How to Create a HTML Asset

The information in this Wiki Page applies to TANE, TRS19 and Trainz Plus.

HTML Assets

In Summary:
	HTML assets contain the text information, graphic images and sounds (those that are not built into locos and other assets) that can be displayed and played during a session in a large browser window at the start of a Session (a session introduction page) or, large browser windows during the running of a session
	A single HTML asset can provide all the text, graphic and sound data for an entire session and for multiple sessions.
	At the most basic level you do not have to create a HTML asset for your session. You can use existing resources (graphics and sounds) and add your own text to simple on-screen Popup Messages using Session Rules. See the section Adding a Message Popup to a Session below.

Notes: HTML assets in Trainz consist of:- a config.txt file which is mandatory one or more graphic files of type .jpg, .tga, .png, .bmp. One of these must be the asset thumbnail. and as options only (not compulsory):- one or more HTML formatted text files of type .htm or .html one or more sound files of type .wav

How to Create a New HTML Asset

If you decide that you will need to create a HTML asset for your Session or Sessions, then these are the basic steps you will need to perform (if you have never done this before).

Steps	Create the Asset: From the Trainz Launcher select  Manage Content  in Content Manager open the Developer menu select New Content This will create a new asset and open it for editing. A message window will appear that will (hopefully) report on the successful creation of a new asset. Close the message window
	Find the New Asset: Set the CM Search Filter to Open for Editing This will display only those assets that have been opened for editing (hopefully only your new and as yet unnamed asset will be shown)
	Open the Asset in Windows File Explorer: Right mouse click on the entry New Asset Select Open Select Show in Explorer
	Open Config.txt File in Notepad: There will only be a single item in the asset, its config.txt file Double click on the file to open it in Notepad
	Edit the Config.txt File: You will need to edit the contents of this file. The next section, The Config.txt File, identifies the changes you will need to make. The new name you give to the asset will not take effect until after it has been committed. After editing, save the changes and exit Notepad. Warning: Unless you know exactly what you are doing*,  DO NOT ALTER THE KUID NUMBER  that has been added to the file * but even if you do, think twice before you change it !
	Add Any Extras: You will need to add at least one file to the asset folder, a thumbnail image as described in the section Graphic Files below. Other files, such as additional images, sound (wav) files and HTML files may need to be added depending on the type of HTML asset that is being created. These topics are covered in the sections Graphic Files, Audio Files and HTML Files below. These files do not have to be added immediately but must be present before the new asset can be used. You can reopen the asset for editing later to add the files before it is committed. THIS IS AN EXAMPLE ONLY The minimum number of files needed in a HTML asset is 2 - the config.txt file and a thumbnail image (a .jpg file).
	Finish Up: Close the Asset window Commit the asset in Content manager Right mouse click on the asset Select Submit Edits Hopefully there will be no errors. Notes: Because you still have the Filter Open for Editing in operation, the now closed and committed asset will vanish from the window display. To check that your asset has been correctly created and renamed, set the CM Search Filter to "Today". Some of the most common errors that can occur when creating and committing a new asset are:- no thumbnail image in the asset typing errors in the config.txt file poorly formatted tags in the config.txt file incorrect file types added to the asset folder files missing from the asset folder incorrect kuid value (despite the warning you changed it in Step 5)

The Config.txt File

All assets must have a config.txt file

	Settings: The HTML asset must have a config.txt text file that must include the following tags:- kind set to "html-asset" username set to the asset title or name kuid a unique ID code thumbnails set to a 240 by 180 pixel JPG image While not mandatory, the following tag is useful:- category-class set to "YH"

This file should follow the same (or a similar) format as the example below.

