Revision as of 06:41, 14 January 2023 (view source) Pware (Talk | contribs) m (→‎The Fine Adjustment Tool) ← Older edit		Revision as of 09:30, 14 January 2023 (view source) Pware (Talk | contribs) (→‎The Fine Adjustment Tool) Newer edit →
Line 2,027:		Line 2,027:
	</table>		</table>
	<br>		<br>
		+	The most obvious feature of the '''Fine Adjustment Tool''' is the '''3D Frame''' it adds to a selected object.<br>
		+
		+	<table width=900>
		+	<tr valign="top">
		+	<td width=250>[[image:FineAdjust3DFrame_S20.png|link=]]</td>
		+	<td>The coloured lines shown in the frame allow precise manual controls:-
		+	*<span style="font-weight: 900; font-size: 15px; color: white; background-color: red;">RED</span> <span style="font-weight: 900; font-size: 15px; color: white; background-color: green;">GREEN</span> horizontal lines - positional movements in the horizontal '''XY''' plane
		+	*<span style="font-weight: 900; font-size: 15px; color: white; background-color: blue;">BLUE</span> vertical line - positional movements in the vertical '''Z''' plane
		+	*<span style="font-weight: 900; font-size: 15px; color: white; background-color: red;">RED</span> <span style="font-weight: 900; font-size: 15px; color: white; background-color: green;">GREEN</span> arc lines - pitch and yaw movements around the '''XY''' axis lines
		+	*<span style="font-weight: 900; font-size: 15px; color: white; background-color: blue;">BLUE</span> arc line - rotational movements around the '''Z''' axis line
		+	<table bgcolor=#000000 weight=650 cellpadding=2>
		+	<tr valign="top">
		+	<td>
		+	<table bgcolor=#ffffff width=646 cellpadding=2>
		+	<tr valign="top">
		+	<td colspan=2>To use the fine controls:-</td>
		+	</tr>
		+	<tr valign="top">
		+	<td width=20>[[image:DotPoint1.JPG|link=]]</td>
		+	<td>move the mouse pointer onto a coloured line - its colour will change to white</td>
		+	</tr>
		+	<tr valign="top">
		+	<td width=20>[[image:DotPoint2.JPG|link=]]</td>
		+	<td>hold down the '''Left''' button</td>
		+	</tr>
		+	<tr valign="top">
		+	<td width=20>[[image:DotPoint3.JPG|link=]]</td>
		+	<td>drag the pointer along the chosen line in the direction required (e.g. Up or Down on the blue line)</td>
		+	</tr>
		+	</table>
		+	</td>
		+	</tr>
		+	</table>
		+	</td>
		+	</tr>
		+	</table>
		+	<br>
		+	You can still move the object freely in the '''XY''' (horizontal) plane by using a '''Left''' "click and drag" anywhere on the selected object except on a coloured line.<br>
		+
		+	<table width=520>
		+	<tr valign="top">
		+	<td width=250>[[image:FineAdjustZMove_S20.png|link=]]<br>Scenery object after a '''Z''' axis vertical move</td>
		+	<td width=20>&#160;</td>
		+	<td width=250>[[image:FineAdjustYawMove_S20.png|link=]]<br>Scenery object after a "green" axis yaw roll</td>
		+	</tr>
		+	</table>
		+	<br>
		+	<table bgcolor=#000000 width=900 cellpadding=2>
		+	<tr valign="top">
		+	<td>
		+	<table bgcolor=#ffffff width=896 cellpadding=2>
		+	<tr valign="top">
		+	<td>
		+	Objects can be restored to their original height and rotation settings by opening their '''Context Menu''' and selecting:-
		+	:<span style="font-weight: 700; font-size: 15px; color: white; background-color: black;">&#160;Reset Object Rotation&#160;</span> to cancel the rotation changes, and
		+	:<span style="font-weight: 700; font-size: 15px; color: white; background-color: black;">&#160;Settle on Ground&#160;</span> to cancel the height changes
		+	</td>
		+	</tr>
		+	</table>
		+	</td>
		+	</tr>
		+	</table>
		+
	<span style="font-weight: 700; font-size: 15px;">This section is still under construction</span>		<span style="font-weight: 700; font-size: 15px;">This section is still under construction</span>

---

Revision as of 09:30, 14 January 2023

The information in this Wiki Page applies to Surveyor 2.0 (S20) as found in Trainz Plus.

