-09-05T02:29:12Z

Retro00064: "Category-class" tag moved to Category-class over redirect: Revert: there is already another Category Class page to rename instead.

Category-class

2011-09-05T02:26:48Z

Retro00064: Category-class moved to "Category-class" tag: Renamed the page to fit in with the titles of other config.txt file tags.

Category Era

2011-09-05T02:26:01Z

Retro00064: Category Era moved to "Category-era" tag: Renamed the page to fit in with the titles of other config.txt file tags.

#REDIRECT [["Category-era" tag]]