How to Use S20 Tools

The information in this Wiki Page applies to Surveyor 2.0 (S20) as found in Trainz Plus. The original reference material for this document can be found at  Surveyor 2.0 Overview

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 the Tool Options 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 (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 height, ground textures and any 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 inteface  Ctrl   F2  press Ctrl + F2 to switch from Surveyor to Driver via the UDS inteface  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 height, ground textures, 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 Assets and Objects (from the Surveyor 2.0 Overview document) In this online documentation, the term Asset is used when talking about the items listed in Content Manager and the Asset Palette. Every asset has a KUID (unique identifier). When an asset (selected in the Assets Palette) is placed into the world, the instance of the asset in the world is referred to as an Object. There are multiple types of object, such as Scenery, Splines, Trains, Trackside, etc.

Surveyor 2.0 vs Surveyor Classic

Surveyor 2.0
Surveyor 2.0 (or S20) is the new Surveyor interface provided to Trainz Plus Gold and Trainz Plus Standard subscribers as an alternative to Surveyor Classic. Classic is still available as an option in Trainz Plus. S20 is also available in TRS22 for Trainz Plus subscribers only. TRS22 without the subscription will have Surveyor Classic.
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 height, ground texture and grid resolution changed in a single operation objects, ground heights, ground textures and effect layers to be moved and copied

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 the new interface 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 simply Left Click on the name of a hidden palette or on the 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 height, ground textures, effect layers and scrapbook scenes in the Trainz World

The Brush Tool has two drop down menu lists.

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:- 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 list. Select an Effect Layer to use the brush to paint with that layer.

Ground Height

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

This 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.

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		Ground Height Brush Actions:  Height Up   Height Down  raises/lowers the ground at a rate controlled by the Tool Options Palette  Sensitivity  setting    Set Height  "plateaus" the ground to the Tool Options Palette  Height  setting at a rate controlled by the  Sensitivity  setting    Grade  creates a smooth slope at the Tool Options Palette  Grade  and  Angle  settings at a rate controlled by the  Sensitivity  setting

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

Set Height

Grade

Radius  the brush radius (metres) - see Notes: below Range:  5m and above  Height  the brush height (metres) - see Tips: below Range:  -3000m to +3000m  Sensitivity  the rate at which the Height changes 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 (compass degrees) 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. 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 which is currently impossible in Surveyor.

 Using the Ground Height 

You can copy the current Ground Height of any spot in the route to the Tool Options Palette  Height  setting. Once it has been copied the height can be applied to the Ground Height Brush or to any other object in the route. To copy the Ground Height choose one of the following:- Options: Using the Eyedropper option found in any brush tool   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  Height  setting and the compass   Steps: Right Click onto the spot on the terrain to move the Compass Right Click inside the  Height  setting entry 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 - 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 Focus controls in the Info Palette Left Click the  z  control down arrowhead icon select the menu option  Use Height for Brush  This option is also recommended when there are scenery objects (e.g. vegetation, splines, buildings, etc) between the ground and the eyedropper.

Steps: To set the Ground Surface Height:- select the Brush Tool from the Tools Palette (or press the  W  key) select the brush Target (in this case  Ground Height ) select the brush Action ( Height Up ,  Height Down , etc) set any brush controls ( Radius , Height ,  Sensitivity , etc) in the Tool Options Palette Left Click and Drag on the terrain to change the terrain height

The rate or speed at which the ground height changes is controlled by the Tool Options Palette  Sensitivity  setting. Set its value to:- 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

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 specific Ground Height Options will appear, along with other more general options, in the objects Context Menu.  Smooth Ground Under Selected  changes the height of the ground under the selected objects to match the set height of the objects. If multiple objects at different heights have been selected then the terrain height will be set to match, as far as possible, the height of each object. This option is frequently used to raise and smooth the ground under track splines.  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 objects to the value in the Tool Options Palette  Height  setting

Ground Texture

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

This brush tool uses the Tool Options Palette and the Assets Palette. If these palettes are not visible on the screen then refer to  Notes: Palettes at the top of this document.

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

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) - see Notes: below Range:  5m and above  Sensitivity  texture transparency Range:  1% = almost transparent to   100% = solid (opaque)  Rotation  initial rotation angle - see Notes: below Range:  0° to ±360° (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  setting has no effect on textures as they are always painted on the existing ground surface.

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 the options of changing the scale and rotation while painting the texture. The  Rotation  controls the starting angle 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.

 Using the Ground Texture 

You can identify and select an existing Ground Texture to use elsewhere in the route Steps: To identify a Ground Texture:- Hold down the  Alt  key and move the pointer onto the texture to be selected. Its name will appear in the pointer  ToolTip  While holding down the  Alt  key Left Click on the texture   The texture will be selected in the Assets Palette and the Ground Texture target in the Brush Tool will be activated so you can immediately start painting with the 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

Steps: To paint a Ground Texture:- select your Ground Texture in the Assets Palette - you can use the Assets Palette filter options to narrow down the selection select the Brush Tool from the Tools Palette (or press the  W  key) select the  Ground Texture  target from the Brush Tool drop down menu set any brush controls ( Radius ,  Sensitivity ,  Rotation ,  Scale ) in the Tool Options Palette Left Click and Drag on the terrain to paint with the texture

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. Set the  Sensitivity  value to:- 1% to make the new texture almost transparent 50% to make the new texture 50% or semi-transparent 100% to make the new texture totally hide the original texture Values between these two limits will give intermediate changes with each sweep of the brush over the same area

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 specific Ground Texture Option 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.

