Revision as of 13:41, 12 August 2024

The information in this Wiki Page applies to Surveyor 2.0 (S20) as found in Trainz Plus and TRS22 Platinum.

1 Surveyor 2.0 vs Surveyor Classic
2 The Tools Palette
3 The Brush Tool
4 The Placement Tool
5 The Eyedropper Tool
- 5.1 Quick Steps
  - 5.1.1 From the Eyedropper Tool
  - 5.1.2 From the Brush, Placement, Free Move, Fine Adjustment, Marquee Tools
- 5.2 Narrowing the Search
6 The Free Move Tool
7 The Fine Adjustment Tool
8 The Marquee Tool
9 Mass Object Moves and Clones
10 Upgrading a Route to HD (Trainz Plus Only)
11 The Info Palette
12 Trainz Wiki

Surveyor 2.0 Mouse and Keyboard Aids and Shortcuts

Operations

LClick

Left Click on an object to Select it

Shift LClick

hold down the Shift key and Left Click on another object to add it to the Selection

LClick Drag

Left Click and Drag to Move an object or a group of selected objects

RClick

Right Click on the terrain to Move the Compass Rose and Focus to that location or to open a setting menu in a palette

DLClick

Double Left Click on an object to add it and all nearby identical objects into a single Selection

	when used on a consist all the wagons in the consist, regardless of type, will be selected
	when used on a spline or track all the segments upto the next junction or last endpoint (in both directions) will be selected

Shift DLClick

hold down the Shift key and Double Left Click on another object to add it and its nearby identical objects to those already in the Selection

Ctrl LClick Drag

hold down the Ctrl key and Left Click and Drag to Clone an object or selected objects

Ctrl C

press Ctrl + C to Copy selected objects (including the ground heights, ground textures and any TurfFX/Clutter Effect Layers) into a new Scrapbook

Ctrl D

press Ctrl + D to Unselect a selected object (or ALL objects if multiple objects have been selected)

Ctrl E

press Ctrl + E to open the Route Editor (to edit the route name, description, thumbnail, scale, etc)

Ctrl F

press Ctrl + F to open the Object Finder

Ctrl F1

press Ctrl + F1 to switch from Driver to Surveyor via the UDS interface

Ctrl F2

press Ctrl + F2 to switch from Surveyor to Driver via the UDS interface

Ctrl M

press Ctrl + M to open the Mini Map

Ctrl R

press Ctrl + R to open the Session Editor (to edit the session name, description and rules)

Ctrl S

press Ctrl + S to Save the current route and/or session (which ever has been edited)

Ctrl V

press Ctrl + V to Paste the current Scrapbook into the route at the cursor position (the Surveyor Compass Rose). The current settings in the Scrapbook Palette Filter will control which objects are pasted and how they are pasted

Ctrl X

press Ctrl + X to Cut and remove selected objects from the route and place them into a new Scrapbook. The ground heights, ground textures, TurfFX/Clutter Effect Layers and any objects in locked layers will be copied, not cut

Ctrl Y

press Ctrl + Y to Redo (reverse) the last Ctrl Z command

Ctrl Z

press Ctrl + Z to Undo previous actions

Ctrl Space

press Ctrl + Space to show/hide the User Interface (the Trainz Main Menu icons and all the docked palettes - undocked palettes will still be visible)

Alt

hold down the Alt key and hover the tool pointer over an object to Identify it

Alt LClick

hold down the Alt key and Left Click on an object to Select it in the Assets Palette and to copy some data from the object to the Tool Options Palette

Delete

press the Delete key to Delete a selected object or objects from the route

Tools

W	selects the Brush Tool
E	selects the Placement Tool
R	selects the Eyedropper Tool
S	selects the Free Move Tool
D	selects the Fine Adjustment Tool
F	selects the Marquee Tool
T	opens the Context Menu of a selected object
	Object Context Icons:

Further information on the topics mentioned in the above list can be found in Trainz Wiki Pages at:-

	The Session Editor
	The Route Editor
	The UDS Interface

Assets and Objects

(from the Surveyor 2.0 Overview document)

In this online documentation, the term Asset is used when discussing the items listed in Content Manager and the Assets Palette . Every asset has a KUID (unique identifier). When an asset (selected in the Assets Palette ) is placed into the Trainz World, the instance of the asset is referred to as an Object. There are multiple types of object, such as Scenery, Splines, Trains, Trackside, etc.

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 Chapter e.g. 1. to 2. to 3., etc
	within Chapters to jump to the next Section e.g. 3.1 to 3.2 to 3.3, etc
	within Sections to return to the Chapter Heading e.g. 3.3 back to 3.0
	within Sections to jump to the next Sub-section e.g. 3.1.1 to 3.1.2 to 3.1.3, etc

Colour Coded Labels used in this Document
Palette	Name of a palette e.g. Assets Palette
Option	Drop Down Menu option e.g. Copy
Key	Keystroke or keystroke combination e.g. Shift or Ctrl + C
Control	A control setting in the Tool Options Palette e.g. Radius
Mouse	An action to be performed using the mouse e.g. Left Click and Drag

Surveyor 2.0 vs Surveyor Classic

Surveyor 2.0

Surveyor 2.0 (or S20) is the new Surveyor interface provided to Trainz Plus and TRS22 Platinum as an alternative to Surveyor Classic which has existed since 2002. Surveyor Classic is still available as an option in Trainz Plus and TRS22 Platinum.

Whats New

a single set of common tools that can be applied to ALL types of objects

the ability to select multiple objects of different types that can be manipulated as one with more freedom than was previously possible

each object has its own Context Menu that applies specific actions depending on the type of object

information and controls in dockable and moveable Palettes that can be hidden when not needed

a new Scrapbook asset to store "scenes" that can be pasted anywhere in a route, between routes and shared through the DLS

a new Marquee Tool that allows:-

	multiple baseboards to be added, deleted and have their heights, ground texture and grid resolution changed in a single operation
	objects, ground heights, ground textures and TurfFX/Clutter Effect Layers to be moved and copied

HD Grid in Trainz Plus

The following screen images help illustrate the change in philosophy that has occurred with the release of the Surveyor 2.0 user interface.

Surveyor Classic 2002 - 2022
	all the tools are in separate fixed Tabbed Flyouts with a different Flyout and set of tools for each type of object (scenery, track, terrain, textures, trains, etc)
	the workflow forces you to select the correct tool for the type of object and then apply it to just a single object at a time

Surveyor 2.0 2022 -
	there is just one set of tools that can be applied to all types of objects
	the workflow allows you to select multiple objects (that can be of different types) and then apply a selected tool or operation to them all

The Tools Palette

The Tools Palette is at the core of Surveyor 2.0 and takes the place of all the Tool Flyouts that have been the standard for Trainz Surveyor for many years. Some of the tools are new while others have been given a makeover and new abilities.

The Context Tool is attached as an icon to a selected or newly placed object. The icon design will vary according to the type of object.

Notes: Palettes

If the Tools Palette is not shown on the screen, then:-

Steps: To display palettes:-

open the

Window Menu from the menu icons at the top of the screen

	visible palettes have ticks next to their names
	invisible (hidden) palettes have no ticks next to their names

if the Tools Palette , or any required palette, does not have a tick next to its name then Left Click on the name of the palette or on the empty

box next to its name. This will add a

and make the palette visible

make sure that the Tool Options Palette is also visible

There is a Trainz Wiki Page specifically covering the S20 Palettes at
How to Use the Surveyor 2.0 Palettes

The Brush Tool

Keyboard Shortcut: W

The Brush Tool "paints" the ground heights, ground textures, effect layers and scrapbook scenes in the Trainz World

Various function of this tool use the Scrapbook Palette Tool Options Palette Info Palette Filter Palette and the Assets Palette . If these palettes are not visible on the screen when required then refer to

Notes: Palettes at the top of this document.

The Brush Tool has two drop down menu lists.

Brush Targets The first drop down menu will set the "Brush Target" which is the type of brush. Left Click on the drop down box and on a Target to select it. The Brush Targets are:-

	Ground Height
	Ground Texture
	Scrapbook Data
	*<List of Effect Layers>*
	Edit Effect Layers

If you have any Effect Layers then they will appear as Targets in this Drop Down Menu. Select an Effect Layer to use the brush to paint with that layer. See

Effect Layers below for more details

Brush Actions The second drop down menu will set the "Brush Action" which is how the brush works. Its options will vary with the bush target selected (see the following sections) and for some targets no options will appear meaning that the selected brush target does not have any different actions

Ground Height

This Brush Target raises or lowers the Ground Surface Height by using a "painting" action

This Brush Target uses the Tool Options Palette . If this palette is not visible on the screen then refer to

Notes: Palettes at the top of this document.

Brush Actions

When the Ground Height Target is selected, the second drop down box will give a choice of several brush actions that control how the height is adjusted.

The actions are:-

	Height Up
	Height Down
	Set Height
	Grade

The Tool Options Palette Sensitivity setting controls the rate or speed at which the height will be changed under the brush as you move it across the terrain.
100% = fastest: 1% = slowest

Ground Height Brush Actions:

Height Up Height Down

raises/lowers the ground under the brush at a rate controlled by the Tool Options Palette Sensitivity setting

Set Height

"plateaus" the ground under the brush to the Tool Options Palette Height setting at a rate controlled by the Sensitivity setting

Grade

creates a smooth slope under the brush at the Tool Options Palette Grade and Angle settings at a rate controlled by the Sensitivity setting

5m Grid, 10m Grid, HD Grid

The operation of the Ground Height (or Terrain) brush will be affected by the Grid Setting for each baseboard. This setting - 5m Grid, 10m Grid or HD Grid (HD Grid is in Trainz Plus only) - will be set when a route is created but it can be changed at any time. For information on how the set grid size affects the operation of the ground height brush, see

Ground Height Brush Size and Grid Resolution below.

In TRS22PE the grid choices are:-
	10m Grid - this is the default for the first baseboard when a new route is created
	5m Grid
HD Grid routes can be loaded into TRS22PE but any terrain edits will use the 5m Grid or the 10m Grid
In Trainz Plus the grid choices are:-
	HD Grid (0.125m or 12.5cm) - this is the default for the first baseboard when a new route is created
	10m Grid
	5m Grid

In TRS22PE:-
	individual and multiple baseboards can be converted between 5m and 10m grids using The Marquee Tool
In Trainz Plus:-
	individual and multiple baseboards can be converted between HD, 5m and 10m grids using The Marquee Tool BUT it is NOT recommended that you mix HD Grid baseboards with 5m/10m Grid baseboards
	an entire route can be converted from 5m/10m Grid to HD Grid in a single step. See Upgrading a Route to HD
Note: With each increase in Grid level (from 10m to 5m to HD) there will be an increase in the route file size

When you add new baseboards you will be asked to select their grid size. In Trainz Plus it is NOT recommended that you mix HD Grid and 5m/10m Grid baseboards - it should be all HD Grid or none.

Ground Height Brush Tool Options

	Notes: Tool Options Palette Controls
	The active ground height brush options for each action are shown in the Tool Options Palette with a Gold coloured icon next to their names. Those options that have their icon greyed out will be ignored by the selected action, but they can still be edited.
	Most of the data entry boxes in the Tool Options Palette have a Popup Menu (Right Click inside the box) that can be used to collect and distribute data - see the Wiki Page How to Use the Surveyor 2.0 Palettes for more details.

Height Up/Height Down
Up/Down brush options

Set Height
Height brush options

Grade

On the right of each data entry box is a pair of Up/Down arrow controls. Left Click and Drag up or down on these to adjust the value in smaller increments

Radius

the brush radius (metres)

Range:

for 5m Grid and 10m Grid see Notes: below
0.12m and above for HD Grid (in Trainz Plus only)

Height

the brush height (metres)

Range:

-3000m to +3000m

Sensitivity

the rate at which the Height changes under the brush

Range:

1% (very slowly) to 100% (very quickly)

Grade

slope gradient - see Notes: below

Range:	0% = flat ("Plateau" in Classic) to
	±100% = steep (but not vertical)

Angle

grade direction - see Notes: below

Range:

0° (North) to ±359°
a negative value reverses the grade direction

	Notes:
	Unlike Surveyor Classic, there is no upper limit to the brush Radius . Brushes of hundreds of metres (even kilometres) in size are possible. However, the performance will decrease as the brush radius increases. If you are using the brush to set an entire baseboard, or many baseboards, to a specific height then the Marquee Tool would be a better choice.
	There is a lower limit to the brush Radius that is dictated by the baseboard grid size (10m Grid, 5m Grid or HD Grid). For 10m/5m Grid brushes smaller than the set grid size are possible but will have restrictions that will increase as the brush becomes smaller. See Ground Height Brush Size and Grid Resolution for the details. For HD Grid the minimum radius is 0.12m.
	The Grade is defined as vertical rise divided by horizontal distance converted to a percentage figure. So a grade of 100% (the maximum allowed) would mean a slope formed by the height and distance both being the same value (e.g. a height increase of 50m over a distance of 50m). A vertical slope (a cliff) would have an infinite grade (cliff height divided by 0) which is currently impossible in Surveyor.
	The Angle controls the compass direction when creating a grade in the ground surface - 0° = North, 180³ = South Angles greater than 360° can be entered but will give the same result as the angle minus 360°. For example: 450° is exactly the same angle as 90° (450°-360°=90°)

Identifying the Ground Height

You can copy the current Ground Height of any spot in the route into the Tool Options Palette Height setting. Once it has been copied the height can be applied to the Ground Height Brush or to any object in the route.

To copy the Ground Height choose one of the following:-
Options:

Using the Eyedropper option found in all the tools

Steps:

	move the mouse pointer onto the spot on the terrain
	hold down the Alt key and Left Click

This option is a good choice when there are no scenery objects (e.g. vegetation, splines, buildings, etc) over the ground being sampled by the eyedropper.

Warning: This will switch the Brush Tool from Ground Height to Ground Texture for painting with the texture or grid pattern at the location clicked

OR

Using the compass and the Tool Options Palette Height setting

Steps:

	Right Click onto the spot on the terrain to move the Compass
	Right Click inside the Height setting box
	Left Click on the menu option Get Height at Compass

This option is recommended when there are scenery objects (e.g. vegetation, splines, buildings, etc) between the ground and the eyedropper. In these cases the object name shown in the eyedropper Tooltip is NOT the name of a ground texture or a grid pattern.

OR

Using the Compass and the Info Palette

Steps:

	Right Click at the spot on the terrain to move the Compass
	Open the Info Palette Focus controls
	Left Click the z: control down arrowhead icon
	select the menu option Use Height for Brush

This option involves more steps but is also recommended when there are scenery objects (e.g. vegetation, splines, buildings, etc) between the ground and the eyedropper. In these cases the object name shown in the eyedropper Tooltip is NOT the name of a ground texture or a grid pattern.

"Painting" the Ground Height

The ground surface is "sculptured" up, down or to a set height by using a "painting action" with the Brush Tool

Steps: To set the Ground Surface Height:-

In the Tools Palette Left Click on the Brush Tool

or press the W key

select the Ground Height from the brush Target Drop Down Menu

You can also perform the above two steps in a single step by selecting the Ground Height in the Layers Palette

select the brush Action ( Height Up , Height Down , etc)

In the Tool Options Palette set any of the brush controls - Radius , Height , Grade , Angle , Sensitivity

Left Click and Drag on the terrain to change the terrain height

You can use the Marquee Tool to set a large area, an entire baseboard or several baseboards to a specific height. See

Managing Baseboards for more details

Notes:

The rate or speed at which the ground height changes under the brush is controlled by the Tool Options Palette Sensitivity setting

Sensitivity Settings:

	1% for the smallest possible change with each sweep of the brush
	100% for the largest possible change with each sweep of the brush
Values between these two limits will give intermediate changes with each sweep of the brush over the same area

Unlike Surveyor Classic, there is no upper limit to the brush Radius . Brushes of hundreds of metres (even kilometres) in size are possible. However, the performance will decrease as the brush radius increases. If you are using the brush to set the terrain of an entire baseboard, or many baseboards, to a set height then the Marquee Tool may be a better choice.

There is a lower limit to the brush Radius that is dictated by the baseboard grid size (10m Grid, 5m Grid or HD Grid). For 10m/5m Grid brushes smaller than the set grid size are possible but will have restrictions that will increase as the brush becomes smaller. See

Ground Height Brush Size and Grid Resolution for the details. For HD Grid the minimum radius is 0.12m.

Most objects have a height value that can be set and altered using the objects Context Menu or through the Placement, Free Move and Fine Adjustment tools (see the sections below dealing with each of these tools for more details).

Object Context Menu Ground Height Options

Once an object has been placed you can open its Context Menu ( Left Click on its icon or press the T key) to access a range of options and functions. The following Ground Height specific options will appear, along with other more general options, in the objects Context Menu.

Smooth Ground Under Selected

smooths the height of the ground under the selected object to match the set height of the object. The size of the area affected will depend on which has the greater value: the width of the object OR the Tool Options Palette Radius setting. If multiple objects at different heights have been selected then the ground height will be set to match, as far as possible, the heights of each object

Settle on Ground

sets the height of the selected objects to match the height of the ground beneath them ("drops them back to earth")

Apply Height

sets the height of the selected object to the value in the Tool Options Palette Height setting. Where multiple objects have been selected the context object, the one with the Context Icon, will have its height set to the Height value and the other selected objects will have their heights adjusted up or down by the same amount

Ground Height Brush Size and Grid Resolution

The minimum allowed brush size and where it can change the terrain height is dictated by the set baseboard grid resolution

For 5m/10m Grids

Ground height or terrain brushes can be smaller than the minimum 5m or 10m baseboard grid. For example: you can create terrain using a brush size of 2.5m on a 10m grid baseboard but there will be restrictions on where you can use the bush.

When the brush size is from 50% to under 100% of the grid size (e.g. from 5m to 9.9m in a 10m grid) then its action will work best when used on the grid lines - yellow (10m) lines for the 10m grid, both grey (5m) and yellow lines for the 5m grid. Between the grid lines its effect will be reduced.

When the brush size is less than 50% of the grid size then its action will be restricted to the grid line intersections - yellow for the 10m grid, both yellow and grey for the 5m grid.

				The RED brush circle indicates that the brush size is too small to operate on the terrain
Resolution: 5m Grid - Brush Size: 1m

For HD Grid

You cannot have a brush size smaller than 0.12m (12cm)

The Surveyor Route Editor will allow you to switch between two minimum brush sizes when working with HD Grid.

This option, available in Trainz Plus only, allows you to set the brush detail to the default HD (High Definition) or to a lower SD (Standard Definition) which is easier to work with over larger areas.

The distinction between these two options is:-

HD

This is the full HD Mode where the minimum brush size is 0.12m (12cm)

SD

This is a reduced HD Mode where the minimum brush size is 2m

Both modes:-

	have all the normal HD controls and features
	will work anywhere within the grid pattern and are not retricted to grid lines or intersections
	can be used in different areas of the same baseboard

The setting can be switched during editing without affecting or altering the existing terrain. For example:-
	you can start editing the terrain using the HD Mode to give you the highest level of precision in one area of a baseboard
	then switch to SD Mode to work in another area of the same (or a different) baseboard at a lower level of precision - which would be faster than using the HD Mode
	then switch back to HD Mode to continue working in the same, or another, high precision area

Steps: To switch between HD and SD modes at any time:-

	Left Click on the Main Menu Edit Menu and select the Edit Route... option
This will open the Route Editor dialogue window which, in Trainz Plus only, has an additional control, the Route Edit Detail

	Left Click on either the SD or the HD button
	Left Click on the icon at the bottom right of the dialogue window to make the switch

Terrain Forming Tips

Using Splines to Set a Ground Gradient

See

Add a Spline Object for more details but once you have set a spline segment to a specific gradient you can bring the terrain up or down to match the gradient beneath the spline so that it will sit smoothly on top of the ground. Use the following steps:-

Steps: To Use Splines to Form the Terrain:-
	After laying the spline segment set its gradient to the required value or its endpoints to the required heights
	In the Tool Options Palette set the Radius control to the required brush radius. The distance on each side of the spline that will be affected will increase with larger entered values. The minimum radius value will depend on the set baseboard grid resolution - approximately 10m radius for 10m and 5m grids, 5m for HD grids
	Open the spline segments Context Menu ( Left Click on its icon or press the T key) and select the option Smooth Ground Under Selected
	If it is no longer needed you can delete the spline leaving the ground with its new gradient

You can also perform this operation with multiple spline segments (each with a different gradient if needed) using the Free Move Tool and the Fine Adjustment Tool

Ground Texture

This Brush Target paints the currently selected Ground Texture (from the Assets Palette ) on the ground

This Brush Target uses the Tool Options Palette , Filter Palette and Assets Palette . If these palettes are not visible on the screen then refer to

Notes: Palettes at the top of this document.

Brush Actions

When the Ground Texture Target is selected, the second drop down box will be disabled - there are no brush texture actions.

Ground Texture Brush Tool Options

	Notes: Tool Options Palette Controls
	The active texture brush options are shown in the Tool Options Palette with a Gold coloured icon next to their names. Those options that have their icon greyed out will be ignored, but they can still be edited.
	Most of the data entry boxes in the Tool Options Palette have a Popup Menu (Right Click inside the box) that can be used to collect and distribute data - see the Wiki Page How to Use the Surveyor 2.0 Palettes for more details.

Radius

the brush radius (metres)

Range:

for 5m Grid and 10m Grid see Notes: below
0.12m and above for HD Grid (in Trainz Plus only)

Sensitivity

texture transparency

Range:	1% = almost transparent to
	100% = solid (opaque)

Rotation

initial rotation angle - see Notes: below

Range:

0° to ±359° (larger angles can be entered)

Scale

the texture pattern scaling factor as a %

Range:

0.01% = smallest

100% = full size

>100% larger than full size

The Height Grade and Angle settings have no effect on textures as they are always painted on the existing ground surface.

On the right of each data entry box is a pair of Up/Down arrow controls. Left Click and Drag up or down on these to adjust the value in smaller increments

Notes:

	Unlike Surveyor Classic, there is no upper limit to the brush Radius . Brushes of hundreds of metres (even kilometres) in size are possible. However, the performance will decrease as the brush radius increases. If you are using the brush to paint an entire baseboard, or many baseboards, then the Marquee Tool will be quicker but it will not give you the options of changing the scale and rotation while painting the texture.
	There is a lower limit to the brush Radius that is dictated by the baseboard grid size (10m Grid, 5m Grid or HD Grid). For 10m/5m Grid brushes smaller than the set grid size are possible but will have restrictions that will increase as the brush becomes smaller. See Ground Texture Brush Size and Grid Resolution for the details. For HD Grid the minimum radius is 0.12m.
	The Rotation controls the starting compass angle (0° = North, 180° = South) for the texture when painting and is often used to avoid pattern repetition. As in Surveyor Classic, holding down the [ or ] keys while painting will continuously change the rotation angle

Identifying and Selecting a Ground Texture

If you have a ground texture in your route that you want to identify or select again.

Steps: To Identify an existing Ground Texture used in the Route:-
	Move the mouse pointer onto the texture to be identified and hold down the Alt key. The textures name name will appear in the pointers ToolTip
Steps: To Select an existing Ground Texture used in the Route:-
	While holding down the Alt key Left Click on the texture
The texture will be selected in the Assets Palette , the Brush Tool and its Ground Texture target will also be activated so you can immediately start painting with that texture using the current Tool Options Palette settings. This will also copy the Ground Height at the selected point into the Tool Options Palette Height setting but this value is ignored when painting with a texture.

If a ground texture is not in your route or it is not visible in your Surveyor view, then it can be selected from the Assets Palette .

Steps: To select a new Texture:-

In the Filter Palette if the Ground Textures

icon, the first icon in the list, is not selected (shown in blue) then Left Click on the

icon or select Ground Textures from the Content Drop Down Menu.

	In the Assets Palette you have the option of adding a text string to the Search box to narrow down the search results
	In the Assets Palette when the ground texture you want is shown in the list Left Click on its name to select it
After selecting a texture both the Brush Tool and its Ground Texture target will be selected so you can immediately start painting with that texture using the current Tool Options Palette settings

	Notes:
	The Assets Palette display is controlled by the selections made in the Filter Palette . Selecting Ground Textures in the Filter Palette will produce a list of all the installed ground textures in the Assets Palette .
	For more information about the Filter Palette see the Trainz Wiki Page How to Use the Surveyor 2.0 Palettes - Filter Palette
	For more information about the Assets Palette see the Trainz Wiki Page How to Use the Surveyor 2.0 Palettes - Assets Palette

Painting a Ground Texture

Steps: To Paint with a Ground Texture:-

If the Assets Palette is already showing the list of ground textures then you can jump directly to step 4 . If it is not showing the ground textures then can still jump directly to step 4 by selecting the Ground Texture layer in the Layers Palette
The minimum steps needed to start painting with a Ground Texture are steps 5 and 7

In the Tools Palette Left Click on the Brush Tool

or press the W key

select the Ground Texture from the brush Target Drop Down Menu

In the Filter Palette select the Ground Texture list by a Left Click on the

icon (the first icon in the row)

In the Assets Palette you have the option of narrowing the search by entering the name or a partial name of the texture in the Search box

In the Assets Palette select the required Ground Texture from the filtered list

In the Tool Options Palette set any brush controls - Radius , Sensitivity , Rotation , Scale

Left Click and Drag on the terrain to start painting

	You can use the Marquee Tool to paint a large area, an entire baseboard or several baseboards with a selected ground texture. See Managing Baseboards for more details
	You can set a default Ground Texture that will automatically cover every new baseboard added. See Default Baseboard Ground Texture below for more details

Notes:

The intensity at which the ground texture is painted is controlled by the Tool Options Palette Sensitivity setting. This allows you to paint over an existing texture (including the Grid pattern) in a way that will let most, some or none of the original texture show through

Sensitivity Settings:

	1% to make the new texture almost transparent. The level of transparency will decrease with each new brush sweep over the same area
	50% to make the new texture 50% or semi-transparent
	100% to make the new texture completely hide the original texture with a single sweep of the brush
Values between these two limits will give intermediate changes with each sweep of the brush over the same area

Unlike Surveyor Classic, there is no upper limit to the brush Radius . Brushes of hundreds of metres (even kilometres) in size are possible. However, the performance will decrease as the brush radius increases. If you are using the brush to paint an entire baseboard, or many baseboards, then the Marquee Tool will be quicker but it will not give you options for changing the brush properties when painting.

There is a lower limit to the brush Radius that is dictated by the baseboard grid size (10m Grid, 5m Grid or HD Grid). For 10m/5m Grid brushes smaller than the set grid size are possible but will have restrictions that will increase as the brush becomes smaller. See

Ground Texture Brush Size and Grid Resolution for the details. For HD Grid the minimum radius is 0.12m.

Most objects can have a Ground Texture automatically painted beneath them.

Object Context Menu Ground Texture Option

Once an object has been placed you can open its Context Menu ( Left Click on its icon or press the T key) to access a range of options and functions. The following Ground Texture specific options will appear, along with other more general options, in the objects Context Menu.

Paint Under Selected

the texture selected in the Assets Palette will be painted under the selected objects. The Tool Options Palette brush settings ( Radius and Sensitivity ) will control how the texture is applied. If no ground texture has been selected in the Assets Palette then this option will be greyed out. This option is frequently used to paint a texture under selected track (or other) splines.

Objects have a minimum brush size that represents the smallest area that can be painted beneath them using the Paint Under Selected option. This minimum area will vary in size between objects but it will be rectangular even for circular objects. If the Tool Options Palette brush Radius is set to a smaller size then the brush Radius will be ignored and the objects minimum brush size will be used instead.

Ground Texture Brush Size and Grid Resolution

The minimum allowed brush size and where it can paint the terrain is dictated by the set baseboard grid resolution

For 5m/10m Grids

Ground texture brushes can be smaller than the minimum 5m or 10m baseboard grid. For example: you can paint a texture using a brush size of 2.5m on a 10m grid baseboard but there will be restrictions on where you can use the bush.

When the brush size is from 50% to under 100% of the grid size (e.g. from 5m to 9.9m in a 10m grid) then its action will work best when used on the grid lines - yellow (10m) lines for the 10m grid, both grey (5m) and yellow lines for the 5m grid. Between the grid lines its effect will be reduced.

When the brush size is less than 50% of the grid size then its action will be restricted to the grid line intersections - yellow for the 10m grid, both yellow and grey for the 5m grid.

				The RED brush circle indicates that the brush size is too small to paint the terrain
Resolution: 5m Grid - Brush Size: 1m

For HD Grid

You cannot have a brush size smaller than 0.12m (12cm)

A texture brush of radius 0.12m, the smallest size you can set, will paint anywhere in the baseboard grid pattern. It is not restricted to the grid lines or intersections.
See

HD Grid and Ground Textures below for the restrictions on using ground textures in HD Grid routes.

