How to Configure Trainz Settings

Error creating thumbnail: /bin/bash: line 1: /usr/bin/convert: No such file or directory Error code: 127 The information in this Wiki Page describes the process of configuring the performance and other settings of Trainz. It applies to TRS19, TRS22 and Trainz Plus.

Key Points:- a new install of Trainz requires that you must Login to the program. This is usually a one time only process the user controlled configuration settings in Trainz allow you to match the performance of the program to:- your installed hardware, including your GPU and video the unique requirements of any routes you are running you can specify the location of your Local Data Folder, which holds all your installed assets, and you can switch between different folders you can switch between the normal and the Beta Test program streams if you are an asset creator you can optimise the program for advanced asset testing Navigation Icons used in this Document   at Chapter Headings to jump to the top/bottom of the document   at Chapter Headings to jump to the next or previous Chapter e.g. 1. to 2. to 3., etc   within Chapters to jump to the next or previous Section e.g. 6.1 to 6.2 to 6.3, etc   within Sections to jump to the next or previous Sub-section e.g. 6.3.1 to 6.3.2, etc  Link Internal link to another section within this document  Link External link to another document

Load the Trainz Launcher

Start your copy of Trainz which will load to show the Launcher Window (shown below).

Notes: Error creating thumbnail: /bin/bash: line 1: /usr/bin/convert: No such file or directory Error code: 127 The examples and images shown here are for the TRS22 Platinum Edition but the process described below is almost identical for all versions of Trainz from T:ANE onwards. Error creating thumbnail: /bin/bash: line 1: /usr/bin/convert: No such file or directory Error code: 127 The earlier versions (T:ANE and TRS19) will have some different messages and some different labels. Error creating thumbnail: /bin/bash: line 1: /usr/bin/convert: No such file or directory Error code: 127 Later versions (TRS22 and Trainz Plus) will have some additional options and controls

Open the Trainz Settings Controls

	The Trainz Settings control how Trainz interacts with your Operating System and Graphics Display, where it stores your data, its overall performance, etc
	It also stores your login credentials which, amongst other things, gives you free access to the Download Station or DLS where assets such as routes, sessions, rolling stock and many different types of scenery can be downloaded and installed

Steps: To Open the Trainz Settings:- In the Trainz Launcher window  Left Click  on the box labelled  Trainz Settings  This will open the Settings Dialogue Window shown below. Each TAB in this window controls different aspects of the program. Tab Configures...  General your display characteristics such as the screen resolution, synchronisation, preferred language and font size.  Install the location of your Local Data Folder where all your assets are kept and the type of program updates you want to receive.  Performance settings that will match the performance of Trainz to your hardware and the demands of the routes you are running. Some experimentation will be required.  MyTrainz your user login details and online features. In some older versions this Tab is labelled Internet.  Dev for advanced testing of assets and scripts. These settings are for asset developers ONLY and many of them will have unwanted effects, especially for older assets.  Left Click  on the required TAB (e.g. Performance, MyTrainz, etc) to open an display the selected settings. The General Tab is automatically opened when the Settings Dialogue Window is opened.

The General Settings

These settings are your display characteristics such as the screen resolution, synchronisation, preferred language and font size.

If it has not already been selected then  Left Click  on the  General  tab

Error creating thumbnail: /bin/bash: line 1: /usr/bin/convert: No such file or directory Error code: 127 Some of these settings will depend on your display hardware and may require some experimentation on your part to get the visual and performance results that you like.

Display Settings

This sets the display monitor that Trainz will run on, its screen resolution and other features.

Primary Monitor

	IF you have more than one display monitor/screen attached to your computer then you can select the one that you want Trainz to use.
	This will match the display settings to your selected monitor but you will still have to manually move the program windows across to that monitor.

Notes: Trainz will always load and run in the monitor where it last ran. This will default to the Primary display monitor as shown in the image below. If you want it to use a different monitor then you will have to manually drag it (both the Launcher and the opening screen) across to that monitor the first time that you start Trainz after changing this setting. From then onwards it will always start in that monitor unless you change it back. The purpose of this setting is to match the Display Settings and Performance Settings to your preferred Trainz display monitor.

Steps: To Select the Monitor:-  Left Click  on the menu box or its arrow icon to show the attached display monitors that your operating system has detected. Then  Left Click  on the display monitor that you want Trainz to use.

Screen Size and Display Resolution

This sets the screen size (as in full screen or windowed), its resolution (in pixels) and the refresh rate (in Hertz or cycles per second).

	If the Full Screen box is NOT checked then Trainz will run in windowed mode with the Trainz Railroad Simulator bar at the top of the program window and the Windows Tool Bar at the bottom of the screen.
This allows you to resize the window when required and to easily switch to other programs when needed. The resolution settings drop box cannot be opened if the Full Screen is not checked.
	If the Full Screen box is checked then Trainz will run in full screen mode WITHOUT the Trainz Railroad Simulator bar at the top of the program and the Windows Tool Bar at the bottom of the screen.

The Screen Resolution and Refresh Rate values you set are for your video card and not the display monitor you are using. But it is important to match the selected settings for your video card with the same settings used by your display monitor. Some experimentation may be required to get the best results. Error creating thumbnail: /bin/bash: line 1: /usr/bin/convert: No such file or directory Error code: 127 Screen Resolution - e.g. 1024x768 is the number of pixels across the screen (e.g. 1024) and the number of lines of pixels down the screen (e.g. 768). Higher values mean sharper images and more room to display wider and taller images without reducing their size to fit. The screen resolution known as Full HD is defined as 1920x1080 pixels. Error creating thumbnail: /bin/bash: line 1: /usr/bin/convert: No such file or directory Error code: 127 Refresh Rate - e.g. 100Hz (Hertz or cycles per second) is the number of times that the screen is refreshed or redrawn each second. Higher values give smoother animation effects.