 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

Scrapbook Data

This tool paints the currently selected Scrapbook (from the Scrapbook Palette) on the ground

This brush tool 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.

A new scrapbook can be created by choosing one of the following:- Options: use the  Marquee Tool to select an area of the route containing objects, OR use the  Free Move Tool or the  Fine Adjustment Tool to select a group of individual objects for the scrapbook In both cases once the area or objects have been selected use the Context Menu  Cut  or  Copy  options to place the objects into a new scrapbook. More detailed instructions on creating Scrapbooks can be found in the  Marquee Tool section of this document.

Notes: Scrapbooks, when created, will contain:- Ground Heights Ground Textures Effect Layers - if present Selected Objects - scenery items, splines, track, signals, etc But  NOT Rolling Stock (Trains)  Ground heights, textures and effect layers are always included in a scrapbook but you can control which visible objects are added by manually selecting them

Notes: Scrapbooks, when painted or pasted, can contain any combinations of:- Ground Heights Ground Textures 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 categories are copied and how they are copied from the scrapbook into a route.

The current Scrapbook can be Pasted into a route at the position of the screen cursor (the Compass Rose) by choosing one of the following:- Options: press  Ctrl  +  V , OR selecting  Paste  from the Context Menu of a selected object In both cases the Scrapbook will be pasted using the original scrapbooks size. It will be pasted inside a Marquee Selection Area that can be moved and resized. The objects that are pasted and how they are pasted is controlled by the current Scrapbook Palette filter settings

 The Scrapbook Brush Actions 

When the  Scrapbook Data  Target is 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. See Notes below

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  Scale  setting (100% = original size) If the brush is the same size as the scaled scrapbook then a single exact copy will be pasted 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 the  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

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

Scrapbook Clone

Radius  the brush radius (metres) - see Notes: below Range:  5m and above  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 Range:  1% = slowest, 100% = fastest  Rotation  initial rotation angle (degrees) - see Notes: below Range:  0° to ±360° (larger angles can be entered)  Scale  the scrapbook scaling factor - 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 Tool Options Palette  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. The  Rotation  controls the starting angle for pasting the scrapbook objects. In Surveyor Classic you could only rotate and paste in 90° increments. In S20 you can rotate and paste at any angle. The  Ground Height  options in the Scrapbook Filters control how the terrain heights in the Scrapbook are applied Setting extreme values for the  Scale  and the  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

Steps: To "paint" with a Scrapbook asset:- select the Brush Tool from the Tools Palette (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 select a Scrapbook asset to be painted (see the The Scrapbook Palette below) open the Scrapbook Filter in the Scrapbook Palette and select the features to be pasted and their method of pasting (see The Scrapbook Filters below) set any Brush controls (e.g.  Radius ) from the Tool Options Palette Left Click or Left Click and Drag (depending on your brush settings) on the terrain to paint with the scrapbook asset

If you have the  Ground Height  Scrapbook Filter Option set on then the rate or speed at which the ground height changes will be controlled by the Tool Options Palette  Sensitivity  setting. Set its value to:- 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

 The Scrapbook Palette 

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) 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. Left Click inside the name box to edit or replace the current name. Left Click on the image to make the name change permanent and pin (lock) the scrapbook (pressing the  Enter  key does not work - a known bug)

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.

Steps: 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)

Scrapbook Painting/Pasting Options   What Data to Transfer      Ground Height  terrain height(s) used in the scrapbook     Texture  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  effect layers (TurfFX, Clutter, Water Layer) used in the scrapbook  How to Transfer the Data     None  do not paste/paint 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 paste/paint 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 tool paints a selected Effect Layer onto the ground surface
	If the route has Effect Layers installed then they will be listed individually as additional Targets otherwise an existing layer can be added as a new target from the Assets Palette or a new layer created using the Edit Effect Layers brush

This 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.

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.

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 list. They can also be loaded from .CDP files and installed from the Download Station (DLS). Once installed or created, Effect Layers can be added to a route as presets using either of the Edit Effect Layers options.

You can also select an Effect Layer from the Assets Palette filter list. This will also add the Effect Layer into the Brush Target List. Step: To select an Effect Layer as the brush tool:- Left Click on an effect layer name in the Layers Palette and immediately start painting using the current Brush Tool Options Palette settings. More details are shown below.

