Trainz/AM&C

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Trainz Asset Maintenance & Creation Master Table of Contents for Introductory to Intermediate Topics

TOC | Beginnings | Fun | AM&C | Creation | InBook Refs | ORP Refs:  • Index • Containers • Kinds • Tags | Appendixes  • Vers

Glossary

HKeys-CM

HKeys-DVR

HKeys-SUR

HKeys-WIN

Mouse use

Notations

Purpose

This Book Division index page is a master Table of Contents page for Intermediate Skills building topics just as Introductory Trainz linked above is for those just getting their feet onto the first slopes of the various Trainz learning curves, and Content Creation and References are for even more advance topics. If the reader visualizes a large reference work in a three ring binder with TABS sticking out to quickly switch between book sections, you see what we're trying to accomplish in your minds eye.

At the file structure level, some threaded materials will be linked both in-sequence (threaded page to page 1st to next page) and in collections of related material where it was relocated into various places such as Trainz Wikibook Appendix pages, or other divisions of the Trainz Wikibooks. Consequenly, if you've seen such a page, with a slightly different look the chances are you have—the magic of modern type setting technology in a Wiki allows that page to appear both ways! These Division TOC pages will also introduce new and older Trainzers to that of organization of the work, and give a greater sense of where to look for things when needed.

Introduction

Welcome to the Trainz Asset and Creation TABLE OF CONTENTS page. In here we will be listing beginner to intermediate level stand-alone and threaded tutorial topics so the newer Trainzer can better focus on Fundamentals, then grow in knowledge by using some of this Chapter when its the right time, or browse on a pick and choose basis.

In this work we will introduce the Trainz data structures that you will become familiar with once you download older content and routes that may have dependencies which are out of date. Trainz DLS clean-up is an ongoing work, and there is also some stuff that is less than professional grade put up by novices or as a joke by juveniles. Navigating such a situation is a key skill these pages will help you master.

Base TOC

• CMP - Content Manager Plus (TRS2006+).
• A threaded page by page coverage of what follows
• KUIDs — this is a pre-requisite to understanding most anything to do with Trainz Content.
• Hierarchy Of Assets
• Locating locos A catalog of practically every loco created for Trainz
• KUIDs and how they work.
• Setting up PEVtools - Article deals with acquisition, installation, and initialization of PEVtool utilities needed to fix many assets.
• Trainz Download Helper
• Running more than one Trainz
• Downloading From Third Party Trainz Fansites
• Asset modification - getting feet-wet with making some content of your own.
• Where to find non-DLS assets
• Finding Missing Dependencies
• Fixing Broken Assets

• Error Fixing 101 — this is the start page of a threaded tutorial on fixing faults in Trainz Content.

• Changing An Asset's Dependencies - For Example; Replacing a Locomotive's Hornsound.
• Backing Up Downloaded And Self-Created Assets - Creating Archives and Zip Files of Content.
• Copying Assets Between Versions And Copies Of Trainz - For Example; TRS2006 to TC.

• Removing Unwanted Assets - Deleting or Disabling Assets.
• Changing the default cars on roads
• Changing the default passengers in coaches or at stations

Move to or moved to Appendices

Main: Appendixes

• Trainz Objectz
• DLS and FCT - Download Station and First Class Tickets.
• TrainzMap
• The Trainz Asset Repair Library (TARL)
• Converting steam locos to run in TC3 - Converting steam locos to run in TC3.

References

 

Asset Basics

• Hierarchy Of Assets
• CM - Content Manager (TS2009+).

• CMP - Content Manager Plus (TRS2006+).

• DLS and FCTs - Download Station and First Class Tickets.

• KUIDs and how they work.
• TDH

Brand New

CM Search pane

CM DLH pane

 

Acquiring Assets

• Downloading From Third Party Trainz Fansites
• External Links
• Where to find non-DLS assets
• Locating locos A catalog of practically every loco created for Trainz
• Backing Up Downloaded And Self-Created Assets - Creating Archives and Zip Files of Content.
• Copying Assets Between Versions And Copies Of Trainz - For Example; TRS2006 to TC.

 

Altering Assets

Fixing Faulty Content

All content is not treated equally. This prejudicial attitude is evinced by Trainz against the unwary by means of using the trainz-build tag number to process data differently on reading it's data. Essentially, every older asset gets translated into a newer data model in Trainz internally. When the data can't be, or because the programmers choose to not ignore some data tag and field, errors are generated by the newer Trainz releases.

