Route Blueprint

[nwman]

Can someone help me with 2.3.2 Texture ID? I'm just not sure what<file name>.ace to use.Is that my route name or what do I use?I used 82.27977long and 3767627lat and I'm not sure what files I need to download for my route.Thanks nwman.

[zbobg]

I just had this trouble and figured out what to do.

This is the picture that displays when the route is loading. You need a "power of 2" sized picture. That means something like 1024x512 or 512x512 or a pic with sizes that are a power of 2. The standard routes use 1024x512.

Make a 32 bit (or 24 bit) bitmap with or without an alpha channel (probably better without), save as a .tga or .bmp file. Or cut and paste an existing pic to size.

It helps to put the source pic (.bmp or .tga) in the TemplateRoutes folder that is in your Source folder.

Use the ToAce.exe program in the RailSim root folder to open your pic, click 'Save' to convert it to an ACE file (don't click the convert button - that's confusing). Use the 32bit ARGB format in the filetype selection box (I think it's the first one in the list). Give the name of your newly created .ace file as the Texture ID. The ID name will be 'TemplateRoutes/yourfilename.ace' - replace 'yourfilename' with your file name.

It might also be possible to just put nothing on that line - haven't tried it.

[Paddington bear]

Hi,
could you explain how this is related to creating a route blueprint. would make helping a whole lot easier. theres no need for texture files when creating the basic route blueprint.
The picture displayed when routes are loading has nothing to do with individual routes.

Ross

[zbobg]

could you explain how this is related to creating a route blueprint.

theres no need for texture files when creating the basic route blueprint.

The picture displayed when routes are loading has nothing to do with individual routes.

When you use the Asset Editor and create a route blueprint there is a line in the route blueprint labeled 'Texture ID'.

It wants to be filled with the name of the graphics file that you want displayed when the route loads.

Since it is a part of the route blueprint I think it's useful for you to know what goes in that line and how to get there.

I did say that you could probably leave that line blank, but it's still a part of the route blueprint and it does not say optional. The average user will assume that the line MUST have something in it or the creation of the route blueprint will fail.

So, an explanation of that line is useful. Besides, that WAS the question that was asked.

[nwman]

How in the world can you get a picture of your route before you get it built?Let me see you get that one done.Ha'Ha'

[nwman]

You said In your post it could be 24 or 36 bit,but If the toace is looking for 32 whatever is in the list then should you only use 32 bit?I have a picture to use but it's 24bit so how do I change It to 32bit in PSP7?The toace gives an error now when I try to change picture to ace file.Thanks nwman.

[Paddington bear]

HI,
I looked at my route blueprints and yip under GHOST there is a field for texture file......


It wants to be filled with the name of the graphics file that you want displayed when the route loads.

and an extract from the DEV DOCs says........

2.3.2 Texture ID
This field is used to specify the location of the loading screen to be displayed for the route.
As you have already stated the Provider and Product names above, you can omit this detail
from location you type in.
For Example:
Source\Kuju\RailSimulator\TemplateRoutes\<file name>.ace
Should be written as:
TemplateRoutes\<file name>.ace


So I can say your question has aided my quest for knowledge and expanded it. Thanks for that. I based my reply on the knowledge generaly floating around, So far there has been no mention of putting anything in that field and it works just fine left blank, in which case obviously the game assumes to use the defaults.

Now I will experiment with changing pics.

Ross
It's just a logic puzzle.

[rudder]

Hi all, I am trying to do my route with " route blueprint freeware ". Would it be right to ask someone who has this working, to post A copy of it so this simpleton, And others who are struggeling can see how it is done . thanks.

[zbobg]

I have a picture to use but it's 24bit so how do I change It to 32bit in PSP7?The toace gives an error now when I try to change picture to ace file.
24 bit and 32 bit are usually interchangeable and shouldn't cause ToAce to fail. I used a 24 bit .tga source pic with an alpha channel for my route. ToAce also works with plain .bmp files. I use both PSP7 and PSP9 to prepare graphics files.

The problem is probably the size. It MUST be a "power of 2" size. That means the horiz and vert dimensions must both be a "power of 2" like 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, 256, 512 and 1024 (and so on). The two sizes don't have to be equal, the standard pic is 1024x512. You can have an alpha channel or not.

You don't have to use an actual pic of your route although you could use a dummy file to set up the blueprint and later prepare a nice pic. You could use a pic of rolling-stock, or just a text description or logo, or a map of the route. (I know you were just kidding.)

[zbobg]

HI,
So far there has been no mention of putting anything in that field and it works just fine left blank, in which case obviously the game assumes to use the defaults.

I could have sworn that the (current) official blueprint editor would fail if that line was left blank. I'll have to try it again with it blank.

I think if you use the RS_Tools 'Easy Blueprints" you just skip over the graphics file. The graphics file clearly doesn't need to be there for the route to run but it is nice to have a nice picture with your custom logo on it when the route starts up.

What is used as default loading pic anyway? I'll have to try that.

[rudder]

Ok, now what?. I have my blueprint made and saved ( I hope ) At the end of the blueprint guide It say's " save and export it " save is ok. export It to where? I have tried several locations . no show in sim. By the way I did not include anything in the texture Id. part. still working on that. thanks.