 Effect Layer Tool Options 

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	Water	Radius  the brush radius (metres) - see Notes: below Range:  see Notes: below  Height  the water layer height (metres) Range:  -3000m to +3000m  Sensitivity  the rate at which the Intensity (TurfFX, Clutter) or Height (Water) setting changes 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
	The  Height  setting is ignored for TurfFX and Clutter because these effect 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 

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 very similar to those found in the  Ground Height  Target:-
Increase Decrease Set Intensity		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 select the Brush Tool from the Tools Palette (or press the  W  key) select the <Turfx 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 select a Brush action from the second drop down list ( Increase ,  Decrease  or  Set Intensity ) set any required Brush settings -  Radius ,  Intensity  and  Sensitivity  - from the Tool Options Palette Left Click or Left Click and Drag on the terrain to paint with the Effect Layer

The density or coverage of the TurfFX or Clutter ground effect within the brush area is controlled by the Tool Options Palette  Intensity  setting. Set this value to:- 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 Effect Layer  Increase  or  Decrease  brush action settings is controlled by the Tool Options Palette  Sensitivity  setting. Set this value to:- 1% to increase/decrease the application of the ground effect very slowly 100% to increase/decrease the application of the ground effect at the maximum possible rate 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. 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 surface height, the World Origin height and other mysterious factors. The Solution: (The Lawn Mower) Steps: To remove "floating" TurFX and Clutter:- Set the Effect Brush Tool action to  Decrease  Set both the  Intensity  and  Sensitivity  settings in the Tool Options Palette to 100% Using 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

 Water Effect Layer 

A Water Effect Layer will cover the entire route. Use the Ground Height Brush to raise or lower the ground to hide and reveal the water where required

When a Water Effect Layer has been selected as theTarget, the second drop down box will give a choice of five actions. The actions are identical to those found in the  Ground Height  Target plus a new action:-
Height Up Height Down Set Height Grade Bulk Adjust		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 select the Brush Tool from the Tools Palette (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 select a Brush action from the second drop down list ( Height Up ,  Height Down ,  Set Height ,  Grade  or  Set Bulk Adjust ) set any required Brush settings -  Radius ,  Height ,  Sensitivity ,  Grade  and  Angle  - from the Tool Options Palette Left Click or Left Click and Drag on the terrain to paint with the Effect Layer

The rate or speed at which the water layer height changes is controlled by the Tool Options Palette  Sensitivity  setting. Set this value to:- 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 Water Laying: To create a flat water layer use  Set Height  rather than  Height Up/Height Down  and set the Tool Options Palette  Sensitivity  to 100% The  Grade  action can be used to create a river that slowly (or rapidly) falls over a set distance

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 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.

Edit Effect Layers...

When this 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.

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

If Effect Layers are present then select one to edit

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

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

The Placement Tool

Keyboard Shortcut:  E

The  Placement Tool  adds objects to a Trainz World

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

When selected, this tool has a distinctive pointer icon which makes it easier to identify that the Placement Tool is active

The Placement Tool has no drop down menu lists.

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

Placing a Scenery Mesh Object

 Adding 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.

Steps: To add a Scenery Mesh Object the first step is to identify the exact asset you want to add. Steps , and are common to placing ALL types of objects but the selection of the object in step will change for different types of objects.

In the Asset Palette choose one of the following:-

Options:
Left Click on an asset selection icon 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 Box 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 to identify it in the Assets Palette and automatically select it for placement with the Placement Tool. Release the key Jump to Step  below (for a Scenery Mesh Object) or to Step  in one of the sections below (for a different type of object).

Optional: To narrow down the filter list type part of the object name into the Search Text Box. For example if you have selected Scenery Objects and want to find "barns", then type "barn" (UPPER/lower case does not matter).

This will list all the Scenery Objects containing the text "barn" in their name or description. Left Click on the required item in the list. When selected the object will be highlighted on a blue background and its name will appear in the Assets Palette title bar. 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 (best used when the palette is undocked and enlarged). See the Wiki Page at  How to Use the Surveyor 2.0 Palettes for more details

A Left Click on an object in the Assets Palette filter list will automatically activate the Placement Tool so the next Left Click in the route will place that object in the route.

The final step is to place the selected object into the route. Steps: if the Placement Tool is not selected then Left Click on its Tools Palette icon or press the  E  key Left Click on the spot where you want to place the object

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

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

 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

You can copy the height of a 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. Depending on the situation, choose one of the following:- Options: For an object just added with the Placement Tool and is still selected (highlighted) Steps: To copy its height into the  Height  setting:- Right Click in the Tool Options Palette  Height  setting select the  Get Height from Selection  option For an existing object that is not selected (highlighted) Steps: To copy its height into the  Height  setting:- hold down the  Alt  key and move the mouse tool pointer onto the object while holding down the  Alt  key Left Click on the object This will also change the asset selected in the Asset Palette to the object clicked and it will become the next object added by a Left Click with the Placement Tool

To set the height of a selected scenery mesh 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 Left Click in the Tool Options Palette  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).

 Moving Scenery Mesh Objects 

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

Once an scenery mesh object has been added to a route its height can be changed with the Placement Tool. See  Placement Tool Options below. It can also be easily deleted. See  Deleting Placed Objects below. But to move most placed objects (Track Objects and Rolling Stock Objects are exceptions - see below) you must switch to one of the  The Free Move Tool OR the  The Fine Ajustment Tool

Placing a Scenery or Track Spline

 Adding a Spline 

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.

Steps: Start the process of laying a track or spline by identifying and selecting the track or scenery spline as described in steps in  Placing a Scenery Mesh Object above but in Step select the Scenery Spline or the Track filter in the Assets Palette
Options:
Select from the Assets Palette icons:- spline scenery assets OR track spline assets	OR	Select from the Assets Palette drop down list:-  Scenery Splines  OR  Track

Then continue as shown below:-
		Left Click on the spot where the spline will start. This will place the start or first endpoint of the spline.
		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 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. The spline segment will now have three Context Icons, one for each endpoint and one for the spline segment. Different context menu options are provided depending on which icon you Left Click on
		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 Geeks 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 Adding a Spline Junction below
	Repeat Steps and above to continue laying the spline.