Editor's note: Some errors occur in later releases because the Trainz data model changed in the release. This many times avoidable 'Obsoleted by Program Changes' situation is the case now for some tags if content is upgraded, but was very noticeable in Steam Locomotives brought forward into TC3 and TS2009's new data models (when they didn't work) and the parade of new errors messages continue with new levels of error checking at each release.

1. Setting up PEVtools
2. PEVtools
3. Finding Missing Dependencies
4. Fixing Broken Assets—tutorials,

   • List of Faults errors and warnings messages — and remedies to fix such!

   • Converting steam locos to run in TC3 - Converting steam locos to run in TC3. If you acquire an older Locomotive with errors asset, this cookbook will help you convert the data model changed between TC1&2 and {{TL|TC3)) and in use TS09—TS12

 

Customizing Assets

• Changing An Asset's Dependencies - For Example; Replacing a Locomotive's Hornsound.
• Removing Unwanted Assets - Deleting or Disabling Assets.
• Changing the default cars on roads
• Changing the default passengers in coaches or at stations

 

Third Party Asset Tools

• Trainz Objectz
• The Trainz Asset Repair Library (TARL)
• TrainzMap

Asset Fundamentals and Management

Main pages: Introduction to assets and Getting and organizing 3rd-party assets If you are a new Trainz user, the two links above leads into the first page-linked chapters— each as part of a set of linked 'How-To' (and be careful of this or that) pages, and so both page sequences should be read first. We're even going to throw in pictures now and then.  • The Table of Contents lists below will help you find things easy when you want to revisit a page.

Manage, not reorganize

Managing your assets becomes essential when your 3rd party and DLS content begins to build up. With more than 250,000 items available from the DLS, and built-in content shipped with every edition, the amount of faulty/missing dependencies or items requiring updates or attention quickly becomes a mammoth task to deal with.

New users are cautioned in the strongest possible terms to limit your greed to just a few non-built-in items at first and especially to just one route at a time—these can bring in hundreds of assets, many of them older and broken for immediate use. It is better by far to search for sessions so you get a route with some canned Driver sessions. We're going to cover all that, including perils and pitfalls, and once we pass along some tricks, we'll cut you loose to make your mistakes plenty soon enough. If you are very new, limit yourself to routes v-2.9 or later until you get some practice fixing various errors. You will get enough in even new routes, and part of this book is going to introduce you to Surveyor and Driver by way of downloading some content to learn from and by do-to-learn-fast tautology. Any asset not fixed, should be disabled before running Trainz GUI programs using the RMBHd drop down menu. This cautionary practice extends especially to disabling software (dependent routes or sessions) as TADdaemon gets hyper-active when it can't resolve dependency references.

Introductory topics

These pages are specifically geared to giving new Trainzers basic knowledge and tips about focused aspects of the software system:

• Trainz/Introduction to assets
• Trainz Industries
• Interactive assets
• Trainz Stations

Before tackling the below

Trainz is an application with many parts, so this whole collection of topics has to assume you've read and mastered the following:

1. Installing Trainz for convenience
2. Upgrading Trainz within a version - Newer Trainz will auto-upgrade but politely ask you first. This can take a while, so running a first Driver session and getting your feet wet is okay. In this, we'll cover both cases (you told it yes or no... what next to upgrade?) and discuss manual patches, resources and so forth.
3. You've at least completed three or more Driver Tutorials
4. You've read Intro to Content Manager and played around with setting filters
   1. Can find stuff that's built-in or only on the DLS, or stuff in both, can search for routes, sessions, and stuff by a particular Content Creator.
   2. Further, you've seen New Trainzer's Content Guide or Content Creators to Avoid

...

Organized Tutorialz

1. Trainz Data and Files - what are they, how do I use and organize them, and what not to do.

1. Downloading or importing safely
   1. My first Downloads
   2. Overview of Trainz Data
   3. Understanding Trainz Data Structures
2. Why does content sometimes have error messages
   1. Trainz/AM&C/Dealing with Asset Errors
   2. List of error messages — and remedies to fix such!
   3. Importing 3rd Party CDPs

 

Notes and Footnotes