We now need to create a new asset in Trainz Content Manager. For splines this needs to be a Track asset.

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Posy Fowler
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1 Config.txt File Creating an Asset We now need to create a new asset in Trainz Content Manager. For splines this needs to be a Track asset. Open Trainz Content Manager and under the File Menu select New Asset. You will be presented with a list of the different kinds of assets you can create. Track (KIND) provides the sole asset kind for spline-based assets from Trainz-build version 2.9 and up. It is used to create splines for simple track, multi-track, bridges, tunnels, hedges, roads, walls, embankments, local power lines, high-voltage power lines, etc. Choose Track and click the New button in the lower right corner of the window. You will be presented with a window where you can name your asset. The kuid, trainz-build and kind tags are already filled in. (A tag is command inserted in a document that specifies how the document, or a portion of the document, should be formatted.) Page 1 of 9.

Save your changes (File Menu > Save) and close the window.

2 Under username type in Log Fence. You can also at this time select Category-Class. Type in SF for fence or scroll down and select it from the list. Leave istrack unchecked. Save your changes (File Menu > Save) and close the window. Open your new asset in Edit in Explorer (RMB on the asset > Edit > Edit in Explorer from the Dropdown Menu) and open the config.txt file by double clicking (LMB) on it. The config.txt file will have the following structure: Page 2 of 9.

3 In addition to the tags, there are three Containers inserted into a track asset config.txt file, the Thumbnail Container (blue), the Mesh Table Container (green) and the Track Container (yellow). Note: The config.txt file and the containers can have a number of additional tags. These tags, will be listed later and their functions described. Some will be needed in order to publish the asset to the Trainz Download Station (DLS) and will be added later. But for now they can be left out in order to simplify the file structure. When not specifically added some assume their default values, which is sufficient for the Log Fence asset. Thumbnails Container The Thumbnail Container holds a 240 X 180 pixel picture (usually a.jpg) that is used to represent this asset in 2D preview boxes, lists, and icon form throughout the game environment (including in-game, in Content Manager, and on the Download Station.) This must be filled in to Commit the asset later (by right mouse clicking on the asset in the main Content Manager window, selecting Edit, and selecting Commit). For the Log Fence asset fill in the name and file type, width and height to look like this: thumbnails 0 image thumbnail.jpg width 240 height 180 (Later, once the asset has been committed, it can be dropped into a Trainz scene, photographed with FRAPS and the.jpg file formatted to 240 X 180 pixels with Irfanview. The.jpg file can then be copied into the asset folder and the asset recommitted.) Mesh Table Container The Mesh-Table Container is a list of the.im files each in a sub-container. Here the.im files are given a name with which they can be referred to later on in other containers. We have four.im files so we will have four sub-containers. For the sub-container name we will use a naming system where the.im file name has the suffix f added. Page 3 of 9.

4 For the Log Fence asset fill in the Mesh-Table Container to look like this: -table mainlod0f [sub-container name for the main ] "mainlod0.im" [Blender generated file] [ 1 indicates that the will be visible when placed in Surveyor] mainlod1f "mainlod1.im" startlod0f "startlod0.im" startlod1f "startlod1.im" Track Part Container A track part container is generated for each, (i.e., the main and the start of the Log Fence asset). The Track Container for the main fence segment is call track and the Track Container for the start fence segment is call endcapprev. The Track Container contains a tag to indicate the length of the in meters and an embedded Track lod-tree Container. The Track lod-tree Container indicates which is the high-detailed and which is the low detailed and defines the distance (lod-distance) at which the high-detailed (LOD0) will be switched for the low-detailed (LOD1) (e.g, set here to 250 meters). Page 4 of 9.

5 For the Log Fence asset fill in the Track Container and the embedded Track-lod-tree Containers to look like this: track -length 3 track-lod-tree lod-distance 250 high-detail low-detail "mainlod0f" "mainlod1f" endcap-prev -length 0.2 track-lod-tree lod-distance 250 high-detail low-detail "startlod0f" "startlod1f" Trainz Download Station (DLS) Page 5 of 9.

6 To publish to Trainz Download Station (DLS) additional information (tags) should be included. Here is a completed config.txt file for the Log Fence asset suitable for uploading to the DLS with the additional information shown in yellow. The contact-era and contact-region can be added using Creator Plus (RMB on the asset > Edit > Edit in Creator Plus). Plus). ViewN373 The order of the tags may be varied. The config.txt file should now look something like this: kuid username trainz-build category-class kind istrack [Your kuid number generated when you created the asset] "Log Fence" [Your trainz-build number] "SF" "track" 0 category-era "1880s;1890s;1900s;1910s;1920s;1930s" category-region "CA;US" description "A log fence used in North America in the late 1800s and early 1900s before barbed wire fences. LOD0/LOD1 polys 252/80." author "[Your Name]" contact- "[Your ]" Page 6 of 9.

7 contact-website license "[Your website address]" "Freeware" thumbnails 0 image thumbnail.jpg width 240 height 180 -table mainlod0f "mainlod0.im" mainlod1f "mainlod1.im" startlod0f "startlod0.im" startlod1f "startlod1.im" track -length 3 track-lod-tree Page 7 of 9.

8 lod-distance 250 high-detail low-detail "mainlod0f" "mainlod1f" endcap-prev -length 0.2 track-lod-tree lod-distance 250 high-detail low-detail "startlod0f" "startlod1f" Additional Information Modelling Splines KIND Track Modeling Splines - TrainzOnline KIND track - TrainzOnline Page 8 of 9.

9 Mesh Table Container Mesh-Table Container - TrainzOnline Track Part Container Track Part Container - TrainzOnline Track-lod-tree Container Track-lod-tree Container - TrainzOnline Page 9 of 9.

Step 3: Export from Blender and Import into Trainz

Step 3: Export from Blender and Import into Trainz Note: You can download a.pdf file of this page here. Export Note: In order to export your model from Blender you must have installed the Trainz Exporter