 Moving a Spline Object 

Notes: To move a spline segment or endpoint  DO NOT  click on it with the Placement Tool as this will insert a junction.

Steps: To move a spline segment or endpoint Select the Free Move Tool (or press the  S  key) or the Fine Adjustment Tool (or press the  D  key) Select the spline segment or endpoint. To select multiple spline segments use  Shift  + Left Click to select each segment Drag the selected element(s) in the required direction For more information see the sections Free Move: Spline Objects or Fine Adjustment: Spline Objects

 Adding 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  Select the Placement Tool from the Tools Palette 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:- 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

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 then the junction endpoint dot will be coloured:- RED (as shown above) if the junction exceeds the maximum allowed values for a procedural junction, OR BLACK if the junction is within the maximum allowed values for a procedural junction See the Wiki Page How to Use Procedural Track for more details

 Spline Object Context Menu 

Spline Object Context Menu Options Once a spline object has been placed you can open either of its two Context Menus - one for the spline segment and one for the endpoints (Left Click on one of its icons or press the  T  key) to access a range of options and functions. The following specific options will appear, along with other more general options, in the objects Context Menu (the exact Context Menu shown will depend on whether a segment or an endpoint was selected).  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  Spline Object Context Menu for the full list of Context Menu options for Spline Objects.

 Spline Heights with the Placement Tool 

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 of any spline segment Steps: To copy the Height of a spline segment:- hold down the  Alt  key and move the mouse tool pointer onto any spline segment while holding down the  Alt  key Left Click on the spline segment This will also change the asset selected in the Asset Palette to the object clicked and it will become the next object added by a Left Click with the Placement Tool If the segment has a slope then the height at the point clicked will be copied into the  Height  setting and the spline gradient will be copied into the  Grade  setting.   OR Use the  Height  setting drop down menu Steps: To copy the Height of the currently active (just placed) spline segment:- Right Click in the Tool Options Palette  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

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.

However, you can set the heights of any selected segment or endpoint.

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 Left Click in the Tool Options Palette  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) the  Apply Height  option, 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).

 Spline Gradients with the Placement Tool 

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 any spline segment while holding down the  Alt  key Left Click on the spline segment This will also change the asset selected in the Asset 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:- Right Click in the Tool Options Palette  Grade  setting box Select the  Get Grade from Selection  option

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: 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 . OR select the  Apply Grade to this Spline Endpoint  option from the Context Menu for the segment endoint icon (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

Once a spline segment has a gradient applied to it, each new segment added will have the same gradient applied until the  Grade  setting is changed or cancelled completely by deleting its value (setting it to  - ) which will set its last endpoint and all new segments to level with the existing ground.

Placing Track Objects

 Adding 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

Steps: Follow steps in  Placing a Scenery Mesh Object above but in Step select the Track Object filter in the Assets Palette.
Options:

Select from the Assets Palette icons:- track (non spline) assets

OR

Select from the Assets Palette drop down list:-  Track Objects

Then continue as shown below:-
	Left Click on the track at the position where you want the Track Object to be placed.

 Moving Track Objects 

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

Steps: 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.

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

 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. One or both of 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 See  Track Object Context Menu for the full list of Context Menu options for Track Objects.

Placing Rolling Stock Objects

 Adding a Rolling Stock Object 

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

Steps: Follow steps in  Placing a Scenery Mesh Object above but in Step select the Rolling Stock filter in the Assets Palette.
Options:

Select from the Assets Palette icons:- rolling stock assets

OR

Select from the Assets Palette drop down list:-  Rolling Stock

Then continue as shown below:-
	Left Click on the track at the position where you want the Rolling Stock Object to be placed.

 Moving Rolling Stock Objects 

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

Steps: To move a Track 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.

 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 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.

Placement Tool Options

Notes:   These options do not apply to Rolling Stock Objects To use the Tool Options Palette  Height  setting with the Placement Tool a value must be entered followed by the  Enter  key OR select the  Apply Height  option from the objects Context Menu (Left Click on the objects Context Icon or press the  T  key) to use the current setting. This must be performed after the object has been been placed.

 Placement Mesh Object Height Options 

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:- Right Click in the  Height  setting in the Tool Options Palette select the  Get Height from Selection  option

		In Surveyor 2.0 track objects as well as scenery mesh objects can be given a height - in the case of track objects the height is above (or below) the track. To set the height of a selected scenery or 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  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 Spline (and Track) Options 

Splines have two Placement Tool settings in the Tool Options Palette.

Grade  spline gradient (see Notes: below). The finishing endpoint of each spline segment will be set higher (for a positive grade) or lower (for a negative grade) than the starting endpoint Range:  0% (flat) to ±100% (steep but not vertical) hold down the  Alt  key and Left Click on a track or spline segment to copy the Grade value at that point into the Tool Options Palette  Grade  setting. That value can then be used to set the Grade of other spline 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 100% (perfect track condition) The Track Condition can also be set for each track segment in its Context Menu  Edit Properties  option 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 grade (such as up a cliff face) would have an infinite grade which is currently impossible in Surveyor.