Steps: To Set the Screen Size and Resolution:-  Left Click  on the Full Screen check box to check it ON. This will allow the full range of available screen resolutions to be shown and selected.  Left Click  on the menu box or its arrow icon to display the list of screen resolutions and refresh rates that your graphics card supports. Then  Left Click  on the resolution and rate that you want to use. Some experimentation may be needed to get the best results.

Vertical Synchronization

This synchronizes your graphics card with your display monitor in the construction of each video frame.

Vertical Synchronization, when turned on, prevents the next frame from being sent to your display monitor before the previous frame has been fully drawn on the screen. If your video card is sending frames faster than your screen can handle then it can lead to an effect known as "tearing" where parts of two different frames are displayed at the same time.

Steps: To Select the Vertical Synchronization:-  Left Click  on the menu box or its arrow icon to show the options. Then  Left Click  on the setting that you want to use. Some experimentation may be needed to get the best results. See the list below for a description of each option.

None	your graphics card will not delay sending each frame to the display monitor. This produces faster game play without any delays between screen images but it does have the risk of introducing "tearing".
Full	each video frame is sent to the display monitor, line by line, in one pass, when the monitor is ready to receive it. If your display monitor has a refresh rate of 60Hz (frames per second), then your GPU will send its images to the display at 60Hz (frames per second).
Half	each video frame is sent to the display monitor in two passes when the monitor is ready to receive it. The odd numbered lines will be sent in the first pass then the even numbered lines in the second. This will lock your display to half the refresh rate of the display monitor. If your display monitor has a refresh rate of 60Hz (frames per second), then your GPU will send its images to the display at 30Hz (frames per second) made from 2 passes each at 60Hz.

Renderer

DirectX is the Renderer or program interface (API) used by Windows to render 3D images on your display monitor.

There are currently two versions of DirectX in use in the gaming world:-
Error creating thumbnail: /bin/bash: line 1: /usr/bin/convert: No such file or directory Error code: 127	DirectX 11 is supported by all Windows versions of Trainz. It uses only a single CPU core and does not support ray tracing. However, it sometimes works better in older (legacy) games than the newer DirectX 12.
Error creating thumbnail: /bin/bash: line 1: /usr/bin/convert: No such file or directory Error code: 127	DirectX 12 is currently only supported by the latest Windows beta version of Trainz Plus. It uses multiple CPU cores, which makes it faster, and it supports ray tracing (not yet implemented in Trainz). The performance benefit you will get from using DirectX 12 depends heavily on factors such as game optimization and your computer hardware.

If you select the DirectX 12 renderer in the current Trainz Plus beta version then all TurfFX Effect Layers will be disabled and will not appear.

Steps: To Select the Renderer:-  Left Click  on the menu box or its arrow icon to show the options. All non-beta Trainz versions   Trainz Plus SP8 beta   Then  Left Click  on the Renderer that you want to use. The DirectX 12 option is in beta test and is only available in the beta version of Trainz Plus.

Language and Font Settings

	The selected language sets the preferred language for all internal menus, palette titles and commands, drop down lists
	The language used in all driver session message popups and HTML pages is set within those assets and not in this configuration
	The selected font size option only applies to asset lists

Language

You can choose a preferred display language for all menus, option boxes, command lists, etc that are part of the program. The default language is English.

Steps: To Set the Preferred Display Language:-  Left Click  on the Language menu box or its arrow icon to display the list of available languages.   Then  Left Click  on the language that you want to use - for example Français (French). Close the Trainz Settings dialogue window. The program will immediately search all installed assets for language tags that include the selected language in their config.txt files. A progress bar will be shown in the selected language. When the progress bar completes and disappears close the Trainz Launcher. Restart Trainz. The Trainz Launcher will reappear using labels in the selected language. All other menu screens will also be shown using the selected language. The names of individual assets, as shown in some Surveyor 2.0 Palettes, Surveyor Classic Tools and in Content Manager, will only use the preferred language IF that language has been added to the asset's config.txt file. Otherwise English will be used.

Font Size

Lists of assets can be displayed in Content Manager and in some Surveyor 2.0 Palettes in a larger font size.

Steps: To Set the Asset Name Font Size:-  Left Click  on the menu box or its arrow icon to show the options.   There are only two choices: Standard which is the default and Large  Left Click  on the size option that you want to use. Assets Palette Standard Font Assets Palette Large Font This will only change the size of the font used to display the names of individual assets, as shown in some Surveyor 2.0 Palettes and in Content Manager. It has no effect on the font sizes used in Surveyor Classic.

Misc Settings

	You can display all assets in Content Manager using their thumbnails
	You can add support for some non-keyboard game controllers

Content Manager Thumbnails

This allows you to display all the assets in Content Manager using their thumbnails. The thumbnails will be constructed from the actual mesh and texture files (if present) in the assets and not from the Thumbnail.jpg images supplied by the creator.

Steps: To Display Assets Using Thumbnails in Content Manager:-  Left Click  on the Check Box to turn this control ON or OFF.   This will only affect the display of assets in Content Manager. The Assets Palette and Filter Palette in Surveyor 2.0 each has a button icon that will turn their thumbnail view on and off.

Game Controller Support

This allows you to control Trainz using an external game controller instead of the keyboard and mouse. The RailDriver Controller is one example. You must have the necessary software drivers installed.

Steps: To Enable Game Controller Support:-  Left Click  on the Check Box to turn this control ON or OFF.

The Install Settings

These settings identify the location of your Local Data Folder where all your assets are kept and the type of program updates you want to receive.

