CCG/Kind Examples

Kind Examples

The purpose of this chapter is to provide real example Assets to show the use of the various Containers and Tag in all the Kinds that are included in Trainz. Please refer to Chapter 6 for a complete description of the Containers and Tags used, and new functions in Appendix D.

Examples

The test examples are taken from the models built into TC, primarily those developed by Auran, not supplied by Third Party Creators. As such, many are older models, and the config.txt files have been updated by Content Creator Plus. The example files are available for download, and they include the config.txt files and the textures, but not the 3dsmax or gmax meshes, as these were not available in many instances.

Some of the models are relatively simple, and do not show or use all of the container and tag options available for that particular Kind. The config.txt file is displayed in this chapter to show the typical containers used and the type of data that is entered for the tags.

Please Note: Contrary to the original Content Creator's Guide for TC, the listings for config.txt files contain all necessay braces (curly brackets "{" and "}"). It's important to understand the relationship of containers and their tags.

Additional Examples

Additional examples are available for download, please refer to the earlier Content Creation Guide for TRS2004, for the download links. Many of these files include the mesh files. Examples are included on the Content Creation Art Source CD's available for purchase from the Auran website. All these earlier assets were developed for Trainz versions prior to the use of Content Creation Plus.

Models in TC

Most model asset files may be opened in Content Creator Plus using the option "Open in Content Creator Plus", or an asset may be cloned to make a new model. Some files provided by Third Party Creators are not available for modification or viewing, the privileges tag options have been used to prevent access, to protect the creators' assets. This option was only available for supplied assets built in to TC. It is not available for new creations uploaded to the Download Station.

Please Note: that assets opened in Content Creator Plus will be updated to the host version of Trainz.

For those accessible assets, the config.txt and texture files are then available. The texture files however are compiled with the texture.txt file and are not directly available for modification. For example, a file may be called black.texture without a.txt extension and is know as a Trainz file. It is not a plain text file.

A cloned asset will use the compiled texture files correctly, as specified in the original exported asset mesh files, however if you wish to modify the texture, the original graphics file needs to be recovered. The file may be extracted using the program Images2TGA available for download from here. It will open all texture and image files used in the latest versions of Trainz.

Modifying Texture Files

After installing the program, configure it to refer to an external graphic editor, such as Paint Shop Pro or Photoshop, using the Preferences .... Select Editing Program option.

Open the asset in Explorer in Content Creator Plus so the texture files may be accessed. In TgaTools2, Load the appropriate map.texture file, as a "Trainz" file. It will display the original graphic file, and also any Alpha channel or opacity map in a panel to the right of the editor. The original text included in the file is unrecoverable.

Save the file as black.tga for example, and the saved file will include any Alpha channel for transparency or opacity, as used in the original asset.

If you wish to make the Alpha channel a separate .bmp file, use the program option Image .... Send Alpha Channel to Editor (PSP or Photoshop you configured earlier). This allows you to save the Alpha channel as a separate .bmp file, from your editor.

Modify the graphic texture files (.tga or .bmp) as required. Note that any separate opacity .bmp file must be the same pixel sizes as the main texture .tga file.

In your cloned or modified asset, type a new black.texture.txt file to refer to the extracted image or images. Make sure you delete the original .texture file when you have made a new .texture.txt file.

Consider the original .texture filename, the name indicates if the texture was a simple .tga file, a .tga file with an Alpha channel, or a .tga file the also uses a separate Alpha or opacity .bmp file, for example:

1. black.texture - this is a texture using only a black.tga file for the asset. Create a new text file with the following entries, and save it with the name black.texture.txt

 Primary=black.tga
 Tile=none

2. black-black.texture - this is a texture using a black.tga file and either includes an alpha channel in the same file, or refers to a separate black.bmp file for the Alpha channel or opacity map. Because the names are the same, it is impossible to determine which option was used by the original creator. Either of the following options will work in the cloned asset:

If you have saved the original file as a .tga file with the included alpha channel in that file, create a new text file with the following entries, and save it with the name black-black.texture.txt

 Primary=black.tga
 Alpha=black.tga
 Tile=none

If you have saved the original file as a .tga file with the alpha channel as a separate .bmp file, from your graphic editor, create a new text file with the following entries, and save it with the name black-black.texture.txt

 Primary=black.tga
 Alpha=black.bmp
 Tile=none

3. black-black_op.texture - this is a texture using a black.tga file and refers to a separate black_op.bmp file for the Alpha channel or opacity map. Create a new text file with the following entries, and save it with the name black-black_op.texture.txt

 Primary=black.tga
 Alpha=black_op.bmp
 Tile=none

Mote: Do not change the name of the texture file from the original, for example make black.texture become blacknew.texture.txt. The exported .im files have the material name "black" encapsulated in the file, and will look for a matching black.texture or black.texture.txt file in the asset. You can however change the actual graphic file names and refer to them correctly in the text of the .texture.txt file.

Requirements

There are some conditions of use of modified or cloned in-built assets.

You may freely use the files from TC to make new models, or modify textures for your own purposes, for personal use, on your own computer.

If you wish to share the new or modified models with others, the following conditions apply - for all assets, they are to be uploaded to, and made available from, the Auran Download Station, as a condition of use. This was a condition of use for the original Content Creation Art Source files.

Additionally, for assets using or based on in-built assets provided by a Third Party Creator, you must have permission from the creator of the original asset, before sharing or uploading any files.