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 Left Click in the Tool Options Palette  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).

Deleting Placed Objects

Steps: To delete objects:- Select the object or a group of objects by choosing one of the following:- Options: Free Move Tool (or press  S ) OR Fine Adjustment Tool (or press  D ) Multiple objects can be selected by holding down the  Shift  key when using these tools Then .. Choose one of the following:- Options: Press the  Delete  key, OR Open the Context Menu of the object (or object group) and select the  Delete  option

You can also use the Marquee Tool to select an area of the route to delete its objects With these tools (Free Move, Fine Adjustment and Marquee) you can restrict the objects that can be selected and deleted by using filters in the Assets Palette. For more information see  Narrowing the Search in the Eyedropper Tool section below

Naming an Object with the Placement Tool

A newly placed and still selected (highlighted) object can be given a name while the Placement Tool is still active

If the object is not selected (highlighted) and the Placement Tool is not active then use the Free Move Tool or the Fine Adjustment Tool to name the object

Steps: To name an object using the Placement Tool immediately after it has been placed:- Open the Context Menu of the highlighted object - either Left Click on its icon or press the  T  key Select the menu option  Edit Properties  Enter a name in the Properties Name Entry text box and click the button In the current Surveyor 2.0 Beta test versions for the next Trainz Plus release, the naming of objects has been moved to the Info Palette

The Eyedropper Tool

Keyboard Shortcut:  R

The  Eyedropper Tool  identifies and selects objects in a Trainz World

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.

When selected, this tool has a distinctive pointer icon which makes it easy to identify that the Eyedropper Tool is active

The Eyedropper Tool has no drop down menu lists.

An Eyedropper is inside all the tools so you can quickly identify any object without having to switch to the Eyedropper Tool and back again. hold down the  Alt  key and move the pointer tool onto an object to reveal its name as a  ToolTip  hold down the  Alt  key and Left Click on an object to select it in the Assets Palette list hold down the  Alt  key and Left Click on the terrain to copy the Height value at that point into the Tool Options Palette  Height  setting. That value can then be used to set the brush Height for other terrain areas hold down the  Alt  key and Left Click on a track or spline segment to copy the Grade value at that point into the Tool Options Palette  Grade  setting. That value can then be used to set the Grade of other spline segments

Steps: To use the Eyedropper:- move the pointer, which will look like an Eyedropper, over any object to reveal its name in a  ToolTip  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 an object to select it in the Assets Palette

Quick Steps

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

Left Click on the object to identify it (highlighted in grey) in the Assets Palette filter list

Left Click on the object name in the Assets Palette filter list to select it (highlighted in blue) and switch control to the Placement Tool so the next Left Click in the route will place the selected object in the route.

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".

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

At the top of the Assets Palette is a drop down box which controls how the 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.

Asset Filter Options:  Filter List  this option will have no effect on the operation of the Tool or on the objects displayed on the screen. It is the default setting and any selections made with the Tool will be shown in the Assets Palette as described in the section Quick Steps above.  Filter Selection  this option will restrict the Tool to only working on those objects that are in the filtered list. Objects that are not in the filtered list cannot be selected.  Filter Visibility  this option will hide all objects 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, cannot be selected.

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.
		The Visibility Filter option has been applied to restict visible object to those selected by the Asset Filter settings. The filtered list has been set to display only Scenery Splines. All objects except Scenery Splines, Ground Textures and Effect Layers are now hidden. Now only Scenery Splines can be selected.
		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 or descriptions have now been hidden. Now only the remaining visible Scenery Splines can be selected.

The Free Move Tool

Keyboard Shortcut:  S

The  Free Move Tool  moves objects around a Trainz World

This 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.

The Free Move Tool has no drop down menu lists.

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

Naming an Object with the Free Move Tool

Steps: To name an object using the Free Move Tool:- Select the object to be named. If more than one object has been selected then only the object with the Context Icon will be named Open the Context Menu of the selected object - either Left Click on its icon or press the  T  key Select the menu option  Edit Properties  Enter a name in the Properties Name Entry text box and click the button In the current Surveyor 2.0 Beta test versions for the next Trainz Plus release, the naming of objects has been moved to the Info Palette

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.

 Free Move: Move a Mesh Object 

Steps: To move a Scenery Mesh Object:- Select the Free Move Tool (or press the  S  key) Left Click and Drag the object in any horizontal direction When moving a scenery object, its height will be fixed to the terrain height.

 Free Move: Set 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:- Right Click in the  Height  setting in the Tool Options Palette select the  Get Height from Selection  option

To set the height of a selected scenery mesh 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 Left Click in the Tool Options Palette  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).

 Free Move: 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 the icon or press the  T  key. The icon design will vary between object types.

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  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, as far as possible, the height 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 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  Select in Assets Palette  highlights the selected object in the Assets Palette  Edit Properties  opens the Properties window of the selected object

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 and beside the track

Step: To move a track object horizontally:- Left Click and Drag the object anywhere in the horizontal plane including away from the track

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

Track objects that have been moved away from or closer to the track will still function normally.

