Keyboard Shortcut:  W

The Brush Tool is used for painting the route. It can:-

• adjust the height of the terrain
• add ground textures
• add Effect Layers
• add Scrapbook scenes

When selected, the Brush Tool will show two drop down menu lists.

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

• Height Up
• Height Down
• Set Height
• Grade

• Scrapbook Brush
• Scrapbook Clone

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

• If Effect Layers are present then select one to edit
  

More information on creating and editing Effect Layers can be found on the Trainz Wiki at:-

• TurfFX_Effect_Layer
• Clutter_Effect_Layer
• Water_Effect_Layer

Keyboard Shortcut:  R

The Eyedropper Tool is used to identify objects that are in the route. The objects can be textures, effect layers, scenery, rolling stock, track. track equipment, and splines.

This tool uses the Assets Palette. If this palette is not visible on the screen then refer to  Notes: Palettes at the top of this document.

Quick Steps

With the Eyedropper Tool selected, move the mouse pointer (which will now be an eyedropper symbol) onto any object in view.

The object will be identified by its object name appearing in a  ToolTip  below the mouse pointer (image shown left). Leave the mouse pointer in place for a few seconds and additional information about the object will be shown, its <kuid> code and Author (image shown below left). Left click on the object to select it in the Filter List. The type of object and its name will be automatically selected in all the Asset Palette filters as shown in the image left. The object is now ready for use by the Placement Tool

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".

At the top of the Assets Palette is a drop down box which controls how the Eyedropper Tool works with the filters that you set.

The drop down box will provide three options:- Filter List Filter Selection Filter Visibility

These options work with the Asset Filters to help narrow the search for a specific object or type of object that is in the route.

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

		No filter has been applied. All the objects are visible on the Surveyor screen. ALL objects can be selected by the Eyedropper Tool
		The Visibility Filter option has been applied and the filtered list has been set to display only Scenery Splines. All objects except Scenery Splines, Ground Textures and Effect Layers are now hidden. Only Scenery Splines can be selected by the Eyedropper Tool.
		An additional filter has been applied. The word "fence" has been added to the search text box. All Scenery Splines that do not have the text "fence" in their names have now been hidden. Only the remaining visible Scenery Splines can be selected by the Eyedropper Tool.

The Free Move Tool

Keyboard Shortcut:  S

The Free Move Tool is used to move objects around the route in the XY (horizontal) directions only.

This tool uses the Tool Options Palette and the Info Palette (to display data only). If these palettes are not visible on the screen then refer to  Notes: Palettes at the top of this document.

For 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.

 Moving a Scenery Mesh Object 

Select the Free Move Tool. Select (Left click on) the object. Use the mouse (Left button held down) to drag the object in any horizontal (XY) direction. When moving a scenery object, its height will be fixed to the terrain height.

More Position Options .. You can also set an objects position using:- the  Fine Adjustment Tool its  X  and  Y  values in  The Info Palette

 Set the Height for a Scenery Mesh Object 

When placed in a route by the Placement Tool a scenery object will take the height of the terrain as its set height. It will be fixed to the terrain so when you move it around it will always be at the same height as the terrain it is over.

This can be changed to fix the object to a set height above or below the terrain.

With the scenery object selected, enter a height value into the Tool Options  Height  text box Hit the  Enter  key The scenery object will now be fixed at the entered height above (or below) the terrain as it is moved around.

More Height Options .. You can also set an objects height using:- the Tool Options Palette height value and the objects Context Menu  Apply Height  option the  Fine Adjustment Tool its  Z  value in the  The Info Palette

 Mesh Object Context Menu 

A selected scenery object, or a group of selected scenery objects, will have a Context Icon with a Context Menu. The icon design will vary between object types. Multiple objects can be selected by holding down the  Shift  key while Left clicking on each object.

To open an objects Context menu either:-

• Left click the Context Icon, OR
• Press the  T  key

Cut  remove the selected object or objects 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  Delete  delete the selected objects. It has the same effect as pressing the  Delete  key  Replace Object with Selected Asset  the highlighted object will be replaced with the asset currently selected in the Assets Palette  Paint Under Selected  the texture selected in the Assets Palette will be painted under the highlighted object. The Tool Options for the Brush Tool (Size and Sensitivity) will control how the texture is applied  Smooth Ground Under Selected  changes the height of the terrain under the object to match the set height of the object. If multiple objects at different heights have been selected then the terrain height will be set to match the height of the lowest 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 objects to the value in the Tool Options  Height  text box  Reset Object Rotation  resets the rotation angle of the objects to their default values  Randomise Object Rotation  applies a random rotation angle to each object  Select in Assets Palette  identifies the selected object in the Asset Palette like the Eyedropper Tool  Edit Properties  opens the Properties window of the selected object

For Track Objects

Track Objects (signals, switches, speed signs, etc) are always attached to an existing track. They can be moved ("dragged") to new positions along the track and in Surveyor Classic that was the limit of their freedom of movement. Surveyor 2.0 brings additional freedoms of movement.

