I am not a programmer.
So I can not write a plugin.
But I do create models for use in Trainz,UTC and TRS2004 versions.
So I could send a .IM and .PM files for a developer to look at.
Also can test the plugin.
trainz format is slightly different to Auran jet format.
Auran jet source docs can be found on the page linked below.
http://www.auran.com/jet/downloads.php?NavID=19

I decoded most of the .im format a while ago, but there may be one part we cannot do.

There appears to be a sort of checksum inside the file which may act as a lock as we don't have the algorithm. I'll take a look at the jet api docs.

Edit....

Just looked at the docs, very promising.
Not much info there, but probably enough to have a go.
However, I have a couple of other programming jobs to finish off first, I will post once I get it started.

Unless of course, anyone else want's to start it straight away....

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Paul Gausden,

Is that a nudge Paul?

Unfortunately I am in the same boat as you right now. It is pretty important so if it is possible I will definitely get to it at some point. 7.0 perhaps?

Richard

Not a nudge for you Richard, you have far more important tasks to attend to

The format is actually quite similar to the current exporter plugin I'm working on, so I may take a look once I've finished.

hi there.
I just had a FileViewer sent to me.
this FileViewer will allow you to write
the contents of a Trainz .IM and .PM file
to a text file.
This fileviewer can be downloaded now from my
web site at the link below.
http://e-wire.net.au/~eb_batho/pics/FileViewer.exe
Hope this helps.

Egad... I never beg... but pleeeese... this is so very desired.

Thinking out loud... I imagine that we would handle Bogies and Couplers for trainz the way we handle exhaust points for MSTS?

OK - I don't have a copy of Trainz just at the moment (but should have soon) and I can't unpack those .CDP files.

I need a couple of sample .IM files, preferably a steam loco with bogies and specular and/or bump mapping.
This should contain just about everything I need to duplicate such as animations and attachment points etc.

Does anyone out there have something suitable they could e-mail me ?

Hi Paul
Emailed you some Im files for Trainz.
If you need any more let me know here.

Paul
As to the attachments points.
I can answer that.
The attachment points are helper points
placed in the mesh.
Which then tells trainz where to sit the bogies,
hedlights, smoke etc.

Many thanks John.
I think I have the source material needed now - looks like it may take a while to do, so don't expect it too soon

Well my first real direct export of an IM file sort of worked - the IM reader and JetViewer show it as OK, though it looks like the Y and Z values need swapping.

The second expoort of a more complex shape didn't work though

Even closer now - the multi colored cube exports, but it is now inside out !

Still a few days away....

ooh! look what I did...

It's not in trainz, and it is a static object, but it loads in the trainz object viewer

testk8.jpg (60 Kb, 1478 downloads)

That is great Paul.
Execellent progress.
Well done.

Holy Cow! Your timing on this is perfect... I'm giving up on the orphaned MSTS and devoting myself to TRAINZ. I'd really really really like to keep extolling the virtues of 3D CANVAS as the PERFECT 3D TRAIN modeler!!!

My advice is don't give up on MSTS just yet - others will take it's place.

I intend to make the trainz export as close as possible compatible with the way we make MSTS models, so it will just be a single export for main, animated and bogie parts.

Still a little way off yet though.

Paul.
I hope that you can write a Trainz plugin that will do all the wheel and rod animations like you did for msts.
As at the moment for trainz it has to all be done manually.

The animations user are identical so the animator plugin will still work - I am hoping to keep exactly the same techniques for building an MSTS model as a trainz model.

e.g. a steam engine may export 3 or 4 .IM files at once for all the parts.

Ok, I realize you don't need encouraging... but it's what I'm doing... ;-)

More progress today - I got my first animated bogie working using the jet viewer.

Not much longer (!?) before we can all export our MSTS rollingstock to TRS....