There are lots of avialable shaders here: C:\Program Files\Rail Simulator\Dev\Shaders

Very few of them are listed in the documentation. I'm playing with them a bit. It looks like I'll have to make some changes to the exporter. They use the specular value differently than expected. It looks like 0 is currently lots of specular, 100, not so much. I'll have to investigate.

Richard,

I seem to remember Derek Siddle saying that only the shaders mentioned in the tech docs are actually supported by Railsim. Might be worth contacting him to be sure.

Cheers,
Kevin

I have this fixed. In the next release the "Specular" amount will correctly control the amount of specular.

Extract from "4.07 Train Guidelines" :
"Shown below is a grid of random shapes with a variety of specular and glossiness
values on them, using the Kuju material. For your train model, pick a combination
that is appropriate:

The values used in the example pictures above (a glossiness of 32 and a specular
power of 3) give a fairly good result for a glossy, but used, painted metal surface as
found on many passenger trains.
Please refrain from using a glossiness of 0, no matter how small the specular power
is. A specular power of 0 gives a totally matt surface, regardless of glossiness."


I have some questions (using 3DC 7.1.1.1):
1) After using 3DC export wizard, when exporting in KRS Asset editor I have a message that a texture cannot be converted into TgPcDx. When using manual conversion with ToACE / RGBA (32 bit), the export in KRS is possible and can be previewed in the Asset editor.
2) Tex used in 3DC is not a recommended texture for a train. It should be TexDiff (I don't know I it actually changes anything when displayed).
3) I created a 256x256 file for windows as requested by Kuju. The tga file is created tgatool2. It can be read by PaintShop Pro XI. The texture keyword was set to BlendATexDiff. After using 3DC export wizard, it is changed to TexDiff (it should not, I think) and TxAlpha is set to Transparency. The window has a grayscale, shouldn't the keyword be Translucency? When viewed in Asset Editor, the window is transparent. I tried to change the keywords to Rail Sim=BlendATexDiff TxAlpha=Translucency. No change: there is no glass effect but just a hole at the window location. When opening the TgPcDx with RSBinTool, the file looks correct:

4) Do you know any tool to read the ACE files created by ToAce?

Following the above remarks by Richard, I haven't tried Specular (I'll try in the next 3DC release).

1) There is a bug in the Train Simulator Wizard that makes certain textures not convert. It's fixed for the next release.

2) I don't use "Tex" anywhere, as far as I can tell. Though, there is no reason why you can't. Actually, isn't it supposed to be used for interiors? I forget at the moment.

3) This must have been the first time the wizard was run? Or you didn't save after the first time it was run? I just made a change so this won't happen even on the first run of the wizard. BlendATexDiff worked fine for me when I tested it. Just must sure you save after the first time you run the Wizard (BEFORE changing the Rail Sim field), or wait until I provide an update.

4) I think Paul has a new ToAce that reads some ACE files. You may want to check his site.

Also, there are no settings in the Rail Simuator file format for "Gloss". It must be something to do with shaders. I've asked Kuju about it.

quote:

Originally posted by Amabilis Support:
2) I don't use "Tex" anywhere, as far as I can tell.

You're right. Sorry, I wonder why I wrote this!

quote:

Originally posted by Amabilis Support:
3) This must have been the first time the wizard was run? Or you didn't save after the first time it was run? I just made a change so this won't happen even on the first run of the wizard. BlendATexDiff worked fine for me when I tested it. Just must sure you save after the first time you run the Wizard (BEFORE changing the Rail Sim field), or wait until I provide an update.

Here are my 3 tests changing 3DC material attributes:


Whatever I do, I get the same look for the window (top image), just as if there was no window at all but a simple hole. The image part in the middle shows the look in 3DC which I want in KRS.

Some points I noticed:
Just after each igs update by 3DC export, I click Export in the BlueprintEditor and it doesn't respond after some work. I need to exit the Asset Editor and run it again.

The part identification in the 3DC wizard is for MSTS (name changes are not KRS-type; it can be easily done by hand).

Dom107,

I think you will need to make your glass as a separate part and place in, or just behind your window. You need to make the glass texture, just glass, nothing else, and apply it with the BlendATexDiff shader. It does work as I have done it with my loco's.

I have the same problem with the asset editor crashing continuously. If you do not need the preview window (which is most of the time), then just run the blueprinteditor.exe file in the railsim folder. This runs the blueprint editor without the preview window. This very rarely crashes and is much quicker.

Richard,
I solved the problem with the coupling rod (main wheel link) jumping every revolution. I ungrouped it from the wheels and animated it by hand, separately. Not sure why i never thought of that before!

Kevin

Thanks kevm.

I successfully created some translucency effect without creating a dedicated window object.
I textured the concerned faces with BlendATexDiff / TxAlpha=Translucency (I don't think that the value of TxAlpha has any effect).

There is some threshold with which, if the alpha channel is black or too light grey, the result is complete transparency.

There is a remaining problem:

I have some unwanted stripes in the alpha channel of the TGPCDX file. The stripes are not in the original TGA file.

I'm presuming that the TxAlpha maybe for MSTS use? When I did my conversions this option was not available in canvas, and I just used BlendATexxDiff.

I've had the same problem with the threshold effect and the striping. I think there is a problem with the to ace conversion program, to be honest. Most options do not work for me.

Cheers,
Kevin