This document is  still being written 

Contents 1 The Tools Palette 2 The Brush Tool 2.1 Ground Height 2.2 Ground Texture 2.3 Scrapbook Data 2.4 Edit Effect Layers... 3 The Placement Tool 3.1 Placing a Scenery Mesh Object 3.2 Placing a Scenery or Track Spline 3.3 Placement Tool Options 3.4 Deleting Placed Objects 4 The Eyedropper Tool 4.1 Quick Steps 4.2 Narrowing the Search 5 The Free Move Tool 5.1 For Scenery Mesh Objects 5.2 For Track Objects 5.3 For Spline Objects (Including Track) 6 The Fine Adjustment Tool 7 The Marquee Tool 8 The Info Palette 9 Trainz Wiki

The Tools Palette

Notes: Palettes If the Tools Palette is not shown on the screen, then:- 1. open the Window Menu from the menu icons at the top of the screen   visible palettes with have ticks next to their names 2. Left click on the item Tools Palette   this will add a tick and make the Tools Palette visible 3. make sure that the Tool Options Palette is also visible

The Brush Tool

Keyboard Shortcut:  W

The Brush Tool "Paints" the Terrain, Ground Textures, Effect Layers and Scrapbook Scenes in a Route

When selected, the Brush Tool has two drop down menu lists.

The first drop down menu will set the "Brush Target" which is the type of brush. The Targets are:- Ground Height Ground Texture Scrapbook Data <List of Effect Layers> Edit Effect Layers If you have any Effect Layers then they will appear as Targets in this drop down list. Select an Effect Layer to use the brush to paint with that layer.

Ground Height

This brush tool uses the Tool Options Palette. If this palette is not visible on the screen then refer to  Notes: Palettes at the top of this document.

When the Ground Height Target is selected, the second drop down box will give a choice of several Ground Height tools.

The choices are:-
Height Up Height Down Set Height Grade

The available brush tool options are shown in the Tool Options Palette with a  Gold  coloured icon next to their names. Those options that have their icon greyed out will be ignored, but they can still be edited.
Height Up/Height Down	Set Height	Grade	Radius  the brush radius (metres) - see Notes: below Range:  5m and above  Height  the brush height (metres) Range:  -3000m to 3000m  Sensitivity  the rate at which the height changes Range:  1% (very slowly) to 100% (very quickly)  Grade  slope gradient - see Notes: below Range:  0% = flat ("Plateau" in Classic) to   ±100% = steep (but not vertical)  Angle  grade direction (compass degrees) Range:  0° (North) to ±359° a negative value reverses the grade

Notes: Unlike Surveyor Classic, there appears to be no upper limit to the brush  Radius . Brushes of hundreds of metres (even kilometres) in size are possible. However, if you are using the brush to set an entire baseboard, or many baseboards, to a specific height then the Marquee Tool may be a better choice. The  Grade  may cause some confusion. It is defined as height (vertical) over distance (horizontal) converted to a percentage figure. So a grade of 100% (the maximum allowed) would mean a slope formed by the height and distance both being the same value (e.g. a height increase of 50m over a distance of 50m). A vertical slope (a cliff) would have an infinite grade which is currently impossible in Surveyor.

Ground Texture

This brush tool uses the Tool Options Palette. If this palette is not visible on the screen then refer to  Notes: Palettes at the top of this document.

When the Ground Texture Target is selected, the second drop down box will be disabled - there are no brush texture tool choices.

The available brush tool options are shown in the Tool Options Palette with a  Gold  coloured icon next to their names. Those options that have their icon greyed out will be ignored, but they can still be edited.

Radius  the brush radius (metres) - see Notes: below Range:  5m and above  Sensitivity  texture transparency Range:  1% = almost transparent to   100% = solid (opaque)  Rotation  initial rotation angle - see Notes: below Range:  0° to ±360° (larger angles can be entered)  Scale  the texture pattern scaling factor Range:  0.01% = smallest to 100% = full size

Notes: Unlike Surveyor Classic, there appears to be no upper limit to the brush  Radius . Brushes of hundreds of metres (even kilometres) in size are possible. If you are using the brush to paint an entire baseboard, or many baseboards, then the Marquee Tool will be quicker but it will not give the options of changing the scale and rotation. The  Rotation  controls the starting angle for the texture when painting and is often used to avoid pattern repetition. As in Surveyor Classic, holding down the  [  or  ]  keys while painting will continuously change the rotation angle. Warning: Changing the rotation angle during painting is not recommended for PBR Textures as this will significantly increase the memory useage (each rotation will load in another copy of the PBR texture).

