Content Creator's Guide

The pages linked here are partially-updated extracts from the obsolete Content Creation Guide booklet/pdf. They are maintained here thanks to the attention of Trainz community members. While the information presented here is in an friendly-to-read format, it is often following outdated recommendations and may result in content that does not work in supported Trainz versions and is not eligible for uploading to the Download Station. For up-to-date information, please review the detailed content specifications here.

Contents

Chapter 1: The basics

• Introduction
• New in TC
• The Basics of Content Creation
• KUID Numbering
• Trainz Build

Chapter 2: Introduction to Kinds, Containers, Tags, and Config.txt files

(Please note that an up-to-date listing of all asset kinds is available on the Content Configuration page.)

Kinds Config.txt Files Effects Kind: HTML-Asset Kind: Product Aviation Fuel Product Coal Product General Goods Product Crude Oil Product Diesel Fuel Product 20ft Container Product 40ft Container Product Lumber Product Petrol Fuel Product Water Product Woodchips Product Passenger Product Kind: Engine Diesel Engine File Breakdown Steam Engine File Breakdown Kind: Bogey Kind: Traincar

Kind: EngineSound Kind: HornSound Kind: DriverCharacter Kind: Interior Diesel Cab Diesel Cab Script Config.txt Breakdown Steam Cab Steam Cab Script Kind: Pantograph Kind: Environment Kind: Water2 Kind: Map Kind: Profile Kind: GroundTexture Kind: Scenery Kind: Industry Portal Multi Industry New Passenger Station Asset Passenger Vehicle Asset Kind: FixedTrack

Kind: Track Kind: Track (Rails) Kind: Track (Road) Kind: Bridge Kind: Bridge - Single Track Kind: Bridge - Tunnel Kind: Bridge - Double Track Kind: MOCrossing Kind: MOSpeedBoard Kind: MOSignal Kind: MOJunction Kind: Mesh Kind: TurnTable Kind: Activity Kind: Texture Kind: Buildable Miscellaneous Config.txt Tags

Chapter 3: Understanding and using Content Creator Plus

• Getting Started
• Using Content Creator Plus
• Inheritance Template

Chapter 4: Using Content Creator Plus to create a New Asset

• Creating a New Asset

Chapter 5: Common Containers and Tags

• Common Containers and Tags
• Common Containers
• Common Tags
• Other Regularly Used Containers
• Other Regularly Used Tags

Chapter 6: All Other Containers and Tags

All Other Containers and Tags Activity Behavior Bogey Bridge Buildable Chunky-Track - Obsolete (link removed) DriverCharacter DriverCommand Double-Track - Obsolete (link removed) Engine EngineSound Environment Fixed-Track GroundTexture

Hornsound HTML-Asset Industry Interior Library Mesh Mesh-Reducing-Track MOCrossing MOJunction MOSignal MOSpeedboard Paintshed-skin Paintshed-Template Pantograph Product

Product-Category Profile Region Scenery Scenery-Trackside Steam-Engine Texture Texture-Group Track TrackSound TrainCar Tunnel Turntable Water2

Chapter 7: Example Assets using each Kind

Kind Examples Activity Behavior Bogey Bogey (Animated Bogey) Bogey (Steam Bogey) Bridge Buildable Chunky-Track Double-Track DriverCharacter DriverCommand Engine (Diesel) Engine (Electric) EngineSound (Diesel\Electric) EngineSound (Steam) Environment Fixed Track (Simple) Fixed Track (Junction) GroundTexture GroundTexture (Clutter Mesh) HornSound (1 Part)

HornSound (2 Part) HornSound (3 Part) Html-Asset Industry (Multiple Industry) Industry (Coal Mine) Interior (Diesel) Interior Electric) Interior (Steam) Library Map Mesh Mesh-Reducing-Track MOCrossing MOJunction MOSignal MOSpeedBoard Pantograph Paintshed-Template Paintshed-Template Product (Coal Product) Product (General Goods Product) Product (Diesel Fuel Product)

Product (40Ft Container Product) Product (Lumber Product) Product (Passenger Product) Product-Category Profile Scenery Scenery-Trackside Steam-Engine Texture Texture-Group Track TrackSound TrainCar (Coal Hopper) TrainCar (Diesel Engine) TrainCar (Electric Engine) TrainCar (Rollingstock) TrainCar (Passenger Car) TrainCar (Steam Engine) Tunnel TurnTable (Animated) TurnTable (Not Animated) Water2 Displacements

Chapter 8: Modelling Guidelines

3DSMax Interface with Trainz 3DSMax Initial Setup Merging and Exporting Animation Requirements Attachments General Modelling Notes Config.txt File Problems with Model Exports PolyCount Textures and File Sizes Locomotive Numbering Bump Mapping Information

Textures and Opacity Effects Placement in 3DSMax Opacity Fade Out Alpha Channel Use Applying Opacity to Models Opacity Settings in 3DSMax Opacity Interference Special Use of Opacity - Reflection Materials Opacity on Roads, Track and Bridges Opacity Texture Bleeding Texture Clarity Textures for Tiling Creating an Interior for Trainz Steam Cab Interiors Animated Levers Steam Cab Fire and Coal Glow Effects

Researching Data and Testing a Steam Locomotive Narrow Gauge Geared Locomotives Tenders Animation Events Level of Detail Mesh Reduction Load Texture Replacement TrainCar Directory Structure Aliasing Trains Bogeys Pantographs Turntable (Transfer Table) FixedTrack FixedTrack Junctions Chunky Mesh Track TrainzOptions File ViewPoints in Surveyor

Chapter 9: Uploading to the Download Station

• Uploading to the Download Station
• Uploading Process

Chapter 10: Particle Effects and Soundscripts

• PFX from Config.txt
  • Adding Smoke Tags
  • Sequence Properties
  • Example 1 - Smoke from a Factory's Chimney
  • Example 2 - Steam Train
  • Twinkles PFX
• Sound Scripts
• Horn Sounds

Chapter 11: Appendices

• Appendix A - Classes and Codes
• Appendix A - Region Codes
• Appendix A - Era Codes
• Appendix B - Kinds and Containers
• Appendix C - Tags and Containers
• Appendix D - New Functions in Trainz Classics
  • Freeways - one way and multi-lane roads
  • Flashing ditch lights
  • Headlights - low and high beam
  • Operating lights on roadway traffic
  • Sound functions for electric locomotives
  • Traincar Interiors
  • Routes or maps
  • Other useful information
  • Scripting
• Acknowledgements

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