Left Click  on the  Install  tab

Local Data Folder   This controls where Trainz stores all the assets that are built-in, downloaded (DLS, DLC, etc) and those that you have created yourself. Your screenshots are also stored here. The xxxxx shown in the image above and left will be based on your Windows User Name and will be different for each user. Because it is possible to move the Local Data Folder to another location and drive, the location shown in the images here may not be the same as shown in your installation of Trainz. You can:- Error creating thumbnail: /bin/bash: line 1: /usr/bin/convert: No such file or directory Error code: 127 edit the contents of this box to point to an empty folder on the same drive or another drive and, after restarting, Trainz will automatically create a new Local Data Folder there that will only contain the assets that came built-in when the program was installed. This is a fresh install or a clean install. The original folder with all its contents will not be deleted. Error creating thumbnail: /bin/bash: line 1: /usr/bin/convert: No such file or directory Error code: 127 use Windows File Explorer or another file utility to move the current folder to a new location and then edit the address in the text box to point to that location. When Trainz restarts it will use the new location as its Local Data Folder.

WARNING: While the steps involved in moving your Local Data Folder are relatively simple they must be done with care. Common mistakes include not checking if the new location has enough storage space (the data being moved can be GigaBytes in size) and simple typing errors will lead to problems.

Instructions for moving or copying the Local Data Folder can be found on the Trainz Wiki.
Error creating thumbnail: /bin/bash: line 1: /usr/bin/convert: No such file or directory Error code: 127	A  Left Click  on the button labelled Instructions for moving your content will load the page at  Moving Content.
Error creating thumbnail: /bin/bash: line 1: /usr/bin/convert: No such file or directory Error code: 127	Other related pages on the Wiki can be found at:-  How to Create a Clean Local Data Folder  How to Move Your Local Data Folder

Trainz Updates

This will allow you to manually check if any new updates (Service Packs or Hot Fixes) are available for your version and buld number of Trainz. If you are a beta tester then it will also check for new beta updates.

Notes: Trainz will periodically check for any updates automatically so you do not have to run this manual check at all. If an update is detected by the automatic system you will be given the option to download and install it, or to ignore it for a few days to a week before another request to update is made. This button allows you to change your mind and perform the update at a time that is convenient to you.

Steps: To Check for Trainz Updates:-  Left Click  on the button. A Trainz Update window will appear and the automatic checker will run. Error creating thumbnail: /bin/bash: line 1: /usr/bin/convert: No such file or directory Error code: 127 If no update is available then the message No update for Trainz is available at the current time will appear in the window. In this case simply close the window. Error creating thumbnail: /bin/bash: line 1: /usr/bin/convert: No such file or directory Error code: 127 If an update is available you will be given the option to install it now or delay the installation for a few days to a week. To delay the update select the delay period from the dropdown menu list and  Left Click  on the Continue button To install an available update follow Step  3 . To install the update leave the dropdown menu list at Install and  Left Click  on the Continue button then follow the prompts. For the majority of installs there will be no need to change any of the settings shown in the series of windows that will appear.

Notes: Issues after Installing an Update CAUTION: When restarting Trainz after an update there may be significant delays Error creating thumbnail: /bin/bash: line 1: /usr/bin/convert: No such file or directory Error code: 127 After an update has been installed, the Trainz Launcher will be automatically closed and then restarted. This will be followed by an automatic DBR (database rebuild) but without the usual progress bar on the screen. Depending on the size of your Local Data Folder this may take some time. You can check to see if the DBR is still running before you start Trainz Steps: To Check if a DBR is running in the Background:- From the Trainz Launcher open the Developer menu Select the option Show Client Logs If a window appears with a self scrolling and growing list containing entries such as Loading asset <kuid ... as shown below, or Validating <kuid ... then a DBR is in progress. When the list stops scrolling then the DBR has been completed. Error creating thumbnail: /bin/bash: line 1: /usr/bin/convert: No such file or directory Error code: 127 Depending on the size and complexity of the update there may be other delays after selecting the option Start Trainz. These may become obvious when you load a route or session into Surveyor or Driver. These delays will be caused by the program updating, precaching and compiling data and will occur the first time you load a route or session into the new update. The symptoms may include any or all of:- long delays for scenery assets to (slowly) appear ground textures not loading messages at the top of the screen such as "Precaching Content" and "Compiling Shaders" slow response to keyboard or mouse commands These symptoms are temporary and they will disappear. The second time that same route or session is loaded the loading and start process will return to normal.

Trainz Update Stream

This allows you to switch between different update streams that the latest release Trainz versions have available.

What is a Trainz Update Stream?

Any version of Trainz that has not yet reached its End-of-Support date (see the Wiki link at  Trainz Life Cycle Policy for the dates) will continue to receive updates. This includes the current (latest) release versions. These updates will be normal SP (Service Pack) and occasionally HF (Hot Fix) updates. They form the Normal Update Stream and are available to everyone who has a currently supported version of Trainz.

In addition, the next release of Trainz, which could be a completely new version or more likely the next SP update, will be undergoing Beta Testing. These Beta test versions will have their own separate update stream, the Beta Update Stream. Usually there will be many beta updates released before the next Normal Update Stream release.

Notes: The Beta Update Stream Beta Test Versions of Trainz are always full of bugs - finding the bugs is the reason for the beta testing. They also have some normal features switched off, to make the testing easier, and contain annoying "pop-up" messages ("Assertions") that will halt the operation of the program whenever an "anomaly" is discovered. Beta testing is not for everyone Beta testing requires a lot of patience, some analytical skills and the ability to accurately report the events that led up to the discovery of a possible new bug. Sending possible bug reports to the Trainz Bug Report site is a vital part of beta testing. If you are not interested in doing any of that then Beta Testing is not for you. If all you are interested in is playing with the "cool new features" that may be present, then you will be disappointed and frustrated. If you later change your mind then you will find that it is NOT simple to switch back to the Normal Update Stream . You will either have to wait until the next normal stream update is released, which can be several months, or reinstall the program from scratch.