Scrapbook Data

The scrapbook contents can be Pasted into a route from the Context Menu of a scenery asset.

This brush tool uses both the Tool Options Palette and the Scrapbook Palette. If these palettes are not visible on the screen then refer to  Notes: Palettes at the top of this document.

 The Scrapbook Brush 

When the Scrapbook Data Target is selected, the second drop down box will give a choice of two Scrapbook Data tools.

The choices are:-
Scrapbook Brush Scrapbook Clone

Scrapbook Brush  will resize the scrapbook contents to fit the selected brush shape and size. If the brush is small then the scrapbook contents will be compressed closer together If the brush is large then the contents will be spaced further apart Every Left Click will paste another complete scrapbook copy The Scale control in the Tool Options Palette is ignored.  Scrapbook Clone  will paste the scrapbook at its original size - subject to the Scale setting. If the brush is the same size as the original scrapbook then a single exact copy will be pasted If the brush is smaller than the original scrapbook size then only the central part of the scrapbook will be revealed and more will be added when the brush is moved around until the "painted" area reaches the size of the original. Further painting will clone or tile the scrapbook contents If the brush is larger than the original scrapbook size then the contents will be cloned or tiled to fill the set brush size The Scale control is not ignored but selecting extremes (e.g. a very large brush and a very small scale value) can cause problems (e.g. system "lockup" while it attempts to scale and clone the scrapbook contents)

The available brush tool options are shown in the Tool Options Palette with a  Gold  coloured icon next to their names. Those options that have their icon greyed out will be ignored, but they can still be edited.
Scrapbook Brush	Scrapbook Clone	Radius  the brush radius (metres) - see Notes: below Range:  5m and above  Rotation  initial rotation angle (degrees) - see Notes: below Range:  0° to ±360° (larger angles can be entered)  Scale  the scrapbook scaling factor Range:  0.01% = smallest to 100% = full size  Shape  brush shape Options:  Circle and Square will set the brush to the selected shape   Natural will set the brush to the same shape as the Marquee that created the scrapbook, which may be rectangular. The Radius setting will set the relative brush dimensions

Notes: Unlike Surveyor Classic, there appears to be no upper limit to the brush  Radius . Brushes of hundreds of metres (even kilometres) in size are possible. The  Rotation  controls the starting angle for pasting the scrapbook objects. In Surveyor Classic you could only rotate and paste in 90° increments. In S20 you can rotate and paste at any angle.

The Scrapbook Palette

Scrapbook Pasting Options   What Features to Paste      Ground Height  terrain height(s) used in the scrapbook     Texture  textures used in the scrapbook     Meshes  scenery objects (e.g. trees, buildings) used in the scrapbook     Splines  spline objects used in the scrapbook     Effect Layers  effect layers (TurfFX, Clutter) used in the scrapbook  How to Paste Each Feature     None  do not paste this feature     Add  add this feature to those already present     Overwrite  use this feature to replace those already present For the Ground Height feature:-     Absolute  use the ground heights in the scrapbook to replace the existing ground heights     Relative  modify the existing ground heights according to those used in the scrapbook (to ignore the scrapbook ground heights completely select the option None)

Edit Effect Layers...

When this Target is selected, the Edit Effect Layers options will appear. This is the same as selecting Edit Effect Layers ... from the Trainz Edit Menu.

If no Effect Layers are present then you can create a new one

If Effect Layers are present then select one to edit

More information on creating and editing Effect Layers can be found on the Trainz Wiki at:- TurfFX_Effect_Layer Clutter_Effect_Layer Water_Effect_Layer

The Placement Tool

Keyboard Shortcut:  E

The Placement Tool Adds Objects to a Route

This tool uses the Assets Palette. If this palette is not visible on the screen then refer to  Notes: Palettes at the top of this document.

When selected, the Placement Tool has no drop down menu lists.

