Train Mods

[Gen 0]

Is there any guide on the forum where you could make el-train skins? Thanks

[vester_DK 477]

Have collected what Trolca have writen about changing skins on automata in one post:

Date: 11/29/2003 2:06:31 PM

Author: Trolca

Will there be a tutorial for making/creating our own train engines and wagons(like yours but our way and with our own looks).

I can put something together. One problem with many people making mods is if they assign Instance numbers on their own and then share their mods with others, sooner or later, conflicts will start showing up. These conflicts shouldn't be harmful in anyway. In most cases, newer mods will replace older ones. It's also possible to end up odd looking hybrids.

I need some help on puting the FSH back into the game. I can create the FSH, then edit it, but i'm lost from there. Do you make it a .dat or how do you get it back in the ilive reader. I tryed the batch method and it did seem to work.If you could help me that would be great,thx.

Here is something I wrote some time ago on this subject.

Editing a FSH file

In the reader, open the DAT file.

If there isn't a list, click on the button 'Fill the list'.

Click on a S3D file in the main list on the left.

On the right at the top click on the Mats tab.

You should see a list starting with 0 and a name.

Click on one of the list and you should see an image that is tied to that number in the list.

Right click on the item in the list you want the FSH for. You should get a menu.

Click on 'Save texture'.

From there browse to where you want it and name it.

In FiSHman you can open that file.

Select Save As from the File menu and change the file type to BMP or PNG and save it.

You can make changes to the BMP.

Change the BMP file, it's a good idea to make what's called an Alpha Channel. A simple one would be anything that is totally black on the BMP image is black on the Alpha Channel image. Everything else on the Alpha Channel image is white.

Where the Alpha Channel is black, the image will be transparent, where it is white, the image will be solid. The Alpha Channel should be gray scale.

With the FSH file open click on the icon under the folder symbol Bitmaps, you should see the image on the right.

Right click on the icon for the image and select remove.

Right click on the icon again and select Insert, then Bitmap from the mini menu that appears.

You will get the Insert new bitmap window. Browse and select the BMP, do the same for the Alpha Channel. For FSH bitmap type, I go to the bottom of the list 'DXT3 Compressed, with Alpha'.

Now just select Save As from the File menu, you can either over write the original FSH or name it something else.

With the DAT opened, go back to the S3D

Click on the Mat tab on the left.

Select the item in the list that you made changes to.

Right click on that item and select replace texture, browse to the FSH file you made and select it.

The original image should be replaced with yours.

Select the Apply button at the top.

It would be a good idea not to change the main DAT files in the game.

To make a new DAT with your changes, highlight the files in the list on the right that you made changes to and select 'Add to patch'.

You can select them all at once or one at a time. When you are done click on the Patch Icon at the top then click on 'Create DAT'.

For the DAT to work, place it in the SimCity 4 Plugin folder.

Comment I have added.

Date: 12/7/2003 1:58:29 PM

Author: Trolca

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On 12/7/2003 11:50:06 AM frogface wrote:

nice trains trolca! how do you make new models for trains? what programs do you need? i think i can figure out the rest.

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I use the Ilive reader and FiSHman. I make modifications by changing the Vertices values. For the most part the model is broken up into four and three sided polygons. In some cases like the passenger engine, many polygons form one more complex mesh. Each polygon has points which corrispond to the Vertices values.

X and Z are split between negative and positive numbers with 0 being center for each. With the front of the model facing you, positive X is on the right, positive Z is the front. Y starts with 0 at ground level. By changing these numbers the shape itself is changed.

Next is the U and V columns which determine how the skin (the FSH file) is mapped onto each polygon. The numbers range from 0 to 1. 0 being the left side for U and the top for V. 1 is the left side for U and the bottom for V. All the numbers for U and V fall between 0 and 1 with 0.5 being the halfway point.

For the most part, train engines and cars are split up into parts. Each part is numbered from 0 to around 5 or 6. In some cases like the trucks (wheels), there is duplications. I'm not sure why this is done.

The most common arrangement would include the main body, two parts for trucks, couplers for one or both ends, and a shadow underneath. By adjusting the couplers and shadow parts, you can shorten the distantance between cars.

Just open one of the S3D files in the reader and start changing the values.