 Free Move: Set the Height of a Track Object 

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

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

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 Left Click in the Tool Options Palette  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 still be moved along the track without reversing the height change .

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: 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

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 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 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.  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, as far as possible, the height 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 objects to the value in the Tool Options Palette  Height  setting  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  Rotate Trackside  reverses the position of the object on the track (e.g. to the other side)  Change Junction Direction  if the object is a track switch then its switch direction will be reversed  Select  in Assets Palette  highlights the selected object in the Assets Palette  Edit Properties  opens the Properties window of the selected object

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.

Steps: To rotate a track object:- Open the track objects Context Menu (Left Click the 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 joined segments linked at the endpoints.

Moving a spline can involve moving one of the following:- Options: an endpoint, OR a segment, OR multiple segments including the whole length of the spline

 Free Move: Move Spline Endpoints 

Steps: To move an individual spline endpoint:- 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 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.

Not all splines have endpoints at each ends. 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. 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:- 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. Temporary spline endpoints can be made permanent by selecting the  Insert Spline Point Here  option from the segment Context Menu

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 will have the temporary endpoint and Context Icons added. To select ALL the segments in a spline, Double Left Click on a segment If the spline contains a junction then this will only select all the segments upto the junction point The segment that you double-clicked will have the temporary endpoint and Context Icons added.

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

 Free Move: 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.

The Free Move Tool cannot be used to add a junction, you MUST USE the Placement Tool

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  Select the Placement Tool from the Tools Palette 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:- 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

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 then the junction endpoint dot will be coloured:- RED (as shown above) if the junction exceeds the maximum allowed values for a procedural junction, OR BLACK if the junction is within the maximum allowed values for a procedural junction See the Wiki Page How to Use Procedural Track for more details

 Free Move: Set Spline Height 

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 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. This option will also change the asset selected in the Asset Palette to the object clicked and it will become the next object added by a Left Click with the Placement Tool If the segment has a slope then the height at the point clicked will be copied into the  Height  setting and the spline gradient will be copied into the  Grade  setting   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 Right Click in the Tool Options Palette  Height  setting box Select the  Get Height from Selection  option If the selected spline segment has a slope then the height at its midpoint will be used

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 Left Click in the Tool Options Palette  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).

 Free Move: Set Spline Gradient 

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 Asset 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 Right Click in the Tool Options Palette  Grade  setting box Select the  Get Grade from Selection  option

To set the gradient of a selected spline segment (including track), choose one of the following:- Options: 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 . OR select the  Apply Grade to this Spline Endpoint  option from the Context Menu for the segment endoint icon (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.

 Free Move: Spline Object Context Menu 

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

Spline Object Context Menus
Endpoint Context Menu	Segment Context Menu

Cut  remove the segment or segments and move them into the Scrapbook ( only)  Copy  remove the segment or segments and move them into the Scrapbook ( only)  Paste  paste the contents of the current Scrapbook at the cursor (focus) point  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)  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 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  highlights the selected spline object in the Assets Palette  Edit Properties  opens the Properties window of the selected spline object

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.

 Free Move: Move Rolling Stock Objects 

Use the Free Move tool to move a selected rolling stock object along 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

Notes: 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 string 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.

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

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 by choosing one of the following:- Options: 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 Using the Merge into a 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 Using the Merge into a 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

Rolling Stock Object Context Menu

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.  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.  Smooth Ground Under Selected  changes the height of the terrain under the rolling stock object to match its set 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 consist asset in the Assets Palette  Select in Assets Palette  highlights the selected rolling stock object in the Assets Palette  Edit Properties  opens the Properties window of the selected rolling stock object

The Fine Adjustment Tool

Keyboard Shortcut:  D

The  Fine Adjustment Tool  makes 3D adjustments (position and rotations) to objects in a Trainz World

This 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.

The Fine Adjustment Tool has no drop down menu lists.

Fine Adjustment Alternatives In addition to the Fine Adjustment Tool the position and/or height of objects can be changed by choosing one of the following:- Options: using the  Free Move Tool editing its  x   y   z   r   p   y  values in  The Info Palette 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, called Anchors, which control the position and orientation of an object or a group of objects.

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.  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).

Naming an Object with the Fine Adjustment Tool

Steps: To name an object using the Fine Adjustment Tool:- Select the object to be named. If more than one object has been selected then only the object with the Context Icon will be named Open the Context Menu of the selected object - either Left Click on its icon or press the  T  key Select the menu option  Edit Properties  Enter a name in the Properties Name Entry text box and click the button In the current Surveyor 2.0 Beta test versions for the next Trainz Plus release, the naming of objects has been moved to the Info Palette

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.

 Fine Adjustment: Move a 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.

Blue  vertical Anchor movement

Green  Anchor rotation

Red  Anchor rotation

Blue  Anchor rotation

Notes: Not all objects will have  Red  or  Green  Rotational Anchors 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.

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:- Right Click in the  Height  setting in the Tool Options Palette select the  Get Height from Selection  option

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 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 Left Click in the Tool Options Palette  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).

 Fine Adjustment: 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 the icon or press the  T  key. The icon design will vary between object types.

