Information on creating and using Message Popups can be found on the Trainz Wiki pages at:-

• Using the Message Popup Rule
• Using the Message Popup Rule (Applications)
• How to Create a HTML Asset
• Message Popup Rule (description)

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  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  texture  is the name of the assets texture file. This will be a simple text file and will have the name asset_name.texture where asset_name will be a name you have selected for this asset - e.g. "icon_gradeXing". The actual texture file itself will be named asset_name.texture.txt (e.g. "icon_gradeXing.texture.txt") but the filename ending ".txt" is not added to the name in the texture tag so it would appear as "icon_gradeXing.texture"
• 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  category-class  identifies the intent of the asset and is important in classifying it for filtering and searching. For texture icon assets, the category class is "JI". A list of category classes can be found at Category-class
• 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  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 in this case the asset texture itself. Information on thumbnails can be found at Thumbnails
  • The first thumbnail  Default  is the container ID or placeholder for the thumbnail used by CM and the Web based DLS. While its exact label (or number - eg. "Default", "00", "01", etc) is not important, it must be different from any other labels. 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 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
  • The second thumbnail  01  is the placeholder label for the 64 x 64 icon image used by the Message Popup Rule for this asset. Its exact label does not matter but it must be different from the first thumbnail image placeholder label
    • The image is the assets asset_name.texture.txt file (but without the ".txt" at the end)
    • The width of the image in pixels must be 64
    • The height of the image in pixels must be 64
• The  description  provides more details for users than the username

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.

• convert the background to a transparency or
• remove the background and add a transparent layer to the image as its background

• the Texture File is a standard text file
• the filename is composed of:-
  • a user selected asset_name followed by a period (.)
  • the word texture followed by a period (.)
  • the letters txt

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

There are 3 general "scenarios" for the structure of the Texture File in a Texture Non Environmental asset.

If the icon has a transparency (an alpha channel) and is saved in a format that supports the alpha channel

Then:-

primary=ashpit.tga
alpha=ashpit.tga
tile=st

If the icon needs to have transparency (an alpha channel) but an alpha channel is not available (e.g. it is saved in the jpg file format) or is not suitable

Then:-

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

If the icon image does not have a transparency and no alpha channel is needed

Then:-

primary=ashpit.tga
tile=st

Image file formats supported by Trainz that have an alpha channel are:-

• bmp
• png
• tga

Image file formats supported by Trainz that DO NOT have an alpha channel are:-

• jpg

• Texture File

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