Texture Painting Tips

Rotate the Brush While Painting

The texture brush can be rotated while painting to help breakup any repetition patterns that may form. These patterns can appear when a non-uniform texture (e.g. a photoimage of an actual ground surface) is used as the texture. The rotation will "randomise" the texture appearance to avoid the patterns forming. Use one of the following techniques:-

While painting with the texture brush periodically alter the Rotation setting in the Tool Options Palette by any required angle OR

While painting with the texture brush hold down the [ or the ] key. This will continuosly rotate the brush texture in 10° increments while painting BUT it can result in the texture image looking "blurred" and losing detail. This will be particulary noticeable where the texture is made from a photo image, such as the rocks in a cliff face or the "litter" on a forest floor. A variation of this technique that avoids this blurring effect in such situations is to periodically "tap" one of those keys instead of holding it down continuously

Paint Under Splines and Mesh Objects

Once a spline or scenery mesh object has been added it can have a ground texture painted beneath it. Use the following technique:-

Steps: To Paint a Texture Under any Object:-
	Use either the Free Move Tool or the Fine Adjustment Tool to select the object, spline segment or multiple spline segments. You can also use the Placement Tool on a single object immediately after it has been added by the Placement Tool
	In the Assets Palette select a texture
	In the Tool Options Palette set the brush Radius value which will set the width of the painted area out from the centre of the object. The smaller the radius the less "realistic" the texture painting can appear
	Open the Context Menu ( Left Click on its icon or press the T key) of the selected object
	Select the option Paint Under Selected - if you have not selected a texture in the Assets Palette then this option will not be available

Use a Color Effect Layer to Enhance a Ground Texture (The Color Effect Layer is only available in Trainz Plus and for HD routes)

A color effect layer is used to add tinting to existing ground textures in selected areas of a route. Use the following technique:-

Steps: To Paint a Color Effect Layer Over a Texture:-
	In the Layers Palette select the Color Effect Layer. If no color effect layer is present then you will need to create one (see Edit a Color Effect Layer) or load one (see Load a Preset Effect Layer)
	In the Tool Options Palette select the brush Radius , Sensitivity and the Color to be painted. See Color Effect Layer for the details
	Use the brush to paint the effect over a selected area

Identify an Existing Ground Texture and its Settings

If you need to identify a texture already in the route and duplicate its settings then use the following technique:-

Steps: To Identify a Ground Texture and Copy its Settings:-
	Move the mouse pointer onto the texture used in the route
	Hold down the Alt key and Left Click on the texture. This will copy the Rotation and Scale settings from the placed texture into the Tool Options Palette as well as select that texture in the Assets Palette

Default Baseboard Ground Texture

When a new route is created or a new baseboard is added it will be covered with the ground texture for the selected Region or the default texture if no region has been set. This can be changed to a different texture (including to the standard TRS19/TRS22 grid pattern).

Steps: To disable the current default ground texture (easiest method):-
	open the Surveyor Display Menu
	select the Ground option
	select the Grid sub-option. This will use the current grid texture.

A more complex solution is to edit an existing Region or create one of your own to add your preferred ground texture (such as the standard TRS22 grid pattern) to each new route you create and every new baseboard that you add.

Notes:

The Baseboard Ground Texture, chosen from the Surveyor Display Menu or by specifying a Region, will become the default for every new route you create and every new baseboard you add, until you change it to something else.

Information on creating and editing Region assets can be found on the Trainz Wiki at:-

How to Create a Region Asset

HD Grid and Ground Textures

HD Grid is only available as an option in Trainz Plus

The HD option provides a surface grid resolution in Trainz Plus down to 0.125m (12.5cm) from the standard 5m or 10m resolutions. This gives you far more realistic terrain for cuttings, embankments, ditches, drains, the track bed, etc.

However, there is a price that has to be paid for using this feature. You will be limited to a maximum of 16 different ground textures PER BASEBOARD but each baseboard can have 16 completely different ground textures.

Notes:

This is a limitation imposed by your computer hardware and not one "plucked out of the air" by N3V to make life more difficult for route creators. Other sims/games that use High Definition (HD), or its equivalent, have the same or an even more restrictive limit (e.g. 8 textures per baseboard equivalent)

What happens if you exceed the limit of 16 textures in a baseboard?

If you have upgraded a route from 5m Grid or 10m Grid to HD Grid (see

Upgrading a Route to HD) then Trainz Plus will replace any textures in any baseboards that are over the limit with textures already used in those baseboards. The upgrade process will give you the x and y co-ordinates of all the altered baseboards so you can check for any visible changes

If you are adding ground textures to a HD route and paint a new texture onto a baseboard that already has 16 ground textures, then the new texture will be replaced by one that is already present in that baseboard

There is a simple way to get around the 16 textures per baseboard limit - add a Color Effect Layer (in Trainz Plus and HD routes only).

This layer allows different coloured tints to be painted over individual areas of the existing ground textures to alter their appearence and increase the range of colours in a baseboard.

The Color Effect Layer only works in routes that use the HD grid resolutions. Details can be found in the

Effect Layers section below.

Scrapbook Data

This Brush Target paints the currently selected Scrapbook (from the Scrapbook Palette ) onto the ground

When pasted or painted the Scrapbook can be

	resized and rotated (to any angle)
	filtered to select which of its assets will be used
	set to replace or add to any assets already present

This Brush Target uses both the Tool Options Palette and the Scrapbook Palette . If these palettes are not visible on the screen then refer to

Notes: Palettes at the top of this document.

Creating a Scrapbook

A new scrapbook is created by one of two methods:-

Options:

	use the Marquee Tool to select an area of the route containing objects. With the Marquee Tool you can use the filters in the Filter Palette and Assets Palette to restrict the objects that will be selected for the scrapbook OR
	use the Free Move Tool or the Fine Adjustment Tool to select a group of individual objects for the scrapbook. The filters in the Filter Palette and Assets Palette can be used to narrow down the selection of objects

Steps: Copy or Move the Selected Objects into the Scrapbook:-

use either Option

or Option

above to select the objects to be included in the scrapbook

if you intend to keep this scrapbook (make it permanent) then position your camera (screen point of view) to give the best view of the selected objects. The screen view will become the thumbnail for the scrapbook

then either:-

Left Click on the displayed Context Menu icon (or press the T key) and select either the Copy or Cut option OR

press either Ctrl + C (Copy) or Ctrl + X (Cut)

In both cases using the Ctrl + X or Cut options will remove the selected objects from your Trainz World if they are NOT in locked layers

More detailed instructions on creating Scrapbooks can be found in the

Marquee Tool section of this document

Scrapbooks will normally expire (self delete) after 5 days. Instructions on how to make a scrapbook permanent can be found at

The Scrapbook Palette below

	Notes:
Scrapbooks, when created, will contain:-
	Ground Heights
	Ground Textures
	TurfFX/Clutter Effect Layers - if present
	Selected Objects - scenery items, splines, track, signals, etc
	But NOT Rolling Stock (Trains)
The ground heights, ground textures and TurfFX/Clutter Effect Layers in the Marquee Selection Area (method above) or under the selected objects (method ) will always be added to the scrapbook. You can use the filters in the Filter Palette and Assets Palette to control which visible objects will also be added

Pasting a Scrapbook

To paste a scrapbook into your Trainz World:-

Steps: To Paste a Scrapbook:-

Move the Compass Rose to the position where the scrapbook will be placed

In the Scrapbook Palette select the required Scrapbook. Its image will be shown in the palette thumbnails

Set the

The Scrapbook Filters to include/exclude any objects or features

Press the keys Ctrl + V . You can also select an object, open its Context Menu and select the Paste option - the scrapbook will still be placed at the current position of the compass rose

The scrapbook will be pasted inside a Marquee Selection Area which can be moved and/or resized. See the

Marquee Tool for more details. The Tool Options Palette controls Scale and Rotation have no effect when pasting a scrapbook

If you change your mind immediately after the Scrapbook has been pasted and while it is still surrounded by the Marquee Selection Area, you can remove the scrapbook objects by pressing the Delete key

To remove the Marquee Selection Area but leave the pasted scrapbook intact, Left Click anywhere outside the area or press the Ctrl + D keys

	Notes:
Scrapbooks, when painted or pasted, can contain any combinations of:-
	Ground Heights
	Ground Textures
	TurfFX/Clutter Effect Layers
	Scenery Objects (Meshes) - individual buildings, trees, signals, etc
	Scenery Splines - roads, track, fences, etc
You have options in The Scrapbook Filters that will control which of these data types are added to your Trainz World and how they are added.

Scrapbook Pasting Tips

Add Variety to Pasting a Scrapbook

A single scrapbook can be pasted many times in a layout but each instance can have variations that will make it different from the others. Use the following technique:-

Steps: To add variety to Pasting a Scrapbook:-
	Use the Scrapbook Filters to change the elements that are placed into the route (e.g. Ground, Scenery, Textures, Splines, Effect Layers) and how they are added (None, Add, Overwrite) each time it is pasted
	Use the 3D Anchor Frame on the Marquee Selection Area to rotate and resize the scrapbook immediately after it has been pasted. This works best when the Ground Height and Effect Layers scrapbook filter options have been set to None

Scrapbook Brush Actions

Brush Actions

When the Brush Tool

has been selected from the Tools Palette and the Scrapbook Data Target is also selected, the second drop down box will give a choice of two brush actions that control how the scrapbook is applied.

The actions are:-

	Scrapbook Brush
	Scrapbook Clone

Scrapbook Brush Actions:

Scrapbook Brush	will resize the scrapbook contents to fit the selected brush shape and size
Scrapbook Clone	will paint the scrapbook sized according to the Tool Options Palette Scale setting

Notes:

Scrapbook Brush will resize the scrapbook contents to fit the selected brush shape and size.

	If the brush is small then the scrapbook contents will be compressed closer together
	If the brush is large then the contents will be spaced further apart
	Every Left Click will paste another complete scrapbook copy
	The Scale setting in the Tool Options Palette is ignored.

Scrapbook Clone will paste the scrapbook sized according to the Tool Options Palette Scale setting (100% = original size)

If the brush is the same size as the scaled scrapbook then a single exact copy will be painted

If the brush is smaller than the scaled scrapbook in size then only the central part of the scrapbook will be revealed and more will be added when the brush is moved around until the "painted" area covers the same area as the scaled scrapbook. Further painting will clone or tile the scrapbook contents

If the brush is larger than the scaled scrapbook in size then the contents will be cloned or tiled to fill the set brush radius

WARNING:

Take care if setting both the Scale and Radius . Using extreme values for both, such as a very large brush radius and a very small scale value, can cause performance issues (i.e. long delays) while the program attempts to scale and clone the scrapbook contents

Scrapbook Brush Tool Options

	Notes: Tool Options Palette Controls
	The active scrapbook brush options for each action are shown in the Tool Options Palette with a Gold coloured icon next to their names. Those options that have their icon greyed out will be ignored by the selected action, but they can still be edited.
	Most of the data entry boxes in the Tool Options Palette have a Popup Menu (Right Click inside the box) that can be used to collect and distribute data - see the Wiki Page How to Use the Surveyor 2.0 Palettes for more details.

Scrapbook Brush
Brush options

Scrapbook Clone
Clone options

On the right of each data entry box is a pair of Up/Down arrow controls. Left Click and Drag up or down on these to adjust the value in smaller increments

Radius

the brush radius (metres)

Range:

for 5m Grid and 10m Grid see Notes: below
0.12m and above for HD Grid (in Trainz Plus only)

Sensitivity

if the Ground Height option has been enabled in the Scrapbook Palette filter settings, then this will set the rate or speed at which the ground height will change under the brush

Range:

1% = slowest
100% = fastest

Rotation

initial rotation angle (degrees) - see Notes: below

Range:

0° to ±359° (larger angles can be entered)

Scale

the scrapbook scaling factor (Scrapbook Clone brush action only) - see Notes: below

Range:

0.01% = smallest

100% = full size

>100% larger than full size

Shape

brush shape

Options:		Circle and Square will set the brush to the selected shape with the Radius setting the brush size
	Natural will set the brush to the same shape as the Marquee that created the scrapbook, which may be rectangular. The Radius setting will scale the brush size

The Height setting has no effect on the Scrapbook. This feature is controlled by the Scrapbook Palette Filter Ground Height options.

	Notes:
	Unlike Surveyor Classic, there is no upper limit to the brush Radius . Brushes of hundreds of metres (even kilometres) in size are possible. However, the performance will decrease as the brush radius increases.
	There is a lower limit to the brush Radius that is dictated by the baseboard grid size (10m Grid, 5m Grid or HD Grid). For small brushes using the 10m/5m Grids the scrapbook is not confined to the grid lines or intersections unlike small Ground Height and Ground Texture brushes. For the HD Grid the minimum brush radius is 0.12m.
	Painting with a small brush size using the Scrapbook Brush target will compress the entire scrapbook into the brush size.

Painting with the Scrapbook Brush

Steps: To "paint" with a Scrapbook asset:-
	In the Tools Palette Left Click on the Brush Tool or press the W key
	select the Scrapbook Data target from the Brush Tool first drop down menu
	select a brush action ( Scrapbook Brush or Scrapbook Clone ) from the Brush Tool second drop down menu
	In the Scrapbook Palette select a Scrapbook asset to be painted (see The Scrapbook Palette below)
	In the Scrapbook Palette open the Scrapbook Filter and select the features to be painted and the method used (see Scrapbook Filters below)
	In the Tool Options Palette set any Brush controls such as the Radius
	Left Click or Left Click and Drag (depending on your brush settings) on the terrain to paint with the scrapbook asset

	Notes:
Scrapbooks, when painted or pasted, can contain any combinations of:-
	Ground Heights
	Ground Textures
	TurfFX/Clutter Effect Layers
	Scenery Objects (Meshes) - individual buildings, trees, signals, etc
	Scenery Splines - roads, track, fences, etc
You have options in The Scrapbook Filters that will control which of these data types are added to your Trainz World and how they are added.

Notes:

	Unlike Surveyor Classic, there is no upper limit to the brush Radius . Brushes of hundreds of metres (even kilometres) in size are possible. However, the performance will decrease as the brush radius increases
	The Rotation controls the starting angle for painting the scrapbook objects in increments of 1°
	The Ground Height options in the Scrapbook Filters controls how the terrain heights in the Scrapbook are applied. The Height setting in the Tool Options Palette will be ignored
	Setting extreme values for the Scale and Radius when using the Scrapbook Data Clone Brush can cause performance issues (i.e. long delays) while the program attempts to scale and clone the scrapbook contents into the route

If you have set the Ground Height Scrapbook Filter Option to Add or Overwrite (see

Scrapbook Filters below) then the rate or speed at which the ground height changes will be controlled by the Tool Options Palette Sensitivity setting

Sensitivity Settings:

	1% for the smallest possible change with each sweep of the brush
	100% for the largest possible change with each sweep of the brush
Values between these two limits will give intermediate changes with each sweep of the brush over the same area

Scrapbook Painting Tips

Add Variety to Painting a Scrapbook

A single scrapbook can be reused many times in a layout but each instance can have variations that will make it different from the others. Use the following technique:-

Steps: To add variety to Painting a Scrapbook:-
	Use the Scrapbook Filters to change the elements that are placed into the route (e.g. Ground, Scenery, Textures, Splines, Effect Layers) and how they are added (None, Add, Overwrite) each time it is painted
	In the Tool Options Palette alter the Scale and Rotation settings. This works best when the Ground Height and Effect Layers scrapbook filter options have been set to None

The Scrapbook Palette

This palette selects the scrapbook to be painted or pasted as well as performing a very limited range of management tasks

Left Click on the pin icon to Lock (blue pin) and Unlock (white pin) the scrapbook. Locked scrapbooks are permanent (but can still be deleted). Unlocked scrapbooks will "expire" (self delete) after 5 days

Left Click on the delete icon to delete the current scrapbook - most scrapbooks can be deleted (see Notes: Deleting Built-in Scrapbooks below on how to deal with the exceptions to this)

Deleting a scrapbook WILL NOT delete any objects that it has painted or pasted into the route. The scrapbook simply identifies the objects, it has no control over them after they have been added to the route.

The thumbnail of the currently displayed scrapbook and the one that will be painted or pasted into the route

Identifies the currently displayed scrapbook (the first number) and the total number of stored scrapbooks (the second number)

Left Click on the < or > to move forwards or backwards through the stored scrapbooks to select the scrapbook that will be added to the route

The scrapbook name can be edited. Simply Left Click inside the name box to edit or replace the current name then Left Click on the image OR press the Enter key

Notes: Deleting Built-in Scrapbooks

Some scrapbooks are installed with Trainz and cannot be deleted. These scrapbooks have the label Prefab at the front of their names (you may have to scroll to the front of the name to see it). While they cannot be deleted they can be "disabled" so that they won't appear as an installed scrapbook. Unlocking them will not cause them to "expire" - after 5 days they will just become locked again.

Steps: To disable built-in scrapbooks
	Open Content Manager and locate the "permanent" scrapbook or scrapbooks. Search Tips: Name: starts with "Prefab"; Status: is Built-in; Type: is Misc
	Highlight (select) the scrapbook assets individually or as a group
	Open the Content menu and select the Disable option

You can reverse this and enable any or all of these scrapbooks at any time if you need them.

The Scrapbook Filters

The filters control which elements in the scrapbook are added to the route and how they are added.

Step: To Open the Scrapbook Filters
	Left Click on the arrowhead next to the Filters: label below the scrapbook image to open the scrapbook filters.

Sample Filter Settings:-
You can vary the appearance of the scrapbook when added to a route by painting or pasting it with different filter combinations. For example:-

Ground Height:

None

ground height data will not be pasted and the ground heights already in the target area will be used

Ground Texture:

Overwrite

textures present in the scrapbook will replace those already in the target area

Meshes:

Add

scenery objects in the scrapbook will be added to those already in the target area

Splines:

Add

scenery splines in the scrapbook will be added to those already in the target area

Effect Layers:

None

effect layers in the scrapbook will not be pasted and any already in the target area will be used

You can also add more variety when painting a Scrapbook by changing its Tool Options Palette Scale and Rotation settings in combination with different Filter selections (as shown above). These settings have no effect when pasting a Scrapbook

Scrapbook Painting/Pasting Options
What Data to Transfer
	Ground Height	terrain height(s) used in the scrapbook
	Texture	ground textures used in the scrapbook
	Meshes	scenery objects (e.g. trees, buildings) used in the scrapbook
	Splines	spline objects used in the scrapbook
	Effect Layers	TurfFX/Clutter Effect Layers used in the scrapbook
How to Transfer the Data
	None	do not paint/paste this feature
	Add	add this feature to those already present
	Overwrite	use this feature to replace those already present
For the Ground Height:-
	None	do not paint/paste the scrapbook ground heights, use the existing ground heights instead
	Absolute	use the ground heights in the scrapbook to replace the existing ground heights
	Relative	use the difference between the existing ground heights and those used in the scrapbook

Effect Layers

This Brush Target paints a selected Effect Layer into your Trainz World

	Notes:
	Effect Layers are created using the Edit Effect Layers options found in both the Surveyor Edit Menu at the top of the screen and also in the Brush Tools Drop Down Menu. They can also be loaded from .cdp files and installed from the DLS (Download Station)
	Once created Effect Layers can be saved as Presets to be used in other routes

Selecting an Existing Effect Layer

Effect Layers that you have created for the current route (see

Edit Effect Layers) or installed into the current route (see

Loading Preset Effect Layers) will be listed in both the Layers Palette and in the Effect Layer Brush Tool target list.

Selecting an Effect Layer from the Brush Tool:

Step: To select an Effect Layer as the brush tool:-
	Left Click on an Effect Layer name in the Brush Target List and immediately start painting with the brush using the current Tool Options Palette settings. More details are shown below.

If no named Effect Layers are present in the Brush Target List then none have been created or loaded

Selecting an Effect Layer from the Layers Palette:

Step: To select an Effect Layer as the brush tool:-
	In the Layers Palette Left Click on an Effect Layer name. You can immediately start painting the effect layer using the current Tool Options Palette settings. More details are shown below.

If no named Effect Layers are present in the Layers Palette then none have been created or loaded

Loading Preset Effect Layers

	Preset effect layers are layers that have been created in other routes and saved into Content Manager or downloaded from the DLS
	Preset effect layers can be added to your existing route

For instructions on saving an effect layer as a Preset, see Save a Layer as a Preset below.

The quickest method of loading a Preset into a route is to use the Filter Palette and Assets Palette . Both must be visible on your screen.

Steps: To load a Preset into a route:-

In the Filter Palette select the Presets icon

(the last icon in the list) or select Presets from the Content Drop Down Menu below the icons

The Assets Palette display is controlled by the selections made in the Filter Palette . Selecting Presets in the Filter Palette the Assets Palette will display a list of all the installed effect layers. For more information about the Assets Palette see the Trainz Wiki Page How to Use the Surveyor 2.0 Palettes - Assets Palette

In the Assets Palette you can optionally narrow the search results by adding a text string to the Search box

In the Assets Palette when the required preset effect layer is shown in the list Left Click on its name to select it. The Brush Tool will also be selected and its Brush Target will be set to the selected effect layer so you can immediately start painting using the current Tool Options Palette settings

As soon as you start painting the new effect layer will be added to the Effect Layers group in the Layers Palette .

To remove the new Effect Layer, or any Effect Layer, from the Layers Palette Right Click on the layers name and select Delete Layer from the pop-up menu.

Note: Deleting an Effect Layer will delete it from your route

The other options allow you to Rename and Edit the selected Effect Layer

Effect Layer Tool Options

The Effect Layer brush tool uses the Tool Options Palette . If this palette is not visible on the screen then refer to

Notes: Palettes at the top of this document.

	Notes: Tool Options Palette Controls
	The active effect layer brush options for each action are shown in the Tool Options Palette with a Gold coloured icon next to their names. Those options that have their icon greyed out will be ignored by the selected action, but they can still be edited.
	Most of the data entry boxes in the Tool Options Palette have a Popup Menu (Right Click inside the box) that can be used to collect and distribute data - see the Wiki Page How to Use the Surveyor 2.0 Palettes for more details.

TurfFX and Clutter
BrushToolsEffectLayer S20.png

Water

BrushToolsWaterLayer S20.png

Water Effect Grade
The Water Effect Layer Grade and Angle settings are only active if the Grade Brush Action has been selected.

Color

	Notes:
	The Color Effect Layer is only available in Trainz Plus
	The Water Effect Layer properties of colour and surface effect (calm, ripples, etc) are created using the Edit Effect Layer... controls - see Edit Water Layer below

On the right of each data entry box is a pair of Up/Down arrow controls. Left Click and Drag up or down on these to adjust the value in smaller increments

Radius

the brush radius (metres)

Range:

Will depend on the effect layer being added. See Notes: below

Height

the water layer height (metres) as painted by the brush

Range:

-3000m to +3000m

Sensitivity

the rate at which the Intensity (TurfFX, Clutter, Color) or Height (Water) setting changes under the brush

Range:

1% (very slowly) to
100% (very quickly)

Intensity

effect density or coverage within the brush

Range:

1% (almost none) to
100% (maximum)

Grade

Water Effect Layer slope gradient

Range:

0% (flat) to
100% (steep but not vertical)

Angle

Water Effect Layer grade direction (compass degrees)

Range:

0° (North) to ±359°
a negative value reverses the grade direction

Color

Color Effect Layer colour selection (RGB and Brightness values) - Trainz Plus only

Range:

Left Click on the coloured box next to the title Color to open the colour selector. Set a Colour: Select a colour by either:-
	a Left Click on the colour in the colour picker device, OR
	enter its RGB value in Hexadecimal
Optionally: Set a brightness value for the selected colour by moving the slider up or down
Reset: Left Click the Reset button (the circular arrow on the bottom right) to cancel your changes and reset the colour to its default value. This default value is set using the Edit Effect Layer... - see Edit Color Effect Layer below

The Height setting is ignored for TurfFX, Clutter and Color effect layers because these layers will be painted at the existing ground surface height.

Notes:

	Unlike Surveyor Classic, there is no upper limit to the brush Radius . Brushes of hundreds of metres (even kilometres) in size are possible. However, the performance will decrease as the brush radius increases
	The minimum brush Radius will depend on the configuration settings (asset density, resources used, etc) of the Effect Layer that is being painted. If the Radius setting is below the minimum for the selected Effect Layer then the brush circle will turn red and it will not paint

TurfFX and Clutter Effect Layers

	TurfFX and Clutter are Effect Layers that can quickly add vegetation and other ground "artifacts" (e.g. weeds, crops, stones, etc) over large areas
	In a future "soon to be released" ^TM version of Trainz, TurfFX will be removed as a separate effect layer and become part of an updated Clutter effect layer

Brush Actions

When a TurfFX or Clutter Effect Layer has been selected as the Target, the second drop down box will give a choice of three actions.

The actions are:-

	Increase
	Decrease
	Set Intensity

Use the Tool Options Palette Intensity and Sensitivity settings to control how the Effect Layer is applied to the terrain by the brush

TurfFX and Clutter Effect Layer Actions:
Increase	increases the Tool Options Palette Intensity of the effect layer at a rate controlled by the Sensitivity setting, upto a maximum of 100%. Each time the brush is moved over the same area the Intensity or Density of the effect layer is increased
Decrease	decreases the Tool Options Palette Intensity of the effect layer at a rate controlled by the Sensitivity setting. Each time the brush is moved over the same area the Intensity or Density of the effect layer is decreased
Set Intensity	will paint the effect layer in one sweep using the full Tool Options Palette Intensity setting

Steps: To paint with a TurfFX or Clutter Effect Layer:-

In the Tools Palette select the Brush Tool

or press the W key

select the <TurfFX effect layer name> or the <Clutter effect layer name> from the Brush Target drop down menu. If there are no TurfFX/Clutter Effect Layers listed then none have been created or installed for this route

You can also perform the above two steps in a single step by selecting the named Effect Layer in the Layers Palette

select a Brush action from the second Drop Down Menu ( Increase , Decrease or Set Intensity )

In the Tool Options Palette set any required Brush settings - Radius , Intensity and Sensitivity

Left Click or Left Click and Drag on the terrain to paint with the selected Effect Layer. Note: If the brush painting circle is RED then the effect layer will not paint because the brush Radius is too small

Both TurfFX and Clutter use LOD data so their visual effect will decrease the further away they are from your point of view. So there is no advantage, but there is a possible performance disadvantage, in painting these effect layers right out to the horizon

Notes:

The density or coverage of the TurfFX and Clutter ground effects within the brush area is controlled by the Tool Options Palette Intensity setting.

Intensity Settings:

	1% to apply the effect very lightly
	100% to apply the effect at full density
Values between these two limits will give intermediate changes with each sweep of the brush over the same area

The rate or speed at which the TurfFX and Clutter ground effects change when using the Increase or Decrease brush actions is controlled by the Tool Options Palette Sensitivity setting.

Sensitivity Settings:

	1% to increase/decrease the application of the ground effect very slowly when you move the brush
	100% increase/decrease the application of the ground effect at the maximum possible rate when you move the brush
Values between these two limits will give intermediate changes with each sweep of the brush over the same area

Notes: "Floating Turf"

When painting with a TurfFX Effect Layer or a Clutter Effect Layer brush, care must be taken when near the edge of the route. Painting over the edge will create "floating" effect layer artifacts. This can occur in both Surveyor 2.0 and Surveyor Classic. The same effect will occur if an effect layer is painted over a dig-hole, such as those used at tunnel entrances.

In the image on the left, a TurfFX Effect Layer brush has been used near the boundary of the route. Some of the brush has strayed over that boundary edge into the empty space beyond.

The result is a "floating" section of TurfFX or Clutter hovering "off the grid" and sometimes high above the terrain, as shown in the image. The height of the floating region will depend on the ground height, the World Origin height and other mysterious factors.

The Solution: (The Lawn Mower)

Steps: To remove "floating" TurFX and Clutter:-
	In the Tools Palette set the Effect Brush Tool action to Decrease
	In the Tool Options Palette set both the Intensity and Sensitivity settings in the Tool Options Palette to 100%
	In the Layers Palette select the same Effect Layer that created the problem, repaint over the floating Effect Layer areas. This will also remove some of the effect layer from the edges of the boundary baseboards.

Prevention:

	DO NOT paint TurfFX and Clutter Effect Layers right up to the edges of boundary baseboards
	TurfFX and Clutter Layers do not detect and avoid dig-holes such as those used at tunnel entrances. Use the steps listed above to remove effect layers from dig-holes

Water Effect Layer

	The Water Effect Layer will cover the entire route and can be raised above or lowered below the ground to hide or reveal the water where required
	You can have more than one Water Effect Layer each with a different colour and/or surface effect (calm, ripples, rough)
	The Ground Height can also be raised or lowered to hide and reveal the water layer where required

Brush Actions

When a Water Effect Layer has been selected as the Target, the second drop down box will give a choice of five actions. These actions are identical to those found in the Ground Height Target plus a new action:-

The actions are:-

	Height Up
	Height Down
	Set Height
	Grade
	Bulk Adjust

Use the Tool Options Palette Sensitivity Height Grade and Angle settings to control how the Water Effect Layer is applied

Water Effect Layer Actions:

Height Up Height Down

raises/lowers the water layer at a rate controlled by the Tool Options Palette Sensitivity setting

Set Height

will "plateau" the water level to the Tool Options Palette Height setting at a rate controlled by the Sensitivity setting

Grade

creates a smooth water slope at the Tool Options Palette Grade and Angle settings at a rate controlled by the Sensitivity setting - see Notes: below

Bulk Adjust

will move the entire water layer up or down - see Notes: below

Steps: To paint with a Water Effect Layer:-

In the Tools Palette select the Brush Tool

or press the W key

select the <water effect layer name> from the Brush Target drop down menu. If there are no Water Effect Layers listed then none have been created or installed for this route

You can also perform the above two steps in a single step by selecting the named Effect Layer in the Layers Palette

select a Brush action from the second Drop Down Menu ( Height Up , Height Down , Set Height , Grade or Set Bulk Adjust )

In the Tool Options Palette set any required Brush settings - Radius , Height , Sensitivity , Grade and Angle

The colour and surface effect (calm, ripples, rough) of a Water Effect Layer are set in its properties (see

Water Layer Edit Controls below)

Left Click or Left Click and Drag on the terrain to paint with the Effect Layer

Notes:

The rate or speed at which the water layer height changes under the brush is controlled by the Tool Options Palette Sensitivity setting

Sensitivity Settings:

	1% for the smallest possible change with each sweep of the brush
	100% for the largest possible change with each sweep of the brush
Values between these two limits will give intermediate changes with each sweep of the brush over the same area

Notes:

	It is NOT recommended that you use both Water Effect Layers and the original Legacy Water in the same route. Use one or the other but, where possible, avoid using both.
	The Grade setting is the vertical rise divided by horizontal distance converted to a percentage figure. So a grade of 100% (the maximum allowed) would mean a slope formed by the height and distance both being the same value (e.g. a height increase of 50m over a distance of 50m). A vertical slope (e.g. a waterfall) would have an infinite grade (cliff height divided by 0) which is currently impossible in Surveyor.
	The Bulk Adjust action is not fully intuitive and will require some experimentation. It will raise and lower the water effect layer in the baseboard where the Left Click and Drag was executed. Areas within that baseboard where the water effect layer had previously been set to a different height will not be affected until the water level reaches the same height. The Water Effect Layer in surrounding baseboards will also start to move when the level reaches their current heights.