Steps: To Change Your Trainz Update Stream:-
	Left Click  on the button. This will open a the first of a series of dialogue windows.
	The first dialogue window will allow you to set where the patch will be installed. The current location, where your copy of Trainz is installed, will be shown in the window. Error creating thumbnail: /bin/bash: line 1: /usr/bin/convert: No such file or directory Error code: 127 To leave this unchanged  Left Click  on the Next button Error creating thumbnail: /bin/bash: line 1: /usr/bin/convert: No such file or directory Error code: 127 To change the location  Left Click  on the Change Targets... button (not Browse as named in the instructions shown in the image) then locate and select an available folder or drive and folder for the update patch This will display the second dialogue window
	in the second dialogue window enter your Trainz Login details Error creating thumbnail: /bin/bash: line 1: /usr/bin/convert: No such file or directory Error code: 127 Enter your username and password Error creating thumbnail: /bin/bash: line 1: /usr/bin/convert: No such file or directory Error code: 127 To confirm the entry  Left Click  on the Next button. This will display the third dialogue window Error creating thumbnail: /bin/bash: line 1: /usr/bin/convert: No such file or directory Error code: 127 To backout and return to the previous dialogue window,  Left Click  on the Back button
	The third dialogue window will show your current Update Stream Error creating thumbnail: /bin/bash: line 1: /usr/bin/convert: No such file or directory Error code: 127 To accept this and exit without changing the stream,  Left Click  on the Done button Error creating thumbnail: /bin/bash: line 1: /usr/bin/convert: No such file or directory Error code: 127 To change the set Update Stream  Left Click  on the Change Stream... button. This will display the fourth dialogue window Error creating thumbnail: /bin/bash: line 1: /usr/bin/convert: No such file or directory Error code: 127 To backout and return to the previous dialogue window,  Left Click  on the Back button
	The fourth dialogue window will allow you to change your current Update Stream Error creating thumbnail: /bin/bash: line 1: /usr/bin/convert: No such file or directory Error code: 127 To exit without changing the stream,  Left Click  on the Cancel button Error creating thumbnail: /bin/bash: line 1: /usr/bin/convert: No such file or directory Error code: 127 To change the Update Stream,  Left Click  inside the selection box to bring up a drop down menu of options Error creating thumbnail: /bin/bash: line 1: /usr/bin/convert: No such file or directory Error code: 127  Left Click  on the required option then  Left Click  on the OK button. This will display the final dialogue window
	The final dialogue window will display the new Update Stream. This is a repeat of the third dialogue window. Error creating thumbnail: /bin/bash: line 1: /usr/bin/convert: No such file or directory Error code: 127 To accept this and exit  Left Click  on the Done button Error creating thumbnail: /bin/bash: line 1: /usr/bin/convert: No such file or directory Error code: 127 To change the set Update Stream  Left Click  on the Change Stream... button. This will display the fourth dialogue window again to allow you to select a different Update Stream Error creating thumbnail: /bin/bash: line 1: /usr/bin/convert: No such file or directory Error code: 127 To backout and return to the previous dialogue window,  Left Click  on the Back button

You can change your Trainz Update Stream at any time but going from the Beta Update Stream back to the Normal Update Stream is best performed after the beta test program has finished and the beta and normal versions have the same build numbers. If you remain on the Beta Update Stream then you will automatically get the first beta update for the next SP version when it is released.

Send Logs to N3V

This allows you to send diagnostic logs directly to the N3V Games Support Desk for analysis or to copy the logs to your system clipboard.

Trainz keeps a text copy, a "log", of a wide range of actions by the program. These include the results of running a DBR, or an EDBR, error and warning messages generated when assets are installed, assertions created by a beta version, build startups and logins, configuration changes, etc. These logs are NOT sent automatically. You have to manually choose this option each time you want to send the logs. Alternatively, they can be sent to your system clipboard.

Steps: To Send Logs to N3V or to Your Clipboard:-  Left Click  on the button   Enter a valid Contact Email address where the Support Desk can contact you. When an email address has been added the Send Logs to N3V button will be selectable   Type a report in the Notes: section describing the problem. Include as much detail as possible.    Left Click  on the Error creating thumbnail: /bin/bash: line 1: /usr/bin/convert: No such file or directory Error code: 127 Cancel button to cancel the request Error creating thumbnail: /bin/bash: line 1: /usr/bin/convert: No such file or directory Error code: 127 Copy Logs to Clipboard to copy the data into your OS clipboard Error creating thumbnail: /bin/bash: line 1: /usr/bin/convert: No such file or directory Error code: 127 Send Logs to N3V to send an email containing the logs to the Trainz Support Desk. This option is only available if an email address has been added to the report

An alternative method of reporting a problem to the developers at N3V is to fill out and submit a Bug Report form. The form can be found at:- https://n3vgames.typeform.com/to/xRdryu

The Performance Settings

	These settings are where you can "fine tune" the performance of the program to better match the hardware of your computer system and the demands of the routes you are running.
	You may need to experiment with these settings to get the best match with your system and the routes you run.

Left Click  on the  Performance  tab

WARNING: Changing most of these settings will force you to restart Trainz.  Left Click  on the button to open the  Launcher Settings Help Page. CAUTION: With most of these Performance Settings the end result will depend on your hardware and the routes you are running. But in general, higher settings will lead to lower performances. Experimentation to find the settings that best suit you is recommended.

Shadow Quality

This allows you to set the visual resolution of shadows, increase the distance at which they will be drawn and the number of object types that will have shadows. Note: Some objects, such as power lines, will only display shadows on the higher settings.

Steps: To Set the Shadow Quality:-  Left Click  on the Shadow Quality Drop Down box. This will display the range of available values.    Left Click  on a value. Higher values will create better shadow effects but some users may prefer to shorten the Draw Distance when using higher values. The Draw Distance setting is in the Surveyor Main Menu - Video Settings. A restart will be needed after changing this setting

Shader Quality

This allows you to select the Shader Quality that will be used.