• entries in  red  must not be changed
• the indenting of the lines and the spacing ("tabbing") between the "tags" on the left and their contents on the right are purely to make it easier for humans to read
• the use of the {} braces is to group tags into common "containers". These containers must not be broken up and the number of { characters must match the number of } characters
• the order of the "tags" is not important

kuid                                    <kuid: this is an auto-generated number >
username                                "HTML assets for Steamville Session 1"
trainz-build                            4.5
kind                                    "html-asset"
description                             "All the images, web pages and sounds for the Steamville 1st Session"
category-class                          "YH"
thumbnails
{
  Default
  {
    image                               "SteamV1HTML.jpg"
    width                               240
    height                              180
  }
}

	Settings: For the above example: The  kuid  is unique to every asset so it is  not a good idea to choose your own  . This will be automatically generated by the Content Manager program when a new asset is created The  username  is your name for the asset and the name that other users will see. It is a good idea to make it short and meaningful. The  trainz-build  identifies the minimum Trainz version needed for this asset. A list of asset trainz-build numbers and their corresponding Trainz versions can be found at "Trainz-build"_number The  kind  identifies the type of asset and the types of files that Trainz will expect to find in the asset. It also tells Trainz how to render and error check the asset. A list of asset kinds can be found at KIND Hierarchy The  description  provides more details for users than the username. The  category-class  identifies the intent of the asset and is important in classifying it for filtering and searching. For a HTML-Asset the category-class is "YH". A list of category classes can be found at Category-class The  thumbnails  container holds the preview images of the asset shown by the Content Manager program, the Web version of the DLS and, for some assets, the Surveyor main menu image(s) and asset textures. Information on thumbnails can be found at Thumbnails The  Default  is the container ID or placeholder for the thumbnail (some types of assets can have several thumbnails) and its exact label (or number - eg. "Default", "00", "01", etc) is not important but each thumbnail if there are more than one must have a different label. Default and 0 are commonly used placeholder labels for the 240 x 180 thumbnail image The image is the name of the thumbnail image. It does not have to be called thumbnail.jpg but it must be a JPG format image The width of the image in pixels must be 240 The height of the image in pixels must be 180

	Language Options:
	All Trainz assets have a language facility built into their config.txt files that allows other language translations to be added for certain tags, such as the username and description tags. A full description of the process can be found on the Trainz Wiki at  Localize an Asset and a list of all the supported languages with their two character codes at  Localization (country) Codes. At the very basic level any creator can easily provide other language translations for the username and description tags in the assets they create. Examples are shown below.
username "HTML assets for Steam Ride session" username-c2 "Steam会话的HTML资产" username-es "Recursos HTML para la sesión de Steam Ride" username-fr "Éléments HTML pour la session Steam Ride" username-gr "HTML-Assets für die Steam-Ride-Sitzung" username-nl "HTML-middelen voor stoomrit sessie" username-ru "HTML-ресурсы для сессии Steam Ride"
	Translations to Chinese (simplified), Spanish, French, German, Dutch and Russian, perfect or not, were provided by Google Translate.

String Table Option

If you are going to use the String Table method of adding HTML message windows, then the config.txt file will need a string-table container. For example:-

string-table
   {
      warning_message_stop                          "You have passed a stop signal. Apply your brakes immediately"
      warning_message_speed                         "You are speeding. Slow down"
   }

The "tags", warning_message_stop and warning_message_speed in the example shown above, are called "String Table Tokens" and are used to identify which message is to be displayed.

For more details of string-tables, see the section Option 3: A String Table below.

Editing the config.txt File

The config.txt file is a standard text file (file extension .txt) and can be created and edited with any text editor. MS Notepad supplied with Windows and TextEdit supplied with MacOS will both be suitable. Alternative freeware text editors, such as Notepad++ (Windows only) and Atom (MacOS and Windows), may provide you with some additional time saving and accuracy tools such as auto-complete and spell checking.

Graphic Files

Supported Image Formats

There are some differences in the graphic files supported between Trainz HTML and Web HTML.

Graphic Format	Trainz	Web	Main Points	Recommendation
GIF	not supported	supported		Do not use
JPG	supported	supported	lossy compression no transparency	Needed for the main thumbnail image but avoid unless you can take the steps recommended for using JPG images below
BMP	supported	supported	lossless but no compression limited transparency	Avoid
PNG	supported	supported	lossless compression transparency	Use if compatibility with older Trainz versions is NOT needed
TGA	supported	not supported	lossless with optional compression optional transparency	Use if compatibility with older Trainz versions is needed
.texture	supported	not supported	a text file containing the names of image files controls how the images are displayed	Recommended method for all images except thumbnails

The above are not the only image file formats supported by Trainz but those unlisted formats are not common and are not usually recommended.