Water Effect Layer Example

A water layer has been lifted above the terrain by using the Tools Palette :-

	Brush Tool target set to the Water Layer
	Brush Action set to Set Height
... and the Tool Options Palette :-
	Height set to a few metres above the terrain height

The brush painting action is then used to paint the water at the set height.

Water Effect Layer Tips

To create a flat water layer at a set height use the following technique:-

Steps: To Create a Flat Water Surface:-
	In the Tools Palette select the Set Height brush action rather than Height Up/Height Down actions
	In the Tool Options Palette set the Height to the required value and the Sensitivity to 100%

To create a sloping water layer use the following technique:-

	In the Tools Palette select the Grade brush action
	In the Tools Palette set the Grade to the required slope value

Color Effect Layer

	The Color Effect Layer is only available to Trainz Plus subscribers and can only be applied to routes using HD grid
	The Color Effect Layer adds a "tinting effect" to selected areas of the route
	Only one Color Effect Layer can be added to a route but it can have different colours in different parts of the route

Brush Actions

When the Color Effect Layer has been selected as the Brush Target, the second drop down box will be blank as there are no brush actions for this effect layer.

Notes:

The Color Effect Layer is only available in routes using HD Grid

You can think of the Color Effect Layer as a transparent "skin" that covers the ground texture throughout the layout. You can add different colours (or "tints") to the skin at different places to alter the appearance of the ground texture below.

Steps: To paint with a Color Effect Layer:-

In the Tools Palette select the Brush Tool

or press the W key

select the <color effect layer name> from the Brush Target drop down menu. If there are no Color Effect Layers listed then none have been created or installed for this route

You can also perform the above two steps in a single step by selecting the named Effect Layer in the Layers Palette

In the Tool Options Palette set any required Brush settings - Radius , Sensitivity and Color

The Color setting will open the color picker to select the colour to be painted. See

Effect Layer Tool Options above.

Left Click or Left Click and Drag on the terrain to paint the Effect Layer with the selected colour

Notes:

The rate or speed at which the colour changes under the brush is controlled by the Tool Options Palette Sensitivity setting

Sensitivity Settings:

	1% for the smallest possible change with each sweep of the brush
	100% for the largest possible change with each sweep of the brush
Values between these two limits will give intermediate changes with each sweep of the brush over the same area

Applying a Color Effect Layer will only affect the appearance (colours) of the ground textures in the painted area. It will not affect the appearance of any objects placed on the ground in that area

No color effect layer applied	Color effect layer applied

Cricket pitch scene before and after applying a color effect layer that gives the impression of "wear and tear" around the pitch area

Edit Effect Layers...

When this Brush Target is selected, the Edit Effect Layer dialogue box will appear. This is the same as selecting Edit Effect Layers ... from the

Surveyor Edit Menu.

Brush Actions

When the Edit Effect Layers... Target is selected, the second drop down box will be disabled - there are no actions for this brush target.

Option

Create a New Effect Layer

If no Effect Layers are present then you can create a new one

Steps: To create your first effect layer:-

Left Click in the Effect Name text box and enter a name for your new Effect Layer

Left Click on the Effect Type drop down box and select the type of Effect Layer to be created - TurfFX Clutter Water or Color

The Color Effect Layer is only available in Trainz Plus

Left Click on the

icon

You will then be presented with Option

as shown below. You will probably need to edit your new Effect Layer

Option

Edit an Existing Effect Layer

If Effect Layers are present (including the one you just created in Option

above) then select an Effect Layer to edit, delete or choose to create another new one

Preset:

this drop down box will list all the Preset Effect Layers that have been loaded into Content Manager. Select a Preset to load it into the route

Save as a Preset - this icon will save the Effect Layer as a Preset. See

Save a Layer as a Preset below.

Edit Effect Layer - this icon will open and close the editing dialogue area that allows you to alter the appearance and properties of your selected Effect Layer.
Edit with CAUTION

	to create a new effect layer Left Click on the icon - then follow the steps in Option above
	to select an existing layer to edit, either select its name from the Layer drop down box OR Left Click on the icon and select the Effect Layer from the Trainz World
	to delete an effect layer from the route first select it (as described above) and then Left Click on the icon

Effect Layers are created for each route. You can select and edit a previously saved Effect Layer (called a Preset) rather than having to recreate the entire effect each time.

When you have finished creating or editing an Effect Layer click either the:-

icon to accept your changes

OR

icon to reject your changes

Save a Layer as a Preset

A Preset is an edited or created effect layer that has been saved so that it can be reused in other routes

Once an effect layer has been created or edited, it can be saved and will appear as a new asset in Content Manager. It can be loaded into other routes (see

Loading Preset Effect Layers above), saved as a .cdp file and uploaded to the DLS.

Steps: To save an effect layer as a Preset:-
	Open the Effect Layers window and select the effect layer to be saved
	Left Click on the icon. The effect layer will be saved using the name you entered for the layer (Grass Short Dry in the example shown on the left)

Notes:

A Preset can be deleted from the current route ( Left Click on the

icon) but it will remain as a saved asset in Content Manager and can be reloaded if needed. To permanently delete a preset it must be deleted using Content Manager

TurfFX Layer Edit Controls

WARNING:
Always edit these values with caution

	Notes:
	Many of the entered values will alter the appearance of the asset. Features such as the ground coverage (density) of the plants, their heights, stem and leaf thickness, density of seed heads, etc, etc

A detailed (but incomplete) description of the TurfFX Effect Layer controls can be found on the Trainz Wiki at:-

TurfFX_Effect_Layer

The best way to learn how to create and edit an effect layer is to set up a single baseboard and experiment with the various options and controls. If your experiments create an effect layer that you like then save it as a Preset so that it can be used in another route.

Clutter Layer Edit Controls

WARNING:
Always edit these values with caution

Notes:

Each added Mesh Asset (e.g. plant asset or rock asset) will increase the resources used by this layer and that may have an effect on performance.

The sliders next to each Mesh Asset control the density (frequency) of that asset in the layer.

Extreme Left	not displayed at all. This will add a Delete icon to the end of the slider which will allow that asset to be removed from the layer
Extreme Right	displayed with maximum coverage
Intermediate positions along a slider will give effects between these two extremes

A detailed description of the Clutter Effect Layer controls can be found on the Trainz Wiki at:-

Clutter_Effect_Layer

The best way to learn how to create and edit an effect layer is to set up a single baseboard and experiment with the various options and controls. If your experiments create an effect layer that you like then save it as a Preset so that it can be used in another route

Water Layer Edit Controls

The Water Effect Layer has been introduced mainly for Surveyor 2.0 although an older and more restricted version is available in TRS19 SP4

In Surveyor 2.0 you can have more than one Water Effect Layer. Each can have a different combination of water colour and surface effects (calm, ripples, rough). Each can be raised above the ground height to present a different water surface in different locations.

Notes:

	The Default Value control sets the initial height or altitude in metres of the entire water effect layer. This is initially set to 0m but you can change this to any positive (above) or negative (below) value BUT this must be set when the layer is created, not edited afterwards when it will have no effect
	The Constant Value controls set the colour of the entire water effect layer. Enter the RGB colour values (0.000 to 1.000) for the required colour

WARNING:
Always edit these values with caution

The Trainz Wiki has an old (TRS19) and very incomplete description of the Water Effect Layer controls at:-

Water_Effect_Layer

The best way to learn how to create and edit an effect layer is to set up a single baseboard and experiment with the various options and controls. If your experiments create an effect layer that you like then save it as a Preset so that it can be used in another route.

Color Layer Edit Controls

	The Color Effect Layer is only available to Trainz Plus subscribers
	It can only be used in routes built with HD Grid

You can only have one Color Effect Layer but through the Tool Options Palette it can be given different colours in different locations.

	Notes:
	The Default Value RGB colours will set the initial colour used and the colour that will be set if the Reset button is clicked in the Tool Options Palette while painting a colour. Enter the RGB colour values (0.000 to 1.000) for the required colour
	The Color Effect Layer can be created in a route that uses 5m Grid or 10m Grid but it will only appear if the entire route is converted to HD Grid. See Converting to HD

WARNING:
Always edit these values with caution

A more detailed description of the Color Effect Layer controls can be found on the Trainz Wiki at:-

Color_effect_layer

The best way to learn how to create and edit an effect layer is to set up a single baseboard and experiment with the various options and controls. If your experiments create an effect layer that you like then save it as a Preset so that it can be used in another route.

The Placement Tool

Keyboard Shortcut: E

The Placement Tool adds objects to a Trainz World

Various function of this tool use the Tool Options Palette Layers Palette Info Palette Filter Palette and the Assets Palette . If these palettes are not visible on the screen when required then refer to

Notes: Palettes at the top of this document.

Tool Targets The Placement Tool has no Target options so it has no drop down menu list

	When selected, this tool has a distinctive pointer icon which makes it easy to identify that the Placement Tool is active
	Selecting an asset in the Assets Palette or an effect layer in the Layers Palette will automatically activate the Placement Tool

Tool Actions The Placement Tool has no Action options so it has no drop down menu list

	More Placement Options
After an object has been placed in a route its position and/or height can be changed by choosing one of the following:-
Options:
	using the Free Move Tool OR
	using the Fine Adjustment Tool OR
	editing its x: y: z: settings in The Info Palette OR
	selecting the Apply Height option in its Context Menu

Placement: Setting an Objects Name and Layer

Once an object has been placed into the Trainz World using the Placement Tool it can be given an optional name and, if needed, moved to a different layer.

Setting an Objects Name

Object names are optional but for some objects they are essential for running a session

You can give any object in your route an identifying name. In some cases a name is vital for AI and session operations, in other cases it will be needed as a display feature - for example: to be shown on a station nameboard. A name also makes it easier to search for a particular object using the Finder Tool ( Ctrl + F keys). You must have an object selected before it can be named

If the Info Palette is not visible on the screen then refer to

Notes: Palettes at the top of this document.

Steps: To name (or rename) a selected object:-
Note: This must be performed immediately after the object has been placed while it is still highlighted (selected). If the object is not highlighted then select it with the Free Move Tool or the Fine Adjustment Tool.
	In the Info Palette Left Click inside the Name text entry box
	Enter a name
	Press the Enter key

There is no ban on two or more objects using the same name

In the image shown on the left there are 4 objects all named Old Orroroo Rd.

This will not cause any problems for scenery objects apart from finding the exact one you want with the Finder Tool ( Ctrl + F keys).

	Notes: However, duplicated names will cause problems for Industries (including passenger enabled stations), Locomotives, Track Marks, Triggers, Switches, Signals, etc that have to be identified to control the operation of a session.
These objects must have unique names

Setting an Objects Layer

All objects in the Trainz World are in layers. You can set and change the layers where objects are placed

An object will always be placed in the currently set Active Layer. The active layer can be changed before the object has been added and objects can be moved to different layers at any time.

If the Layers Palette and the Info Palette are not visible on the screen then refer to

Notes: Palettes at the top of this document.

The Active Layer (shown left named route-layer PQ) is indicated by a light grey "highlight" in the list and its name will appear in the Layers Palette title. This is the layer where all objects added by the Placement Tool and the Scrapbook will be placed

Step: To set the Active Layer:-

In the Layers Palette Left Click on the layer name. That layer is now the Active Layer where all objects placed in the Route or Session will be added. You can change the Active Layer at any time.

Changing the Active Layer will not change the assigned layers of any existing objects. It merely sets the default layer that will be used for new added objects

The Ground Height, Ground Texture and Effect Layers are special. They cannot be set as the Active Layer and scenery objects and splines cannot be moved into them.

After an object has been placed into a layer in the Trainz World it can be moved to a different layer

If an object is still selected (highlighted) by the Placement Tool then you can change its assigned layer as often as you like. If it is not selected then you must first select it using either the Free Move Tool or the Fine Adjustment Tool.

Steps: To move a placed object to another layer:-

In the Info Palette Left Click on the Layer arrowhead icon (circled in red in the image left). This will open up the layer controls for the selected object

the drop down menu box labelled Layer shows the currently assigned layer for that object. Left Click on the Up/Down arrows to open the list of all available layers.

select the destination layer from the list. The object will then be moved to the selected layer - you will be given a warning if the move has failed (usually because the objects layer is locked)

Also see:-

Assigning Objects to a Different Layer for more details on the Layer Controls in the Info Palette

How to Use Layers for detailed information on Layers

Placement: Scenery Mesh Objects

Placement: Add a Scenery Mesh Object

	Individual "non-spline" scenery objects that are not attached to track are often referred to in Trainz terminology as Scenery Mesh Objects.
	Scenery Mesh Objects include single (non-spline) scenery items such as buildings, trees, road signs, cars (non moving), people and animals

If the Filter Palette and Assets Palette are not visible on the screen then refer to

Notes: Palettes at the top of this document.

Steps: To add a Scenery Mesh Object the first step is to identify the exact asset you want to add.

In the Filter Palette choose one of the following:-

Options:

Left Click on the Scenery Mesh icon

FilterPaletteSceneryObjectsSelected S20.png

all ground textures

all non-spline scenery assets

all spline scenery assets

all track spline assets

all track (non spline) assets (signals, etc)

all rolling stock assets

all Effect Layer presets

OR

Left Click the Content Drop Down Menu

FilterPaletteNoIconSelected S20.png
Then select Scenery Objects

OR

Shortcut

Steps: If you already have the same object placed in your route then:-
	move the tool pointer over the object to be selected and hold down the Alt key. The object name will appear in a ToolTip attached to the pointer
	while holding down the Alt key Left Click on the object. This will automatically select it in the Assets Palette and it will also select the Placement Tool. Release the key

Jump to Step

below

	In the Filter Palette the Scenery Objects icon will be shown in blue when it is selected and the name Scenery Objects will appear in the drop down box below the icons. For more information about the Filter Palette see the Trainz Wiki Page How to Use the Surveyor 2.0 Palettes - Filter Palette
	The Assets Palette display is controlled by the selections made in the Filter Palette . Selecting Scenery Object in the Filter Palette will produce a list of all the installed Scenery Objects in the Assets Palette . For more information about the Assets Palette see the Trainz Wiki Page How to Use the Surveyor 2.0 Palettes - Assets Palette

In the Assets Palette you have the option to narrow down the filtered list. Type the assets name or part of the name into the Search box. For example if you have selected Scenery Objects and want to find "wooden barns", then type "wooden barn" (UPPER/lower case does not matter) - the part names "wooden" or "barn" would also work but will produce longer lists.

This will list all the Scenery Objects containing the text "wooden barn" in their names or descriptions.

AssetsPaletteMeshSearchWoodenBarn S20.png

In the Assets Palette Left Click on the required item in the list. When selected the asset will be highlighted with a light grey background.

Notes:

A Left Click on an asset in the Assets Palette filtered list will automatically activate the Placement Tool so the next Left Click will place that asset in your Trainz World.

If you are not certain that a selected asset is the right one then try the following:-

Options:

	Double Left Click on the name in the Asset List to bring up its image and description, OR
	view its rotating and resizeable 3D image in the Preview Palette, OR
	switch the asset list to Thumbnail View ( Left Click the icon). In this view the palette is best used undocked and enlarged - see the Wiki Page at How to Use the Surveyor 2.0 Palettes for instructions on undocking and enlarging palettes.

The final step is to place the selected asset into the route.

Steps:
	In the Tools Palette if, for some reason, the Placement Tool is not selected then Left Click on its icon or press the E key
	Left Click on the spot where you want to place the asset

Notes:

	the Placement Tool will remain on and active until another tool has been selected. So everytime you Left Click another copy of the asset (or another asset if you change your selection) will be added to the route
	the last object placed will be highlighted (covered in "green/yellow"). This will be the selected object if you switch control to the Free Move Tool or the Fine Adjustment Tool

Placement: Move a Scenery Mesh Object

Warning:
	To move a scenery mesh object DO NOT click on it with the Placement Tool as this will just add another object

To move scenery mesh objects you must switch to either the

The Free Move Tool OR the

The Fine Adjustment Tool

Steps: To move a scenery mesh object
	In the Tools Palette Left Click on either the Free Move Tool (or press the S key) or the Fine Adjustment Tool (or press the D key)
	Select ( Left Click ) on the object to be moved. To select multiple objects use Shift + Left Click on each object
	Left Click and Drag the object(s) in the required direction
For more information see the sections Free Move: Scenery Mesh Objects or Fine Adjustment: Scenery Mesh Objects

Placement: Delete a Scenery Mesh Object

To delete a scenery mesh object (or any object) that has just been added by the Placement Tool and is still highlighted, choose one of the following:-
Options:

press the Delete key, OR

open its Context Menu ( Left Click on its icon or press the T key) and select the option Delete

If the object is not highlighted then you must first switch to either the Free Move Tool or the Fine Ajustment Tool, select the object and then choose one of the above options

Placement: Set the Height of a Scenery Mesh Object

	An object that has just been added to a route using the Placement Tool can have its height adjusted immediately after placement
	or it can be adjusted at a later time using the Free Move or Fine Adjustment Tools

If the Tool Options Palette is not visible on the screen then refer to

Notes: Palettes at the top of this document.

Get the Height of a Scenery Mesh Object

You can copy the height of a selected scenery mesh object (e.g. a house) into the Tool Options Palette Height setting while the Placement Tool is still active. Once it has been copied it can be applied to any other object.

Steps: To copy the height of any selected object into the Height setting:-
	In the Tool Options Palette Right Click in the Height setting
	select the Get Height from Selection option

You can check the height of any selected object or endpoint using the Info Palette . The height is the last value in the Pos: (Position) data set.

Set the Height of a Scenery Mesh Object
In Surveyor 2.0 scenery mesh objects can be given a height that can place them above or below the ground level.

To set the height of a selected scenery mesh object, choose one of the following:- Options:
	In the Tool Options Palette Height setting, enter a value followed by the Enter key OR
	In the Tool Options Palette Height setting, enter a value then Right Click and select Set Height to Selection OR
	from the objects Context Menu select the Apply Height option to apply an existing height setting, OR
	in the Info Palette enter a value in the objects Pos: z (height) setting or Left Click and Drag Up or Down on the double arrowheads to its right. This can be used to set the height to cm accuracy (see The Info Palette below).

The object will be moved to the set height above (or below) the terrain. The vertical yellow line shown in the second image on the left indicates the height change. The small yellow dot at the base of the line is the terrain attachment point for the object.

Placement: Scenery Mesh Object Context Menu

Scenery Mesh Object Context Menu Options

Once a scenery mesh object has been placed you can open its Context Menu ( Left Click on its icon or press the T key) to access a range of options and functions. The following Scenery Mesh Object specific options will appear, along with other more general options, in the objects Context Menu.

Apply Height

sets the height of the selected objects to the value in the Tool Options Palette Height setting

Reset Object Rotation

resets the rotation angle of the selected objects to their default values

Randomise Object Rotation

applies a random rotation angle to each selected object around its vertical axis

See

Free Move: Scenery Mesh Object Context Menu for the full list of Context Menu options for Scenery Mesh Objects.

Placement: Spline Objects (Including Track)

Placement: Add a Spline Object

Scenery splines and track splines are defined by their endpoints. Splines are usually added to a route as a series of segments joined at the endpoints.

If the Filter Palette and Assets Palette are not visible on the screen then refer to

Notes: Palettes at the top of this document.

Steps: To add a Scenery Splines or Track Splines the first step is to identify the exact asset you want to add.

In the Filter Palette choose one of the following:-

For Scenery Splines

Options:

Left Click on the Scenery Spline icon

FilterPaletteScenerySplinesSelected S20.png

all ground textures

all non-spline scenery assets

all spline scenery assets

all track spline assets

all track (non spline) assets (signals, etc)

all rolling stock assets

all Effect Layer presets

OR

Left Click the Content Drop Down Menu

FilterPaletteNoIconSelected S20.png
Then select Scenery Splines
FilterSelectScenerySplines S20.png

OR

Shortcut

Steps: If you already have the same object placed in your route then:-
	move the tool pointer over the object to be selected and hold down the Alt key. The object name will appear in a ToolTip attached to the pointer
	while holding down the Alt key Left Click on the object. This will automatically select it in the Assets Palette and it will also select the Placement Tool. Release the key

Jump to Step

below

	In the Filter Palette the Scenery Splines icon will be shown in blue when it is selected and the name Scenery Splines will appear in the drop down box below the icons. For more information about the Filter Palette see the Trainz Wiki Page How to Use the Surveyor 2.0 Palettes - Filter Palette
	The Assets Palette display is controlled by the selections made in the Filter Palette . Selecting Scenery Splines in the Filter Palette will produce a list of all the installed Scenery Splines in the Assets Palette . For more information about the Assets Palette see the Trainz Wiki Page How to Use the Surveyor 2.0 Palettes - Assets Palette

For Track Splines

Options:

Left Click on the Track Spline icon

FilterPaletteTrackSelected S20.png

all ground textures

all non-spline scenery assets

all spline scenery assets

all track spline assets

all track (non spline) assets (signals, etc)

all rolling stock assets

all Effect Layer presets

OR

Left Click the Content Drop Down Menu

FilterPaletteNoIconSelected S20.png
Then select Scenery Splines
FilterSelectTrack S20.png

OR

Shortcut

Steps: If you already have the same object placed in your route then:-
	move the tool pointer over the object to be selected and hold down the Alt key. The object name will appear in a ToolTip attached to the pointer
	while holding down the Alt key Left Click on the object. This will automatically select it in the Assets Palette and it will also select the Placement Tool. Release the key

Jump to Step

below

	In the Filter Palette the Track icon will be shown in blue when it is selected and the name Track will appear in the drop down box below the icons. For more information about the Filter Palette see the Trainz Wiki Page How to Use the Surveyor 2.0 Palettes - Filter Palette
	The Assets Palette display is controlled by the selections made in the Filter Palette . Selecting Track in the Filter Palette will produce a list of all the installed Track Splines in the Assets Palette . For more information about the Assets Palette see the Trainz Wiki Page How to Use the Surveyor 2.0 Palettes - Assets Palette

In the Assets Palette you have the option to narrow down the filtered list. Type the assets name or part of the name into the Search box. For example if you have selected Track and want to find track splines with "NG42" in their names, then type "NG42" (UPPER/lower case does not matter).

This will list all the Track containing the text "NG42" in their names or descriptions.

In the Assets Palette Left Click on the required item in the list. When selected the asset will be highlighted with a light grey background.

Notes:

A Left Click on an asset in the Assets Palette filtered list will automatically activate the Placement Tool so the next Left Click will place that asset in your Trainz World.

If you are not certain that a selected asset is the right one then try the following:-

Options:

	Double Left Click on the name in the Asset List to bring up its image and description, OR
	view its rotating and resizeable 3D image in the Preview Palette, OR
	switch the asset list to Thumbnail View ( Left Click the icon). In this view the palette is best used undocked and enlarged - see the Wiki Page at How to Use the Surveyor 2.0 Palettes for instructions on undocking and enlarging palettes.

Place the starting point of the selected spline or track into the route.

Steps:

In the Tools Palette if, for some reason, the Placement Tool is not selected then Left Click on its icon

or press the E key

Left Click on the spot where you want to Start the spline

If the spline starting point is on another spline and you do not want the two splines to be joined then hold down the Shift key when you Left Click

Notes:

	the Placement Tool will remain on and active until another tool has been selected. So everytime you Left Click another copy of the object (or another object if you change your selection) will be added to the route
	the last object placed will be highlighted (covered in "green/yellow"). This will be the selected object if you switch control to the Free Move Tool or the Fine Adjustment Tool

Move the mouse in the direction you want to lay the spline or track. The spline will follow the mouse wherever you move it.

When you start adding a spline to a route it will always be placed at the height of the terrain regardless of the Tool Options Palette Height setting.

But if there is a % value in the Grade setting then the spline will be laid down with a slope using that grade value starting from the terrain height at the first endpoint.

To avoid this and lay the spline with each endpoint placed at the terrain height then delete any value stored in the Grade setting.

When you have the tool pointer in the final position for the first spline segment, Left Click again. This will anchor the second spline endpoint. The spline between the two endpoints is the first spline segment.

If the spline end point is on another spline and you do not want the two splines to be joined then hold down the Shift key when you Left Click

The spline segment will now have three Context Icons, one for each endpoint () and one for the spline segment ( or depending on the type of spline).

Different context menu options are provided depending on whether you click on the icon for an endpoint or a segment. See

Free Move: Spline Object Context Menus for more details

Left Click on the new endpoint and move the mouse in the direction you want to continue laying the spline or track. The spline will follow the mouse wherever you move it.

Notes: Curves for Trainz Geekz

Splines and track splines are created and stored using Bezier Curves, a mathematical formula commonly used for curves in computer graphics. Each spline segment, curved or straight, is described using just 4 points regardless of its length and complexity. This gives significant savings in storage and processing. Unfortunately, real world curves are rarely described by simple Bezier Curves. This can sometimes create difficulties when modelling curves from the real world so approximations often have to be used in the Trainz World.

When you have the tool pointer in the final position for the second spline segment, Left Click again. This will anchor the third spline endpoint and the Context Icons will move to the new segment.

Notes: Adding a Junction

To add a junction to a spline segment Left Click on it with the Placement Tool at the point where you want to insert the junction, this does not have to be an endpoint, then move the pointer out from the junction. See

Add a Spline Junction below

Repeat Steps

and

above to continue laying the spline.

Spine Laying Tips

Starting/Ending Disconnected Splines On Other Splines

	If you start or end a spline segment on another identical or compatible spline it will form a junction (see Add a Spline Junction below) or, if close enough, it will attach itself to a nearby endpoint on that spline. This is perfect if that is what you want but it is an annoyance if it is not what you want.
	If you start or end a spline segment on an incompatible spline (e.g. placing a ruler spline endpoint on a road spline) you will receive a warning message such as Incompatible Spline and you will not be able to add the segment.

To prevent a junction/join forming or a segment being rejected, use the following technique:-

Hold down the Shift key when performing the Left Click (a Shift + Left Click ) on the second spline. If this is the start of a spline then once you have clicked draw the new spline out as you normally would

Lay a Spline that Follows the Ground Terrain

Normally splines will be laid down so that they follow the shape of the ground terrain. Occasionally they may be laid down at a set gradient that will ignore the shape of the ground terrain between the two endpoints. This can happen if you have used the Eyedropper Tool to select an existing spline object - the eyedropper will copy some of the features of the selected spline (such as its gradient) into the Tool Options Palette . If you want the spline to follow the ground terrain, not a set gradient, then use the following:-

In the Tool Options Palette check the Grade setting. If it is showing a % value (e.g. 0% which means "flat") then highlight the value and delete it. It should now show the - character (which means "no gradient will be applied")

Placement: Move a Spline Object

Warning:
	To move a spline object DO NOT click on it with the Placement Tool as this will just add a junction

To move spline objects you must switch to either the

The Free Move Tool OR the

The Fine Ajustment Tool

Steps: To move a spline segment

In the Tools Palette Left Click on either the Free Move Tool

(or press the S key) or the Fine Adjustment Tool

(or press the D key)

Select ( Left Click ) on the spline segment to be moved. To select multiple spline segments use Shift + Left Click on each segment

Left Click and Drag the segment(s) in the required direction

Note: always drag on a segment not on an endpoint otherwise only the endpoint will be moved

For more information see the sections

Free Move: Spline Objects or

Fine Adjustment: Spline Objects

Steps: To move a spline endpoint
	In the Tools Palette Left Click on either the Free Move Tool (or press the S key) or the Fine Adjustment Tool (or press the D key)
	Left Click and Drag the endpoint in the required direction
For more information see the sections Free Move: Spline Objects or Fine Adjustment: Spline Objects

Placement: Delete a Spline Object

To delete a spline object (or any object) that has just been added by the Placement Tool and is still highlighted, choose one of the following:-
Options:

press the Delete key, OR

open its Context Menu ( Left Click on its icon or press the T key) and select the option Delete

If the object is not highlighted then you must first switch to either the Free Move Tool or the Fine Ajustment Tool, select the object and then choose one of the above options

Placement: Add a Spline Junction

A junction is formed when three spline segments are joined at an endpoint. Junctions can be formed using non identical but compatible spline objects, such as different types of track splines.

Steps: To add a junction to a spline object:-

Select the spline object to be used for the junction. The easiest method is hold down the Alt key and Left Click on an existing spline object that you want to use. This will also select the Placement Tool in Step 2 below so you can skip to Step 3

In the Tools Palette select the Placement Tool

Left Click on the spline at the spot where the junction is to be created. This can be on an existing endpoint or between two endpoints where a new endpoint will be inserted

All spline junctions will be shown with a red dot (

). The only exception is for procedural track junctions where a red dot indicates a poorly formed junction while a black dot indicates a correctly formed junction. See

Add a Track Junction below for more details

move the mouse pointer out from the junction to where the next endpoint of the spline branch will be placed and Left Click

Steps: To remove a junction but keep all its spline segments:-

open the junction endpoint Context Menu by a Left Click on its Context Icon

select the Separate Splines menu option (this will separate ALL the spline segments that meet at that endpoint)

	A junction can be removed by deleting any spline segment that connects to it
	A junction endpoint can be moved by using the Free Move Tool or the Fine Adjustment Tool

Placement: Add a Track Junction

A track junction is formed using track splines in the same way as described above but track junctions have additional features

When a junction is created using Track Spline Objects, a junction switch will be automatically added.
	the switch will be the one specified in the Region listed in the Route Properties. The region and its switch can be changed by opening the Surveyor Edit Menu and selecting Edit Route... . If no region has been specified then a default switch (as shown left) will be used
	use the Free Move Tool or the Fine Adjustment Tool to move or delete the switch and to open its Context Menu for editing

Information on creating and editing a Region can be found on the Trainz Wiki at:-

How to Create a Region Asset

	Using Procedural Tracks If the track object used is a Procedural Track and the junction is formed with another Procedural Track then the junction endpoint dot will be coloured:-
	RED (as shown above) if the junction exceeds the maximum allowed values for a procedural junction. This will not stop the junction from working but it will not display the special features only found in Procedural Tracks, OR
	BLACK if the junction is within the maximum allowed values for a procedural junction and it will display all the Procedural Track special features
A procedural track junction can be changed from red to black by adjusting the height and/or position (depending on the exact cause of the problem) of the junction endpoint and the endpoints on either side of the junction. See the Wiki Page How to Use Procedural Track for more details
A junction between two non-procedural tracks and between a procedural track and a non-procedural track will always have a red endpoint dot

Placement: Set a Spline Height

If the Tool Options Palette and the Info Palette are not visible on the screen then refer to

Notes: Palettes at the top of this document.