Notes: About Shaders What are Shaders? (they have nothing to do with shade). Shaders are short programs that run on your GPU (Graphics Processing Unit). They input raw data from a scene, which consists of triangles together with lighting conditions and other features, and output the finished pixels onto the screen. There are different types of shaders with different levels of complexity and tasks that they perform. Why do the shaders have to be compiled?. Shaders are designed to operate under very specific conditions such as with a particular software app or with specific graphic settings. When these change, such as after a software update or a change to some of the graphic settings, then the original shaders have to be deleted and new ones created (compiled) and installed in the GPU to match the new requirements.

Steps: To Set the Shader Quality:-  Left Click  on the Shader Quality Drop Down box. This will display the range of available settings.    Left Click  on a setting. Higher settings will give better results but it will depend on your GPU. Basic or Standard may be better choices for lower specification systems. Shaders cannot be turned off completely. A restart will be needed after changing this setting

Texture Detail

This allows you to set the size of textures that will be loaded.

Steps: To Set the Texture Detail:-  Left Click  on the Texture Detail Drop Down box. This will display the range of available settings.    Left Click  on a setting. Lower settings will use less memory and may speed up loading times but, depending on your GPU, there may be a drop in image quality. A restart will be needed after changing this setting

Post Processing

This allows you to adjust the level of Post Processing.

Post Processing, which happens after an image frame has been constructed, applies filters or special effects to the entire image frame before it is finally displayed on the screen. Examples would include adding motion blur, atmospheric effects, dynamic lighting.

Steps: To Set the Level of Post Processing Used:-  Left Click  on the Post Processing Drop Down box. This will display the range of available settings.    Left Click  on a setting. The effect of this depends on your screen resolution (see  Screen Size and Display Resolution) and your GPU. On systems with lower specification hardware, combined with a high resolution setting, you may see a drop in performance if Ultra (and even High on some systems) has been selected. A restart will be needed after changing this setting

Water Quality

This allows you to set the level of water effects such as reflections from the surface.

Steps: To Set the Water Quality:-  Left Click  on the Water Quality Drop Down box. This will display the range of available settings.    Left Click  on a setting. Low will use basic Shaders only with no water surface reflections. High will create reflections but it will skip some that are not likely to be visible. Ultra will skip fewer items but will have the biggest impact on performance. A restart will be needed after changing this setting

Detail Scenery

This allows you to show/hide TurfFX and Clutter effect layers.

Notes: Error creating thumbnail: /bin/bash: line 1: /usr/bin/convert: No such file or directory Error code: 127 The TurfFX effect layer is only available on NVidia GPUs Error creating thumbnail: /bin/bash: line 1: /usr/bin/convert: No such file or directory Error code: 127 The TurfFX effect layer is not visible in the current Trainz Plus (beta) version when using the DirectX 12 Windows API (see  Renderer) Error creating thumbnail: /bin/bash: line 1: /usr/bin/convert: No such file or directory Error code: 127 This setting does not affect the display of the Water and Color effect layers

Steps: To Set the Scenery Detail:-  Left Click  on the Scenery Detail Drop Down box. This will display the range of available settings.    Left Click  on a setting. See the list below for a description of each option. A restart will be needed after changing this setting

Off will hide both TurfFX and Clutter effect layers.	None of these settings will hide the Water and Color effect layers.
Clutter will show the Clutter effect layer but not the TurfFX effect layer.
Clutter + TurfFX (DX11 only) if DirectX 11 (see  Renderer)) has been selected this will show both the Clutter and TurfFX effect layers (if TurfFX is supported on your GPU). If DirectX 12 has been selected (currently only available in Trainz Plus beta) then only the Clutter effect layer will be shown.

It has been suggested that support for TurfFX will be discontinued in a future release of Trainz due to its hardware incompatibility issues. The replacement for TurfFX, or its equivalent, may be added to the Clutter effect layer.

Antialiasing

This allows you to reduce the appearance of "jagged edges" on objects by smoothing out their pixelation.

Notes: Antialiasing Every object on your display screen (even this text) is made of individual pixels and they work like tiny Lego blocks. A horizontal or a vertical line of pixels, or Lego blocks, has no jagged edges. However, a diagonal line or curve will look like a set of stairs when viewed close up. This is the jagged edge or "jaggies". Antialiasing eliminates or reduces the "jaggies" by adjusting the colours of the pixels along the edge and the surrounding area so that they form a smooth transition from the object colour (e.g. the black lettering) to the background colour (the white page).

Steps: To Set the Antialiasing Level:-  Left Click  on the Antialiasing Drop Down box. This will display the range of available values.    Left Click  on a value. Higher values will create smoother curves but will require more processing time. Depending on your graphics card a setting of 4x will give reasonably good results. A restart will be needed after changing this setting

PhysX Simulation

This allows you to switch particle effect collisions on/off. In future updates other physics related features will be added.

An example of particle effects collisions would be smoke being blocked from passing through the roof and walls of a tunnel or an engine shed. The object (tunnel or shed) must be created with PhysX meshes that will interact with smoke particles. For most scenes this will have a small impact on performance but the performance will decrease as the number of particles and objects with PhysX meshes increases.

Steps: To Set the PhysX Simulations ON/OFF:-  Left Click  on the Check Box to turn this control ON or OFF. No restart will be needed after changing this setting.

The MyTrainz Settings

	These settings identify your user login details. In some older versions this Tab is labelled Internet.
	You can also check your current FCT status and, if required, purchase more FCT access.

Left Click  on the  MyTrainz  tab

MyTrainz account: This section should show your normal Trainz Forum username which should be the same name you used when you purchased this copy of Trainz. IF you have NOT set up a Trainz Account then you will see the following information in the MyTrainz tab, depending on your version of Trainz. TRS22 and Trainz Plus version   TRS19 version First Class Ticket status: This section shows the status (active/inactive, days left) of your current FCT and the option to purchase a new one. An FCT gives you faster and a higher priority access to the DLS. If you are a Trainz Plus subscriber then you will have an FCT as part of your subscription for the duration of your subscription.