[Paddington bear]

Hi,

Just click on the export and watch it do its thing. The result is put in the right place in RS all by its self. You can see the progress in the bottom section of the window, if it is successful it will tell you that the build is successful other wise there will be stop sign icons showing what went wrong. The save does not do anything in RS, it only saves the file for us humans and saves us having to do it all over again.

[rudder]

Thanks for your reply, I can see now what I did wrong ( my wife is right , i am stupid ) I did not reilize that all of the work was done in the asset editor I edited the xml file in notepad, and then tried to get the sim to work. I will try again. Thanks.

[rudder]

Hi again, corrected the prob.
route showes up, All I need to do is get the dem to show.thanks again.

[zbobg]

To actually create the route once you have a blueprint you run RailSim and click Routes/New Route then base it on your new blueprint.

[nwman]

Thanks for your reply, but my drawing is the right size i checked it again.Would you be willing to check it for me and at least i'll know if sonething is wrong with my ace converter.I tryed it at least another ten times tonight,but I did notice that the file names does not have bitmap.All I see in the list is RGBA formats .I even tryed that no good.Thanks nwman.

[zbobg]

Well, now I'm having ToAce crash. I have no clue why.

ToAce does convert square images without crashing - just not rectangular ones.

ToAce does open .bmp files under the 'All supported files' type.

I'm sure something is wrong with the program, or ToAce was designed with only square image support (which I believe is the case).

There may be an alternative program that could be used if I can find out exactly what format is being used. I think the old MSTS .ace format will not work but I'll try a few different options and a few different converters and see if I can find something that works.

Until then you can do a square graphic just to fill the empty space even if it's just a dummy file. Or do nothing at all - the route blueprint will build without a graphics file.

{UPDATE}
The ToAce program apparently does not support the non-square format.

The 3DSMax Ace plugin DOES support a non-square .ace format. So if you have 3DSMax - use it.

There is a workaround to getting a non-square graphic into your route. The only reason you do this is that you want a file reference to your loading-screen graphic in your route blueprint.

Create a dummy SQUARE (like 256x256) graphic, use ToAce to create an .ace file, put that filename in your route blueprint, save and export the blueprint.

Prepare a non-square loading-screen graphic and save as a .dds format file with 32bit ARGB no-mipmaps options. This will be used to replace your dummy file. It needs to be the same name (minus the extension) as the dummy .ace file. For example 'sameSomething.ace' and 'sameSomething.dds'.

Save and export your blueprint. Exporting the blueprint creates your loading-screen graphic file, 'something.TgPcDx', which needs to be manually replaced.

Go to your TemplateRoutes folder in your route's (export) folder in the Assets folder. Find your graphic named 'something.TgPcDx', use RS_Tools_TMB to open the file and extract the .dds file (Conversions|convert RS to dds), DO NOT close the RS_Tools editor.

Go to the RS_Tools_TMB TempFiles folder, replace the 'something.dds' dummy file that you just extracted from the .TcPcDx file with your previously prepared non-square new .dds file. Remember that it MUST be the same name including the .dds extension and MUST be a .dds type file.

Go back to the RS_Tools editor and import that new .dds file (Conversions|convert dds to RS), remember that it has to be the exact same name as the file you extracted. You will have the option of opening ANY filename, the filename must be the same as your original dummy file, RS_Tools uses that to properly import the graphic into the same-named .TcPcDx file which should still be open in the RS_Tools editor.

Close the RS_Tools editor, you're done for now. If you rebuild your blueprint you may have to repeat this because the rebuild may replace your modified .TgPcDx file with the original dummy one. This replacement may not happen if you do not touch or update or change the filename of the original dummy graphic file in your TemplateRoutes blueprint folder. That's because the blueprint editor uses a revisions mechanism to determine when a file or blueprint has been changed, if nothing changes in the blueprint editor then no new files will be exported.

[zbobg]

Well, the replace the .dds file procedure (my last post) doesn't always work. For some reason the replacement still doesn't always display properly, it's probably because of the particular (or pecular) .dds format required.

I have gotten ToAce to work with non-square source files. I also posted the following on the RailSim forum.

ToAce crashes very frequently. I have a 1024x512 bitmap (2 versions, 1 has an alpha). I am selecting to convert it into a 32bit .ace file. (Same results with 16 bit source images.)

Run ToAce, open file, check output set to 32 bit, click 'Save', ToAce crashes.

I have tried 16bit source both .tga and plain bmp, same crash. I have tried both 15bit+1 and 32bit output with the same crash.

ToAce does successfully convert square images, it is the non-square images that cause a crash.

Alternatively, run ToAce, open file, check set to 32 bit, click 'Convert', close the dialog box, click 'Save'. This time ToAce does successfully create the output .ace file.

Why am I having to click the 'Convert' button? Why does ToAce fail on non-square images if I don't click the 'Convert' button?

I did have one very fatal Windows error on exit of ToAce:
"Instruction at 0x7c925e88 referenced memory at 0x0000008c could not be read"

This only happened once at ToAce exit, apparently not repeatable. The ordinary ToAce crash just reports generic crash message - the stupid "had an error, must close" one.