Mesh Object Context Menu

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 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  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, as far as possible, the height 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 objects to the value in the Tool Options Palette  Height  setting  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  highlights the selected object in the Assets Palette  Edit Properties  opens the Properties window of the selected object

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

 Fine Adjustment: Move a Track Object 

Track objects can be dragged to new positions along and beside the track

To move a track object horizontally, choose one of the following:- Options: For movements along the track - Left Click and Drag:- anywhere within the object (except on an Anchor Line or Anchor Point), OR on the  Green  horizontal Anchor line (movement is restricted to the Anchor line and track only) 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 only), OR on the Object Anchor (the black dot) to get unrestricted horizontal movement For most track objects the Rotational Anchors have no effect

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 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 Track objects that have been moved away from or closer to the track will still function normally.

 Fine Adjustment: Set the Height of a Track Object 

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

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

Throw Lever track object level with track 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 still be moved along the track without reversing the height change .

For most track objects the Rotational Anchors have no effect

 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

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 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 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.  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, as far as possible, the height 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 objects to the value in the Tool Options Palette  Height  setting  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  Rotate Trackside  reverses the position of the object on the track (e.g. to the other side)  Change Junction Direction  if the object is a track switch then its switch direction will be reversed  Select in Assets Palette  highlights the selected object in the Assets Palette  Edit Properties  opens the Properties window of the selected object

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.

Steps: To rotate a track object:- Open the track objects Context Menu (Left Click the 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 joined segments linked at the endpoints.

To move a spline, choose one of the following:- Options: moving an endpoint, OR moving a segment, OR moving multiple segments including the whole length of the spline

 Fine Adjustment: Move Spline Endpoints 

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 Spline Segments 

The  Green  rotational Anchor CANNOT be used on Track splines

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. Left Click and Drag one of the following:-   Options: an Anchor to move the endpoint in that specific direction, OR anywhere in a segment to move it in any direction in the horizontal plane

To select:- more than one segment -  Shift  + Left Click on each segment ALL the segments - Double Left Click on a segment. This will select segments in both directions from the segment clicked. If the spline contains a junction then this will only select the segments upto the junction point

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.

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

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

 Fine Adjustment: Add a 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.

The Fine Adjustment Tool cannot be used to add a junction, you MUST USE the Placement Tool

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  Select the Placement Tool from the Tools Palette 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:- 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

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 then the junction endpoint dot will be coloured:- RED (as shown above) if the junction exceeds the maximum allowed values for a procedural junction, OR BLACK if the junction is within the maximum allowed values for a procedural junction See the Wiki Page How to Use Procedural Track for more details

 Fine Adjustment: Set Spline Height 

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 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. This option will also change the asset selected in the Asset Palette to the object clicked and it will become the next object added by a Left Click with the Placement Tool If the segment has a slope then the height at the point clicked will be copied into the  Height  setting and the spline gradient will be copied into the  Grade  setting   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 Right Click in the Tool Options Palette  Height  setting box Select the  Get Height from Selection  option If the selected spline segment has a slope then the height at its midpoint will be used

To set the height of a selected spline (including track) or endpoint, 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 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 Left Click in the Tool Options Palette  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).

 Fine Adjustment: Set Spline Gradient 

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 Asset 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 Right Click in the Tool Options Palette  Grade  setting box Select the  Get Grade from Selection  option

To set the gradient of a selected spline segment (including track), choose one of the following:- Options: 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 . OR select the  Apply Grade to this Spline Endpoint  option from the Context Menu for the segment endoint icon (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.

 Fine Adjustment: Spline Object Context Menu 

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: 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 Object Context Menus
Endpoint Context Menu	Segment Context Menu

Cut  remove the segment or segments and move them into the Scrapbook ( only)  Copy  remove the segment or segments and move them into the Scrapbook ( only)  Paste  paste the contents of the current Scrapbook at the cursor (focus) point  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)  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 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  highlights the selected spline object in the Assets Palette  Edit Properties  opens the Properties window of the selected spline object

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.

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 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

Notes: 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 string 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.

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

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 by choosing one of the following:- Options: 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 Using the Merge into a 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 Using the Merge into a 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 objects Context menu choose one of the following:- Options: Left Click its Context Icon OR Press the  T  key

Spline Object Context Menu

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.  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.  Smooth Ground Under Selected  changes the height of the terrain under the rolling stock object to match its set 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 consist asset in the Assets Palette  Select in Assets Palette  highlights the selected rolling stock object in the Assets Palette  Edit Properties  opens the Properties window of the selected rolling stock object

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 height of a Rolling Stock Object (locomotive, wagon, etc) CANNOT be altered 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 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.

Object Height Above Ground Height  Steps: 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  Steps: 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 Open the Focus controls in the Info Palette 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  selects and copies objects, deletes baseboards, adds new baseboards and sets their properties, adds texture to baseboards in a Trainz World

Some features of this tool use the Scrapbook Palette, Assets Palette and Tool Options Palette. If these palettes are not visible on the screen then refer to  Notes: Palettes at the top of this document.

The Marquee Tool has no drop down menu lists.