Enter Login Details

	Your Login details are needed to access the Download Station and other online data.
	Your Trainz Login is the same as the Trainz Forum Login that you used to purchase or subscribe to your current copy of Trainz. If you do not have a Trainz Forum Login then you can create a new account.

Steps: To Enter your User Details into Trainz:-  Left Click  on the link No MyTrainz login or username If you simply need to confirm your current login then  Left Click  on your username link and renter your details. Enter your Trainz Forum Username and Password into the dialogue window text boxes. If you do not have a Trainz Forum login then skip to the next section  Create an Account.  Left Click  on the button which will become active as soon as data has been entered There will be a delay while the data is checked. This will be followed by one of two messages IF you see the login succeeded message then  Left Click  on the button. IF you see the failed message then try again (you may have mistyped the username or password). If the failed message persists then contact the Support desk. After entering your login details, close the Trainz Settings dialogue window and exit the Trainz Launcher. Then restart Trainz.

Create an Account

	You will need a Trainz Account to be able to access the online features of Trainz including the Download Station where there is a vast library of free assets (routes and sessions, locomotives and rolling stock, signals and tracks, scenery of all types, ground textures, etc) available for you to download and install.
	A Trainz Account will also give you a Trainz Forum Login username and password to access the Trainz Forum.

Notes: If you already have a Trainz Forum username and password then you already have a Trainz Account that will also log you into the Trainz program as described in the section  Enter Login Details below. In this case you do not need to create a new account. The Trainz Forum is located at  Trainz. Near the top right of the Forum home page, between the links for Code of Conduct and Search, if you see a letter on a round coloured background followed by a name, then that is your username and you already have an account. If you see a link called Login then you most likely do not have an account and you will need to login with the account details that will be created by following the Steps described below.

Steps: To Create a New Account:-  Left Click  on the link No MyTrainz login or username In the dialogue window (shown right) leave the Username and Password text entry boxes blank and  Left Click  on the button. In the New Account Dialogue Window (shown right) enter ALL the information requested. When complete,  Left Click  on the button. This will create a new Trainz Account with a Username and Password to enter into your Trainz program and into the Trainz Forum. After entering your login details, close the Trainz Settings dialogue window and exit the Trainz Launcher. Then restart Trainz. Error creating thumbnail: /bin/bash: line 1: /usr/bin/convert: No such file or directory Error code: 127 If required, you can then enter your login details into Trainz as described in the section  Enter Login Details below. It would be a good idea to login again to confirm that your new Trainz Account is working correctly. Error creating thumbnail: /bin/bash: line 1: /usr/bin/convert: No such file or directory Error code: 127 You will also be able to login to the Trainz Forum using your new login details - open the  Trainz Forum home page and click the Log In link. Then enter the same username and password that you entered in the New Account Dialogue Window. Each time you access the forum this username and password will be used automatically to identify you without having to login again.

First Class Ticket

	The FCT or First Class Ticket is an optional prepaid feature that gives you higher speed priority access to the Download Station or DLS.
	An FCT is automatically included in all Trainz Plus subscriptions for the duration of the subscription.

With an FCT:- Error creating thumbnail: /bin/bash: line 1: /usr/bin/convert: No such file or directory Error code: 127 there is no limit to how much or how often you can download from the DLS. Error creating thumbnail: /bin/bash: line 1: /usr/bin/convert: No such file or directory Error code: 127 you get priority Download Station access. Error creating thumbnail: /bin/bash: line 1: /usr/bin/convert: No such file or directory Error code: 127 only 1 FCT is needed per account, not 1 per Trainz product. So if you own both TRS19 and TRS22 then the same FCT will be used for both without any penalty.

Error creating thumbnail: /bin/bash: line 1: /usr/bin/convert: No such file or directory Error code: 127

you will get increased download speeds. The exact speed will depend on external factors such as the speed of your internet connection, the paths taken by the data to reach your system, the access speed of the servers used by N3V and any restrictions imposed by your Internet Service Provider.

As soon as you access the DLS using Content Manager your FCT status is checked using your Trainz Login. If you have an active FCT then you will be given priority access at the maximum available download speed.

Many of the issues that some users have in accessing the DLS (with or without an FCT) come down to 3 external factors:- Your AV software interrupts the download to conduct a "real time scan" of the incoming data. Solution: add TRS22.exe (or the named executable file for your version of Trainz) to the Real Time Scan Exclusion List of your AV software. Your VPN software blocking the download. This problem appears in only some VPNs, not all. Solution: temporarily disable your VPN software for the download. Your ISP is blocking the download. One particular ISP in the USA has been named in several Trainz Forum Posts as the cause of this problem. Solution: unfortunately, you will have to change your ISP OR, if you are using a laptop, download the DLS assets from a free wifi location.

Notes: FCT FaCTs Error creating thumbnail: /bin/bash: line 1: /usr/bin/convert: No such file or directory Error code: 127 FCTs can be purchased for periods of 7, 30, 90, 180 and 365 day durations Error creating thumbnail: /bin/bash: line 1: /usr/bin/convert: No such file or directory Error code: 127 Once purchased an FCT has to be manually activated before it can be used. You can purchase an FCT when it is on sale for a reduced rate, for example, and leave it inactive until you are ready to use it. Error creating thumbnail: /bin/bash: line 1: /usr/bin/convert: No such file or directory Error code: 127 FCTs that have not been activated do not lose any days from their account. The countdown starts the day the FCT is activated. Error creating thumbnail: /bin/bash: line 1: /usr/bin/convert: No such file or directory Error code: 127 You can stockpile multiple FCTs - have more than one stored in your account - and only activate another one after the active FCT expires. Error creating thumbnail: /bin/bash: line 1: /usr/bin/convert: No such file or directory Error code: 127 If you have a Trainz Plus subscription then you will automatically get an FCT that will last until the subscription expires. Renew your subscription and the FCT will also be renewed.