For Trainz HTML pages displayed on the screen during gameplay, the most commonly used image formats seem to be JPG and TGA. If you are going to test your pages on a standard web browser before testing them in Trainz (a technique that will save both time and frustration) be aware that TGA format files will not be visible in any web browser.

Thumbnails

A thumbnail image MUST be present in the asset. You can create a HTML asset without any other images but there must be a thumbnail image.

Notes: The thumbnail image:- must be in JPG format. must be 240 pixels wide by 180 pixels tall. does not have to be named thumbnail.jpg as long as the name used is in the Thumbnails container in the config.txt file.

TGA File Compression

While Trainz supports compressed TGA format files, the current advice is NOT to use compression when saving images in this format.

When exporting an image as a TGA file uncheck the image compression setting (example shown left for GIMP 2.10)

JPG Files

JPGs are still the most widely used image format for web pages and all Trainz versions support this format. The main problem with JPG is that it uses a "lossy" compression method - image data is thrown away or deleted every time a JPG image is saved. If you are constantly loading, editing and then saving the same JPG image, then the quality of the image will noticeably decline over time.

The best way to use JPGs is to:- keep the original image in a lossless format such as PNG or TGA when editing the image, always save the edited image in a lossless format only when all the editing has been completed, export the image as a JPG

Texture Files

	Texture files are text files that act as a container for an image and control how that image is to be displayed in Trainz
	Texture files are NOT graphic files as they were in earlier versions of Trainz and can still be found in built-in and base assets

primary=ashpit.jpg alpha=ashpit.bmp tile=st

Texture files (actually .texture.txt files) are standard text files that contain the name of 1 or 2 image files and instructions on how they are to be displayed in Trainz, as shown in the example on the left. This is the recommended format for all image files in Trainz except thumbnails.

Notes: This format does not replace the other supported image formats (BMP, JPG, PNG or TGA) but simply provides additional options for controlling how those image files are used, particularly their alpha channels.

A detailed description of the .texture file format can be found on the Trainz Wiki Page at:- Texture File

Transparency (Alpha Channel)

Transparencies are also called Alpha Channels.

Transparencies in images are essentially colours or layers that are rendered invisible when the image is displayed. This makes parts of the image transparent so the colours or patterns behind the image, such as the background page, can be seen.

Shown below is the Message Popup browser window from a Trainz Session. The two images it contains are from the same original image but displayed in two different image formats.

• The STOP sign on the left has been exported as a JPG which has no transparency (or alpha channel) so the image background is shown as a colour, in this case white.
• The STOP sign on the right has been exported as a TGA with its background layer saved as an Alpha Channel which is rendered transparent so the background colour of the browser window shows through.

Image file formats with transparencies or alpha channels that are supported by Trainz are BMP, PNG and TGA.

Graphics Editing Software

There is a wide variety of graphical software applications available that would be suitable for creating Trainz ready images, both commercial and freeware.

Notes: The minimum requirements for a suitable graphics package for use in creating Trainz HTML assets would be:- load and save (or export) images in JPG and either TGA or PNG formats support for an alpha channel "Nice to have" features would include:- support for layers text editing

HTML Files

HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language) is the "language" that creates web pages. Creating HTML files (or web pages) is not a simple process. If you have never worked with HTML before then there will be a learning curve. Fortunately it is possible to start at a very basic level and progress as you learn.

If adding HTML files looks too difficult then Trainz does provide an option that allows you to place simple message windows onto the screen without having to create any HTML files or images. See the section Adding a Message Popup to a Session below.

You can have multiple web pages in a session. Each page will be a separate .html or .htm file in the HTML asset.

Some Things You Should Know About HTML

The image below shows a simple HTML page typed into a basic text editor.

A HTML page is constructed by "tags", words and codes enclosed by "<" and ">" symbols. These tags control the layout of the page and how the text and images are displayed.

If the above page is loaded into a normal web browser, this is what you would see.

The problems: What happened to the:-

• blank line between the heading and the first line of text?
• Return Key codes (or end-of-line characters) at the ends of each line?
• extra spaces placed between the sentences in the first line of text?