Date: 1/4/2004 9:08:55 PM

Author: Trolca

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On 1/4/2004 8:17:17 PM SimDragon wrote:Well let me say that these mods are awsome. I was wondering what program you use to make the trains? I have seen the mention of GMAX and the Lot Editor on this site but couldn't really nail down what is being used for the vehicles. I would like to try to make some Engines for my son. He is into Thomas the Tank Engine and enjoys driving the trains in his region Sodor Island I made for him. He has asked me several times to put Thomas and his friends and a roundhouse into

SC4

for him. I would love to try. Can you help? Thanks.

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Because of problems I had with exporting/importing 3DS files with the Ilive Reader I don't use any applications such as GMax. For the shape editing I change the Vertices in the S3D files. An object is made up mostly of four and three sided shapes.

Each point has three values for the X, Y and Z axis. By changing these values I change the shape of the object. X represents the left and right side with zero as center. Y represents height with zero as ground level. Z represents front and back with zero as center.

The U and V columns represent the texture that over lays the object. U is the horizonal axis and V is the vertical axis.

Simplified Example:

X Y Z U V

2 2 0 0.0 0.0

-2 2 0 0.5 0.0

-2 0 0 0.5 0.5

2 0 0 0.0 0.5

In this example a square is formed by four points which extends two units to the left and right of the X center axis, two units tall (Y axis) and flat with reguards to the Z axis. The upper left quarter of the image (FSH file) linked to this mat.

Example from the reader:

V 0 / pt 0 0.000017 4.729900 5.000000 -0.006305 0.819881

V 0 / pt 1 1.706066 4.456600 5.000000 -0.006305 0.995558

V 0 / pt 2 1.706066 4.456600 -5.000000 0.992696 0.995558

V 0 / pt 3 0.000031 4.729900 -5.000000 0.992696 0.820507

This example is a single shape taken from a box car.

I'm not very good at explaining but I hope this helps.

Date: 3/17/2005 3:00:13 PM

Author: Trolca

Date: 3/17/2005 11:49:03 AM Author: PureMassacre Ok, I think I've got it sorted now. I have replaced the textures, and now I want to save it as a NEW .dat file. How do I do this, and is there any naming system that I should use, so that they do not interfere with any other addons. Is there any way of setting how often it appears in trains?

In the following examples I'm using the ilive Reader.

The Instance number shouldn't be used by files not related to the mod in question. One of the British Rail cars is shown in the example below. the Exemplar, S3D and FSH files share the same Instance but each is a different file format and belong to the same mod. In some cases different mods can share common files as trucks (wheels).

One way to start out would be to first replace all of the original equipment in the game by using those Instance numbers. I'll see what I can do about coming up with a block of unused numbers.

To change the file Instance numbers click on the File Info button. You should get the File Info window.

Click on Edit and you should get the Header - Edit window. Change the hexadecimal number to one that's not being used or the same as the original car you want to replace.

Click OK in the Header - Edit window but leave the File Info window open and click on the next file that you want to change the Instance number and click on Edit and repeat as needed.

Once the Instances have been changed. Click on the Exemplar file on the left. You should see this on the right.

Double click on Model Resource Key and this window should open.

Click on the third number and change it to the new Instance but leave the leading 0x and click Apply at the bottom.

On the left side of the screen click on the S3D file. On the right you should see the tabs in the example below.

Click on the Mats tab then click on one of the Material IDs that matches the Instance number being replaced.

Right click on that Material ID and you should get the Change Instance/Name window.

Change the Instance number after the 0x and click OK.

Repeat the process for each Material ID that matches the one being changed.

The final step for the S3D file is to click on the Apply located above the tabs.

Now you can save the mod. I suggest adding the Instance number to the end of the file name so if there are conflicts, it's easier to locate by looking at the file names. The file name for the British Rail car I'm using as an example is RHBoxBR01_109b8840.dat.

Date: 3/17/2005 8:20:27 PM

Author: Trolca

Date: 3/17/2005 7:40:58 PM Author: PureMassacre I think I've got all that sorted now, thanks alot. A have encounted a problem though: Screen1 Screen2 The textures aren't 'molding' to the model, now I'm not sure how you correct it, ive tried playing around with it, but I haven't solved it. Help What is the multi coloured thing underneath? Is it an alpha layer shadow or something.

quote>

There's an easier way to bring in the new FSH image. I took this from the previous instrutions. When you right click on Material ID, select Replace texture. Browse and select the new texture. This way you have the old FSH file but with the new image.

I don't see anything wrong with the second image except the way the end parts don't follow the roof line. You should focus on looking at the model only from the default angle while rotating it with the Home and End keys. If you notice flaws from other angles, it doesn't matter because you'll never view it from those angles in the game. Many other small flaws will not show up as well. The multi-colored part is the shadow piece. That's just how it shows up in the reader but not in the game.