How to Purchase an FCT

	You can purchase an FCT from the MyTrainz Tab or from the Trainz Discussion Forum web site.
	You can purchase an FCT for 7, 30, 90, 180 and 365 days.
	If you have a Trainz Plus subscription, then an FCT is automatically included in your subscription.

Steps: To Purchase an FCT:- There are two methods you can use:-    Left Click  on the button in the MyTrainz Tab and jump straight to Step  4  below   OR Log in to the Trainz Forum at  Trainz Discussion Forum From the menu at the top of the Forum page select Store From the menu at the top of the Store page select Buy First Class Ticket On the next page.  Left Click  on the Duration drop down box to select the number of days your FCT will be active. The options will be 7, 30, 90, 180 and 365 days.    Left Click  on the ADD TO CART button and follow the instructions for completing the purchase.

How to Activate an FCT

	Once activated an FCT will run automatically for the full calendar duration of the ticket.
	An FCT that is part of a subscription is automatically activated with the subscription.

An FCT that is part of a Trainz Plus subscription will be automatically activated with the subscription. It will terminate at the end of the subscription period (one month or one year) and will be automatically reactivated by a subscription renewal.

The FCT Status shown in the Install Tab indicates how many days are left on your current FCT. If you have an FCT with days in credit (e.g. 47 days left) then it will be active as soon as you use Content Manager to download from the DLS.

Steps: To Activate a Purchased FCT:- Log in to the Trainz Forum at  Trainz Discussion Forum From the menu at the top of the page select MyTrainz On the left of the page are the main menu options. Scroll Down to the Download Station section.  Left Click  on the My First Class Tickets link Scroll Down the page to the section labelled First Class Access where all your FCTs, current and expired, will be listed. It will look something, more or less, like the image shown below. Any ticket with the label Permanent is part of a Trainz Plus Subscription. Its expiry date is the same as the expiry date of the subscription. Any ticket that can be activated will be shown with its Invoice Details.  Left Click  on the Invoice Number of the ticket that you want to activate. This will display the details of that invoice.  Left Click  on the Activate link shown underlined in red in the image above. NOTE: It can take upto 15 minutes before the ticket is activated.

The Dev Settings

	These settings are designed for asset developers ONLY to test the performance and other features of the assets they create.
	Unless you are an experienced asset developer you are strongly advised to NOT change these settings.
	They also control how often automatic backups will be made of any routes or sessions that you are currently developing in Surveyor.

Left Click  on the  Dev  tab

WARNING: The settings in this tab are designed to be used by asset creators and developers and NOT for general gameplay. Some of these settings will disable functions, such as some scripts, that will lead to errors and assets not working correctly. Many of them will reduce overall performance and even alter the visual appearance of objects and textures to assist in debugging. USE WITH CAUTION

User ID:

This is your Trainz user identity code for creating assets and each user has their own unique identity code number. All assets that you create, or clone, will contain this number at the start of their <kuid> code. For example:- Error creating thumbnail: /bin/bash: line 1: /usr/bin/convert: No such file or directory Error code: 127 <kuid:45176:19953> for an original asset, or Error creating thumbnail: /bin/bash: line 1: /usr/bin/convert: No such file or directory Error code: 127 <kuid2:45176:19953:1> for the first update to the above asset. This User ID was created when you registered your first copy of Trainz and it cannot be changed.

Daily Backups to Keep:

This sets the number of Automatic Backups of your currently loaded route and session that will be created each day. These backups are saved in the Local Data Folder (see  Local Data Folder) and are only kept for 7 days.

Steps: To Set the number of Daily Backups to Keep:-  Left Click  on the Daily Backups to Keep Text Entry box.   Type a new value as an integer into the text box. Error creating thumbnail: /bin/bash: line 1: /usr/bin/convert: No such file or directory Error code: 127 0 - will save no automatic backups Error creating thumbnail: /bin/bash: line 1: /usr/bin/convert: No such file or directory Error code: 127 7 - is the default number of automatic backups saved each day Notes: Error creating thumbnail: /bin/bash: line 1: /usr/bin/convert: No such file or directory Error code: 127 This will only backup routes and sessions edited in Surveyor. It will not backup session games played in Driver. Error creating thumbnail: /bin/bash: line 1: /usr/bin/convert: No such file or directory Error code: 127 The entered value will be saved and used each time Trainz is restarted

Error creating thumbnail: /bin/bash: line 1: /usr/bin/convert: No such file or directory Error code: 127 IF you are not developing a route or session then you can safely set this value to 0 and no automatic backups will be kept but remember to change it when you start developing a route or session. Error creating thumbnail: /bin/bash: line 1: /usr/bin/convert: No such file or directory Error code: 127 IF you are developing a route or session then a value of 7 or higher, depending on how many changes you make each day, would be a suitable number. Error creating thumbnail: /bin/bash: line 1: /usr/bin/convert: No such file or directory Error code: 127 Detailed information and instructions on Automatic Backups and Manual Backups can be found at  How_to_Manage_Backups.

Time Scaling:

This allows you to slow the rate at which time passes when running a session. All aspects of the session - the session clock, the compass and cursor movement speeds and the time experienced by moving consists - will be slowed.

