mmackin
06-04-2001, 03:35 PM
How to Paint Guide
By Marc Mackin
Well, not all of the textures are available for you to paint. The Samples are exactly what they say. They are samples for you to get an Idea and can use to get started. The best thing to do is start simple with a boxcar. The engines have a few more textures and take a bit longer to do, but doing a boxcar will get you moving in the right direction.
Step 1
Find a texture in your Samples directory in the Train Simulator folder.
Now this texture is not the file being used in game, but was used to create the file to be used in game. Us2freight6.tga We will use this for are example.
Now take this texture and load it into your paint program that supports TGA files. Most preferred is Photoshop if you have it. I’m not sure why some files are BMP and others are TGA’s maybe to save memory space? I do know that TGA’s do support Alpha channels. Alpha channels allow you to do transparences on the texture, for windows and grates, and well anything you need to see through. You will only be able to access the Alpha channel in your Paint Program that let’s you separate the RGB values along with the Alpha.
Step 2
Color, or import an image on to the texture. You have to stay with in the limits of the texture. The easiest way to do this is to use Layers. Layers are like pieces of transparceces on top of your texture. The orginal will stay at it is, and you paint or trace on your layer. This way you can check back and forth of placement of text and other things that are on the texture. While keeping your original as a template. But this is not necessary.
Step 3
Save your new texture with a new name. Newtexture.Tga Save it as the save file format that you loaded it in as. Either BMP or TGA.
Step 4
Go into your Utils directory of Microsoft Simulator. Copy the makeace.exe program to where your new texture is saved.
Step 5
Open a Dos prompt, go to the directory where your texture is and the makeace.exe program is.
Step 6
Type
Makeace.exe newtexturename.tga Us2freight6.ace
You now have an ace file which is what train simulator uses for the actual in game texture map.
Step 7
You can now either go to the US2Freight6 directory rename or backup the Us2freight6.ace file in that directory and place your new one in it’s place. Any Freight6 car that’s in a Activity or preset consist file will have the new texture.
OR you can
1) Create a new folder under
\Program Files\Microsoft Games\Train Simulator\TRAINS\TRAINSET
With whatever name you want.
2) Copy all the files from the folder of a similar type of the car texture you just created. Into your new folder.
3) In your new folder rename the files that end with .wag, .s and .sd to
a new name, otherwise Train Simulator doesn't recognize it as a new car.
Make all the prefix parts of the name the same, i.e.:
mycar.wag
mycar.s
mycar.sd
4) Load the .wag file into WordPad.
a) Look for the line that starts with "Wagon" and give your car a unique
name
b) Look for the line that starts with "WagonShape" and change the file name
here to the name of your .s file, as you named it in step 3)
c) Save the file.
Now you need to go to your Windows Start menu where the Train Simulator is, and launch the Editor and tools. Go into the Activity Editor, load up an Activity and now you can access the consists editor. Either modify or create a new consists with your new box car. Save it out as a different name. Exit and start MSTS. Go into the proper route where you created your new activity and it should be listed. Or you can just go to free mode, and your consist file should also be located in the list. I hope this helps.
Marc Mackin
marcmackin@yahoo.com
By Marc Mackin
Well, not all of the textures are available for you to paint. The Samples are exactly what they say. They are samples for you to get an Idea and can use to get started. The best thing to do is start simple with a boxcar. The engines have a few more textures and take a bit longer to do, but doing a boxcar will get you moving in the right direction.
Step 1
Find a texture in your Samples directory in the Train Simulator folder.
Now this texture is not the file being used in game, but was used to create the file to be used in game. Us2freight6.tga We will use this for are example.
Now take this texture and load it into your paint program that supports TGA files. Most preferred is Photoshop if you have it. I’m not sure why some files are BMP and others are TGA’s maybe to save memory space? I do know that TGA’s do support Alpha channels. Alpha channels allow you to do transparences on the texture, for windows and grates, and well anything you need to see through. You will only be able to access the Alpha channel in your Paint Program that let’s you separate the RGB values along with the Alpha.
Step 2
Color, or import an image on to the texture. You have to stay with in the limits of the texture. The easiest way to do this is to use Layers. Layers are like pieces of transparceces on top of your texture. The orginal will stay at it is, and you paint or trace on your layer. This way you can check back and forth of placement of text and other things that are on the texture. While keeping your original as a template. But this is not necessary.
Step 3
Save your new texture with a new name. Newtexture.Tga Save it as the save file format that you loaded it in as. Either BMP or TGA.
Step 4
Go into your Utils directory of Microsoft Simulator. Copy the makeace.exe program to where your new texture is saved.
Step 5
Open a Dos prompt, go to the directory where your texture is and the makeace.exe program is.
Step 6
Type
Makeace.exe newtexturename.tga Us2freight6.ace
You now have an ace file which is what train simulator uses for the actual in game texture map.
Step 7
You can now either go to the US2Freight6 directory rename or backup the Us2freight6.ace file in that directory and place your new one in it’s place. Any Freight6 car that’s in a Activity or preset consist file will have the new texture.
OR you can
1) Create a new folder under
\Program Files\Microsoft Games\Train Simulator\TRAINS\TRAINSET
With whatever name you want.
2) Copy all the files from the folder of a similar type of the car texture you just created. Into your new folder.
3) In your new folder rename the files that end with .wag, .s and .sd to
a new name, otherwise Train Simulator doesn't recognize it as a new car.
Make all the prefix parts of the name the same, i.e.:
mycar.wag
mycar.s
mycar.sd
4) Load the .wag file into WordPad.
a) Look for the line that starts with "Wagon" and give your car a unique
name
b) Look for the line that starts with "WagonShape" and change the file name
here to the name of your .s file, as you named it in step 3)
c) Save the file.
Now you need to go to your Windows Start menu where the Train Simulator is, and launch the Editor and tools. Go into the Activity Editor, load up an Activity and now you can access the consists editor. Either modify or create a new consists with your new box car. Save it out as a different name. Exit and start MSTS. Go into the proper route where you created your new activity and it should be listed. Or you can just go to free mode, and your consist file should also be located in the list. I hope this helps.
Marc Mackin
marcmackin@yahoo.com