Get the Height of a Spline Object

You can copy the height of a spline segment into the Tool Options Palette Height setting. Once it has been copied it can be applied to any other object. Choose one of the following:-

Options:

Use the Eyedropper to copy the height (and gradient) of a spline segment

Steps: To copy the Height of a spline segment:-
	hold down the Alt key and move the mouse tool pointer onto the spline segment
	while holding down the Alt key Left Click on the spline segment

	If the segment has a slope then the height at the point clicked with the eyedropper will be copied into the Height setting and the spline gradient will be copied into the Grade setting.
	This will also select the clicked object in the Assets Palette and it will become the next object added by a Left Click in your Trainz World

OR

Use the Height setting drop down menu

Steps: To copy the Height of the currently active (just placed) spline segment:-
	in the Tool Options Palette Right Click inside the Height setting box
	Select the Get Height from Selection option

If the spline segment has a slope then the height at its midpoint will be used

Set the Height of a Spline Object

To set the height of a selected spline (including track) or endpoint, choose one of the following:- Options:
	Left Click in the Tool Options Palette Height setting and enter a new value (or keep the existing value) then press the Enter key, OR
	in the Tool Options Palette Left Click inside the Height setting and enter a new value (or keep the existing value) then Right Click in the setting box and select the Set Height to Selection option, OR
	from the objects Context Menu ( Left Click on the objects Context Icon or press the T key) select the Apply Height option, OR
	in the Info Palette enter a value in the objects Pos: z (height) setting or Left Click and Drag Up or Down on the double arrowheads to its right. This can be used to set the height to cm accuracy (see The Info Palette below).

Placement: Set a Spline Gradient

If the Tool Options Palette and the Info Palette are not visible on the screen then refer to

Notes: Palettes at the top of this document.

	Notes:
	The Grade is defined as vertical rise divided by horizontal distance converted to a percentage figure. So a grade of 100% (the maximum allowed) would mean a gradient formed by both measurements having the same value (e.g. a rise of 50m over a distance of 50m). A vertical slope (a cliff) would have an infinite grade (cliff height divided by 0) which is currently impossible in Surveyor.

Get the Grade of a Spline Object

You can copy the grade of a spline segment into the Tool Options Palette Grade setting. Once it has been copied it can be applied to any other object. Choose one of the following:-
Options:

Use the Eyedropper to copy the grade of any spline segment

Steps: To copy the Grade of a spline segment:-
	hold down the Alt key and move the mouse tool pointer onto the spline segment
	while holding down the Alt key Left Click on the spline segment

This will also change the asset selected in the Assets Palette to the object clicked and it will become the next object added by a Left Click with the Placement Tool

This will also copy the height of the segment at the point it was clicked into the Height setting

OR

Use the Grade setting drop down menu

Steps: To copy the Grade of the currently active (just placed) spline segment:-
	in the Tool Options Palette Right Click inside the Grade setting box
	Select the Get Grade from Selection option

Set the Grade of a Spline Object

To set the gradient of a selected spline segment (including track) after it has been laid by the Placement Tool, choose one of the following:-
Options:

in the Tool Options Palette Left Click inside the Grade setting and enter a new value (or keep the existing value) then press the Enter key. This works even if the Grade icon is not coloured Gold . OR

select the Apply Grade to this Spline Endpoint option from the Context Menu for the segment endpoint (not the segment context icon) - Left Click on the endpoint Context Icon

to apply the existing grade value. The endpoint that has been selected will be the starting point of the grade.

You can lay a spline object without any applied gradient so that it will follow the existing terrain height. Simply delete its Grade value so it resets to the default - character

Adding Spline Segments at a Set Gradient

To set and use the gradient of a spline object (including track) before it has been laid by the Placement Tool so that all the spline segments will be added with the set gradient in place, until it is changed or cancelled, then:-
Steps: To lay a spline sequence with a preset gradient:-

in the Assets Palette Left Click on the spline asset to be added

Left Click in the Tool Options Palette Grade setting and enter a new value (or keep the existing value) then press the Enter key. This works even if the Grade icon is not coloured Gold

Left Click in the Surveyor World and draw out each spline segment as normal. Each segment will have the height of its second endpoint increased (or reduced for a negative grade) by an amount controlled by the Grade setting

You can cancel or change the gradient at any time. The change will only affect any selected spline segment and any additional segments that are added after the change. Simply delete its Grade value so it resets to the default - or enter a new value

Placement: Set a Track Condition

	The Track Condition sets the "smoothness" of the ride over a track segment
	The default track condition is 50% which is Average

If the Tool Options Palette and the Info Palette are not visible on the screen then refer to

Notes: Palettes at the top of this document.

The Tool Options Palette has a Condition setting that only applies to track spline segments. This can be set for a segment that has just been added and is still highlighted.

Condition

this applies to Track Spline objects and sets the track condition (or "ride comfort") for each segment

Range:

1% (terrible track condition) to

50% (average track condition - the default setting) to
100% (perfect track condition)

If the track segment is not highlighted you must switch to the Free Move Tool or the Fine Ajustment Tool and then select the segment or multiple segments.

Steps: To set a track condition:-
	Enter a value from 1 to 100 in the Tool Options Palette Condition setting
	Press the Enter key

Placement: Spline Object Context Menu

Spline Object Context Menu Options

Once a spline segment has been placed you can open its Context Menus. It has separate menus and menu icons:-

	or (depending on the type of spline) for the spline segment, and
	for the endpoints

Left Click on one of the icons to open its menu or press the T key to open the menu for the spline segment. The following Spline Object specific options will appear, along with other more general options, in the Context Menu.

Straighten Spline

forces a straight line (as far as possible) between the endpoints of a single segment. This option will be

ticked if the segment has already been straightened in which case selecting this option will "un-straighten" the segment and remove the tick

Separate Splines	breaks two spline segments into two separate (independent) splines at the selected endpoint
Merge Splines	removes the selected endpoint between two segments and merges the segments into one. Two segments can also be merged by deleting a selected endpoint with the Delete key

Insert Spline Point Here

inserts a new endpoint in a segment at the point where it was clicked. This will create a new segment at the endpoint

See

Free Move: Spline Object Context Menus for the full list of Context Menu options for Spline Objects.

Placement: Track Objects

Placement: Add a Track Object

Track Objects (e.g. signals, speed signs, switches, etc), both visible and invisible, can only be attached to track splines.

Notes:

Visible examples of track objects include:-
	Signals, speed signs, end buffers, switches
Invisible examples of track objects include:-
	Trackmarks, triggers, direction and priority markers. Plus invisible trackside objects such as signals, switches and speed signs

If the Filter Palette and Assets Palette are not visible on the screen then refer to

Notes: Palettes at the top of this document.

Steps: To add a Track Object the first step is to identify the exact asset you want to add.

In the Filter Palette choose one of the following:-

Options:

Left Click on the Track Object icon

FilterPaletteTrackObjectsSelected S20.png

all ground textures

all non-spline scenery assets

all spline scenery assets

all track spline assets

all track (non spline) assets (signals, etc)

all rolling stock assets

all Effect Layer presets

OR

Left Click the Content Drop Down Menu

FilterPaletteNoIconSelected S20.png
Then select Track Objects
FilterSelectTrackObjects S20.png

OR

Shortcut

Steps: If you already have the same object placed in your route then:-
	move the tool pointer over the object to be selected and hold down the Alt key. The object name will appear in a ToolTip attached to the pointer
	while holding down the Alt key Left Click on the object. This will automatically select it in the Assets Palette and it will also select the Placement Tool. Release the key

Jump to Step

below

	In the Filter Palette the Track Objects icon will be shown in blue when it is selected and the name Track Objects will appear in the drop down box below the icons. For more information about the Filter Palette see the Trainz Wiki Page How to Use the Surveyor 2.0 Palettes - Filter Palette
	The Assets Palette display is controlled by the selections made in the Filter Palette . Selecting Scenery Objects in the Filter Palette will produce a list of all the installed Track Objects in the Assets Palette . For more information about the Assets Palette see the Trainz Wiki Page How to Use the Surveyor 2.0 Palettes - Assets Palette

In the Assets Palette you have the option to narrow down the filtered list. Type the assets name or part of the name into the Search box. For example if you have selected Track Objects and want to find track objects named "speed board 50", then type "speedboard50" (UPPER/lower case and spaces between words do not matter).

This will list all the Track Objects containing variations of the text "speed board 50" in their names or descriptions.

AssetsPaletteTrackObjectSearchSpeed S20.png

Left Click on the required item in the list.

When selected the asset will be highlighted with a light grey background.

Notes:

A Left Click on an object in the Assets Palette filtered list will automatically activate the Placement Tool so the next Left Click in your Trainz World will place that object in the scene.

If you are not certain that a selected asset is the right one then try the following:-

Options:

	Double Left Click on the name in the Asset List to bring up its image and description, OR
	view its rotating and resizeable 3D image in the Preview Palette, OR
	switch the asset list to Thumbnail View ( Left Click the icon). In this view the palette is best used undocked and enlarged - see the Wiki Page at How to Use the Surveyor 2.0 Palettes for instructions on undocking and enlarging palettes.

The final step is to place the selected object into the route.

Steps:
	In the Tools Palette if, for some reason, the Placement Tool is not selected then Left Click on its icon or press the E key
	Left Click on the track at the position where you want the Track Object to be placed. This will become the Anchor Point where the object will be attached to the track.

Notes:

	the Placement Tool will remain on and active until another tool has been selected. So everytime you Left Click another copy of the object (or another object if you change your selection) will be added to the route
	the last object placed will be highlighted (covered in "green/yellow"). This will be the selected object if you switch control to the Free Move Tool or the Fine Adjustment Tool

Certain track objects have a Trigger Radius that controls how close a consist must approach the object to trigger its action. See

Set the Trigger Radius for instructions on setting this feature.

Placement: Move a Track Object

Once a Track Object (e.g. a signal) has been placed it can be moved using the Placement Tool

Step: To move a Track Object using the Placement Tool:-

Left Click and Drag the Anchor Point (the small yellow dot in the middle of the track as shown in the image above) to any position along the track or to another track.

You can also move the object by dragging the object itself and not its Anchor Point. However, it will lose its fixed distance, both vertical and horizontal, from the centre of the track. You will then have to open its Context Menu and select the Reattach to Track option to restore it to the correct distance from the track centre

Moving Track Objects can also be performed, with more control and additional options, using the Free Move Tool or the Fine Adjustment Tool.

Placement: Delete a Track Object

To delete a track object (or any object) that has just been added by the Placement Tool and is still highlighted, choose one of the following:-

Options:

press the Delete key, OR

open its Context Menu ( Left Click on its icon or press the T key) and select the option Delete

If the object is not highlighted then you must first switch to either the Free Move Tool or the Fine Ajustment Tool, select the object and then choose one of the above options

Placement: Set the Height of a Track Object

	An object that has just been added to a route using the Placement Tool can have its height adjusted immediately after placement
	or it can be adjusted at a later time using the Free Move or Fine Adjustment Tools

If the Tool Options Palette or the Info Palette are not visible on the screen then refer to

Notes: Palettes at the top of this document.

Get the Height of a Track Object

You can copy the height of a selected track object (e.g. a signal) into the Tool Options Palette Height setting while the Placement Tool is still active. Once it has been copied it can be applied to any other object.

Steps: To copy the height of any selected track object into the Height setting:-
	In the Tool Options Palette Right Click in the Height setting
	select the Get Height from Selection option

You can check the height of any selected object or endpoint using the Info Palette . The height is the last value in the Pos: (Position) data set.

Set the Height of a Track Object

In Surveyor 2.0 track objects can be given a height that will place them above (or below) the track. To set the height of a selected track mesh object, choose one of the following:-

Options:
	in the Tool Options Palette Height setting, enter a value followed by the Enter key OR
	in the Tool Options Palette Height setting, enter a value then Right Click and select Set Height to Selection OR
	from the objects Context Menu select the Apply Height option to apply an existing height setting, OR
	in the Info Palette enter a value in the objects Pos: z (height) setting or Left Click and Drag Up or Down on the double arrowheads to its right. This can be used to set the height to cm accuracy (see The Info Palette below).

Placement: Set the Trigger Radius of a Track Object

	Certain track objects have a Trigger Radius that sets how close a consist must approach the object to trigger its action
	The Trigger Radius of an object can be adjusted by the Placement Tool immediately after it has been placed on a track

Track objects that have a Trigger Radius include:-

	Track marks such as Track Markers, Priority Markers and Direction Markers
	Track Triggers
	Whistle Signs

It is a good idea to adjust the trigger radius of these objects so that they do not overlap a track junction

The current Trigger Radius of these objects is shown by the size of the "wings" (Red or Green depending on the type of object) attached to the object and, in some cases, a distance value below the name of the object. Both of these options are shown in the image below.

On one side of the track object is a green Trigger Radius dot that allows the radius value to be adjusted up or down.

If no Trigger Radius dot or Red/Green Wings appear on the track object then it does not have an adjustable Trigger Radius

Steps: To adjust the Trigger Radius of a newly placed track object:-

Move your camera POV (Point of View) to directly above the track object before adjusting its Trigger Radius. This will make the adjustment as quick and as smooth as possible.

Left Click and Drag forward or back on the Trigger Radius dot. The dot will not move but the "wings" that indicate the radius on the track and the displayed radius value will increase or decrease

when the radius reaches the required size release the mouse button

This action can also be performed on existing track objects using the Free Move Tool and the Fine Adjustment Tool

Placement: Track Object Context Menu

Track Mesh Object Context Menu Options

Once a track mesh object has been placed you can open its Context Menu ( Left Click on its icon or press the T key) to access a range of options and functions. The following Track Object specific options will appear, along with other more general options, in the objects Context Menu.

Rotate Trackside

swaps the position of the object to the other side of the track so that it faces the opposite direction

Change Junction Direction

if the object is a track switch or junction then its switch direction will be reversed

Reattach to Track

if the object has been moved away from the track then it will be reset to its correct position on the track. This option will be greyed out if the object is already attached to the track

See

Free Move: Track Object Context Menu for the full list of Context Menu options for Track Objects.

Placement: Rolling Stock Objects

Placement: Add a Rolling Stock Object

Rolling Stock Objects (e.g. locomotives, passenger cars and wagons) can only be attached to track splines.

If the Filter Palette and Assets Palette are not visible on the screen then refer to

Notes: Palettes at the top of this document.

Steps: To add a Rolling Stock Object the first step is to identify the exact asset you want to add.

In the Filter Palette choose one of the following:-

Options:

Left Click on the Trains icon

FilterPaletteTrainsSelected S20.png

all ground textures

all non-spline scenery assets

all spline scenery assets

all track spline assets

all track (non spline) assets (signals, etc)

all rolling stock assets

all Effect Layer presets

OR

Left Click the Content Drop Down Menu

FilterPaletteNoIconSelected S20.png
Then select Trains
FilterSelectTrains S20.png

OR

Shortcut

Steps: If you already have the same object placed in your route then:-
	move the tool pointer over the object to be selected and hold down the Alt key. The object name will appear in a ToolTip attached to the pointer
	while holding down the Alt key Left Click on the object. This will automatically select it in the Assets Palette and it will also select the Placement Tool. Release the key

Jump to Step

below

	In the Filter Palette the Trains icon will be shown in blue when it is selected and the name Trains will appear in the drop down box below the icons. For more information about the Filter Palette see the Trainz Wiki Page How to Use the Surveyor 2.0 Palettes - Filter Palette
	The Assets Palette display is controlled by the selections made in the Filter Palette . Selecting Scenery Objects in the Filter Palette will produce a list of all the installed Rolling Stock Objects in the Assets Palette . For more information about the Assets Palette see the Trainz Wiki Page How to Use the Surveyor 2.0 Palettes - Assets Palette

In the Assets Palette you have the option to narrow down the filtered list. Type the assets name or part of the name into the Search box. For example if you have selected Trains and want to find rolling stock with "NG42" in their names, then type "NG42" (UPPER/lower case does not matter).

This will list all the Rolling Stock containing the text "NG42" in their names or descriptions.

Left Click on the required item in the list.

When selected the asset will be highlighted with a light grey background.

Notes:

A Left Click on an object in the Assets Palette filtered list will automatically activate the Placement Tool so the next Left Click in your Trainz World will place that object in the scene.

If you are not certain that a selected asset is the right one then try the following:-

Options:

	Double Left Click on the name in the Asset List to bring up its image and description, OR
	view its rotating and resizeable 3D image in the Preview Palette, OR
	switch the asset list to Thumbnail View ( Left Click the icon). In this view the palette is best used undocked and enlarged - see the Wiki Page at How to Use the Surveyor 2.0 Palettes for instructions on undocking and enlarging palettes.

The final step is to place the selected object into the route.

Steps:
	In the Tools Palette if, for some reason, the Placement Tool is not selected then Left Click on its icon or press the E key
	Left Click on the track at the position where you want to place the object. This will become the Anchor Point where the object will be attached to the track.

Notes:

	the Placement Tool will remain on and active until another tool has been selected. So everytime you Left Click another copy of the object (or another object if you change your selection) will be added to the route
	the last object placed will be highlighted (covered in "green/yellow"). This will be the selected object if you switch control to the Free Move Tool or the Fine Adjustment Tool

Placement: Move a Rolling Stock Object

Once a Rolling Stock Object (e.g. a wagon) has been placed it can be moved using the Placement Tool

Rolling Stock Objects are always attached to a track segment. They can be moved along the track or to a different track but they cannot be moved to a position that is to the left, right, above or below the track

Step: To move a Rolling Stock Object using the Placement Tool:-
	Left Click and Drag the Anchor Point (the small yellow dot attached to the object) to any position along the track or to another track. It can also be coupled to a consist and then decoupled by dragging the same Anchor Point.

Moving, coupling and decoupling Rolling Stock Objects can also be performed, with more control, using the Free Move Tool or the Fine Adjustment Tool.

Placement: Delete a Rolling Stock Object

To delete a rolling stock object (or any object) that has just been added by the Placement Tool and is still highlighted, choose one of the following:-
Options:

press the Delete key, OR

open its Context Menu ( Left Click on its icon or press the T key) and select the option Delete

If the object is not highlighted then you must first switch to either the Free Move Tool or the Fine Ajustment Tool, select the object and then choose one of the above options

Placement: Rolling Stock Object Context Menu

Rolling Stock Object Context Menu Options

Once a rolling stock object has been placed you can open its Context Menu ( Left Click on its icon or press the T key) to access a range of options and functions. The following Rolling Stock Object specific options will appear, along with other more general options, in the objects Context Menu.

Rotate Vehicle

rotates (reverses) the facing direction of a selected rolling stock object. If more than one object has been selected then they will all have their directions reversed but they will remain in the same order

Change Consist Heading

reverses the consist heading as indicated by the directions of the red and green arrows above the start and end of the consist

Rotate Consist Heading

the entire consist is reversed, both in the order of the vehicles and the direction they face

Merge into Single Train

when two or more separate rolling stock assets have been selected they will be coupled into a single consist. See

Coupling Rolling Stock Objects for more details

Save to Consist Asset...

saves the selected rolling stock objects as a new consist asset in the Assets Palette

See

Rolling Stock Object Context Menu for the full list of Context Menu options for Rolling Stock Objects.

The Eyedropper Tool

Keyboard Shortcut: R

The Eyedropper Tool identifies and selects objects in your Trainz World

Various function of this tool use the Tool Options Palette Filter Palette and the Assets Palette . If these palettes are not visible on the screen when required then refer to

Notes: Palettes at the top of this document.

Tool Targets The Eyedropper Tool has no Target options so it has no drop down menu list

	When selected, this tool has a distinctive pointer icon which makes it easy to identify that the Eyedropper Tool is active
	The Eyedropper is also available in the Placement Tool, Free Move Tool, Fine Adjustment Tool and the Marquee Tool by holding down the Alt key - see below for more details

Tool Actions The Eyedropper Tool has no Action options so it has no drop down menu list

Quick Steps

From the Eyedropper Tool

Asset filter set by the Eyedropper in S20

Steps: To use the Eyedropper Tool:-

	In the Tools Palette select the Eyedropper Tool or press the R key
	move the pointer, which will look like an Eyedropper, over any object to reveal its name in a ToolTip which will appear below the pointer
	Optional: hold the eyedropper over any object for a few seconds to reveal more information such as its <kuid> code
	Optional: Left Click on the object to identify it in the Assets Palette It will be highlighted in light grey

Optional: Left Click on the asset name in the Assets Palette list to switch control to the Placement Tool so the next Left Click in your Trainz World will add the selected asset to your layout

	Notes:
Using the Eyedropper Tool to select an object (Step 5 above) will also copy some of that objects properties into the Tool Options Palette . These would include:-
	Height for a scenery (mesh) object
	Scale and Rotation for a ground texture
	Grade and Height for a spline object. If the spline has a slope then the Height at the point clicked will be used

From the Brush, Placement, Free Move, Fine Adjustment, Marquee Tools

You can access the Eyedropper while using any of the other tools in the Tools Palette

Steps: To access the Eyedropper from the other tools:-

hold down the Alt key. The Eyedropper Tool will be temporarily selected in the Tools Palette

move the Eyedropper onto an object to identify it as described above. The name and <kuid> of the object will appear in the pointer tooltip. If you release the Alt key without selecting an object then you will be returned to your originally selected tool in the Tools Palette

while holding down the Alt key Left Click on the object to select it in the Assets Palette and copy some of its properties into the Tool Options Palette

If you change your mind you can Left Click on another object if you are still holding down the Alt key. If you have already released the Alt key then hold it down again to select another object

after a Left Click on the selected object release the Alt key. The Placement Tool will be selected in the Tools Palette . This means that the next Left Click in your Trainz World will add the selected asset to your layout

Narrowing the Search

Sometimes (or often) a scene will be too crowded with different scenery objects to be able to use the Eyedropper Tool to easily select a single object. In these cases additional options are available to help "remove the clutter".

If the Filter Palette and Assets Palette are not visible on the screen then refer to

Notes: Palettes at the top of this document.

The Filter Palette top Drop Down Menu, its Filter Actions, controls how the filters are applied to your Trainz World. To open the list Left Click on the drop down box or on the double arrows on its right.

The top drop down box will provide four actions:-

	Filter Disabled
	Filter List
	Filter Selection
	Filter Visibility

These actions will affect the display and selection of objects in your Trainz World

Filter Actions:

Filter Disabled

this action is used in the Bulk Replace Tool. It disables the Filter Palette so that it has no effect on the assets listed by the Assets Palette during the selection of a replacement asset.

Filter List

this action is the default setting for the Filter Palette . It has no effect on the operation of the tools in the Tool Palette or on the objects displayed on the screen in your Trainz World. The filtered list of assets shown in the Assets Palette will be produced by the Filter Selections and other settings.

Filter Selection

this action will restrict the selected tool (e.g. the Placement Tool or the Free Move Tool) to only work on those objects that are in the filtered list shown in the Assets Palette . Objects that are not in the filtered list will still be visible in your Trainz World but they cannot be selected.

Filter Visibility

this action will hide all objects in your Trainz World that are not in the filtered list. The only exceptions are Ground Textures and Effect Layers which will be visible but, unless they are also in the filtered list, they cannot be selected.

These filter options can be used with the Placement Tool, Free Move Tool, Fine Adjustment Tool and the Marquee Tool as well as with the Eyedropper Tool

As an example the following images show the progressive application of the Filter Actions.

In the Filter Palette the Filter Action has been set to Filter Selections and the Scenery Splines icon has been selected.

	All objects are visible on the Surveyor screen
	Only Scenery Splines can be selected

To reset the filters to allow all objects to be selected set the Filter Action in the Filter Palette to Filter List

In the Filter Palette the Filter Action has been set to Filter Visibilty and the Scenery Splines icon has been selected.

	Only Scenery Splines are visible on the Surveyor screen - Ground Textures and Effect Layers are always visible
	Only Scenery Splines can be selected

To reset the filters to show and select all objects set the Filter Action in the Filter Palette to Filter List

In the Filter Palette the Filter Action has been set to Filter Visibilty and the Scenery Splines icon has been selected. In the Assets Palette the text "fence" has been added to the Search box.

	Only Scenery Splines that have the text "fence" in their names or descriptions are visible on the Surveyor screen - Ground Textures and Effect Layers are always visible
	Only Scenery Splines that have the text "fence" in their names or descriptions can be selected

To reset the filters to show and select all objects set the Filter Action in the Filter Palette to Filter List and delete the text in the Search box

The Free Move Tool

Keyboard Shortcut: S

The Free Move Tool moves objects around your Trainz World

Various function of this tool use the Tool Options Palette Info Palette Filter Palette and the Assets Palette . If these palettes are not visible on the screen when required then refer to

Notes: Palettes at the top of this document.

Tool Targets The Free Move Tool has no Target options so it has no drop down menu list

	This tool is ideal for making large horizontal movements of objects
	Multiple objects (of different types) can be selected for mass moves and other operations

Tool Actions The Free Move Tool has no Action options so it has no drop down menu list

	Free Move Alternatives
In addition to the Free Move Tool the position and/or height of objects can be changed by choosing one of the following:-
Options:
	using the Fine Adjustment Tool OR
	editing its x: y: z: values in The Info Palette OR
	selecting the Apply Height option in its Context Menu

Free Move: Selecting an Object

The Free Move Tool can be used to select individual objects and multiple objects. The multiple objects can be of different types (e.g. spline objects and scenery objects) and in different layers

Steps: To select single and multiple objects with the Free Move Tool:-
	In the Tools Palette Left Click on the Free Move Tool or press the S key
	In the Surveyor screen Left Click on the object to be selected, or the first object if multiple objects are to be selected
	To select additional objects, hold down the Shift key and Left Click on each object to be added to the selection. The additional objects do not have to be the same type or in the same layer

Double Left Click on an object to add it and all nearby identical objects into a single selection.

	for a spline object all the segments up to the next junction (in both directions) will be selected
	for a rolling stock object all the rolling stock objects in that consist will be selected

	Notes:
	To remove an object from the selection Left Click on it again if it is the only selected object or Shift + Left Click if it is one of several selected objects. To remove ALL objects from a selection, Left Click on a Ground Texture or press the Ctrl + D keys
	When you select an object its Context Icon will appear attached to the object. Left Click on its icon or press the T key to open its Context Menu. If more than one object is selected then the Context Icon will be attached to the last object selected

Selecting Objects From a Crowded Scene

Sometimes the object you want to select is part of a crowded scene or is overlapped by other objects, such as splines, and this can make it difficult to select. In these situations the best solution is to use the Filter Palette and Assets Palette to narrow the selection to a single object or to a set of objects.

See

Narrowing the Search for more details

Free Move: Naming an Object

	Objects can be given names to help identify them with the Finder Tool
	Some objects must be given unique names for display and session operations

If the Info Palette is not visible on the screen then refer to

Notes: Palettes at the top of this document.

Steps: To name (or rename) an object using the Free Move Tool:-
	In the Info Palette Left Click inside the Name text entry box
	Enter a name and press the Enter key

There is no ban on two or more objects using the same name

In the image shown on the left there are 4 objects all named Old Orroroo Rd.

This will not cause any problems for scenery objects apart from finding the exact one you want with the Finder Tool ( Ctrl + F keys).

	Notes: However, duplicated names will cause problems for Industries (including passenger enabled stations), Locomotives, Track Marks, Triggers, Switches, Signals, etc that have to be identified to control the operation of a session.
These objects must have unique names

Free Move: Changing an Objects Layer

All objects in the Trainz World are in layers. You can set and change the layers where the objects are placed

If the Info Palette is not visible on the screen then refer to

Notes: Palettes at the top of this document.

An object will be added to a layer when it is placed into the Trainz World by the Placement Tool and the Scrapbook. Once it has been placed it can be moved to a different layer.

Steps: To move a placed object to another layer:-

select the object ( Left Click on the object) or several objects ( Shift + Left Click on each object) to be moved to another layer. If multiple objects are selected then they do not have to be of the same type or in the same starting layer. Note: The layer(s) containing the object(s) must NOT be locked

In the Info Palette Left Click on the Layer arrowhead icon (circled in red in the image left). This will open up the layer controls for the last selected object

the drop down menu box labelled Layer shows the currently assigned layer for that object. If multiple objects from different layers have been selected then no layer name will be shown. Left Click on the Up/Down arrows to open the list of all available layers.

select the destination layer from the list. The object(s) will then be moved to the selected layer - you will be given a warning if the move has failed (usually because an objects layer is locked)

Also see:-

Assigning Objects to a Different Layer for more details on the Layer Controls in the Info Palette

How to Use Layers for detailed information on Layers

Free Move: Scenery Mesh Objects

Individual "non-spline" scenery objects that are not attached to track are often referred to in Trainz terminology as Scenery Mesh Objects.

If the Tool Options Palette and Info Palette are not visible on the screen then refer to

Notes: Palettes at the top of this document.

Free Move: Move a Scenery Mesh Object

Steps: To move a Scenery Mesh Object:-
	In the Tools Palette select the Free Move Tool or press the S key
	Left Click and Drag the object in any horizontal direction

	Notes:
	If multple objects have been selected then all the objects will be moved
	When moving a scenery object, its height will be fixed to the terrain height

Free Move: Set the Height of a Scenery Mesh Object

Get the Height of a Scenery Mesh Object

You can copy the height of a selected scenery mesh object (e.g. a house) into the Tool Options Palette Height setting. Once it has been copied it can be applied to any other object.

Steps: To copy the height of any selected object into the Height setting:-
	In the Tool Options Palette Right Click inside the Height setting
	select the Get Height from Selection option

You can check the height of any selected object or endpoint using the Info Palette . The height is the last value in the Pos: (Position) data set.