Steps: To Set the Time Scale:-  Left Click  on the Time Scale Text Entry box.   Type a new value as an integer (with or without the % symbol) into the text box. The values can range from:- Error creating thumbnail: /bin/bash: line 1: /usr/bin/convert: No such file or directory Error code: 127 1% - which is painfully slow, to Error creating thumbnail: /bin/bash: line 1: /usr/bin/convert: No such file or directory Error code: 127 100% - which is normal speed Notes: Error creating thumbnail: /bin/bash: line 1: /usr/bin/convert: No such file or directory Error code: 127 100% is the maximum allowed value Error creating thumbnail: /bin/bash: line 1: /usr/bin/convert: No such file or directory Error code: 127 The entered value is NOT saved and it will be returned to 100% when Trainz is restarted

Error creating thumbnail: /bin/bash: line 1: /usr/bin/convert: No such file or directory Error code: 127 You can also alter the rate at which time passes in a session by using the  Time_and_Rate_Rule in the Session Editor. This will only affect the clock and nothing else. Error creating thumbnail: /bin/bash: line 1: /usr/bin/convert: No such file or directory Error code: 127 You can also speed up the session clock and the speed at which all train movements occur by switching ON the Enable debug features setting in the Surveyor Main Menu - General Settings and holding down the  Shift  key while the session is running. However, features such as Navigation Points and some scripts will not function correctly or not at all while you are holding down the  Shift  key.

Debug Render:

This allows you to select different image rendering methods to help identify problems with the texture, surface effects or appearance of objects.

Steps: To Select a Debug Render:-  Left Click  on the Debug Render Drop Down box. This will display a list of available options.    Left Click  on an option. Notes: Error creating thumbnail: /bin/bash: line 1: /usr/bin/convert: No such file or directory Error code: 127 A restart will be needed after changing this setting. Error creating thumbnail: /bin/bash: line 1: /usr/bin/convert: No such file or directory Error code: 127 Each restart will Precache the Content and/or Recompile the "Shaders" (programs running in the GPU). This will significantly delay the restart. WARNING: Objects WILL NOT be displayed normally. Depending on the option selected, colours and/or textures will be greatly altered or not shown at all.

Compatibility Mode:

CAUTION: This setting causes more problems than any other due to misunderstandings about what it does It has an option Maximize performance which is frequently taken to mean that it will give you the best possible overall performance. While it will usually achieve this it is NOT its main purpose. It will deactivate many scripts used in legacy assets that make calls to obsolete functions. While this will improve performance it will almost certainly generate issues in routes that use those legacy assets and scripts. The main purpose of this option is to allow developers to more accurately test the performance of a new asset under conditions that fully comply with the latest standards. If you are using legacy assets in your route and you are NOT testing how a new asset performs under optimal conditions, then DO NOT select Maximize performance.

This allows you to modify the loading, operation (especially scripts) and error reporting of assets used in a route.

Steps: To Set the Compatibility Mode:-  Left Click  on the Compatibility Mode Drop Down box. This will display the range of available options.    Left Click  on an option. No restart will be needed after changing this setting. See the list below for a description of each option.

Error creating thumbnail: /bin/bash: line 1: /usr/bin/convert: No such file or directory Error code: 127 For General Game Play (i.e. not testing or debugging) the recommended settings are:- Error creating thumbnail: /bin/bash: line 1: /usr/bin/convert: No such file or directory Error code: 127 Maximise compatibility, OR Error creating thumbnail: /bin/bash: line 1: /usr/bin/convert: No such file or directory Error code: 127 Stream objects for large routes

Maximise compatibility

This is the default for TRS19, TRS22 and Trainz Plus. No legacy asset scripts are disabled and the entire route will be loaded into memory. Both will degrade overall performance. This mode should be used if a route or session contains legacy assets that do not perform well in other settings.

Stream objects

Only those parts of a route that are active and close to the player's point of view are loaded into memory, a technique called "route streaming". This reduces overall loading time, resource usage and improves performance, especially on larger routes. This is the default setting for routes that are packaged with TRS19, TRS22 and Trainz Plus because they have been tested and found to work in this mode without any issues. There are some downsides:- switching the camera to a distant part of a large route can cause delays while assets are loaded. Scripts that require data from assets that have not been loaded may experience issues.

Maximize performance

This can significantly improve performance by using route streaming and disabling the scripts used in many legacy assets. It is expected that this will become the default setting in future Trainz versions so script creators should use this mode when developing and testing their assets.

Show errors on legacy calls

This is the same as the Maximize performance setting but it will report attempts by scripts to use legacy or obsolete script functions. Because of this extra "debugging" its performance is slightly below that of Maximize performance. This setting should only be used for testing and debugging asset scripts.

Debug Tools and Logs:

A set of Check Boxes that will enable/disable various debugging functions and produce reports (logs). Steps: To Set the Debug/Log Controls ON/OFF:-  Left Click  on the required Check Box to turn the control ON or OFF. See the Checkbox List below for a description of each option. Notes: Error creating thumbnail: /bin/bash: line 1: /usr/bin/convert: No such file or directory Error code: 127 No restart will be needed after changing these settings. Error creating thumbnail: /bin/bash: line 1: /usr/bin/convert: No such file or directory Error code: 127 The settings will be saved and used each time Trainz is restarted. Error creating thumbnail: /bin/bash: line 1: /usr/bin/convert: No such file or directory Error code: 127 Because of the extra time needed for "debugging" and "reporting" operations, there will be an effect on performance.

Enable advanced debug tools

When checked this activates the TrainzUtil program which runs in parallel with Trainz. See   TrainzUtil for more information.

Show script exception notifications When checked this will log script errors (such as calls to obsolete or missing script functions). Log script output When checked this will place the output of all scripts into the logs. Log script message handling When checked this will copy all messages passed between scripts into the logs.

Error creating thumbnail: /bin/bash: line 1: /usr/bin/convert: No such file or directory Error code: 127 Before starting a log, clear any existing logs. Open the Developer menu and select Clear Client Logs. Error creating thumbnail: /bin/bash: line 1: /usr/bin/convert: No such file or directory Error code: 127 To view a log open the Developer menu and select Show Client Logs.

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Trainz Wiki

More Tutorials and Guides to Using Trainz How to Guides Driver Commands List Session Rules List (Alphabetical) with Parameters Session Rules List (Categories) With Parameters

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This page was created by Trainz user pware in July 2026 and was last updated as shown below.

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