Help:VE173

Material '$(MATERIAL)' in mesh '$(FILE)' is not of a recognised material type.

This error occurs when loading a legacy Trainz IM mesh file, or when importing from an FBX mesh source file. It indicates that the mesh contains a material type which is not supported by the game. Material types are typically determined by interpreting the material's name (as configured in the modelling program that created the file), however this may be overridden using a Mesh metadata file.

FBX Mesh Source Files

The FBX mesh importer first checks for a 'material-type' tag in the mesh metadata file, if any. If present, this is used verbatim. Otherwise, it looks for the last occurrence of a period (".") character in the material name, and then uses the characters after that as the material type. From trainz-build v4.6 onwards, the importer also checks for a underscore ("_") character if no period is present, and applies the same logic; this is to support the Maya LT modeller which doesn't allow periods in material names.

The comparison is case sensitive. The supported material types are:

• tbumptex
• tbumpenv (prior to trainz-build v5.6)
• gloss (prior to trainz-build v5.6)
• tbumpgloss (prior to trainz-build v5.6)
• reflect (prior to trainz-build v5.6)
• onetex
• notex (prior to trainz-build v5.6)
• additive
• pbrmetal (at or above v4.6)
• pbrmetalmasked (at or above v4.6)
• pbrmetaldetail (at or above v4.6)
• leafcard (at or above v5.6)
• clutter (at or above v4.6)
• glass (at or above v4.6)
• leafcardbillboard (at or above v5.6)
• foliage (at or above v5.4)

Unknown material types result in a warning at trainz-build versions prior to v4.6, and an error since then.

Legacy Trainz IM Mesh Files

The mesh file reader looks for the last occurrence of a period (".") character in the material name, and then uses the characters after that as the material type. The comparison is case sensitive. The supported material types are:

• tbumptex
• tbumpenv
• gloss
• tbumpgloss
• reflect
• onetex
• notex

Unknown material types result in a warning.