Set the Height of a Scenery Mesh Object

To set the height of a selected scenery mesh object, choose one of the following:-
Options:

	in the Tool Options Palette Left Click inside the Height setting and enter a new value (or keep the existing value) then press the Enter key. This works even if the Height icon is not coloured Gold . OR
	in the Tool Options Palette Left Click inside the Height setting and enter a new value (or keep the existing value) then Right Click in the setting box and select the Set Height to Selection option, OR
	select the Apply Height setting from the objects Context Menu ( Left Click on the objects Context Icon or press the T key) to apply an existing height value, OR
	in the Info Palette enter a value in the objects z (height) setting or Left Click and Drag Up or Down on the double arrowheads to its right. This can be used to set the height to cm accuracy (see The Info Palette below).

	Notes:
	If multiple objects have been selected then the height of the context object, the one with the Context Icon, will have its height set to the new value.
	All other selected objects will have their heights adjusted to maintain their height relative to that object. For example: If another selected object is 2m below the context object then its adjusted height will always remain 2m below the context object

Free Move: Scenery Mesh Object Context Menu

A selected scenery mesh object, or a group of selected scenery mesh objects, will have a Context Icon that opens a Context Menu. Left Click on its icon or press the T key. The icon design will vary between object types.

Scenery Mesh Object Context Menu

Cut	remove the selected object or objects from the route and move them into the Scrapbook

Copy	copy the selected object or objects and place them into the Scrapbook

Paste

paste the contents of the current Scrapbook at the cursor (focus) point

Delete

delete the selected objects. It has the same effect as pressing the Delete key

Replace Object with Selected Asset

the selected object will be replaced with the asset currently selected in the Assets Palette . If no object has been selected in the Assets Palette or it is the wrong type (e.g. a scenery spline instead of a mesh object) then this option will be greyed out

Paint Under Selected

the texture selected in the Assets Palette will be painted under the selected objects. The Tool Options Palette brush settings ( Radius and Sensitivity ) will control how the texture is applied. If no ground texture has been selected in the Assets Palette then this option will be greyed out

Smooth Ground Under Selected

smooths the height of the ground under the selected object to match the set height of the object. The size of the area affected will depend on which has the greater value: the width of the object OR the Tool Options Palette Radius setting. If multiple objects at different heights have been selected then the ground height will be set to match, as far as possible, the heights of each object

Settle on Ground

sets the height of the objects to match the height of the terrain beneath them ("drops them back to earth")

Apply Height

sets the height of the selected object to the value in the Tool Options Palette Height setting. Where multiple objects have been selected the context object, the one with the Context Icon, will have its height set to the Height value and the other selected objects will have their heights adjusted up or down by the same amount

Reset Object Rotation

resets the rotation angle of the selected objects to their default values

Randomise Object Rotation

applies a random rotation angle to each selected object around its vertical axis

Select in Assets Palette

sets the Filter Palette to All Content and highlights the selected object in the Assets Palette

Select in Filter Palette

sets the Filter Palette to All Content and highlights the selected object in the Filter Palette

Edit Details

opens the Properties window of the selected object. Note: to enter or edit an objects name property use the Info Palette

Free Move: Track Objects

	Track Objects (signals, switches, speed signs, markers, etc) are always attached to an existing track
	In Surveyor 2.0 they can be moved left, right, above and below the track

Free Move: Move a Track Object

Track objects can be dragged to new positions along the track, beside the track or to a different track

Steps: To move a Track Object along the track using the Free Move Tool:-

In the Tools Palette select the Free Move Tool

or press the S key

Left Click and Drag the objects Anchor Point (the small yellow dot in the middle of the track as shown in the image left) to any position along the track or to another track.

You can also move the object by dragging the object itself and not its Anchor Point. However, it will lose its fixed distance, both vertical and horizontal, from the centre of the track. You will then have to open its Context Menu and select the Reattach to Track option to restore it to the correct height and distance from the track centre

Step: To move a track object horizontally away from the track with the Free Move Tool:-

Left Click and Drag the object (but not by using its Anchor Point) to anywhere in the horizontal plane including away from the track. The object will always be linked by a "stretchable" yellow line to its anchor point on the closest track segment.

You can drag the track object to a different track

Track objects that have been moved away from or closer to the track will still function normally and can be moved along the track without reversing the change. Their position can be reset to normal by selecting the Reattach to Track option from the objects Context Menu

You can select and move multiple track objects at the same time. Use Shift + Left Click when selecting each object then drag them all to their new positions. The last selected object will have the Context Icon.

However, if you have moved the objects off the track (i.e. to the left or right of the track) then using the Reattach to Track option may lead to some objects attaching themselves to a closer track than the one intended.

	Situations where it is useful to be able to move a track object away from the track include:-
	placing Track Marks and Triggers above (see the next section) or beside the track so that they are not hidden by consists parked on top of them
	repositioning switches, signals, track signs closer to or further away from the track - particularly useful if the track object was originally created for a different gauge track

Free Move: Set the Height of a Track Object

Track objects can be raised above and lowered below the track level.

If the Info Palette and Tool Options Palette are not visible on the screen then refer to

Notes: Palettes at the top of this document.

Get the Height of a Track Object

You can copy the height of a selected track mesh object (e.g. a signal) into the Tool Options Palette Height setting. Once it has been copied it can be applied to any other object.

Steps: To copy the height of any selected object into the Height setting:-
	Right Click in the Height setting in the Tool Options Palette
	select the Get Height from Selection option

Set the Height of a Track Object

Throw Lever track object level with the track

To set the height of a selected track object, choose one of the following:- Options:
	Left Click in the Tool Options Palette Height setting and enter a new value (or keep the existing value) then press the Enter key. This works even if the Height icon is not coloured Gold . OR
	in the Tool Options Palette Left Click inside the Height setting and enter a new value (or keep the existing value) then Right Click in the setting box and select the Set Height to Selection option, OR
	select the Apply Height option from the objects Context Menu ( Left Click on the objects Context Icon or press the T key) to apply an existing height value, OR
	in the Info Palette enter a value in the objects z (height) setting or Left Click and Drag Up or Down on the double arrowheads to its right. This can be used to set the height to cm accuracy (see The Info Palette below).

Track objects that have been "height adjusted" will still function normally and can be moved along the track without reversing the height change. The height can be reset to normal by selecting the Reattach to Track option from the objects Context Menu

After being moved vertically

A situation where it might be useful to raise a signal above the track level would be to place it higher up on the wall of a cutting

Free Move: Set the Trigger Radius of a Track Object

Certain track objects have have a Trigger Radius that sets how close a consist must approach the object to trigger its action

Track objects that have a Trigger Radius include:-

	Track marks such as Track Markers, Priority Markers and Direction Markers
	Track Triggers
	Whistle Signs

It is a good idea to adjust the trigger radius of these objects so that they do not overlap a track junction

The current Trigger Radius of these objects is shown by the size of the "wings" (Red or Green depending on the type of object) attached to the object and, in some cases, a distance value below the name of the object. Both of these options are shown in the image below.

On one side of the track object is a green Trigger Radius dot that allows the radius value to be adjusted up or down.

If no Trigger Radius dot or Red/Green Wings appear on the track object then it does not have an adjustable Trigger Radius

Steps: To adjust the Trigger Radius of a track object:-

In the Tools Palette select the Free Move Tool

or press the S key

Move your camera POV (Point of View) to directly above the track object before adjusting its Trigger Radius. This will make the adjustment as quick and as smooth as possible.

Left Click on the Track Object to select it.

Left Click and Drag forward or back on the Trigger Radius dot. The dot will not move but the "wings" that indicate the radius on the track and the displayed radius value will increase or decrease

when the radius reaches the required size release the mouse button

This action can also be performed on existing track objects using the Fine Adjustment Tool

Free Move: Track Object Context Menu

A selected track mesh object, or a group of selected track mesh objects, will have a Context Icon that opens a Context Menu. The icon design will vary between object types.

To open a selected track objects Context Menuchoose one of the following:-

Options:
	Left Click the Context Icon OR
	Press the T key

Track Object Context Menu

Track objects cannot be copied/moved into a scrapbook by themselves. They will be automatically added to a scrapbook by selecting and copying just the track segment under the objects

Cut	remove the selected object or objects from the route and move them into the Scrapbook

Copy	copy the selected object or objects and place them into the Scrapbook

Paste

paste the contents of the current Scrapbook at the cursor (focus) point

When pasted the track object will include the track and will be surrounded by a wide Marquee Selection Area that, depending on the settings in the

Scrapbook Filters, may replace all other objects, splines, textures, ground terrain and effect layers in that area

Delete

delete the selected objects. It has the same effect as pressing the Delete key

Replace Object with Selected Asset

the selected object will be replaced with the asset currently selected in the Assets Palette . If the asset selected in the Assets Palette is the wrong type (e.g. a scenery spline) then this option will be greyed out

Paint Under Selected

the texture selected in the Assets Palette will be painted under the selected objects. The Tool Options Palette brush settings ( Radius and Sensitivity ) will control how the texture is applied. If no ground texture has been selected in the Assets Palette then this option will be greyed out.

Objects have a minimum brush size that represents the smallest area that can be painted beneath them using the Paint Under Selected option. This minimum area will vary in size between objects but it will be rectangular even for circular objects. If the Tool Options Palette brush Radius is set to a smaller size then the brush Radius will be ignored and the objects minimum brush size will be used instead.

Smooth Ground Under Selected

smooths the height of the ground under the selected object to match the set height of the object. For track objects the size of the area affected will depend on the Tool Options Palette Radius setting

Settle on Ground

sets the height of the objects to match the height of the terrain beneath them ("drops them back to earth")

Apply Height

sets the height of the selected object to the value in the Tool Options Palette Height setting. Where multiple objects have been selected the context object, the one with the Context Icon, will have its height set to the Height value and the other selected objects will have their heights adjusted up or down by the same amount

Reattach to Track

if the object has been moved away from the track then it will be reset to its correct position on the track. This option will be greyed out if the object is already attached to the track

Rotate Trackside

reverses the position of the object on the track to the other side and facing the opposite direction

Change Junction Direction

if the object is a track switch then its switch direction will be reversed

Select in Assets Palette

sets the Filter Palette to All Content and highlights the selected object in the Assets Palette

Select in Filter Palette

sets the Filter Palette to All Content and highlights the selected object in the Filter Palette

Edit Details

opens the Properties window of the selected rolling stock object. Note: to enter or edit an objects name property use the

Info Palette

Notes:

Track objects can be restored to their original height and position (on the track) by opening their Context Menu and choosing one of the following:-

Options:
	Reattach to Track to cancel the both the height and position changes, OR
	Settle on Ground to cancel the height change only

Track objects can also be rotated to the opposite side of the track to face the opposite direction. For some track objects this will make no difference but for others it will have an affect on their operation - for example:-
	signals and trackside signs (e.g. speed, whistle and stop signs)
	track direction markers and directional triggers
	if rotated these track objects will now only affect trains approaching from the opposite direction to the direction that they originally faced.

Steps: To rotate a track object:-
	Open the track objects Context Menu ( Left Click on its icon or press the T key)
	Select the option Rotate Trackside
Rotating a track object does not change its distance from the track or its height.

Free Move: Spline Objects (Including Track)

Scenery splines and track splines are defined by their endpoints. Splines are usually added to a route as a series of segments joined at the endpoints.

If the Tool Options Palette and Info Palette are not visible on the screen then refer to

Notes: Palettes at the top of this document.

Free Move: Spline Troubleshooting Tip

	Quickly Locate Broken Splines and Tracks
	To quickly check for broken links in a spline or track Double Left Click on a segment. All the correctly joined segments upto the next junction or last endpoint (in both directions) will be highlighted. The highlighting will stop at a broken join (which is technically a "last" endpoint)

Free Move: Moving Splines

Moving a spline can involve moving one of the following:-
Options:
	moving an endpoint, OR
	moving a segment, OR
	moving multiple segments including the entire length of the spline (between junctions)

Free Move: Move a Spline Endpoint

Steps: To move an individual spline endpoint:-
	In the Tools Palette select the Free Move Tool or press the S key
	Left Click and Drag the selected spline endpoint in any horizontal direction
Active (selected) endpoints are shown as green. Inactive spline endpoints are shown as black

The spline endpoint will be fixed at its original height.

Free Move: Move a Spline Segment or Multiple Segments

Splines are frequently made of multiple segments joined together. You can easily move a spline by moving its segments, individually or as a group.

Not all splines have endpoints at each end. As shown in the image on the left, some splines will have an "endcap" that is attached to the start of the first segment and to the end of the last segment, although not all splines with endcaps will have one at each end. The use of an endcap is a purely cosmetic effect - to give the spline a more distinctive appearance.

Steps: To move an individual segment or multiple segments:-
	In the Tools Palette select the Free Move Tool or press the S key
	Left Click on the spline segment to be moved - click anywhere between the two spline endpoints on the segment

Notes:

	the selected segment will be highlighted in green/yellow.
	The segment will have a temporary endpoint inserted at the location you clicked.

A temporary spline endpoint can be made permanent by selecting the Insert Spline Point Here option from its Context Menu

FreeMoveSplineSegmentsAllSelected S20.png

IF you are going to select and move more than one spline segment, then:-

hold the Shift key down and individually Left Click between the endpoints on each additional segment. The last segment that you Left Click on will have a temporary endpoint (placed at the spot you clicked) and the Context Icons added.

To select ALL the segments in a spline, Double Left Click on a segment

	This will select all the segments upto the next junction or the final endpoint (in both directions)
	The segment that you double-clicked will have the temporary endpoint (placed at the spot you clicked) and Context Icons added

	To remove individual spline segments from the selection Shift + Left Click on each segment to be removed.
	To remove ALL the segments from a selection, Double Left Click on any highlighted segment OR Left Click anywhere outside the selected segments.

Left Click and Drag the selected segment(s) in any horizontal direction.

If you had selected:-
	only a single spline segment then only that segment will be moved and the adjacent segments that were not selected will have their shapes (but not their endpoints) adjusted
	multiple spline segments then those segments will be moved and the adjacent segments that were not selected will also have their shapes adjusted
	the entire spline then ALL the segments and endpoints will be moved

FreeMoveSplineSegmentSelectedMoved S20.png

FreeMoveSplineSegmentsAllSelectedMoved S20.png

Free Move: Add and Remove Spline Junctions

A junction is formed when three spline segments are joined at an endpoint. Junctions can be formed using non identical but compatible spline objects, such as different types of track splines.

The Free Move Tool can be used to form a junction using existing separated splines and endpoints by dragging a terminating endpoint from one spline onto an endpoint between two segments on the other spline. If a new junction is to be formed starting from an existing spline then use the steps below

Steps: To add a junction to a spline object:-
	Select the spline object to be used for the junction. The easiest method is hold down the Alt key and Left Click on an existing spline object that you want to use. This will also select the Placement Tool in Step 2 below so you can skip to Step 3
	In the Tools Palette select the Placement Tool
	Left Click on the spline at the spot where the junction is to be created. This can be on an existing endpoint or between two endpoints where a new endpoint will be inserted
	move the mouse pointer out from the junction to where the next endpoint of the spline branch will be placed and Left Click

Steps: To remove a junction but keep all its spline segments:-

use the Free Move Tool to select ( Left Click on) the junction endpoint

open the endpoint Context Menu by a Left Click on its Context Icon

or by pressing the T key

select the Separate Splines menu option (this will separate ALL the spline segments that meet at that endpoint)

	A junction can be removed by deleting any spline segment that connects to it
	A junction endpoint can be moved by using the Free Move Tool or the Fine Adjustment Tool

Free Move: Add a Track Junction

A track junction is formed using track splines in the same way as described above but track junctions have additional features

When a junction is created using Track Spline Objects, a junction switch will be automatically added.
	the switch will be the one specified in the Region listed in the Route Properties. The region and its switch can be changed by opening the Surveyor Edit Menu and selecting Edit Route... . If no region has been specified then a default switch (as shown left) will be used
	use the Free Move Tool or the Fine Adjustment Tool to move or delete the switch and to open its Context Menu for editing

Information on creating and editing a Region can be found on the Trainz Wiki at:-

How to Create a Region Asset

	Using Procedural Tracks If the track object used is a Procedural Track and the junction is formed with another Procedural Track then the junction endpoint dot will be coloured:-
	RED (as shown above) if the junction exceeds the maximum allowed values for a procedural junction. This will not stop the junction from working but it will not display the special features only found in Procedural Tracks, OR
	BLACK if the junction is within the maximum allowed values for a procedural junction and it will display all the Procedural Track special features
A procedural track junction can be changed from red to black by adjusting the height and/or position (depending on the exact cause of the problem) of the junction endpoint and the endpoints on either side of the junction. See the Wiki Page How to Use Procedural Track for more details
A junction between two non-procedural tracks and between a procedural track and a non-procedural track will always have a red endpoint dot

Free Move: Set a Spline Height

Get the Height of a Spline Object

You can copy the height of a spline segment or endpoint into the Tool Options Palette Height setting. Once it has been copied it can be applied to any other object. Choose one of the following:-

Options:

Use the Eyedropper to copy the height of a spline segment

Steps: To copy the Height of a spline segment (but not an endpoint):-
	hold down the Alt key and move the mouse tool pointer onto the spline segment
	while holding down the Alt key Left Click on the spline segment

	When the eyedropper is active spline endpoints will not be visible and cannot be selected
	If the segment has a slope then the height at the point clicked will be copied into the Height setting
	This will also select the clicked object in the Assets Palette and it will become the next object added by a Left Click with the Placement Tool in your Trainz World

OR

Use the Height setting drop down menu

Steps: To copy the Height of a spline segment or one of its endpoints:-
	Left Click on the spline segment or endpoint
	in the Tool Options Palette Right Click inside the Height setting box
	Select the Get Height from Selection option

If the spline segment has a slope then the height at its midpoint will be used

Set the Height of a Spline Object

To set the height of a selected spline (including track) or endpoint, choose one of the following:- Options:
	Left Click in the Tool Options Palette Height setting and enter a new value (or keep the existing value) then press the Enter key. This works even if the Height icon is not coloured Gold . OR
	in the Tool Options Palette Left Click inside the Height setting and enter a new value (or keep the existing value) then Right Click in the setting box and select the Set Height to Selection option, OR
	select the Apply Height option from the objects Context Menu ( Left Click on the objects Context Icon or press the T key) to apply an existing height value, OR
	in the Info Palette enter a value in the objects z (height) setting or Left Click and Drag Up or Down on the double arrowheads to its right. This can be used to set the height to cm accuracy (see The Info Palette below).

Steps: To set the heights of multiple spline segments to the value stored in the Tool Options Palette Height setting:-

Select the spline segments using:-

	Shift + Left Click to select individual segments, OR
	Double Left Click to select all the segments up to the next junction (in both directions).

Select one of the options

,

or

described above

ALL the selected spline segments and their endpoints will be set to the specified height.

Free Move: Set a Spline Gradient

	Notes:
	The Grade is defined as vertical rise divided by horizontal distance converted to a percentage figure. So a grade of 100% (the maximum allowed) would mean a gradient formed by both measurements having the same value (e.g. a rise of 50m over a distance of 50m). A vertical slope (a cliff) would have an infinite grade (cliff height divided by 0) which is currently impossible in Surveyor.

Get the Grade of a Spline Object

You can copy the current Grade of any spline segment into the Tool Options Palette Grade setting. Once it has been copied it can be applied to any other object that has a Grade setting. Choose one of the following:-
Options:

Use the Eyedropper

Steps: To copy the Grade of a spline segment (but not an endpoint):-
	hold down the Alt key and move the mouse tool pointer onto the spline segment
	while holding down the Alt key Left Click on the spline segment

When the eyedropper is active spline endpoints will not be visible and cannot be selected. This option will also change the asset selected in the Assets Palette to the object clicked and it will become the next object added by a Left Click with the Placement Tool

The height at the point clicked will also be copied into the Height setting

OR

Use the Grade setting drop down menu

Steps: To copy the Grade of a spline segment or one of its endpoints:-
	Left Click on the spline segment or endpoint
	in the Tool Options Palette Right Click inside the Grade setting box
	Select the Get Grade from Selection option

Set the Grade of a Spline Object

To set the gradient of a selected spline segment (including track), choose one of the following:- Options:
	in the Tool Options Palette Left Click inside the Grade setting and enter a new value (or keep the existing value) then press the Enter key. This works even if the Grade icon is not coloured Gold . OR
	select the Apply Grade to this Spline Endpoint option from the Context Menu for the segment endpoint (not the segment context icon) - Left Click on the endpoint Context Icon to apply the existing grade value. The endpoint that has been selected will be the starting point of the grade.

Steps: To set the gradients of multiple spline segments to the value stored in the Tool Options Palette Grade setting:-

Select the spline segments using:-

	Shift + Left Click to select individual segments, OR
	Double Left Click to select all the segments up to the next junction (in both directions).

To apply the same gradient to all the selected segments make sure that the first segment has the context icons

Open the Context Menu of the first or starting endpoint ( Left Click on its icon

)

Select the option Apply Grade to this Spline Endpoint

The selected spline segments are now set to the specified gradient.

If the selected endpoint is NOT at the start of the highlighted segments then the gradient will be applied in both directions from that endpoint as shown below.

SelectedSplinesGradientUShape S20.png

Once the height and/or gradient of the spline segments have been set then other effects can be added.

From the Context Menu of the highlighted segments, select the options:-

Smooth Ground Under Selected

to smooth the ground surface under a spline object to match its height, and

Paint Under Selected

to paint the currently selected ground texture under the spline using the settings in the Tool Options Palette

Objects have a minimum brush size that represents the smallest area that can be painted beneath them using the Paint Under Selected option. This minimum area will vary in size between objects but it will be rectangular even for circular objects. If the Tool Options Palette brush Radius is set to a smaller size than this minimum value then the brush Radius will be ignored and the objects minimum brush size will be used instead.

SelectedSplinesGradientSmoothPaint S20.png

Free Move: Set a Track Condition

	The Track Condition sets the "smoothness" of the ride over a track segment
	The default track condition is 50% which is Average

The Tool Options Palette has a Condition setting that only applies to track spline segments. This can be set for a single segment or for multiple segments.

Condition

this applies to Track Spline objects and sets the track condition (or "ride comfort") for each segment

Range:

1% (terrible track condition) to

50% (average track condition - the default setting) to
100% (perfect track condition)

Steps: To set a track condition:-
	Left Click on a track segment or Shift + Left Click on multiple track segments to select the segments that will have their Track Condition set
	Enter a value from 1 to 100 in the Tool Options Palette Condition setting and press the Enter key

Free Move: Spline Object Context Menus

A selected scenery spline object, or a group of selected scenery spline objects, will have a Context Icon that opens a Context Menu. The icon design will vary between object types.

Notes:

Splines have two different Context Icons that lead to two slightly different Context Menus.
	one context icon and menu for each endpoint
	one context icon and menu for the segment
If multiple segments have been selected then the last segment added to the selection will have the context icons. If all the segments were selected by a Double Left Click then the segment that was clicked will have the icons.

To open a selected objects Context Menu choose one of the following:-

Options:
	Left Click the Context Icon OR
	Press the T key

	Notes: Using the T key with splines
	If a spline segment has been selected then pressing the T key will open the Segment Context Menu and the Menu options you select or edit will apply to the whole segment or all selected segments

	If a spline end point has been selected then pressing the T key will open the End Point Context Menu and the Menu options you select or edit will only apply to that particular endpoint

Spline Object Context Menus

Endpoint Context Menu
ContextMenuSplineEndPoint S20.png

Segment Context Menu
ContextMenuSplineSegment S20.png

Notes:

The Edit Details option is only available for Track splines. The properties that can be edited will depend on whether you have selected a Track Segment or a Track Endpoint.

Endpoint Details - the track Superelevation properties for that endpoint. Superelevation is a feature used on curves to raise the height of the outside track of the curve slightly above the height of the inside track. This allows higher speeds around curves.
For more information on Superelevation see the Trainz Wiki Page at

How to Use Superelevation

Segment Details - the track Condition property for that segment.

Track Condition is the "smoothness" of the ride over a track segment
100% = perfect	50% = average	1% = extremely poor

You can also select multiple track segments and set their track Condition by editing their combined Condition value in the Tool Options Palette .

When copying/moving track segments into a scrapbook any track objects on the segments will be included in the scrapbook

Cut	remove the selected segment or segments from the route and move them into the Scrapbook ( only)

Copy	copy the selected segment or segments and place them into the Scrapbook ( only)

Paste

paste the contents of the current Scrapbook at the cursor (focus) point

When pasted from a scrapbook splines will be surrounded by a wide Marquee Selection Area that, depending on the settings in the

Scrapbook Filters, may replace all other objects, splines, textures, ground terrain and effect layers in that area

Delete

delete the segment, segments or endpoint. It has the same effect as pressing the Delete key

Replace Spline with Selected Asset

the highlighted spline will be replaced with the asset currently selected in the Assets Palette . If the asset selected in the Assets Palette is the wrong type (e.g. a mesh object instead of a scenery spline) then this option will be greyed out (

only)

Paint Under Selected

the texture selected in the Assets Palette will be painted under the selected objects. The Tool Options Palette brush settings ( Radius and Sensitivity ) will control how the texture is applied. If no ground texture has been selected in the Assets Palette then this option will be greyed out (

only)

Objects have a minimum brush size that represents the smallest area that can be painted beneath them using the Paint Under Selected option. This minimum area will vary in size between objects but it will be rectangular even for circular objects. If the Tool Options Palette brush Radius is set to a smaller size then the brush Radius will be ignored and the objects minimum brush size will be used instead.

Smooth Ground Under Selected

smooths the height of the ground under the selected spline to match its set height. If multiple spline segments have been selected then the ground under all the segments will be smoothed to their height. The size of the area affected will depend on which has the greater value: the width of the spline OR the Tool Options Palette Radius setting. Does not work for endpoints

Settle on Ground

sets the height of the selected endpoint or segments to match the height of the terrain beneath them ("drops them back to earth"). When used on segments the spline will follow the height changes of the terrain

Apply Height to this Spline Endpoint

sets the height of the selected endpoint to the value in the Tool Options Palette Height setting (

only)

You can copy the Height from an existing spline endpoint into the Height setting of the Tool Options Palette . Once it has been copied it can be applied to any other object.

hold down the Alt key and Left Click on the spline endpoint to copy its Height value. That value can then be used to set the Height of other spline endpoints

Apply Height

sets the height of the selected segment or segments to the value in the Tool Options Palette Height setting (

only)

Apply Grade to this Spline Endpoint

you must first select a segment then click on one of its endpoint icons

. This sets the height of the endpoint to give a Grade to the surrounding segments that matches the value in the Tool Options Palette Grade setting

You can copy the Grade from an existing spline segment into the Grade setting of the Tool Options Palette . Once it has been copied it can be applied to any other object.

hold down the Alt key and Left Click on the spline segment to copy its Grade value. That value can then be used to set the Grade of other spline segments

Straighten Spline

forces a straight line (as far as possible) between the endpoints of a single segment. This option will be

ticked if the segment has already been straightened in which case selecting this option will "un-straighten" the segment and remove the tick (

only)

Separate Splines	breaks two spline segments into two separate (independent) splines at the selected endpoint ( only)
Merge Splines	removes the selected endpoint between two segments and merges the segments into one ( only). Two segments can also be merged by deleting a selected endpoint with the Delete key

Insert Spline Point Here

splits the selected segment into two segments by adding a new endpoint at the point where the segment was clicked (

only)

Select in Assets Palette

sets the Filter Palette to All Content and highlights the selected object in the Assets Palette

Select in Filter Palette

sets the Filter Palette to All Content and highlights the selected object in the Filter Palette

Edit Details

opens the Properties window of the selected spline object. This option is only available for Track splines. Note: to enter or edit an objects name property use the Info Palette

Free Move: Rolling Stock Objects

Rolling Stock Objects (locomotives, wagons, etc) can only be moved along the track that they are attached to. If they are moved off the track then they will immediately "snap back" to the nearest track when they are released.

If the Tool Options Palette and Info Palette are not visible on the screen then refer to

Notes: Palettes at the top of this document.

Free Move: Move Rolling Stock Objects

Use the Free Move tool to move a selected rolling stock object along the track.

Rolling Stock Objects are always attached to a track segment. They can be moved along the track or to a different track but they cannot be moved to a position that is to the left, right, above or below the track

To move an entire consist of rolling stock objects, Double Left Click on any one of the objects in the consist to select them all and then move them as one object

Steps: To move a Rolling Stock Object or objects:-
	Left Click and Drag the object or objects
	release the objects on or close to their new track position

Notes: Rolling Stock Conflicts

It is possible to place a rolling stock object so that it "overlaps" (occupies the same space as) another rolling stock object. A large yellow X rotating above the rolling stock object is a sign of this "conflict".
This can happen if a rolling stock object is moved off the track and released. It will instantly snap to the nearest track position even if that position is already occupied.

The simple solution is to use the Free Move Tool to move the incorrectly placed object to an unoccupied section of the track.

Free Move: Decouple Rolling Stock Objects

All decoupling operations between Rolling Stock Objects are performed using just a Left Click and Drag.

To decouple a rake of joined rolling stock objects from a consist (for example, the first or last 5 wagons), Shift + Left Click on each of the objects to be selected and then drag them away from the consist

A rolling stock object or objects in the middle of a consist can also be decoupled. This will break the consist into 3 sections.

FreeMoveRollingStockCouple5A S20.png

Steps: To decouple rolling stock from a consist:-

Select one ( Left Click ) or more ( Shift + Left Click ) rolling stock objects inside a consist

If more than one object is selected, then they:-
	do not have to be connected to each other
	should be in the same consist - the results may be "unexpected" if the objects are selected and dragged out from different consists

Left Click and Drag the object or objects out of the consist and onto an Unoccupied section of track

	do not release the mouse button until you have the rolling stock objects in position otherwise they will simply "snap back" to the nearest track, regardless of whether it is already occupied or not. Think of the yellow connecting line between the wagon and the track shown in the image as if it is a "stretched rubber band"
	The rotating yellow X floating above the selected and now disconnected consist in the image indicates that it has been "derailed" from the track. This will disappear when it is "rerailled" again

Free Move: Couple Rolling Stock Objects

All coupling operations between Rolling Stock Objects can be performed using just a Left Click and Drag or through the objects Context Menu.

Options:

Using "Click and Drag"

Consider the following simple situation:-

The guard van (caboose) standing at the rear of a consist has to be coupled to the rear gondola wagon.