The causes: When displaying a page, HTML ignores:-

• blank lines,
• the end-of-line character (and other special characters), and
• extra spaces between characters

Warning:
	HTML is extremely unforgiving when it comes to errors and "typos" in the tags. Simple syntax and spelling errors can lead to hours of frustration while you attempt to find the error. If you don't have the patience or any "bug hunting skills" then perhaps HTML coding is not for you.

...and that is the easy part.

Some Things You Should Know About Trainz HTML

If the page shown above is loaded into a Trainz MiniBrowser, this is what you would see.

Notes: In the Trainz Minibrowser:- All browser windows have the same "greenish" gradient background colour (darker on the outer edges and lighter in the middle) and this cannot be changed The default text colour is white (it used to be black which was impossible to read on the background) Extra spaces between characters are NOT ignored But blank lines and the end-of-line character, amongst others, are still ignored.

Trainz HTML is NOT the same as standard HTML. There are similarities and there are a lot of differences. In general, Trainz HTML is a much smaller and simplier subset of standard HTML. A detailed reference on the version of HTML used in the Trainz Minibrowser can be found at MiniBrowser

If you are experienced with standard HTML you will have to adjust your thinking to use Trainz HTML.

Adding Links to a Web Page

The MiniBrowser in Trainz allows you to add Web links to external HTML documents that will open in your default Web browser.  BUT  the links are limited to pages on the Trainz Wiki or posts and threads in the Trainz Forums only. You cannot add a link to your personal social media page or favourite railway fan site.

The Anchor Tag is unquestionably the most powerful tool you can use in a web page. It provides a one-click link to another web page. The link can be a text link (shown as underlined) or it can be a graphic image.

The link is restricted to a page on the Trainz Wiki or posts and threads in the Trainz Forums. You can set up a page, or a series of linked pages, on the Wiki describing your route or session. Help on creating Trainz Wiki pages can be found at MediaWiki:_Help.

Some suggestions for Wiki pages:-

• tasks to be completed in each session
• a driving tutorial of your route
• loco rosters and train schedules
• list of industries and their commodities

Some actual examples from the Trainz Wiki that are accessed from HTML Message Pages in Sessions include:-

• TRS19_TheInnterKohnNecktionRailroadSessions
• SAR_Peterborough_Base_Session

The Anchor Tag

The Anchor Tag begins with ...

<a href="add link address here...">

... and ends with ...

</a>

In between the starting and ending parts of the tag you place the image or text that will become the link as shown in the text example below.

This will display the link in the MiniBrowser as

Clicking the link will open the web page in your default web browser program.

The Trainz Wiki has a page giving more information about the MiniBrowser at MiniBrowser. You may be interested in the image tag (<img src="name of image file">) for using images instead of text for the links, and adding tool tips (the tooltip="place tool tip text here") parameter in the Anchor tag as shown in the example below.

HTML Editors

HTML editors allow you to create HTML files with a minimum of fuss. Most provide tools that can automate much of the repetitive typing work and many provide some error checking features.

Warning:
	Because Trainz does not use standard HTML, avoid dedicated HTML applications and Web design packages.

Particularly avoid:- HTML editors and applications that use a graphical interface to move objects such as images and blocks of text around the screen applications programs such as word processors and desktop publishers that can create web pages ... they will create HTML code that will be far too complex for Trainz to handle.

Simple text editors, such as MS Notepad supplied with MS Windows or TextEdit on MacOS, will work well but will require you to do a lot of typing and they will not perform any error checking More advanced text editors are available that are "HTML aware" and will recognise HTML "tags" making it easier to enter the tags and to check for their completeness Shown on the left is the Notepad++ text editor which recognises HTML coding and provides some tools to assist in entering and correcting HTML code. The software has coloured the text segments that it has identifed as HTML tags or parts of tags. Suitable freeware HTML editing software would include:- Notepad++ (Windows only) Atom (MacOSX and Windows)

Audio Files

Audio files can be added into HTML assets to play sounds when the HTML page is displayed on the screen. Examples would include conductor whistles and "all aboard" calls, etc. The sound is stored as a separate file in the HTML asset.

