Tried for the first time to load my engine into the sim tonight and all went well except the engine does not show in the activity editor...uh oh. I think that I read somewhere that if the stock does not show in the activity editor then there is a problem with the textures.

I know from past experiences that it not showing is an invitation to the UID2000 dance.

Can anybody confirm this ? also for a co co configuration diesel I am a littl eunsure as to what I put in the number of wheels box in the Train Sim Wizard. This uncertainty may be my problem.

Did you use LODs? I had this problem quite frequently with those.
Another cause for that problem were blanks or German letters in group names (for you presumably not the latter).
If you don't define wheels they won't show in the simulator, don't know about the activity editor

Names of groups have no spaces so it can't be that.  The wheels are defined with the correct naming and groups. I did export with no distance levels so this time I will try that.

Will post results of how it goes.

Bugger !

I exported this time with optimized LOD levels and received an error response advising that 22 parts in the hierarchy had multiple textures and that this would not result in optimized LOD levels and that the model may not load in to the sim correctly. Well at least I'm a step further than last time and may have found the problem.

Please correct my if I am wrong with this but I think I need to texture each part from only the one texture file and not from say one and then another. Is this correct ?

It has taken me two months to get this far in order to export into the sim, I'll be hanged if I am going to let this minor setback stop me.

For optimized LOD you must not use more than one texture file for an object, that's correct.
Re LODs: I always had the problems with using them but never with exporting without LOD.
Another possibility is that you have too many objects in some groups or too many groups at all (not very likely).

If you want you can mail me the *.3dc file and I'll have a look at it.

Btw for a Co Co diesel you would use 6 - 6 in the wizard.

not just one texture file per object, but one texture file and the same lighting parameters are needed for all objects contained in a single group.

I've posted a slightly longer reply on t-s.com

Thanks Paul for the advice.

I think that has now just ended my 3D Canvas career as I have just wasted two months without having this knowledge and I think that the problem is now a major fix that is too big a job.

Oh well it was fun while it lasted.Thanks for all the help anyway.

Bye.

after a bit of surgery (chopped out 3000 polys) the loco now runs in MSTS.

There was a faulty part (actualy 4 copies of the part) that caused the problem.
If you look at the image of the Tasrail ZC in the model feedback forum, the inverted V handrails were formed from about 430 triangles each, for some reason MSTS did not like them.
They were rebuilt with the pipe builder plugin (using fewer sides) and came out at 80 triangles each - a considerable saving.
- unfortunately for Brentton, I only finished the plugin after he had built all the handrails.

Would anyone be interested in a short "hints and tips" on using the pipe builder for things like ladders or more complex shapes?

Tips and "How-to's" are ALWAYS welcome

Paul I presume you've told vulcan_foundry that you've fixed the model it would be a shame to loose a forum member.

Brentton and I have been corresponding (which is how I got the 3DC file) - he's not given up.

He had another problem with the TS Wiz renaming a couple of groups, but otherwise is now "back on track"