Steps: To Couple rolling stock objects:-

Select ( Left Click ) the rolling stock object (in this case the guard van) to be coupled to a consist or another rolling stock object (in this case the gondola)

	If more than one object has to be selected then use a Shift + Left Click to individually select each object
	If ALL the objects in a consist have to be selected then use a Double Left Click on any object in the consist

Left Click and Drag the object (the guard van) along the track to its target object or consist. When dragged rolling stock objects will "drop" or lower their height a few cms

	If the selected object (or objects) is already part of a consist then dragging will decouple it from the consist before moving it
	When it reaches the target object and couples it cannot be moved any further

Release the object when it has coupled and it will return to its correct height

If the two objects do not couple check that both are on the same track

Using the Context Menu

Using the same situation as above, the isolated guard van and the gondola wagon at the end of a consist are to be coupled together.

Steps:

Select, Shift + Left Click , on both objects

The order of selection IS important. Select the "destination" object, where the others will be coupled, last

The Context Icon will appear on the last rolling stock object selected.

Open the Rolling Stock Object Context Menu and Left Click on the Context Icon of the last selected rolling stock object, OR] press the T key

Select the option Merge into Single Train

There are two possible outcomes depending on which object has the Context Icon

Context Icon on the Gondola Wagon

FreeMoveRollingStockCouple3A S20.png
Using the Merge into Single Train option with the Context Icon on the gondola wagon at the end of the consist. The guard van couples to the gondola wagon and the consist

Context Icon on the Guard Van

FreeMoveRollingStockCouple4A S20.png
Using the Merge into Single Train option with the Context Icon on the guard van. The gondola wagon decouples from the consist and couples to the guard van

Using a more complex example involving multiple objects from several different consists. The selected wagons shown below are to form a single consist based on the loco.

The loco was the last object to be selected so it has the Context Icon. The Context Menu is opened and the option Merge into Single Train is selected with the result as shown below.

The wagons and loco have been combined into a single consist but not necessarily in a useful order. Left Click and Drag the incorrectly placed vehicles to their correct positions.

Free Move: Rolling Stock Object Context Menu

A selected rolling stock object, or a group of selected rolling stock objects, will have a Context Icon that opens a Context Menu. The icon design will vary between object types.

To open a selected rolling stock object's Context Menu choose one of the following:-

Options:
	Left Click its Context Icon OR
	Press the T key

You cannot add rolling stock assets to a Scrapbook but you can create and save Consist Assets that have multiple rolling stock objects

Steps: To create a Consist Asset:-
	select the consist - Double Left Click on the consist or Shift + Left Click on individual items
	open the consist Context Menu - Left Click on its icon or press the T key
	select the option Save to Consist Asset...
	enter a name and an optional description for your new Consist Asset and click the icon
The consist will appear as a Train Asset in the Assets Palette

Rolling Stock Object Context Menu

You cannot set a Height value for a rolling stock object. It will always take the same height as the track on which it is placed

Notes:

Unlike other Context Menus, the Cut and Copy menu options are not selectable for Rolling Stock Objects because these objects cannot be added to a Scrapbook. The Save to Consist Asset... option performs some of the Scrapbook functions for rolling stock (see Tips above).

Paste

the contents of the current Scrapbook will be pasted at the cursor (focus) point

Delete

the selected rolling stock objects will be deleted. It has the same effect as pressing the Delete key

Paint Under Selected

the texture selected in the Assets Palette will be painted under the selected objects. The Tool Options Palette brush settings ( Radius and Sensitivity ) will control how the texture is applied. If no ground texture has been selected in the Assets Palette then this option will be greyed out.

Objects have a minimum brush size that represents the smallest area that can be painted beneath them using the Paint Under Selected option. This minimum area will vary in size between objects but it will be rectangular even for circular objects. If the Tool Options Palette brush Radius is set to a smaller size then the brush Radius will be ignored and the objects minimum brush size will be used instead.

Smooth Ground Under Selected

smooths the height of the ground under the rolling stock object to match its height

Reattach to Track

this option is only selecteable if a rolling stock object has derailed

Rotate Vehicle

rotates (reverses) the facing direction of a selected rolling stock object. If more than one object has been selected then they will all have their directions reversed but they will remain in the same order

Change Consist Heading

reverses the consist heading as indicated by the directions of the red and green arrows above the start and end of the consist

Rotate Consist Heading

the entire consist is reversed, both in the order of the vehicles and the direction they face

Merge into Single Train

when two or more separate rolling stock assets have been selected they will be coupled into a single consist. See

Coupling Rolling Stock Objects for more details

Save to Consist Asset...

saves the selected rolling stock objects as a new Train ssset in the Assets Palette

Select in Assets Palette

sets the Filter Palette to All Content and highlights the selected object in the Assets Palette

Select in Filter Palette

sets the Filter Palette to All Content and highlights the selected object in the Filter Palette

Edit Details

opens the Properties window of the selected rolling stock object. Note: to enter or edit an objects name property use the

Info Palette

The Fine Adjustment Tool

Keyboard Shortcut: D

The Fine Adjustment Tool makes 3D adjustments (XYZ position and rotations) to objects in your Trainz World

Various function of this tool use the Tool Options Palette Info Palette Filter Palette and the Assets Palette . If these palettes are not visible on the screen when required then refer to

Notes: Palettes at the top of this document.

Tool Targets The Fine Adjustment Tool has no Target options so it has no drop down menu list

	This tool is ideal for making small adjustments to objects - horizontally, vertically and rotations in 3D space
	Multiple objects (of different types) can be selected for mass adjustments and other operations

Tool Actions The Fine Adjustment Tool has no Action options so it has no drop down menu list

	Fine Adjustment Alternatives
In addition to the Fine Adjustment Tool the position, orientation and/or height of objects can be changed by choosing one of the following:-
Options:
	using the Free Move Tool OR
	editing its x: y: z: position values and r: p: y: rotation values in The Info Palette OR
	selecting the Apply Height option in its Context Menu

	The most obvious feature of the Fine Adjustment Tool is the 3D Anchor Frame it adds to a selected object. The frame is made of 3 straight and 3 curved coloured lines plus a central dot, called Anchors
	The Anchors in the Fine Adjustment Tool are used to move and rotate a selected object, or a group of selected objects, through 3D space.

The Anchor controls are:-

The Horizontal and Vertical Anchors
Red Green Blue	move the object (forward/back or up/down) in the direction of the Anchor line

The Rotational Anchors

Red Green Blue

rotate the object (clockwise and anti-clockwise) along the Anchor Arc Line centred around the Anchor Straight Line of the same colour

Not all objects will have Red and/or Green rotational Anchors. Some objects will have no rotational anchors at all.

The Object Anchor
(black central dot) moves the object in any horizontal direction

The orientation of the Red and Green horizontal anchor lines is based on the orientation of the object when it is placed in the scene, not on the compass directions

Steps: To use the Fine Adjustment Tool controls:-
	move the tool pointer onto an Anchor - its colour will change to yellow for Anchor lines or green for the Object Anchor
	Left Click and Drag the Object Anchor in any direction or move the pointer along the chosen Anchor Line in the required direction (e.g. up on the blue vertical Anchor or clockwise around the arc of the red rotational Anchor)

	To achieve finer and more accurate control when moving anchors, choose one of the following:-
Options:
	zoom in closer to the anchor point, OR
	use the x: y: z: fine adjustment arrows in the Info Palette object Pos: controls. These arrows can be used to set the height and position to cm accuracy (see The Info Palette below), OR
	use the r: p: y: fine adjustment arrows in the Info Palette object Rot: controls. These arrows can be used to set the rotation to 1° accuracy (see The Info Palette below).

Fine Adjustment: Selecting an Object

The Fine Adjustment Tool can be used to select individual objects and multiple objects. The multiple objects can be of different types (e.g. spline objects and scenery objects) and in different layers

Steps: To select single and multiple objects with the Fine Adjustment Tool:-
	In the Tools Palette Left Click on the Fine Adjustment Tool or press the D key
	In the Surveyor screen Left Click on the object to be selected, or the first object if multiple objects are to be selected
	To select additional objects, hold down the Shift key and Left Click on each object to be added to the selection. The additional objects do not have to be the same type or in the same layer

Double Left Click on an object to add it and all nearby identical objects into a single selection.

	for a spline object all the segments up to the next junction (in both directions) will be selected
	for a rolling stock object all the rolling stock objects in that consist will be selected

	Notes:
	To remove an object from the selection Left Click on it again if it is the only selected object or Shift + Left Click if it is one of several selected objects. To remove ALL objects from a selection, Left Click on a Ground Texture or press the Ctrl + D keys
	When you select an object its Context Icon will appear attached to the object. Left Click on its icon or press the T key to open its Context Menu. If more than one object is selected then the Context Icon will be attached to the last object selected

Selecting Objects From a Crowded Scene

Sometimes the object you want to select is part of a crowded scene or is overlapped by other objects, such as splines, and this can make it difficult to select. In these situations the best solution is to use the Filter Palette and Assets Palette to narrow the selection to a single object or to a set of objects.

See

Narrowing the Search for more details

Fine Adjustment: Naming an Object

	Objects can be given names to help identify them with the Finder Tool
	Some objects must be given unique names for display and session operations

If the Tool Options Palette and Info Palette are not visible on the screen then refer to

Notes: Palettes at the top of this document.

Steps: To name (or rename) an object using the Fine Adjustment Tool:-
	In the Info Palette Left Click inside the Name text entry box
	Enter a name and press the Enter key

There is no ban on two or more objects using the same name

In the image shown on the left there are 4 objects all named Old Orroroo Rd.

This will not cause any problems for scenery objects apart from finding the exact one you want with the Finder Tool ( Ctrl + F keys).

	Notes: However, duplicated names will cause problems for Industries (including passenger enabled stations), Locomotives, Track Marks, Triggers, Switches, Signals, etc that have to be identified to control the operation of a session.
These objects must have unique names

Fine Adjustment: Changing an Objects Layer

All objects in the Trainz World are in layers. You can set and change the layers where the objects are placed

If the Info Palette is not visible on the screen then refer to

Notes: Palettes at the top of this document

An object will be added to a layer when it is placed into the Trainz World by the Placement Tool and the Scrapbook. Once it has been placed it can be moved to a different layer.

Steps: To move a placed object to another layer:-

select the object ( Left Click on the object) or several objects ( Shift + Left Click on each object) to be moved to another layer. If multiple objects are selected then they do not have to be of the same type or in the same starting layer. Note: The layer(s) containing the object(s) must NOT be locked

in the Info Palette Left Click on the Layer arrowhead icon (circled in red in the image left). This will open up the layer controls for the last selected object

the drop down menu box labelled Layer shows the currently assigned layer for that object. If multiple objects from different layers have been selected then no layer name will be shown. Left Click on the Up/Down arrows to open the list of all available layers.

select the destination layer from the list. The object(s) will then be moved to the selected layer - you will be given a warning if the move has failed (usually because an objects layer is locked)

Also see:-

Assigning Objects to a Different Layer for more details on the Layer Controls in the Info Palette

How to Use Layers for detailed information on Layers

Fine Adjustment: Scenery Mesh Objects

Individual "non-spline" scenery objects that are not attached to track are often referred to in Trainz terminology as Scenery Mesh Objects.

If the Tool Options Palette and Info Palette are not visible on the screen then refer to

Notes: Palettes at the top of this document.

Fine Adjustment: Move a Scenery Mesh Object

To move an object with the Fine Adjustment Tool choose one of the following:-
Options:
	Left Click and Drag anywhere on the selected object (except on an Anchor line) to move it freely in any horizontal direction
	OR
	Left Click and Drag on an Anchor line to move or rotate it in the direction of the line or arc
These operations can also be performed on a group of selected objects. The 3D Anchor Frame will be on the last object added to the group.

Using the Anchors

Red Green and Black horizontal Anchor movements

Steps: To move a mesh object in a straight horizontal direction:-
	place the pointer anywhere on the Red or Green horizontal Anchor line
	Left Click and Drag in either direction along the colored Anchor line

The black dot at the centre of the Anchor Frame is the Object Anchor.

Steps: To move a mesh object using the Object Anchor:-
	place the pointer on the black Object Anchor
	Left Click and Drag in any direction

The same steps apply to the other Anchor Lines, straight and curved, as shown below.

Blue vertical Anchor movement
FineAdjustZMove S20.png

Green Anchor rotation
FineAdjustYawMove S20.png

Red Anchor rotation
FineAdjustPitchMove S20.png

Blue Anchor rotation
FineAdjustRotateXYMove S20.png

Notes:

Not all objects will have Red or Green Rotational Anchors. Some objects will have no rotational anchors at all.

Objects can be restored to their original height and rotation settings by opening their Context Menu and choosing one of the following:-

Options:
	Reset Object Rotation to cancel the rotation changes, OR
	Settle on Ground to cancel the height change

The Randomise Object Rotation option in the Context Menu only affects rotations around the vertical axis - the Blue Rotational Anchor.

Fine Adjustment: Set the Height of a Scenery Mesh Object

Scenery Mesh objects can be raised above and lowered below the ground level.

Get the Height of a Scenery Mesh Object

You can copy the height of a selected scenery mesh object (e.g. a house) into the Tool Options Palette Height setting. Once it has been copied it can be applied to any other object.

Steps: To copy the height of any selected object into the Height setting:-
	in the Tool Options Palette Right Click inside the Height setting
	select the Get Height from Selection option

You can check the height of any selected object or endpoint using the Info Palette . The height is the last value in the Pos: (Position) data set.

Set the Height of a Scenery Mesh Object

To set the height of a selected scenery mesh object, choose one of the following:-
Options:

	Left Click and Drag Up/Down on the Blue vertical Anchor line. Movement is restricted to the length of the Anchor line only , OR
	in the Tool Options Palette Left Click inside the Height setting and enter a new value (or keep the existing value) then press the Enter key. This works even if the Height icon is not coloured Gold . OR
	in the Tool Options Palette Left Click inside the Height setting and enter a new value (or keep the existing value) then Right Click in the setting box and select the Set Height to Selection option, OR
	select the Apply Height option from the objects Context Menu ( Left Click on the objects Context Icon or press the T key) to apply an existing height value, OR
	in the Info Palette enter a value in the objects z (height) setting or Left Click and Drag Up or Down on the double arrowheads to its right. This can be used to set the height to cm accuracy (see The Info Palette below).

	Notes:
	If multiple objects have been selected then the height of the context object, the one with the Context Icon, will have its height set to the new value.
	All other selected objects will have their heights adjusted to maintain their height relative to that object. For example: If another selected object is 2m below the context object then its adjusted height will always remain 2m below the context object

Fine Adjustment: Scenery Mesh Object Context Menu

A selected scenery mesh object, or a group of selected scenery mesh objects, will have a Context Icon that opens a Context Menu. Left Click on its icon or press the T key. The icon design will vary between object types.

Scenery Mesh Object Context Menu

Cut	remove the selected object or objects from the route and move them into the Scrapbook

Copy	copy the selected object or objects and place them into the Scrapbook

Paste

paste the contents of the current Scrapbook at the cursor (focus) point

Delete

delete the selected objects. It has the same effect as pressing the Delete key

Replace Object with Selected Asset

the selected object will be replaced with the asset currently selected in the Assets Palette . If no object has been selected in the Assets Palette or it is the wrong type (e.g. a scenery spline instead of a mesh object) then this option will be greyed out

Paint Under Selected

the texture selected in the Assets Palette will be painted under the selected objects. The Tool Options Palette brush settings ( Radius and Sensitivity ) will control how the texture is applied. If no ground texture has been selected in the Assets Palette then this option will be greyed out.

Objects have a minimum brush size that represents the smallest area that can be painted beneath them using the Paint Under Selected option. This minimum area will vary in size between objects but it will be rectangular even for circular objects. If the Tool Options Palette brush Radius is set to a smaller size then the brush Radius will be ignored and the objects minimum brush size will be used instead.

Smooth Ground Under Selected

smooths the height of the ground under the selected object to match the set height of the object. The size of the area affected will depend on which has the greater value: the width of the object OR the Tool Options Palette Radius setting. If multiple objects at different heights have been selected then the ground height will be set to match, as far as possible, the heights of each object

Settle on Ground

sets the height of the objects to match the height of the terrain beneath them ("drops them back to earth")

Apply Height

sets the height of the selected object to the value in the Tool Options Palette Height setting. Where multiple objects have been selected the context object, the one with the Context Icon, will have its height set to the Height value and the other selected objects will have their heights adjusted up or down by the same amount

Reset Object Rotation

resets the rotation angle of the objects to their default values

Randomise Object Rotation

applies a random Blue Rotation Anchor angle to each object around its vertical axis

Select in Assets Palette

sets the Filter Palette to All Content and highlights the selected object in the Assets Palette

Select in Filter Palette

sets the Filter Palette to All Content and highlights the selected object in the Filter Palette

Edit Details

opens the Properties window of the selected object. Note: to enter or edit an objects name property use the Info Palette

Fine Adjustment: Track Objects

	Track Objects (signals, switches, speed signs, markers, etc) are always attached to an existing track
	In Surveyor 2.0 they can be moved left, right, above and below the track

If the Tool Options Palette and Info Palette are not visible on the screen then refer to

Notes: Palettes at the top of this document.

Fine Adjustment: Move a Track Object

Track objects can be dragged to new positions along and beside the track or to a different track

To move a selected track object horizontally, choose one of the following:-

Options:

For movements along the track only - Left Click and Drag:-

	the objects Anchor Point (the yellow dot in the centre of the track), OR
	on its Green horizontal Anchor line (movement is restricted to the Anchor line)

For movements left or right of the track - Left Click and Drag

	on the Red horizontal Anchor line (movement is restricted to the Anchor line), OR
	on the Object Anchor (the black dot) to get unrestricted horizontal movement including to a different track

For most track objects the Rotational Anchors, if they are present, will have no effect

Track objects that have been moved away from or closer to the track will still function normally and can be moved along the track without reversing the change. Their position can be reset to normal by selecting the Reattach to Track option from the objects Context Menu

You can select and move multiple track objects at the same time. Use Shift + Left Click when selecting each object then drag them all to their new positions. The last selected object will have the Context Icon.

However, if you have moved the objects off the track (i.e. to the left or right of the track) then using the Reattach to Track option may lead to some objects attaching themselves to a closer track than the one intended.

	Situations where it is useful to be able to move a track object away from the track include:-
	placing Track Marks and Triggers above (see the next section) or beside the track so that they are not hidden by consists parked on top of them
	repositioning switches, signals, track signs closer to or further away from the track - particularly useful if the track object was originally created for a different gauge track

Fine Adjustment: Set the Height of a Track Object

Track objects can be raised above and lowered below the track level.

Get the Height of a Track Object

You can copy the height of a selected track mesh object (e.g. a signal) into the Tool Options Palette Height setting. Once it has been copied it can be applied to any other object.

Steps: To copy the height of any selected object into the Height setting:-
	in the Tool Options Palette Right Click inside the Height setting
	select the Get Height from Selection option

Set the Height of a Track Object

Throw Lever track object level with track
FineAdjustTrackObjectMoveHV S20.png

After being moved vertically

To set the height of a selected track object, choose one of the following:- Options:
	Left Click and Drag Up/Down on the Blue vertical Anchor line. Movement is restricted to the length of the Anchor line only , OR
	in the Tool Options Palette Height setting, enter a value followed by the Enter key OR
	in the Tool Options Palette Height setting, enter a value then Right Click and select Set Height to Selection OR
	from the objects Context Menu select the Apply Height option to apply an existing height setting, OR
	in the Info Palette enter a value in the objects z (height) setting or Left Click and Drag Up or Down on the double arrowheads to its right. This can be used to set the height to cm accuracy (see The Info Palette below).

A situation where it might be useful to raise a signal above the track level would be to place it higher up on the wall of a cutting

Track objects that have been "height adjusted" will still function normally and can be moved along the track without reversing the height change. The height can be reset to normal by selecting the Reattach to Track option from the objects Context Menu

For most track objects the Rotational Anchors, if they are present, will have no effect

Fine Adjustment: Set the Trigger Radius of a Track Object

Certain track objects have a Trigger Radius that sets how close a consist must approach the object to trigger its action

Track objects that have a Trigger Radius include:-

	Track marks such as Track Markers, Priority Markers and Direction Markers
	Track Triggers
	Whistle Signs

It is a good idea to adjust the trigger radius of these objects so that they do not overlap a track junction

The current Trigger Radius of these objects is shown by the size of the "wings" (Red or Green depending on the type of object) attached to the object and, in some cases, a distance value below the name of the object. Both of these options are shown in the image below.

On one side of the track object is a green Trigger Radius dot that allows the radius value to be adjusted up or down.

If no Trigger Radius dot or Red/Green Wings appear on the track object then it does not have an adjustable Trigger Radius

Steps: To adjust the Trigger Radius of a track object:-

use the Fine Adjustment Tool to select the track object

Move your camera POV (Point of View) to directly above the track object before adjusting its Trigger Radius. This will make the adjustment as quick and as smooth as possible.

Left Click and Drag forward or back on the Trigger Radius dot. The dot will not move but the "wings" that indicate the radius on the track and the displayed radius value will increase or decrease

when the radius reaches the required size release the mouse button

This action can also be performed on existing track objects using the Free Move Tool

Fine Adjustment: Track Object Context Menu

A selected track mesh object, or a group of selected track mesh objects, will have a Context Icon that opens a Context Menu. The icon design will vary between object types.

To open a selected track objects Context Menu choose one of the following:-

Options:
	Left Click the Context Icon OR
	Press the T key

Track Object Context Menu

Track objects cannot be copied/moved into a scrapbook by themselves. They will be automatically added to a scrapbook by selecting and copying just the track segment under the objects

Cut	remove the selected object or objects from the route and move them into the Scrapbook

Copy	copy the selected object or objects and place them into the Scrapbook

Paste

paste the contents of the current Scrapbook at the cursor (focus) point

When pasted the track object will include the track and will be surrounded by a wide Marquee Selection Area that, depending on the settings in the

Scrapbook Filters, may replace all other objects, splines, textures, ground terrain and effect layers in that area

Delete

delete the selected objects. It has the same effect as pressing the Delete key

Replace Object with Selected Asset

the selected object will be replaced with the asset currently selected in the Assets Palette . If the asset selected in the Assets Palette is the wrong type (e.g. a scenery spline) then this option will be greyed out

Paint Under Selected

the texture selected in the Assets Palette will be painted under the selected objects. The Tool Options Palette brush settings ( Radius and Sensitivity ) will control how the texture is applied. If no ground texture has been selected in the Assets Palette then this option will be greyed out.

Objects have a minimum brush size that represents the smallest area that can be painted beneath them using the Paint Under Selected option. This minimum area will vary in size between objects but it will be rectangular even for circular objects. If the Tool Options Palette brush Radius is set to a smaller size then the brush Radius will be ignored and the objects minimum brush size will be used instead.

Smooth Ground Under Selected

smooths the height of the ground under the selected object to match the set height of the object. For track objects the size of the area affected will depend on the Tool Options Palette Radius setting

Settle on Ground

sets the height of the objects to match the height of the terrain beneath them ("drops them back to earth")

Apply Height

sets the height of the selected object to the value in the Tool Options Palette Height setting. Where multiple objects have been selected the context object, the one with the Context Icon, will have its height set to the Height value and the other selected objects will have their heights adjusted up or down by the same amount

Reattach to Track

if the object has been moved away from the track then it will be reset to its correct position on the track. This option will be greyed out if the object is already attached to the track

Rotate Trackside

reverses the position of the object on the track to the other side and facing the opposite direction

Change Junction Direction

if the object is a track switch then its switch direction will be reversed

Select in Assets Palette

sets the Filter Palette to All Content and highlights the selected object in the Assets Palette

Select in Filter Palette

sets the Filter Palette to All Content and highlights the selected object in the Filter Palette

Edit Details

opens the Properties window of the selected rolling stock object. Note: to enter or edit an objects name property use the

Info Palette

Notes:

Track objects can be restored to their original height and position (on the track) by opening their Context Menu and choosing one of the following:-

Options:
	Reattach to Track to cancel the both the height and position changes, OR
	Settle on Ground to cancel the height change only

Track objects can also be rotated to the opposite side of the track to face the opposite direction. For some track objects this will make no difference but for others it will have an affect on their operation - for example:-
	signals and trackside signs (e.g. speed, whistle and stop signs)
	track direction markers and directional triggers
	if rotated these track objects will now only affect trains approaching from the opposite direction to the direction that they originally faced.

Steps: To rotate a track object:-
	Open the track objects Context Menu ( Left Click on its icon or press the T key)
	Select the option Rotate Trackside
Rotating a track object does not change its distance from the track or its height.

Fine Adjustment: Spline Objects (Including Track)

Scenery splines and track splines are defined by their endpoints. Splines are usually added to a route as a series of segments joined at the endpoints.

If the Tool Options Palette and Info Palette are not visible on the screen then refer to

Notes: Palettes at the top of this document.

Fine Adjustment: Spline Troubleshooting Tip

	Quickly Locate Broken Splines and Tracks
	To quickly check for broken links in a spline or track Double Left Click on a segment. All the correctly joined segments upto the next junction or last endpoint (in both directions) will be highlighted. The highlighting will stop at a broken join (which is technically a "last" endpoint)

Fine Adjustment: Moving Splines

Moving a spline can involve moving one of the following:-
Options:
	moving an endpoint, OR
	moving a segment, OR
	moving multiple segments including the entire length of the spline (between junctions)

Fine Adjustment: Move a Spline Endpoint

The 3D Anchor Frame shown is for a spline endpoint.

Steps: To move an individual spline endpoint:-

Select the Fine Adjustment Tool

Select, Left Click on, the spline endpoint to be moved.

Note: only the horizontal Red and Green and the vertical Blue lines can be selected.

Left Click and Drag one of the following:-

Options:
	an Anchor to move the endpoint in that specific direction, OR
	the endpoint itself to move it in any direction in the horizontal plane

Fine Adjustment: Move a Spline Segment or Multiple Segments

The 3D Anchor Frame shown is for a spline segment.

Steps: To move spline segments:-

Select the Fine Adjustment Tool

Select, Left Click on, the spline segment to be moved.

To select:-

	more than one segment - Shift + Left Click on each segment
	ALL the segments - Double Left Click on a segment. This will the select segments in both directions from the segment clicked upto the next junction or the final endpoint

Left Click and Drag one of the following:-

Options:
	an Anchor Line to move the segment or segments in that specific direction, OR
	anywhere in a segment to move it in any direction in the horizontal plane

	To remove individual spline segments from the selection simply Shift + Left Click on each segment to be removed.
	To remove ALL the segments from a selection, Double Left Click on any highlighted segment OR Left Click anywhere outside the selected segments.

Selecting a spline segment with the Fine Adjustment Tool will add a Temporary Endpoint at the point where the segment was clicked.

This will produce 3 Fine Adjustment Tool control frames, one at each end of the segment and one at the click point, as shown in the image on the left. The whole segment can be moved, as shown in the following images, by a Left Click and Drag anywhere within the segment.

A temporary spline endpoint can be made permanent by selecting the Insert Spline Point Here option from its Context Menu

Segment moved to the right along the Red horizontal Anchor line

Segment moved up along the Blue vertical Anchor line

Red Green Blue straight anchor lines will move the whole segment along the direction of the line

Segment rotated anti-clockwise around the Blue rotational Anchor arc line

Segment rotated clockwise around the Red rotational Anchor arc line

Red Blue curved anchor lines will rotate the whole segment around the axis of the same colour

Green curved anchor line has no effect

	a Blue line height change and a Red Anchor rotation can be cancelled at any time (even after saving and reloading the route) by selecting the Settle on Ground option from the segments Context Menu
	a Blue Anchor rotation can be straightened at any time (even after saving and reloading the route) by selecting the Straighten Spline option from the segments Context Menu but this will not return the endpoints to their original positions

Notes: Superelevation for Trainz Geekz

In the real world rail tracks have a property called Superelevation which is used on curves. The track is tilted so that the outside track is raised slightly above the level of the inside track. This allows higher train speeds around the curve. The degree of tilting or superelevation that has to be applied depends on the curve radius, the track gauge and the maximum allowed train speed for that curve.

In the Trainz World track splines can also have superelevation. This feature is found in the Edit Details option in the Context Menu of track spline endpoints.
See Spline Object Context Menus

Adding superelevation would have been the function of the Green curved anchor line but its correct application is more complex than a simple rotation around the track spline axis. For more information see the Trainz Wiki Page at

How to Use Superelevation

Fine Adjustment: Add and Remove Spline Junctions

A junction is formed when three spline segments are joined at an endpoint. Junctions can be formed using non identical but compatible spline objects, such as different types of track splines.