Audio Specifications

	Settings: Audio files must be recorded using, or converted to:- 8 or 16 bit sample sizes 22kHz (22,050Hz) or 44kHz (44,100Hz) sample rate Mono, stereo or surround format ("surround" is not fully tested) ...and saved using Uncompressed WAV format PCM (Pulse Coded Modulation)

Warning:
	Take care when deciding which settings (bit rate, sample rate, number of channels) are to be used for a sound. High settings will produce significantly larger file sizes and often for no noticeable improvements in sound quality

For a short simple sound, such as a telegraph bell or a conductors whistle, lower settings (e.g. 8 bit, 22kHz, mono) would probably be more suitable

Audio Software

The main requirement for audio editing software is that it must be able to save sound files in the WAV file format and meet the specifications listed above.

A suitable freeware audio editing software would be:-

• Audacity for both MacOSX and Windows

Audacity audio file recording and editing software (shown above).

Adding a Message Popup to a Session

The built-in Message Popup rule is used to create the message windows that appear on the screen during the running of a session.

The Message Popup Rule has to be added to the session rule list in the Session Editor in Surveyor which you access from the Surveyor Main Menu in TANE or from the Surveyor Edit Menu in TRS19 and Trainz Plus. Each message will need its own Message Popup rule in the session rule list.

The Message Popup rule provides three different methods of creating the messages, and adding graphics and sound if needed. These methods are:-

 from a simple text message typed into the rule with an optional graphic. If needed a sound can be added from an existing HTML asset.

 from a HTML page stored as a file in a HTML asset. This HTML page can have many graphic images, each stored in the HTML asset, and many lines of text. If needed a sound can be added from the same or another HTML asset.

 from a "string-table" in the config.txt file of a HTML asset. If needed a sound can be added from the same or another HTML asset.

Option 1: A Simple Custom Text Message

The simplest and easiest method of adding message windows to a Trainz Session is to use the Message Popup rule with the Custom Text option for all your Session messages.

Notes: This option has a number of advantages:- No knowledge of HTML is required. You can use a built in graphic (with more available on the DLS) You can use sounds from existing HTML assets There is no need to create a HTML asset There are also some disadvantages. For each message window:- You can only use one graphic which has to be selected from a list of special "texture" graphics

If you are happy using Option 1, installed graphics and sounds or no graphics and sounds at all, then you do not have to create a HTML asset for your session.

For example:

Settings: Custom text In This Example: Pause game while message is displayed - game play will not be paused Close previous message popup windows - this is usually a good idea unless you want multiple message windows open Message location: Top left of the screen has been chosen as the location for the message window. Other positions are Top right, Bottom left and Bottom right Custom Message - the message entered into the text box will be displayed Icon - the selected optional icon will be displayed HTML Wave: General Purpose Session HTML HTML asset contains the optional sound file to be played Wav Name: all-aboard.wav is the optional sound file to be played Autoplay Wav - the sound will be played when the page is displayed

If all your Session messages use this option then there is no need to create a HTML asset

To find additional graphic icons that can be added to the Message Popup window, use Content Manager and set a Custom Filter to search for:- Category select Texture- Not Environmental Name type icon On Download Station select True Not all those shown will be suitable. Double click a possible icon to display its details before downloading.

To find information on how to create your own Message Popup Icons, see the Trainz Wiki Page:- How to Create a Message Popup Icon

Option 2: A HTML Page

To use a HTML file use the Message Popup rule with the A pre-defined HTML page option selected.

Use an Existing HTML Asset

	You can use HTML files and graphics from HTML assets that are already installed on your system.
	There is a General Purpose Session HTML asset that is built into Trainz that contains a series of "basic" HTML message pages and audio files that can be used in a session. An example is shown below.

This option has the advantage of not needing to create any new HTML files and assets. But you will need to explore the existing assets, by opening them in Content Manager, to see what is available and if they are suitable for your purposes.