Trolca, if you remember back ages ago, I said that I would host your files on an easy to navigate site, shall I start redoing the site for you, and host them

Admiral of the Fleet Lee John Edward Braden

Yes. It would be helpful. Perhaps just posting the sets I've completed for the STEX. So far only the River Haven set is posted but I hope to place the Burlington Northern set soon.

Hope this helps. Thinking of doing a guide, but I haven't got around to it.

If you have to edit in the Indx (defining of the triangles) you have to stated the points in a counter clockwice order seen from the front, otherwise the triangles will be transparent.

[Gen 0]

Thanks vester_DK,

 

I am still not sure, if the model of the train has not been make before and i am creating a new design, can I use photoshop to do thisanother thing, on each carriage can I put indefinite number of doors

 

Thanks a lot

                 

[vester_DK 477]

Date: 11/11/2005 8:23:14 AM
Author: Gen

Thanks vester_DK,

I am still not sure, if the model of the train has not been make before and i am creating a new design, can I use photoshop to do thisanother thing, on each carriage can I put indefinite number of doors

Thanks a lot

quote>
Well I have started out from a allready made train-mod ( here is the ones I have made ).
First you extract the fsh's (two: the skin and the alpha) from a dat.

Then you use FiSHMAN (found under Modding Files) to convert to BMP or PNG.

Then you edit the graphic. I use PhotoShop to do that. I save the working file as a psd.

Then you save it as a BMP/PNG and use FiSHMAN to convert it back into fsh. (both graphics).

This is one of my skins (a work in progress):

(Have added border to make the alpha stands out)
You can follow the progress in my thread .

btw: The side has to be where the side are and so on.

[ck135667 0]

Hello Evry 1,

As Vester Dk Nows I am Re- Buliding San Deigo County in a project Called Sim Deigo, Being stuck with 1:8 chance of geting on the internet (Public Wi-fi for our coplex that has 10 ips for 80 units) i was impatint but seeing the results when i got back i gained the patince to see the head ligts and pentograph get put put n the trolley. Annyway i am ready to go through this process again with an even BIGGER TRAIN. The North County Trasnsprtaton ditrict COASTER. The coaser thrain consists of 41Mi.(65.9)KM. of rail traveling up the coast for san deigo to oceanside.

The Trains are:

Curved Front (Like The Default Mod)

BI-Level (With a tinny bit of seating at the end of each car that is normal train hight seating)

Bi-Directional (Bacward operation of engine)

Train Whistle And Bell

And Usaualy consist of 1 engine And 6 pasenger cabs.

Max Speed 80 mi./H or  129km./h

Max Operating speed 65-75 Mi/h or 104-120 km./h

Note: this Is not a bullet train. if it were a bullet train it wloud travel at 150 mi/h 241 KM/h

For More information on the north county coaste visit this site:

http://www.gonctd.com 

 

 

 

 

 Thank you

[espee04135 47]

I hope that we can have the SPRINTER GLR and the BREEZE bus to go with a Coaster train set.

[Phieeel 0]

Phew, haven't been here in a while. Is Trolca still around, being a divine gift to the train mod section?

[vester_DK 477]

Well Trolca as I see is not active. He hasn't post here since 05/20/2005. He has be by yesterday.

ck135667: Please supply some images on request, that is the least you can do.

I would say that you should post your request in: Automata Modding Requests. It's more active thread and this one is Trolca's.

[Talengryphon 0]

Could I possibly get you to PM that to me or something? I've been looking for a "Sprinter" mod for ages, even tried to make one out of that very same car, but I think I misunderstood how to set up the iLive reader, and now I can't get it to work on my computer for the life of me...

[TinySim 4]

1. Please do not revive old threads, this has been dead for 4 months.

2. Post requests in the Automata Modding Requests thread please.

[Trolca 15]

Hello,

I just want to let everyone know I'm still alive. Please don't post any requests at this time though. I'm not sure when or if I can return to modding. I do miss being here but life and problems have kept me away.

I'll post when I can.

Trolca

[Andreas Roth 607]

Wow, what a great surprise! I'm glad to see you still around, Trolca - and I hope things will go better.

[vester_DK 477]

Good to see you back. Well you had disappeared when I started posting here.

I have used your posting to do my own mods. Thank for your posting about train modding.