The Fine Adjustment Tool can be used to form a junction using existing separated splines and endpoints by dragging a terminating endpoint from one spline onto an endpoint between two segments on the other spline. If a new junction is to be formed starting from an existing spline then use the steps below

Steps: To add a junction to a spline object:-
	Select the spline object to be used for the junction. The easiest method is hold down the Alt key and Left Click on an existing spline object that you want to use. This will also select the Placement Tool in Step 2 below so you can skip to Step 3
	In the Tools Palette select the Placement Tool
	Left Click on the spline at the spot where the junction is to be created. This can be on an existing endpoint or between two endpoints where a new endpoint will be inserted
	move the mouse pointer out from the junction to where the next endpoint of the spline branch will be placed and Left Click

Steps: To remove a junction but keep all its spline segments:-

use the Fine Adjustment Tool to select ( Left Click on) the junction endpoint

open the endpoint Context Menu by a Left Click on its Context Icon

or by pressing the T key

select the Separate Splines menu option (this will separate ALL the spline segments that meet at that endpoint)

	A junction can be removed by deleting any spline segment that connects to it
	A junction endpoint can be moved by using the Free Move Tool or the Fine Adjustment Tool

Fine Adjustment: Add a Track Junction

A track junction is formed using track splines in the same way as described above but track junctions have additional features

When a junction is created using Track Spline Objects, a junction switch will be automatically added.
	the switch will be the one specified in the Region listed in the Route Properties. The region and its switch can be changed by opening the Surveyor Edit Menu and selecting Edit Route... . If no region has been specified then a default switch (as shown left) will be used
	use the Free Move Tool or the Fine Adjustment Tool to move or delete the switch and to open its Context Menu for editing

Information on creating and editing a Region can be found on the Trainz Wiki at:-

How to Create a Region Asset

	Using Procedural Tracks If the track object used is a Procedural Track and the junction is formed with another Procedural Track then the junction endpoint dot will be coloured:-
	RED (as shown above) if the junction exceeds the maximum allowed values for a procedural junction. This will not stop the junction from working but it will not display the special features only found in Procedural Tracks, OR
	BLACK if the junction is within the maximum allowed values for a procedural junction and it will display all the Procedural Track special features
A procedural track junction can be changed from red to black by adjusting the height and/or position (depending on the exact cause of the problem) of the junction endpoint and the endpoints on either side of the junction. See the Wiki Page How to Use Procedural Track for more details
A junction between two non-procedural tracks and between a procedural track and a non-procedural track will always have a red endpoint dot

Fine Adjustment: Set a Spline Height

Get the Height of a Spline Object

You can copy the height of a spline segment or endpoint into the Tool Options Palette Height setting. Once it has been copied it can be applied to any other object. Choose one of the following:-

Options:

Use the Eyedropper to copy the height of a spline segment

Steps: To copy the Height of a spline segment (but not an endpoint):-
	hold down the Alt key and move the mouse tool pointer onto the spline segment
	while holding down the Alt key Left Click on the spline segment

	When the eyedropper is active spline endpoints will not be visible and cannot be selected
	If the segment has a slope then the height at the point clicked will be copied into the Height setting
	This will also select the clicked object in the Assets Palette and it will become the next object added by a Left Click with the Placement Tool in your Trainz World

OR

Use the Height setting drop down menu

Steps: To copy the Height of a spline segment or one of its endpoints:-
	Left Click on the spline segment or endpoint
	in the Tool Options Palette Right Click inside the Height setting box
	Select the Get Height from Selection option

If the spline segment has a slope then the height at its midpoint will be used

Set the Height of a Spline Object

To set the height of a selected spline segment (including track) or endpoint using the Fine Adjustment Tool choose one of the following:- Options:
	Left Click and Drag Up or Down on the vertical Blue anchor line in the 3D Anchor Frame. OR
	in the Tool Options Palette Left Click inside the Height setting and enter a new value (or keep the existing value) then press the Enter key. This works even if the Height icon is not coloured Gold . OR
	in the Tool Options Palette Left Click inside the Height setting and enter a new value (or keep the existing value) then Right Click in the setting box and select the Set Height to Selection option, OR
	select the Apply Height option from the objects Context Menu ( Left Click on the objects Context Icon or press the T key) to apply an existing height value, OR
	in the Info Palette enter a value in the objects Pos: z (height) setting or Left Click and Drag Up or Down on the double arrowheads to its right. This can be used to set the height to cm accuracy (see The Info Palette below).

Steps: To set the heights of multiple spline segments to the value stored in the Tool Options Palette Height setting:-

Select the spline segments using:-

	Shift + Left Click to select individual segments, OR
	Double Left Click to select all the segments up to the next junction (in both directions).

Select one of the options

,

or

described above

ALL the selected spline segments and their endpoints will be set to the specified height.

Fine Adjustment: Set a Spline Gradient

	Notes:
	The Grade is defined as vertical rise divided by horizontal distance converted to a percentage figure. So a grade of 100% (the maximum allowed) would mean a gradient formed by both measurements having the same value (e.g. a rise of 50m over a distance of 50m). A vertical slope (a cliff) would have an infinite grade (cliff height divided by 0) which is currently impossible in Surveyor.

Get the Grade of a Spline Object

You can copy the current Grade of any spline segment into the Tool Options Palette Grade setting. Once it has been copied it can be applied to any other object that has a Grade setting. Choose one of the following:-
Options:

Use the Eyedropper

Steps: To copy the Grade of a spline segment (but not an endpoint):-
	hold down the Alt key and move the mouse tool pointer onto the spline segment
	while holding down the Alt key Left Click on the spline segment

When the eyedropper is active spline endpoints will not be visible and cannot be selected. This option will also change the asset selected in the Assets Palette to the object clicked and it will become the next object added by a Left Click with the Placement Tool

The height at the point clicked will also be copied into the Height setting

OR

Use the Grade setting drop down menu

Steps: To copy the Grade of a spline segment or one of its endpoints:-
	Left Click on the spline segment or endpoint
	in the Tool Options Palette Right Click inside the Grade setting box
	Select the Get Grade from Selection option

Set the Grade of a Spline Object

Steps: To set the gradients of multiple spline segments to the value stored in the Tool Options Palette Grade setting:-

Select the spline segments using:-

	Shift + Left Click to select individual segments, OR
	Double Left Click to select all the segments up to the next junction (in both directions).

To apply the same gradient to all the selected segments make sure that the first segment has the context icons

Open the Context Menu of the first or starting endpoint ( Left Click on its icon

)

Select the option Apply Grade to this Spline Endpoint

The selected spline segments are now set to the specified gradient.

If the selected endpoint is NOT at the start of the highlighted segments then the gradient will be applied in both directions from that endpoint as shown below.

SelectedSplinesGradientUShape S20.png

Once the height and/or gradient of the spline segments have been set then other effects can be added.

From the Context Menu of the highlighted segments, select the options:-

Smooth Ground Under Selected

to smooth the ground surface under a spline object to match its height, and

Paint Under Selected

the texture selected in the Assets Palette will be painted under the selected objects. The Tool Options Palette brush settings ( Radius and Sensitivity ) will control how the texture is applied. If no ground texture has been selected in the Assets Palette then this option will be greyed out.

Objects have a minimum brush size that represents the smallest area that can be painted beneath them using the Paint Under Selected option. This minimum area will vary in size between objects but it will be rectangular even for circular objects. If the Tool Options Palette brush Radius is set to a smaller size then the brush Radius will be ignored and the objects minimum brush size will be used instead.

Fine Adjustment: Set a Track Condition

	The Track Condition sets the "smoothness" of the ride over a track segment
	The default track condition is 50% which is Average

The Tool Options Palette has a Condition setting that only applies to track spline segments. This can be set for a single segment or for multiple segments.

Condition

this applies to Track Spline objects and sets the track condition (or "ride comfort") for each segment

Range:

1% (terrible track condition) to

50% (average track condition - the default setting) to
100% (perfect track condition)

Steps: To set a track condition:-
	Left Click on a track segment or Shift + Left Click on multiple track segments to select the segments that will have their Track Condition set
	Enter a value from 1 to 100 in the Tool Options Palette Condition setting and press the Enter key

Fine Adjustment: Spline Object Context Menus

A selected scenery spline object, or a group of selected scenery spline objects, will have a Context Icon that opens a Context Menu. The icon design will vary between object types.

To open a selected objects Context Menu choose one of the following:-

Options:
	Left Click the Context Icon OR
	Press the T key

	Notes: Using the T key with splines
	If a spline segment has been selected then pressing the T key will open the Segment Context Menu and the Menu options you select or edit will apply to the whole segment or all selected segments

	If a spline end point has been selected then pressing the T key will open the End Point Context Menu and the Menu options you select or edit will only apply to that particular endpoint

Notes:

Splines have two different Context Icons that lead to two slightly different Context Menus.
	one context icon and menu for each endpoint
	one context icon and menu for the segment
If multiple segments have been selected then the last segment added to the selection will have the context icons. If all the segments were selected by a Double Left Click then the segment that was clicked will have the icons.

Spline Context Menus

Endpoint Context Menu
ContextMenuSplineEndPoint S20.png

Segment Context Menu
ContextMenuSplineSegment S20.png

Notes:

The Edit Details option is only available for Track splines. The properties that can be edited will depend on whether you have selected a Track Segment or a Track Endpoint.

Endpoint Details - the track Superelevation properties for that endpoint. Superelevation is a feature used on curves to raise the height of the outside track of the curve slightly above the height of the inside track. This allows higher speeds around curves.
For more information on Superelevation see the Trainz Wiki Page at

How to Use Superelevation

Segment Details - the track Condition property for that segment.

Track Condition is the "smoothness" of the ride over a track segment
100% = perfect	50% = average	1% = extremely poor

You can also select multiple track segments and set their track Condition by editing their combined Condition value in the Tool Options Palette .

When copying/moving track segments into a scrapbook any track objects on the segments will be included in the scrapbook

Cut	remove the selected segment or segments from the route and move them into the Scrapbook ( only)

Copy	copy the selected segment or segments and place them into the Scrapbook ( only)

Paste

paste the contents of the current Scrapbook at the cursor (focus) point

When pasted from a scrapbook splines will be surrounded by a wide Marquee Selection Area that, depending on the settings in the

Scrapbook Filters, may replace all other objects, splines, textures, ground terrain and effect layers in that area

Delete

delete the segment, segments or endpoint. It has the same effect as pressing the Delete key

Replace Spline with Selected Asset

the highlighted spline will be replaced with the asset currently selected in the Assets Palette . If the asset selected in the Assets Palette is the wrong type (e.g. a mesh object instead of a scenery spline) then this option will be greyed out (

only)

Paint Under Selected

the texture selected in the Assets Palette will be painted under the selected objects. The Tool Options Palette brush settings ( Radius and Sensitivity ) will control how the texture is applied. If no ground texture has been selected in the Assets Palette then this option will be greyed out (

only)

Objects have a minimum brush size that represents the smallest area that can be painted beneath them using the Paint Under Selected option. This minimum area will vary in size between objects but it will be rectangular even for circular objects. If the Tool Options Palette brush Radius is set to a smaller size then the brush Radius will be ignored and the objects minimum brush size will be used instead.

Smooth Ground Under Selected

smooths the height of the ground under the selected spline to match its set height. If multiple spline segments have been selected then the ground under all the segments will be smoothed to their height. The size of the area affected will depend on which has the greater value: the width of the spline OR the Tool Options Palette Radius setting. Does not work for endpoints

Settle on Ground

sets the height of the selected endpoint or segments to match the height of the terrain beneath them ("drops them back to earth"). When used on segments the spline will follow the height changes of the terrain

Apply Height to this Spline Endpoint

sets the height of the selected endpoint to the value in the Tool Options Palette Height setting (

only)

You can copy the Height from an existing spline endpoint into the Height setting of the Tool Options Palette . Once it has been copied it can be applied to any other object.

hold down the Alt key and Left Click on the spline endpoint to copy its Height value. That value can then be used to set the Height of other spline endpoints

Apply Height

sets the height of the selected segment or segments to the value in the Tool Options Palette Height setting (

only)

Apply Grade to this Spline Endpoint

you must first select a segment then click on one of its endpoint icons

. This sets the height of the endpoint to give a Grade to the surrounding segments that matches the value in the Tool Options Palette Grade setting

You can copy the Grade from an existing spline segment into the Grade setting of the Tool Options Palette . Once it has been copied it can be applied to any other object.

hold down the Alt key and Left Click on the spline segment to copy its Grade value. That value can then be used to set the Grade of other spline segments

Straighten Spline

forces a straight line (as far as possible) between the endpoints of a single segment. This option will be

ticked if the segment has already been straightened in which case selecting this option will "un-straighten" the segment and remove the tick (

only)

Separate Splines	breaks two spline segments into two separate (independent) splines at the selected endpoint ( only)
Merge Splines	removes the selected endpoint between two segments and merges the segments into one ( only). Two segments can also be merged by deleting a selected endpoint with the Delete key

Insert Spline Point Here

splits the selected segment into two segments by adding a new endpoint at the point where the segment was clicked (

only)

Select in Assets Palette

sets the Filter Palette to All Content and highlights the selected object in the Assets Palette

Select in Filter Palette

sets the Filter Palette to All Content and highlights the selected object in the Filter Palette

Edit Details

opens the Properties window of the selected spline object. This option is only available for Track splines. Note: to enter or edit an objects name property use the Info Palette

Fine Adjustment: Rolling Stock Objects

Rolling Stock Objects (locomotives, wagons, etc) can only be moved along the track that they are attached to. If they are moved off the track then they will immediately "snap back" to the nearest track when they are released.

Fine Adjustment: Move Rolling Stock Objects

Use the Fine Adjustment tool to move a selected rolling stock object along the track.

Rolling Stock Objects are always attached to a track segment. They can be moved along the track or to a different track but they cannot be moved to a position that is to the left, right, above or below the track

To move an entire consist of rolling stock objects, Double Left Click on any one of the objects in the consist to select them all and then move them as one object

	Despite their presence in the Fine Adjustment Tool 3D Anchor Frame the Red Green Blue Rotational Anchor lines and the Blue Vertical Anchor Line will NOT work on Rolling Stock Objects
	The Object Anchor (the central black dot) will move the selected rolling stock object or objects in any horizontal direction but they will always be attached to the nearest track spline
	The Green Horizontal Anchor Line will move the selected rolling stock object or objects along the track
	The Red Horizontal Anchor Line will move the selected rolling stock object or objects horizontally off the track but they will always be attached to the nearest track spline

Steps: To move a Rolling Stock Object or objects:-
	Left Click and Drag the object or objects
	release the objects on or close to their new track position

Notes: Rolling Stock Conflicts

It is possible to place a rolling stock object so that it "overlaps" (occupies the same space as) another rolling stock object. A large yellow X rotating above the rolling stock object is a sign of this "conflict".

This can happen if a rolling stock object is moved off the track and released. It will instantly snap to the nearest track position even if that position is already occupied.

The simple solution is to use the Fine Adjustment Tool to move the incorrectly placed object to an unoccupied section of the track.

Fine Adjustment: Decouple Rolling Stock Objects

All decoupling operations between Rolling Stock Objects are performed using just a Left Click and Drag.

To decouple a rake of joined rolling stock objects from a consist (for example, the first or last 5 wagons), Shift + Left Click on each of the objects to be selected and then drag them away from the consist

A rolling stock object or objects in the middle of a consist can also be decoupled. This will break the consist into 3 sections.

FreeMoveRollingStockCouple5A S20.png

Steps: To decouple rolling stock from a consist:-

Select one ( Left Click ) or more ( Shift + Left Click ) rolling stock objects inside a consist

If more than one object is selected, then they:-
	do not have to be connected to each other
	should be in the same consist - the results may be "unexpected" if the objects are selected and dragged out from different consists

Left Click and Drag the object or objects out of the consist and onto an Unoccupied section of track

	do not release the mouse button until you have the rolling stock objects in position otherwise they will simply "snap back" to the nearest track, regardless of whether it is already occupied or not. Think of the yellow connecting line between the wagon and the track shown in the image as if it is a "stretched rubber band"
	The rotating yellow X floating above the selected and now disconnected consist in the image indicates that it has been "derailed" from the track. This will disappear when it is "rerailled" again

Fine Adjustment: Couple Rolling Stock Objects

All coupling operations between Rolling Stock Objects can be performed using just a Left Click and Drag or through the objects Context Menu.

Options:

Using "Click and Drag"

Consider the following simple situation:-

The guard van (caboose) standing at the rear of a consist has to be coupled to the rear gondola wagon.

Steps: To Couple rolling stock objects:-

Select ( Left Click ) the rolling stock object (in this case the guard van) to be coupled to a consist or another rolling stock object (in this case the gondola)

	If more than one object has to be selected then use a Shift + Left Click to individually select each object
	If ALL the objects in a consist have to be selected then use a Double Left Click on any object in the consist

Left Click and Drag the object (the guard van) along the track to its target object or consist. When dragged rolling stock objects will "drop" or lower their height a few cms

	If the selected object (or objects) is already part of a consist then dragging will decouple it from the consist before moving it
	When it reaches the target object and couples it cannot be moved any further

Release the object when it has coupled and it will return to its correct height

If the two objects do not couple check that both are on the same track

Using the Context Menu

Using the same situation as above, the isolated guard van and the gondola wagon at the end of a consist are to be coupled together.

Steps:

Select, Shift + Left Click , on both objects

The order of selection IS important. Select the "destination" object, where the others will be coupled, last

The Context Icon will appear on the last rolling stock object selected.

Open the Rolling Stock Object Context Menu and Left Click on the Context Icon of the last selected rolling stock object, OR press the T key

Select the option Merge into Single Train

There are two possible outcomes depending on which object has the Context Icon

Context Icon on the Gondola Wagon

FreeMoveRollingStockCouple3A S20.png
Using the Merge into Single Train option with the Context Icon on the gondola wagon at the end of the consist. The guard van couples to the gondola wagon and the consist

Context Icon on the Guard Van

FreeMoveRollingStockCouple4A S20.png
Using the Merge into Single Train option with the Context Icon on the guard van. The gondola wagon decouples from the consist and couples to the guard van

Using a more complex example involving multiple objects from several different consists. The selected wagons shown below are to form a single consist based on the loco.

The loco was the last object to be selected so it has the Context Icon. The Context Menu is opened and the option Merge into Single Train is selected with the result as shown below.

The wagons and loco have been combined into a single consist but not necessarily in a useful order. Left Click and Drag the incorrectly placed vehicles to their correct positions.

Fine Adjustment: Rolling Stock Object Context Menu

A selected rolling stock object, or a group of selected rolling stock objects, will have a Context Icon that opens a Context Menu. The icon design will vary between object types.

To open a selected rolling stock object's Context Menu choose one of the following:-

Options:
	Left Click its Context Icon OR
	Press the T key

You cannot add rolling stock assets to a Scrapbook but you can create and save Consist Assets that have multiple rolling stock objects

Steps: To create a Consist Asset:-
	select the consist - Double Left Click on the consist or Shift + Left Click on individual items
	open the consist Context Menu - Left Click on its icon or press the T key
	select the option Save to Consist Asset...
	enter a name and an optional description for your new Consist Asset and click the icon
The consist will appear as a Train asset in the Assets Palette

Rolling Stock Object Context Menu

You cannot set a Height value for a rolling stock object. It will always take the same height as the track on which it is placed

Notes:

Unlike other Context Menus, the Cut and Copy menu options are not selectable for Rolling Stock Objects because these objects cannot be added to a Scrapbook. The Save to Consist Asset... option performs some of the Scrapbook functions for rolling stock (see Tips above).

Paste

the contents of the current Scrapbook will be pasted at the cursor (focus) point

Delete

the selected rolling stock objects will be deleted. It has the same effect as pressing the Delete key

Paint Under Selected

the texture selected in the Assets Palette will be painted under the selected objects. The Tool Options Palette brush settings ( Radius and Sensitivity ) will control how the texture is applied. If no ground texture has been selected in the Assets Palette then this option will be greyed out.

Objects have a minimum brush size that represents the smallest area that can be painted beneath them using the Paint Under Selected option. This minimum area will vary in size between objects but it will be rectangular even for circular objects. If the Tool Options Palette brush Radius is set to a smaller size then the brush Radius will be ignored and the objects minimum brush size will be used instead.

Smooth Ground Under Selected

smooths the height of the ground under the rolling stock object to match its height

Reattach to Track

this option is only selecteable if a rolling stock object has derailed

Rotate Vehicle

rotates (reverses) the facing direction of a selected rolling stock object. If more than one object has been selected then they will all have their directions reversed but they will remain in the same order

Change Consist Heading

reverses the consist heading as indicated by the directions of the red and green arrows above the start and end of the consist

Rotate Consist Heading

the entire consist is reversed, both in the order of the vehicles and the direction they face

Merge into Single Train

when two or more separate rolling stock assets have been selected they will be coupled into a single consist. See

Coupling Rolling Stock Objects for more details

Save to Consist Asset...

saves the selected rolling stock objects as a new Train asset in the Assets Palette

Select in Assets Palette

sets the Filter Palette to All Content and highlights the selected object in the Assets Palette

Select in Filter Palette

sets the Filter Palette to All Content and highlights the selected object in the Filter Palette

Edit Details

opens the Properties window of the selected rolling stock object. Note: to enter or edit an objects name property use the Info Palette

Fine Adjustment: Object Height Problem Solutions

Two Anchor Points on the Blue vertical Anchor line determine the height of an endpoint or an object above the ground.
	the Object Height Anchor, which is normally Black but turns Green when it is selected, controls the height of the object (including spline Endpoints) above the ground. This Anchor point can be moved vertically by the tool pointer using the Blue vertical Anchor line
	the Ground Height Anchor, which is Yellow, marks the position of the object on the ground. This Anchor point cannot be moved vertically by the tool pointer but its height can be changed by setting the Tool Options Palette Height value
It is common for both height anchors to be at the same height but there are many situation where the two will be at different heights. The examples below show situations where the two are at different heights and the height of the Object Height Anchor will need to be adjusted.

If the Tool Options Palette and Info Palette are not visible on the screen then refer to

Notes: Palettes at the top of this document.

Notes:

The height of a Rolling Stock Object (locomotive, wagon, etc) CANNOT be altered. These objects are always tied to the height of the track where they have been placed.

Object Height Above Ground Height

Step: To bring the object height down to the ground height:-
	Left Click and Drag downwards on the Blue vertical Anchor line to bring the Object Height Anchor down to the same level as the Ground Height Anchor

	To achieve finer and more accurate control when moving the height Anchor point, choose one of the following:-
Options:
	zoom in closer to the Anchor point, OR
	use the z fine adjustment arrows in the Info Palette object Pos controls. This can be used to set the height and position to cm accuracy (see The Info Palette below).

Object Height Below Ground Height

Step: To bring the object height up to the ground height:-
	Left Click and Drag upwards on the Blue vertical Anchor line to bring the Object Height Anchor up to the same level as the Ground Height Anchor

Where this method fails is when the height difference between the two Anchor points exceeds the length of the Blue vertical Anchor line so the Ground Height Anchor or the Object Height Anchor is at the very top of the Anchor line. Once it is in that position the Object Height Anchor can no longer be moved up or down because there is no vertical Anchor line to grab.

	The Quick Solution to this problem
Steps: Use the Settle on Ground option:-
	open the object or endpont Context Menu
	select the option Settle on Ground . For splines this option will force the spline segment to follow the contours of the ground but it will now be at the same height as the ground

A more complex alternative method is to use the Surveyor Compass Rose, the Info Palette and the Tool Options Palette .

The Surveyor Compass Rose

Steps: Use the Compass Rose:-

Right Click on the terrain at a point which has the height that will be used by the object. This will position the Surveyor Compass Rose and record its data as the Focus

In the Info Palette open the Focus controls by a Left Click on the small Right Arrowhead to the left of the Focus label

The Info Palette stores the positional data, including the Height (the z value), of the Compass Rose under the label Focus

Left Click on the white Down Arrowhead next to the z value and select the menu option Use Height for Brush . This will transfer the Focus z value to the Tool Options Palette Height setting

Open the Context Menu for the object (or spline endpoint)

Select the option Apply Height or Apply Height to this Spline Endpoint

The Marquee Tool

Keyboard Shortcut: F

The Marquee Tool allows areas of your Trainz World to be selected for Scrapbook and baseboard operations

Various function of this tool use the Scrapbook Palette Tool Options Palette Info Palette Filter Palette and the Assets Palette . If these palettes are not visible on the screen when required then refer to

Notes: Palettes at the top of this document.

Tool Targets The Marquee Tool has no Target options so it has no drop down menu list

This tool has a range of tasks:-
	Select objects for moving, deleting and copying into a scrapbook
	Add and delete one or multiple baseboards
	Set the grid resolution of one or multiple baseboards
	Set the texture and height of an area including multiple baseboards

Tool Actions The Marquee Tool has no Action options so it has no drop down menu list

The Marquee Tool draws out a rectangular area, the Marquee Selection Area, on the route. Any objects (including ground heights, ground textures and TurfFX/Clutter Effect Layers) that are inside the Marquee Selection Area or touched by its boundary will be selected.

Steps: To draw out a Marquee Selection Area:-
	In the Tools Palette Left Click on the Marquee Tool icon or press the F key
	Left Click and Drag over the area to be selected

You can use the filters in the Filter Palette and Assets Palette to restrict the objects that will be selected in the Marquee Selection Area. See

Marquee Assets Filter below for more details

MarqueeSelectArea S20.png

In the image above:-

a road spline at the bottom and a house at the lower left of the Marquee Selection Area have been touched by the drawn rectangle so they have been included in the selection.

the Marquee Selection Area was drawn from the top left to the bottom right which places the Marquee Context Icon

at the bottom right of the rectangle.

the bottom right of the Marquee Selection Area also has a 3D Anchor Frame.

Like the Fine Adjustment Tool, a Marquee Selection Area has a 3D Anchor Frame. The Marquee Anchors are used to move and rotate the objects within the selection area (including ground heights, ground textures and TurfFX/Clutter Effect Layers) through 3D space

The road spline was the last object that was included in the selection area so its Context Icons are also present.

Shown in the image, but not highlighted, are the Ground Heights, Ground Textures and Effect Layers that are also included in the Marquee Selection Area.

The Marquee Selection Area 3D Anchor Frame has some similarities to the one used with the Fine Adjustment Tool.

	the Green and Red horizontal Anchors will move the Marquee and all its contents horizontally in the Anchor direction
	the Blue vertical Anchor will move the Marquee with all its contents up or down in the Anchor direction
	the Blue rotational Anchor will rotate the Marquee with all its contents in the direction of the rotation movement
	there are no Green and Red rotational Anchors
	at the centre of the 3D Anchor Frame is a Select Area Anchor. Left Click and Drag this Anchor point to move the Marquee with all its contents in any horizontal direction
	each of the Green and Red horizontal Anchors has a resize Anchor, an orange coloured dot, located at its end. Left Click and Drag these Anchor points to resize the Marquee Selection Area (and its contents) in that specific direction. Objects that are in locked layers will not be affected by the resize action

The Marquee Tool and the Palette Filters

The Filter Palette and Assets Palette can be used to restrict the objects selected by the Marquee Tool.

FilterPaletteScenerySplinesSelected S20.png

Steps: To restrict the objects selected by the Marquee Tool:-
	In the Filter Palette set the Filter Action to Filter Selections
	In the Filter Palette select an Asset Icon or an Asset Type (e.g. Scenery Splines)
	In the Assets Palette enter an optional search text in the Search box to narrow down the type of object
	In the Tools Palette Left Click on the Marquee Tool or press the F key
	Left Click and Drag out the Marquee Selection Area around the objects to be selected
Only those objects identified in the filtered list will be selected by the Marquee

Using the Filters shown above, the Marquee Selection Area will include:-

	all spline objects (excluding tracks) crossed by the selection area. See Note: below
	all ground textures
	all TurfFX/Clutter Effect Layers
	all ground heights
found within the Marquee Selection Area

If a spline segment has one or both of its endpoints outside the Marquee Selection Area but the selection area crosses part of the segment then that segment will be selected

Marquee Anchor Controls

Notes:

The Marquee Anchors will move:-
	the selected scenery objects. If the objects are in locked layers then they will NOT be moved
	the ground textures. As shown in two of the images below this will leave the original baseboard ground texture or grid pattern showing
	the TurfFX/Clutter Effect Layers. If an effect layer is locked then it will not be moved but it will still be deleted from the area that was covered by the original Marquee Selection Area
	the ground heights

If you do not want to move everything that is in the Marquee Selection Area then set the filters in the Filter Palette and Assets Palette before using the Marquee Tool to only include those assets that you do want to move

The following images demonstrate the effect of using the Marquee Anchor Controls on the image shown at the top of this section as the starting point.

Horizontal Anchor Shift

	The Green Horizontal Anchor Line has been used to shift the Marquee Selection Area to the left. Note that the 3 trees and a small building that were on the left of the Marquee Selection Area in the original image above at the start of this section have been replaced (overwritten) by the Marquee contents. Also note that the texture has been moved leaving a gap showing the original grid texture.

Rotational Anchor Shift

	The Blue Rotational Anchor Arc has been used to rotate the Marquee Selection Area about 45° anti-clockwise. Again, anything that was originally in the area now covered by the Marquee Selection Area has been replaced by the contents of the Marquee. Also note that the texture has been moved leaving a gap showing the original grid texture.

Vertical Anchor Shift

	The Blue Vertical Anchor Line has been used to lift the Marquee Selection Area upwards. Note that the ground height, ground textures and any effect layers within the Marquee Selection Area have also been moved up.

Scrapbook Operations

	Notes:
Scrapbooks, when created, will contain:-
	Ground Heights
	Ground Textures
	TurfFX/Clutter Effect Layers - if present
	Selected Objects - scenery items, splines, track, signals, etc
But NOT Rolling Stock (Trains)
The ground heights, ground textures and TurfFX/Clutter Effect Layers in the Marquee Selection Area will always be added to the scrapbook. You can use the filters in the Filter Palette and Assets Palette to control which visible objects in the selection area will also be added

	Notes:
Scrapbooks, when painted or pasted, can contain any combinations of:-
	Ground Heights
	Ground Textures
	TurfFX/Clutter Effect Layers
	Scenery Objects (Meshes) - individual buildings, trees, signals, etc
	Scenery Splines - roads, track, fences, etc
You have options in The Scrapbook Filters that will control which of these data types are added to your Trainz World and how they are added.

Once an area has been marked out by the Marquee Tool a number of options become available.

The Surveyor Edit Menu will show some additional options specifically for the Marquee Tool:-
Cut	the objects selected in the Marquee area (including the ground heights, ground textures and TurfFX/Clutter Effect Layers) will be copied and placed into a new Scrapbook. Any scenery objects (excluding ground heights, ground textures and effect layers) that are not in a locked layer will be removed from the Marquee area. This is the same as pressing the Ctrl + X keys
Copy	the objects selected in the Marquee area (including ground heights, ground textures and TurfFX/Clutter Effect Layers) will be copied and placed into a new Scrapbook. This is the same as pressing the Ctrl + C keys
Paste	the contents of the current Scrapbook will be pasted into the route at the cursor (focus) point. Which contents will be pasted and how they will be pasted are controlled by the Filters in the Scrapbook Palette (see Scrapbook Data for more details). This option will always be available with and without a Marquee area being marked if there is a scrapbook available to be pasted. This is the same as pressing the Ctrl + V keys
Clear	the selected scenery objects that are not in locked layers will be removed from the Marquee area but NOT the selected ground heights, ground textures and TurfFX/Clutter Effect Layers. This is the same as pressing the Delete key
Select None	the Marquee Selection Area boundary lines are removed from the route cancelling the selection process. Nothing that is inside the area will be removed. This is the same as pressing the Ctrl + D keys

Adding a New Scrapbook

The Cut and Copy Scrapbook operations are also found in the Marquee Context Menu (see the

Marquee Context Menu below).