Settings: A pre-defined HTML page (advanced) In This Example: Pause game while message is displayed - this will halt the game play until the window is closed. This may be needed if you have a long introductory HTML information page, otherwise leave unchecked Close previous message popup windows - this is usually a good idea unless you want multiple message windows open. Message location: Top left of the screen has been chosen as the location for the message window. Other positions are Top right, Bottom left and Bottom right HTML Asset: General Purpose Session HTML one of the HTML assets installed with Trainz HTML Page: right_away.html which is a HTML file inside the General Purpose Session HTML asset HTML Wave: General Purpose Session HTML HTML asset contains the optional sound file to be played Wav Name: all-aboard.wav is the optional sound file to be played Autoplay Wav - the sound will be played when the page is displayed

Create Your own HTML Asset

Creating your own HTML assets allows you to add session information and instructions that are perfectly tailored to each session. This does require creative effort and time, will need more testing and will probably generate a lot of frustration. But the end result can be worth it.

If you have created your own HTML asset it must be committed in Content Manager before it can be used in a Message Popup

All the files (HTML, graphics, audio and the config.txt) are saved in the asset folder as shown in the example below. This example includes a single .html file which references all the .jpg and .tga graphic files. You can add as many HTML files as you need.

THIS IS AN EXAMPLE ONLY The minimum number of files needed in a HTML asset is 2 - the config.txt file and a thumbnail image (a .jpg file).

A useful time saving technique is to view the HTML files in a normal web browser before committing the asset. However, if TGA image files have been used then they will not appear in the browser.

You can edit HTML files so that the pages will be displayed in a normal web browser with white text and a background that approximates the one used in the Trainz MiniBrowser. This makes it easier to test the pages without having to constantly open, edit, update and then commit the HTML assets in Content Manager. To do this, edit the <body> tag at the top of each HTML page to read ... <body bgcolor=#192a32 text=#ffffff> This will have no effect on the appearance of the pages in Trainz.

Option 3: A String Table

To use a string-table for the message text, use the "A predefined string-table entry from a HTML asset" option.

The text to be displayed in the message must be added to the config.txt file of the HTML asset. A series of text messages for different message windows can be placed in this file.

The disadvantage of this option compared to option 1 above is that the config.txt file of the HTML asset has to be edited and the asset re-committed every time a message is added or changed.

For example, the config.txt file of a HTML asset may have a string-table container as shown below:-

string-table
   {
      html_warning_late                             "You are running behind schedule."
      html_warning_early                            "You are running ahead of schedule."
      html_finished_title                           "Session completed!"
   }

The label html_warning_late is a "string-table token" that identifies the message "You are running behind schedule". The Message Popup rule uses this token to identify the message.

For example:-

Settings: A pre-defined string-table entry from a HTML asset (advanced) In This Example: Pause game while message is displayed - game play will not be paused Close previous message popup windows - this is usually a good idea unless you want multiple message windows open Message location: Top left of the screen has been chosen as the location for the message window. Other positions are Top right, Bottom left and Bottom right HTML Asset: General Purpose Session HTML one of the HTML assets installed with Trainz String Table Token: html_warning_late the string table token in the config.txt file of the General Purpose Session HTML asset contains the message to be displayed HTML Wave: General Purpose Session HTML HTML asset contains the optional sound file to be played Wav Name: all-aboard.wav is the optional sound file to be played Autoplay Wav - the sound will be played when the page is displayed The disadvantage of this Option compared to Option 1 above is that the config.txt file of the HTML asset has to be edited and the asset re-committed every time a message is added or changed.

A String Table With HTML

You can include some simple HTML codes in the text message. If the string-table token and message shown below is included in the config.txt file...

warning_message_stop                "You have passed a stop signal.<br><br><font color=#ffff00><b>Apply your brakes immediately</b></font>"

...and if this token and its HTML asset is used in the Message Popup rule, then the following message will appear on the screen.

Alternatives to the Message Popup Rule

There are other HTML message window rules that are alternatives to the Message Popup rule. A few possibilities are:-

• Display HTML Pages Rule
• Timed Limited Display HTML Rule (SP2 and later)

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Trainz Wiki

More Tutorials and Guides to Using Trainz How to Guides Driver Commands List Session Rules List (Alphabetical) with Parameters Session Rules List (Categories) With Parameters

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This page was created by Trainz user pware in May 2018 and was last updated as shown below.

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