Using the Free Move Tool track objects can be positioned off the track to the left or right. Using the Fine Attachment Tool track objects can also be positioned above and below the track.

Throw Lever track object in its original position	After being moved left with the Free Move Tool

The track object is still attached to the track as indicated by the yellow line connecting it to its "anchor point" (the yellow dot above the black spline endpoint dot).

It can still be moved along the track with the Free Move Tool by grabbing its anchor point with the mouse.

Track objects can be quickly returned to their anchor points:-

	Open the track objects Context Menu (click the icon or press the  T  key)
	Select the option  Reattach to Track

Track objects can also be rotated to the opposite side of the track.

Open the track objects Context Menu (click the icon or press the  T  key) Select the option  Rotate Trackside  The track object will be swapped to the opposite side of the track. Its distance from its anchor point will not be altered.

For 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 joined segments linked at the endpoints. Moving a spline can involve moving:-

• an endpoint, OR
• a segment, OR
• multiple segments including the whole length of the spline

 Moving Spline Endpoints 

To move an individual spline endpoint:-

Select the Free Move Tool. Select (Left click on) the spline endpoint to be moved. This will be shown as green meaning active. Inactive spline endpoints are shown as black. Use the mouse (Left button held down) to drag the spline endpoint in any horizontal (XY) direction. The spline endpoint will be fixed at its original height.

 Moving Spline 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.

To move an individual segment or multiple segments:-

Select the Free Move Tool. Select (Left click on) the spline segment to be moved - click anywhere between the two spline endpoints on the segment. The selected segment will be highlighted in green. The segment that you clicked will have a Temporary Spline Point inserted at the location where you clicked.

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 click will have a Temporary Spline Point added. To select ALL the segments in a spline, Dbl-Left click on a segment The segment you double click will have a Temporary Spline Point added

Use the mouse (Left button held down) to drag the Temporary Spline Point in any horizontal (XY) 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 positions "adjusted" multiple spline segments then those segments will be moved and the adjacent segments that were not selected will have their positions "adjusted" all the segments then ALL the segments will be moved

More Position and Height Options .. You can also set the position (including the height) of individual endpoints and spline segments using:- the Tool Options Palette height value and the objects Context Menu  Apply Height  option the  Fine Adjustment Tool its  X   Y   Z  values in the  The Info Palette

 Spline Object Context Menu 

Splines have two separate Context Icons that lead to two slightly different Context Menus. One icon and menu is for each endpoint and another icon and menu for the spline segment. So a spline segment will have three Context Icons - one for each endpoint and one for the segment itself. Left click on an icon to open its Context Menu.

Endpoint Context Menu   Segment Context Menu   Cut  remove the segment or segments and move them into the Scrapbook  Copy  copy the segment or segments and place them into the Scrapbook  Paste  paste the contents of the current Scrapbook  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  Paint Under Selected  the texture selected in the Assets Palette will be painted under the highlighted spline segments. The Tool Options for the Brush Tool (Size and Sensitivity) will control how the texture is applied  Smooth Ground Under Selected  changes the height of the terrain under the segment or segments to match the set height of the spline (does not work on endpoints)  Settle on Ground  sets the height of the segment, segments or endpoint 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 segment, segments or endpoint to the value in the Tool Options  Height  text box  Apply Grade to this Spline Endpoint  sets the height of the endpoint to give a Grade to the surrounding segments that matches the value in the Tool Options  Grade  text box  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  Separate Splines  breaks the spline into two separate splines at the endpoint  Merge Splines  removes the selected endpoint and merges the segments on both sides into one segment. The two segments can also be joined by selecting and deleting the 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  Select in Assets Palette  identifies the selected spline in the Asset Palette like the Eyedropper Tool  Edit Properties  opens the Properties window of the selected spline The Fine Adjustment Tool Keyboard Shortcut:  D  The Fine Adjustment Tool is used to make fine adjustments (XYZ axis, rotation, tilt) to objects in the route. This tool uses the Info Palette. If this palette is not visible on the screen then refer to  Notes: Palettes at the top of this document. This section is still under construction The Marquee Tool Keyboard Shortcut:  F  The Marquee Tool is used to select areas of the route. This tool uses the Scrapbook Palette. If this palette is not visible on the screen then refer to  Notes: Palettes at the top of this document. This section is still under construction The Info Palette This palette can be easily overlooked but it has some very useful features. Its uses are:- to display precise data on the "focus" - the position of the cursor to display precise data on the position and attitude of a selected object to allow precise control over the position and attitude of a selected object (i.e. it can be used instead of the Free Move Tool and the Fine Adjustment Tool) to change the "home" layer and binding layer of a selected object to lock and unlock layers This section is still under construction Trainz Wiki More Tutorials and Guides to Using Trainz How to Guides Driver Commands List Session Rules List (Alphabetical) with Parameters Session Rules List (Categories) With Parameters This page was created by Trainz user pware in January 2023 and was last updated as shown below.