You don't have to use the Marquee Tool to create a new Scrapbook. You can use the Free Move Tool or the Fine Adjustment Tool to select any number of objects and then press Ctrl + C . The selected objects, along with the ground heights, ground textures, and any TurfFX/Clutter Effect Layers, will be copied into a new Scrapbook

When a new Scrapbook is created by a Cut (or press Ctrl + X ) or Copy (or press Ctrl + C ), it will appear in the Scrapbook palette with some basic details.

The newly created scrapbook will be given:-

a name consisting of the date and time of its creation

a thumbnail

The thumbnail image will be taken using the current camera POV (point of view). To get a better image adjust the camera position and view to give the best possible shot of the Scrapbook objects before giving the Cut or Copy command

a scrapbook number (it will be inserted as the №1 scrapbook)

an expiry date which will be set 5 days after its creation - this will countdown each day until 0 when the new scrapbook will be deleted

	Notes:
	Scrapbooks use very little memory so there is no real limit to how many you can store in the palette but finding the one you want will be more difficult as the list grows longer
	Rolling Stock Objects cannot be added to a Scrapbook. The rolling stock Context Menu option Save to Consist Asset... performs some of the Scrapbook functions for rolling stock objects and consists
	Deleting a Scrapbook after it has been pasted does not delete the objects that it has added to the route

There are two changes that can be made to the new scrapbook:-

	Give it a name - Left Click inside the Name Text Box and type a new name. To set its new name Left Click on the image OR press the Enter key
	Make it permanent - Left Click the white Pin icon () to change it to blue. The scrapbook will no longer expire but it can still be deleted at any time
Pinned scrapbooks are always shown with a blue pin icon and the words "pinned, no expiry" displayed next to their scrapbook №

The Pinning of any scrapbook can be reversed so that it will then expire in 5 days time. Left Click the blue pin icon.

Once a scrapbook has been Pinned it becomes an asset and will appear in Content Manager

ScrapbookEntryCM S20.png

The scrapbook can be uploaded to the DLS and saved as a CDP file.

You can archive your scrapbooks as CDP files to keep the number of installed scrapbooks to a minimum. If an archived scrapbook is needed then you can use the Import Content Files option in Content Manager to add it to the Scrapbook Palette . It can be deleted from the palette later, when no longer needed.

Marquee Context Menu

The Marquee Context Menu creates, deletes, converts and paints individual or multiple baseboards. It also creates and pastes scrapbooks.

To open the Context Menu for a Marquee Selection Area Left Click on its Context Icon or press the T key.

Marquee Context Menu

Cut	removes the objects in the selection area from the route and moves them into the Scrapbook. Ground heights, ground textures and TurfFX/Clutter Effect Layers will be copied, not cut. Has the same effect as pressing the Ctrl + X keys

Copy	copies the objects in the selection area and moves them into the Scrapbook. Has the same effect as pressing the Ctrl + C keys

Paste to Selected Area

pastes the objects in the currently selected Scrapbook into the selection area. Which objects are pasted and how they are pasted is controlled by the settings in the Scrapbook Filter. Has the same effect as pressing the Ctrl + V keys

Delete

deletes the objects in the selection area except for the ground heights, textures and effect layers. Has the same effect as pressing the Delete key

Paint Within Marquee

if a texture has been selected in the Assets Palette then that texture will be painted inside the selection area using the settings in the Tool Options Palette . If no texture has been selected then this option will be greyed out

Set Marquee To Brush Height

changes the ground height of the selection area to the brush height in the Tool Options Palette

Convert Baseboards To

converts the grid of the entire baseboard or baseboards covered by the selection area into the grid resolution selected from the three options - HD Grid (in Trainz Plus only), 5m Grid and 10m Grid . If the selection area covers any empty spaces outside the existing baseboards then NO NEW baseboards will be created in those spaces

Delete Baseboards in Marquee

deletes the entire baseboard or baseboards covered by the selection area. See Notes: below

Select in Assets Palette

sets the Filter Palette to All Content and highlights in the Assets Palette the most common ground texture used in the Marquee Selection area

Select in Filter Palette

sets the Filter Palette to All Content and highlights in the Filter Palette the most common ground texture used in the Marquee Selection area

Notes:

The Convert Baseboards To and Delete Baseboards in Marquee options will affect the entire baseboard or baseboards that contain the Marquee Selection Area even if the selection area only covers a small part of a baseboard.

It is NOT RECOMMENDED that you mix HD Grid baseboards (in Trainz Plus only) with 5m Grid or 10m Grid baseboards in the same route. The boundaries between HD and non-HD baseboards will have display issues. If you are going to use the HD Grid then it is recommended that the entire route should be Upgraded to HD Grid. See

Upgrading a Route to HD below for more details. There is no problem with mixing 5m and 10m grid baseboards in the same route

Managing Baseboards

The Marquee is a powerful tool for adding, deleting and changing the properties of multiple baseboards

Add, Delete, Convert Baseboards

In Trainz Plus you can Upgrade an existing 5m Grid or 10m Grid route entirely to HD Grid. See

Upgrading a Route to HD below for more details.

Steps: To add, delete and convert baseboards:-

In the Tools Palette Left Click on the Marquee Tool

or press the F key

Left Click and Drag to draw out the Marquee Selection Area area where the new baseboards will be added or the existing baseboards will be deleted or converted.

The Marquee Selection Area, shown with a green border in the image on the left, covers the existing baseboard (black, bottom left) and where 3 new baseboards will be created. The Marquee has a Context Icon as shown in the image.

Left Click on the Context Icon or press the T key to open up the Marquee Context Menu (see Marquee Context Menu above).

Create, Convert, Delete

To Add new baseboards select the context option Add New Baseboards > then select a grid resolution from two or three sub-options, HD Grid (in Trainz Plus only), 5m Grid and 10m Grid . If existing baseboards have also been selected then they will NOT be converted to the new grid resolution.

It is NOT RECOMMENDED that you mix HD Grid baseboards (in Trainz Plus only) with 5m Grid or 10m Grid baseboards in the same route. It should be ALL HD or none. There is no problem with mixing 5m and 10m grid baseboards in the same route

To Convert selected baseboards to a different Grid Resolution select the context option Convert Existing Baseboards To > then select a grid resolution from two or three sub-options, HD Grid (in Trainz Plus only), 5m Grid and 10m Grid . If the selection area covers any empty spaces outside the existing baseboards then NO NEW baseboards will be created in those spaces

It is NOT RECOMMENDED that you mix HD Grid baseboards (in Trainz Plus only) with 5m Grid or 10m Grid baseboards in the same route. It should be ALL HD or none. There is no problem with mixing 5m and 10m grid baseboards in the same route

To Delete the selected baseboards select the context option Delete Baseboards in Marquee . Note: An entire baseboard will be deleted even if the selection area only covers a small part of the baseboard. The Ctrl + Z keys can Undo the deletion.

Baseboard Ground Height

The Marquee Selection Area can be used to set the height of entire baseboards or just a selected section of one or more baseboards

Steps: To set the height of the baseboards or area under the Marquee Selection Area:-
	in the Tool Options Palette enter the required ground height into the Height setting. Note: the Grade setting has no effect when used with the Marquee tool
	In the Tools Palette Left Click on the Marquee Tool or press the F key
	Left Click and Drag to draw out the Marquee Selection Area area so that it covers the area that will have its height set. This can include multiple baseboards and empty spaces. Note: If empty spaces are included in the Marquee Selection Area then new baseboards will be created in those empty spaces
	Left Click on the Context Icon or press the T key to open up the Marquee Context Menu (see Marquee Context Menu above).
	select the Context Menu option Set Marquee to Brush Height . If the Marquee extends over empty space then new baseboards will be created at the set Height value.

Baseboard Ground Texture

The Marquee Selection Area can be used to set the ground texture of entire baseboards or just a selected section of one or more baseboards

Steps: To paint the baseboards or area under the Marquee Selection Area with a ground texture:-
	from the Assets Palette Left Click on a ground texture. Selecting a texture will automatically select the Brush Tool
	in the Tool Options Palette set the brush Scale setting and any other required controls
	in the Tools Palette Left Click on the Marquee Tool or press the F key
	Left Click and Drag to draw out the Marquee Selection Area area so that it covers the area that will be painted with the texture. This can include multiple baseboards and empty spaces. Note: If empty spaces are included in the Marquee Selection Area then new baseboards will be created in those empty spaces
	Left Click on the Context Icon or press the T key to open up the Marquee Context Menu (see Marquee Context Menu above).
	select the Context Menu option Paint Within Marquee . If the Marquee extends over empty space then new baseboards will be created and covered with the selected ground texture. The new baseboards will be created at the Default altitude for the set Region or at 0m if no region has been set.

Mass Object Moves and Clones

Both the Free Move Tool and the Fine Adjustment Tool can move and clone (duplicate) single and multiple objects. The Marquee Tool can also move and clone objects but it will include the ground heights, ground textures and any TurfFX/Clutter Effect Layers in the cloning and moving operations.

Selecting Multiple Identical Objects

You can quickly select all nearby identical objects by a Double Left Click on an object.

This also applies to all the wagons in a consist. Double Left Click on any one of them to select all of them - they DO NOT have to be identical wagons.

A forest of many different trees. Only one has been selected.	Double Left Click on a tree to select all the identical trees in the forest.

Shift + Double Left Click on another object. It and all its identical copies will be added to the selection.

Selecting and Moving Multiple Objects

Multiple objects can be selected and moved with the Free Move Tool and the Fine Adjustment Tool.

Notes: Mass Moves

The objects DO NOT have to be:-
	the same type. They can be a mixture of scenery splines and mesh objects
	in the same layers but objects in Locked layers cannot be moved

You can also use the Marquee Tool to move objects but this will also move the ground heights, ground textures and TurfFX/Clutter Effect Layers as well as objects.

Steps: To select multiple objects:-
	In the Tools Palette select the Free Move Tool or Fine Adjustment Tool
	Shift + Left Click on every object that is to be included in the selection group

You can apply the Height setting in the Tool Options Palette to the entire group of selected objects.

Steps: To move multiple objects:-
	Left Click and Drag the selected objects in the required direction
	Release the mouse button when the group of objects are in position

The Fine Adjustment Tool Blue Rotation Anchor can be used to rotate all the members of the group with the last selected object (the one with the Context Icon) as the centre of rotation

Cloning Objects

You can easily clone single and multiple selected objects. If you have selected a group of objects they DO NOT have to be the same type - you can select scenery objects and scenery splines.

Notes: Layers and Cloning

	the objects can be in different layers
	the layers can be locked and the objects will still be cloned
	all the cloned objects will be placed into the current Active Layer which must be Unlocked
For more information on layers see The Info Palette at the end of this document.

Steps: To clone an object or a group of objects:-
	In the Tools Palette select either the Free Move Tool or the Fine Adjustment Tool
	Left Click on a single object or Shift + Left Click for multiple objects
	Ctrl + Left Click and Drag on any of the selected objects

Upgrading a Route to HD (Trainz Plus Only)

	This option is only available in Trainz Plus
	Upgrading an entire route to HD is recommended over mixing HD Grid and non-HD Grid baseboards in the same route, but there are limitations to upgrading that must be considered beforehand

You can convert (Upgrade) an entire 5m Grid or 10m Grid route to HD Grid in a single step but there are some important limitations. See the Notes: below.

Steps: To Upgrade a route to HD:-

	Left Click on the Surveyor Tools Menu icon
	Left Click on the option Upgrade Route
A progress bar will show the status of the conversion process which may take several minutes depending on the size of the route. At the conclusion of the upgrade you will be given a report indicating that the process was successful or it has failed because of errors. See Notes: below.

Notes:

There are some important considerations and restrictions that may affect the viability of converting an entire route to HD. They are:-

	the HD route, after conversion from a 10m grid, for example, will be at least 5x the file size of the original route. If the original route is already large then this could easily push it over the limit (1GB) for saving as a .cdp file.
	HD routes have a limit of 16 different ground textures per baseboard but each baseboard can have a different set of 16 textures. This is a limitation caused by hardware, not software.
	If more than 16 textures are identified in a single baseboard then the extra textures will be replaced by one of those already present in that baseboard. The upgrade process will continue as this is not a "fatal error". You will be given the Focus co-ordinates of any affected baseboards so you can inspect them for any noticeable changes
	Legacy Water, which was normally painted onto the terrain using a brush, will be converted to a Water Effect Layer which will cover the entire layout. Like any effect layer, it can be easily deleted - see Edit Effect Layers for the details

The Info Palette

If the Info Palette is not visible on the screen then refer to

Notes: Palettes at the top of this document. Some Info Palette functions will also require the Assets Palette and the Tool Options Palette .

This palette can be easily overlooked but it has some very useful features:-
	naming objects
	providing precise data and control over the "focus" - the position of the cursor
	providing precise data and control over the position and orientation of objects (it can be used instead of the Free Move Tool and the Fine Adjustment Tool)
	identifying and setting the "home" layer and binding layer of a selected object
	used for locking and unlocking a selected objects layer

The components of the Info Palette are identified in the image below.

	Every item in the palette can be edited.
	Each of the small arrowhead icons in the palette will open to display more information and controls or a drop down menu of options.

	The Asset Name is the name given to the asset by its creator and the name that will appear in the asset list of Content Manager and in the Assets Palette
	The Object Name is the optional name that you have given the object so that it can be quickly located in the route and/or session. Some objects, such as station name signs, will require an Object Name that will be visible in Surveyor and Driver

Palette Coordinates

Notes:

All the positional data and controls in the Info Palette are defined in the following ways:-

x:	is ALWAYS the North-South compass direction regardless of the direction that an object is facing
y:	is ALWAYS the East-West compass direction regardless of the direction that an object is facing
z:	is ALWAYS the Vertical direction (perpendicular to the compass directions) regardless of how an object has been rolled or tilted

	distances are measured in metres from the North-West corner of the first baseboard. If that baseboard is later deleted then distances will still be measured from its original and now "virtual" North-West corner.
	+ positive distances are in the South and East directions
	- negative distances are in the North and West directions
	New boards added to the North of the first baseboard will have negative x coordinates and new boards added to the West of the first baseboard will have negative y coordinates.

Info Settings Menu

All the Focus, Position and Rotation settings have control settings and drop down menus that allow values to be transferred to and from other settings and other tools.

Next to each name is a small grey arrowhead. Left Click on the arrowhead to open its list of control settings and to access its menus.

Steps:

in the Info Palette Right Click inside ANY control setting box

The first time the popup menu is opened it will only show two active options - Paste and Select All.

Paste

will paste the contents of your Operating System (Windows, MacOS) clipboard into the setting. If data is already present then the new data will be added to it, not replace it

Select All will highlight the contents of the selected setting. You can also achieve this with a Left Click and Drag across the contents of the setting

Right Click inside the same setting box

Once the value in a setting has been selected (highlighted) the popup menu will show all options as active.

Cut	will copy the contents of the selected setting into your Operating System clipboard. The contents will then be deleted from the setting

Copy	will copy the contents of the selected setting into your Operating System clipboard without deleting it

Delete will delete the contents of the selected setting. You can also achieve this with a Left Click and Drag across the contents and then press the Delete key

Next to the z co-ordinate in both the Focus and Position is a small white down arrowhead. Left Click on the arrowhead to open its menu.

There is only one option in the sub-menu.

Left Click on the Use Height for Brush option to copy the current z value to the Tool Options Palette Height setting.

Focus Info and Controls

The Focus shows the current position and height of the Cursor object.

Open up the Focus by a Left Click on its arrowhead icon.

The current cursor position is shown in the x:, y: and z: text boxes. These values can be edited to move the cursor to a new position but CARE will be needed.

On the right of each data entry box is a pair of Up/Down arrow controls. Left Click and Drag up or down on these to adjust the position in smaller increments down to centimetres

Notes:

If you enter an x: or y: value that is "out in empty space" (beyond the edge of a boundary baseboard) then the cursor will be refocused at a point on the baseboard edge that is the closest to the entered co-ordinates.

If it has not been deleted you can identify the North-West corner of the original (first) baseboard by entering 0 as the Focus x: and y: co-ordinates

Asset Name Menu

"Asset Name" refers to the name of the asset as displayed in the Assets Palette and in Content Manager. This is not the same as the Object Name (see the next section)

You must have an object (or objects) selected for an Asset Name to be shown and for this menu to be available.

If more than one object has been selected then the name and position data shown will be for the last selected object. If different objects (with different kuid codes) have been selected then a count of the additional objects will be added. The (+2) shown in the object name in the image on the left indicates that 2 additional different objects are in the group of selected objects.

Next to the Asset Name is a small white Down Arrowhead. Left Click on the arrowhead to open its menu.

Asset Name Menu Options

Copy	NOT WORKING (a known bug)

Show Asset Details

opens a new window showing the image and description of the selected object

List Assets in New Window

opens up Content Manager and lists all the selected objects

Add to Picklist

adds selected objects to a Picklist

Remove from Picklist

removes selected objects from a Picklist (objects must already be in a Picklist)

Select in Assets Palette

sets the Filter Palette to All Content and highlights the selected object in the Assets Palette

Select in Filter Palette

sets the Filter Palette to All Content and highlights the selected object in the Filter Palette

Object Name

"Object Name" refers to the name that you give to an object

You can give any object in your route an identifying name. In some cases a name is vital for AI and session operations, in other cases it will be needed as a display feature - for example: to be shown on a station nameboard. You must have an object (or objects) selected for this option to be available. If more than one object has been selected then only the last object (the one with the Context Icon) will be affected

Steps: To name (or rename) a selected object:-
	Left Click inside the Name text entry box
	Enter a name
	Press the Enter key

There is no ban on two or more objects using the same name

In the image shown on the left there are 4 objects all named Old Orroroo Rd.

This will not cause any problems for scenery objects apart from finding the exact one you want with the Finder Tool ( Ctrl + F keys).

	Notes: However, duplicated names will cause problems for Industries (including passenger enabled stations), Locomotives, Track Marks, Triggers, Switches, Signals, etc that have to be identified to control the operation of a session.
These objects must have unique names

Position Info and Controls

You must have an object (or objects) selected for the position data to be shown and edited. Open up the position data by a Left Click on its Pos: arrowhead icon.

The position of the selected object (or the last object if more than one is selected) is shown in the x:, y: and z: text boxes. These values can be edited to move the object or objects to a new position but CARE will be needed.

On the right of each data entry box is a pair of Up/Down arrow controls. Left Click and Drag up or down on these to adjust the position in smaller increments down to centimetres

Notes:

If you enter an x: or y: value that is "out in empty space" (beyond the edge of a boundary baseboard) then the objects will be moved to that position and may vanish from view. The Undo command can be used to reverse the move or the Marquee Tool can be used to add a baseboard under the "floating" objects.

Rotation Info and Controls

You must have an object (or objects) selected for the rotation data to be shown and edited. Open up the rotation data by a Left Click on its Rot: arrowhead icon.

The rotational orientation of the selected object (or the last object if more than one is selected) is shown in the r:, p: and y: text boxes (the letters stand for Roll, Pitch and Yaw). These values can be edited to rotate the object or objects in 3D space BUT not all objects can be rotated in certain directions.

Notes:

	If several objects have been selected then the last selected object, the one with the Context Icon, will be the centre of all rotations.
	Not all objects will allow rotations. For example, SpeedTree objects can only be rotated using the y: value ( r and p entries will be ignored) while Spline objects cannot be rotated at all

On the right of each box is a pair of Up/Down arrow controls. Left Click and Drag up or down on these to adjust the rotation angle in increments of 1°.

Notes:

The rotation data and controls are defined in the following ways:-

r:

ALWAYS rotates in the vertical plane around the selected objects Y axis (which was defined when it was created).
This is the same as the Red Rotational Anchor in the Fine Adjustment Tool

p:

ALWAYS rotates in the vertical plane around the selected objects Y axis PLUS 90°.
This is the same as the Green Rotational Anchor in the Fine Adjustment Tool

y:

ALWAYS rotates in the horizontal plane around the compass Z or Vertical axis regardless of how the object has been rolled or pitched.

This is similar to but NOT exactly the same as the Blue Rotational Anchor in the Fine Adjustment Tool

Rot: y: =

0° East

90° North

180° West

270° South

Original	Roll: r: = 45	Pitch: p: = 45	Yaw: y: = 45
	All rotations shown are 45° in the + (anticlockwise) direction


	Some objects (for example: SpeedTrees) will NOT allow Roll or Pitch rotations
	all angles are measured in degrees
	+ positive angles are anticlockwise when viewed facing the rotation axis direction
	- negative angles are clockwise when viewed facing the rotation axis direction
	angles greater than 360° can be entered but will give the same result as the angle minus 360°. For example: 450° is exactly the same angle as 90° (450°-360°=90°)
	clockwise and anti-clockwise angles are complementary. For example: entering -270° (clockwise) will give the same angle as entering +90° (anticlockwise)

Layer Info and Controls

You must have an object (or objects) selected for the layer data to be shown and edited. Open up the layer data by a Left Click on its Layer: arrowhead icon.

	Notes:
	the Info Palette is best used to show and edit the layer and binding layer assignments of individual selected objects
	operations such as creating, deleting, merging, renaming, moving and hiding layers are performed using the Layers Palette
	layers can be Locked and Unlocked using the Info Palette but the Layers Palette is often the best choice for these tasks

This will show the:-

current layer assigned to the selected object

its assigned Binding Layer (if any)

the Locked or Unlocked state of the assigned layer

Layer is currently Unlocked. Click this button to Lock the layer

Layer is currently Locked. Click this button to Unlock the layer

Using this button will also change the Locked or Unlocked padlock icon shown next to the layer name in the Layers Palette

AssetsPaletteLockedUnlockedLayers S20.png

Notes:

	Objects in a Locked Layer cannot be deleted or moved
	Locked Layers can be deleted, moved and merged with other layers

If multiple objects from different layers have been selected then no layer name will be shown in the Layer and Binding boxes. Instead they will be left "blank" as shown in the image on the left.

Both boxes can still be opened to assign layers to objects.

WARNING:

	Setting a layer for multiple objects that are in different layers will move ALL those objects to that layer
	If objects are moved from one layer group to another (such as from the Route Layers to the Session Layers) then it will change where those objects are saved (in the Route or in the Session)

Assigning Objects to a Different Layer

The Active Layer is the layer used by the Placement Tool when objects are added to your Trainz World.

A selected object or group of selected objects can be assigned to a different layer. If multiple objects have been selected then they do not have to all be in the same layer.

Steps: To change the assigned layer of an object or group of objects:-
	Left Click on the Layer drop down box. The layer containing the object (for a single selected object only) will be shown with a in front of its name
	Select the destination layer name from the Drop Down Menu. See Warning above
The layer reassignment will start the instant the destination layer is selected
	If you see a Debugging Window on the screen as the task is processed, it will inform you when the task has been completed. You can then close the window

Once a target layer has been selected then the Select Layer button, which sets the Active Layer, will become active IF the target layer is not the Active Layer. A Left Click on this button will set it as the Active Layer.

You can also set the Active Layer by selecting its name from the list in the Layers Palette .

Options: To set current layer to the Active Layer:-
If the Select Layer button is greyed out
	then the selected object is now assigned to the current Active Layer so there is no need to use this option
If it is NOT greyed out
	then the selected object is now assigned to a layer that is not the current Active Layer. Left Click on the Select Layer button to switch the Active Layer to the same layer as the object

Assigning Objects to a Binding Layer

The Binding Layer, or Bound Layer as it is also called, is a tool used in the development of a route or session. It allows you to temporarily assign an object to a second layer while it is still in its original layer. The object will then take on the properties (Locked or Unlocked, Hidden or Visible) of both layers.

Assigned Layer	Binding Layer	Object Status

Unlocked	or None	Unlocked
LOCKED	or or None	LOCKED
Unlocked	LOCKED	LOCKED

Visible	or None	Visible
HIDDEN	or or None	HIDDEN
Visible	HIDDEN	HIDDEN

In Summary:-
	If the Assigned Layer or the Binding Layer of an object is Locked then the object will be Locked
	If the Assigned Layer or the Binding Layer of an object is Hidden then the object will be Hidden

	Notes:
	Objects in a Hidden Layer cannot be seen and therefore, cannot be selected, deleted or moved
	The Layers Palette is the ONLY way to create, delete, name and hide layers

Some examples of using the Binding Layer:-
Example 1:

The problem:

You need to stop an object from being selected so that you can you move other objects on or around it

The solution:

Use the Layers Palette to create a new empty layer and lock it. Set the Binding Layer of the object to the new locked layer. The object will then be locked so it cannot be selected or moved even though its original layer is unlocked. When the edit has been completed delete the empty locked layer you just created to unlock all its bound objects and remove all their bindings (the objects will not be deleted)

Example 2:

The problem:

A group of objects (e.g trees) are blocking access to another object.

The solution:

Use the Layers Palette to create a new empty layer and hide it. Set the Binding Layer of the blocking objects to the new hidden layer. The blocking objects will no longer be visible and cannot be selected even though their original layer is still visible. When the edit has been completed delete the empty hidden layer you just created to make all its bound objects visible and remove all their bindings (the objects will not be deleted)

You can also use the asset filters found in the Filter Palette and the Assets Palette to lock or hide specific assets or types of assets from selection when you are working in Surveyor. See the section

Narrowing the Search for more details

Steps: To change the assigned binding layer of an object or group of objects:-
	Left Click on the Binding drop down box. For a single selected object only the binding layer (which may be <none>) will be shown with a in front of its name
	Select the Binding layer name from the Drop Down Menu. Note: the objects assigned layer will not appear in the list because an object cannot be bound to its own layer
The layer reassignment will start the instant the layer is selected
	If you see a Debugging Window on the screen as the task is processed, it will inform you when the task has been completed. You can then close the window

Also see

Narrowing the Search for an alternative method of selecting difficult to access objects.

As an example, the image below shows what you will see for a single object that has had:-

	its assigned layer changed (in the example from "route-layer" to "Station Industries")
	its binding layer set (in the example to "Multi Industries")
	the newly assigned layer is Locked so you have the option to Unlock it
	the newly assigned layer is not the Active Layer so you have the option to Select Layer and make it the Active Layer

More information on creating, editing and using Layers can be found on the Trainz Wiki at:-

How to Use Layers

Trainz Wiki

More Tutorials and Guides to Using Trainz

Related Links

This page was created by Trainz user pware in January 2023 and was last updated as shown below.

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 <table width=496 bgcolor=#ffffff cellpadding=2>
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-<td colspan=2 bgcolor=#ffffb0>In '''TRS22''' and '''TRS22PE''' the grid choices are:-</td>
+<td colspan=2 bgcolor=#ffffb0>In '''TRS22PE''' the grid choices are:-</td>
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-<td>the entire route can be converted to '''HD Grid'''. See [[image:PageLink.PNG|link=]]&#160;'''[[#stepUpgrading|Upgrading a Route to HD]]'''
+<td>an entire route can be converted from '''5m/10m Grid''' to '''HD Grid''' in a single step. See [[image:PageLink.PNG|link=]]&#160;'''[[#stepUpgrading|Upgrading a Route to HD]]'''
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 <td width=629><span id="Ground Tool Options"></span>
 ===<span style="font-weight: 700; font-size: 17px; color: white; background-color: blue;">&#160;Ground Height Brush Tool Options&#160;</span>===
 </td>

How to Use S20 Tools

Revision as of 13:41, 12 August 2024

Contents

Surveyor 2.0 vs Surveyor Classic

The Tools Palette

The Brush Tool

Ground Height

5m Grid, 10m Grid, HD Grid

Ground Height Brush Tool Options

Identifying the Ground Height

"Painting" the Ground Height

Ground Height Brush Size and Grid Resolution

Terrain Forming Tips

Ground Texture

Ground Texture Brush Tool Options

Identifying and Selecting a Ground Texture

Painting a Ground Texture

Ground Texture Brush Size and Grid Resolution

Texture Painting Tips

Default Baseboard Ground Texture

HD Grid and Ground Textures

Scrapbook Data

Creating a Scrapbook

Pasting a Scrapbook

Scrapbook Pasting Tips

Scrapbook Brush Actions

Scrapbook Brush Tool Options

Painting with the Scrapbook Brush

Scrapbook Painting Tips

The Scrapbook Palette

The Scrapbook Filters

Effect Layers

Selecting an Existing Effect Layer

Loading Preset Effect Layers

Effect Layer Tool Options

TurfFX and Clutter Effect Layers

Water Effect Layer

Water Effect Layer Tips

Color Effect Layer

Edit Effect Layers...

Save a Layer as a Preset

TurfFX Layer Edit Controls

Clutter Layer Edit Controls

Water Layer Edit Controls

Color Layer Edit Controls

The Placement Tool

Placement: Setting an Objects Name and Layer

Setting an Objects Name

Setting an Objects Layer

Placement: Scenery Mesh Objects

Placement: Add a Scenery Mesh Object

Placement: Move a Scenery Mesh Object

Placement: Delete a Scenery Mesh Object

Placement: Set the Height of a Scenery Mesh Object

Placement: Scenery Mesh Object Context Menu

Placement: Spline Objects (Including Track)

Placement: Add a Spline Object

Spine Laying Tips

Placement: Move a Spline Object

Placement: Delete a Spline Object

Placement: Add a Spline Junction

Placement: Add a Track Junction

Placement: Set a Spline Height

Placement: Set a Spline Gradient

Placement: Set a Track Condition

Placement: Spline Object Context Menu

Placement: Track Objects

Placement: Add a Track Object

Placement: Move a Track Object

Placement: Delete a Track Object

Placement: Set the Height of a Track Object

Placement: Set the Trigger Radius of a Track Object

Placement: Track Object Context Menu

Placement: Rolling Stock Objects

Placement: Add a Rolling Stock Object

Placement: Move a Rolling Stock Object

Placement: Delete a Rolling Stock Object

Placement: Rolling Stock Object Context Menu

The Eyedropper Tool

Quick Steps