The Marquee Tool draws out a rectangular area, the Marquee Selection Area, on the route. Any objects (including Ground Heights, Ground Textures and Effect Layers) that are inside the Marquee Selection Area or touched by its boundary will be selected. You can use the Asset Palette filters to restrict the objects that will be selected in the Marquee Selection Area

In the image above:-
	a road spline at the bottom and a house at the lower left of the Marquee Selection Area have been overlain 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.
	The road spline was the last object that was included in the selection area so its Context Icons are also present.

Not shown in the image, because they are 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 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

Steps: To Create a Marquee Selection Area:- select the Marquee Tool (or press the  F  key) Left Click and Drag out the Marquee Selection Area around the objects to be selected

The Marquee Tool and the Assets Palette Filter

The Assets Palette filter tools can be used to restrict the objects selected by the Marquee Tool.

Steps: To restrict the objects selected by the Marquee Tool:- set the Filter Type in the Assets Palette to  Filter Selection  set the other filter options in the Assets Palette to narrow down the type of objects (e.g.  Scenery Splines  and/or enter a partial name in the Text Box) select the Marquee Tool from the Tools Palette (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 Assets Palette filters will be selected by the Marquee

Using the Filters shown above, the Marquee Selection Area only selects scenery spline objects.

Marquee Anchor Controls

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 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 image above 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 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 has been used to lift the Marquee Selection Area upwards.

Notes: The Marquee Anchors will move:- the selected scenery objects. If the objects are in locked layers then they will be copied before being moved and the original objects will remain in place the ground textures. As shown in two of the images this will leave the original baseboard ground texture showing the effect layers the ground heights

Scrapbook Operations

Notes: Scrapbooks, when created, will contain:- Ground Heights Ground Textures Effect Layers - if present Selected Objects - scenery items, splines, track, signals, etc  But NOT Rolling Stock (Trains)  Ground heights, textures and effect layers are always included in a scrapbook but you can control which visible objects are added by manually selecting them.

Notes: Scrapbooks, when painted or pasted, can contain any combinations of:- Ground Heights Ground Textures 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 categories are copied and how they are copied from the scrapbook into a route.

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 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 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 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 section above).

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 height, ground textures, and any effect layers, will be copied into a new Scrapbook

When a new Scrapbook is created by a  Cut  or  Copy , 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 №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 (pressing the  Enter  key does not work - a known bug) 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

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, textures and 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 resolution selected from the two options -  5m Grid  and  10m Grid . If the selection area covers any empty spaces outside the existing baseboards then new baseboards will be created using the ground height in the Tool Options Palette. See Notes: below  Delete Baseboards in Marquee  deletes the entire baseboard or baseboards covered by the selection area. See Notes: below  Select in Assets Palette  identifies and selects in the Assets Palette the most common ground texture used in the 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.

Managing Baseboards

The Marquee is a powerful tool for adding, deleting and changing the properties of multiple baseboards

Steps: To add new baseboards:- select the Marquee Tool (or press the  F  key). Left Click and Drag to draw out an area where the new baseboards will be added. This area can include the current baseboard. 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 Create new baseboards, and to Convert selected baseboards to a different Grid Resolution, select the Context Menu option  Convert Baseboards To >  then select a resolution from two sub-options,  5m Grid  and  10m Grid . If existing baseboards have been selected then they will also be converted to the new resolution. To Delete baseboards select the Context Menu option  Delete Baseboards in Marquee . The  Ctrl  +  Z  keys can Undo the deletion. To set the selected baseboards to the  Height  value in the Tool Options Palette 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.

Mass Object Moves and Clones

Both the Free Move Tool and the Fine Adjustment Tool can move and clone (copy) single and multiple objects. The Marquee Tool can also move and clone objects but it will include the Ground Surface Height, Ground Textures and any Effect Layers in the cloning and moving operations.

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 move Ground Heights, Ground Textures and Effect Layers as well as objects.

	Steps: To select multiple objects:- 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

 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.

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:- use either the Free Move Tool or the Fine Adjustment Tool to select the object or objects  Ctrl  + Left Click and Drag on any of the selected objects

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:-
	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

Palette Coordinates

The components of the Info Palette are identified in the image below.

Each of the small arrowhead icons will open the palette to display more information and some controls.

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 drop down menus that allow values to be transferred to and from other settings and other tools.

Steps: Right Click inside an Info Palette 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 Info Palette 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.

Before changing the cursor position with the Focus controls, set a Bookmark at its current position.

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 original (first) baseboard by entering 0 as the Focus  x  and  y  co-ordinates

Asset Name Menu

You must have an object (or objects) selected for a 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 objects 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) - copies the objects text details into your Operating System Clipboard for pasting, for example, into a text editor  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  selects and highlights the selected object in the Assets Palette

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    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 or the Layers Palette but the Layers Palette is often the better 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 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

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 list. 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.

The Active Layer is the layer used by the Placement Tool when objects are added to a route (or session). This button gives you the opportunity to set the Active Layer to the same layer that you just used to assign to an object. Its use is optional.

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  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

Steps: To change the assigned binding layer of an object or group of objects:- Left Click on the Binding drop down box. If the object is already bound to a layer (for a single selected object only) the binding layer will be shown with a in front of its name Select the Binding layer name from the drop down list. 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

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 Buildings") its binding layer set (in the example to "Multi Industries") the newly assigned layer is not locked so you have the option to lock it the newly assigned layer is not the Active Layer so you have the option to 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 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.

---