More Placement Options After an object has been placed in a route its position and height can be changed by:- using the  Free Move Tool using the  Fine Adjustment Tool editing its  X   Y   Z  values in  The Info Palette selecting the  Set Height  option in each objects Context Menu

The first step is to identify and select the particular object that you want to add to the route.

Placing a Scenery Mesh Object

Individual "non-spline" scenery objects that are not attached to track are often referred to in Trainz terminology as Scenery Mesh Objects.

In the Asset Palette either:-

Left click on an object selection icon all ground textures all non-spline scenery objects all spline scenery objects all track spline objects all track objects (signals, etc) all rolling stock all Effect Layer presets

OR

Left click the Content Drop-down Box Then select Scenery Objects

Shortcut  If you already have the same object placed in your route then:- select the Eyedropper Tool in the Tools Palette (or press the  R  key) Left click on the existing ojbect in the route then Left click on the objects name in the Filter List This will instantly select that particular object in the Filter List and switch control to the Placement Tool. Jump to Step below.

To narrow down the filter list type part of the object name into the Search Text Box. For example if you have selected Scenery Objects and want to find "barns", then type "barn" (UPPER/lower case does not matter).

This will list all the Scenery Objects containing the text "barn" in their name. Select (Left click) on the required item in the list (e.g. "Wooden Barn"). When selected the object will be highlighted on a blue background and its name will appear in the Assets Palette title bar. If you are not sure about an object then Dbl-Left click on the name to bring up its image and description. Selecting an object in the Assets Palette filter list will automatically select the Placement Tool so the next Left click in the route will place that object in the route.

The final step is to place the selected object into the route. If the Placement Tool is not selected then Left click it or press the  E  key Click on the spot where you want to place the object

The Placement Tool will remain on and active until another tool has been selected. So everytime you click another copy of the object (or another object if you change your selection) will be added to the route.

Placing a Scenery or Track Spline

Start the process of laying a track or spline by identifying and selecting the spline as described in steps to above. Then continue by following the steps listed below.

		"Click on the spot" as shown in Step above to place the start or first endpoint of the spline.
		Move the mouse in the direction you want to lay the spline or track. The spline will follow the mouse wherever you move it.
		When you have the pointer in the final position for the first spline segment, Left click the mouse. This will anchor the second spline endpoint. The spline between the two endpoints is the first spline segment. The spline segment will now have three Context Icons, one for each endpoint and one for the spline segment.
		Left click on the new endpoint and move the mouse in the direction you want to continue laying the spline or track. The spline will follow the mouse wherever you move it.
		When you have the pointer in the final position for the second spline segment, Left click the mouse. This will anchor the third spline endpoint and produce new Context Icons for the second segment.
		Repeat Steps and above to continue laying the spline.

 Spline Segment Heights 

When you start adding a spline to a route it will always be placed at the height of the terrain regardless of the Tool Options  Height  setting.

However, you can set the height of the last segment that was added and all the segments added from that point.

	Lay the first spline segment which will be added at the terrain ground height
	Enter a value in the Tool Options  Height  and press the  Enter  key
The endpoints of the current spline segment will immediately be adjusted to the new height setting
	Continue laying spline segments. Each new segment will be added at the new height

Placement Tool Options

The Tool Options Palette  Height  setting for Scenery Mesh Objects, Scenery Splines and Track Splines when using the Placement Tool does not show a gold coloured icon which indicates an "active" control setting but the setting is active.

 Mesh Object Tool Options 

After placing the mesh object in the route, enter a value in the Tool Options Palette  Height  setting Press the  Enter  key The object will be moved to the set height above (or below) the terrain. The vertical yellow line shown in the second image on the left indicates the height change. The small yellow dot at the base of the line is the terrain anchor point for the object. The height in the Tool Options Palette can also be applied after the object has been placed using the  Apply Height  option in each objects Context Menu.

 Spline Tool Options 

Splines have two Placement Tool settings in the Tool Options Palette.

Grade  spline gradient (see Notes: below). The finishing endpoint of each spline segment will be set higher (for a positive grade) or lower (for a negative grade) than the starting endpoint Range:  0% (flat) to ±100% (steep but not vertical)  Condition  this applies to Track Spline objects and sets the track condition (or "ride comfort") for each segment Range:  1% (terrible track condition) to 100% (perfect track condition) The Track Condition can also be set for each track segment in its Context Menu  Edit Properties  option The  Height  setting in the Tool Options Palette can also be applied to a selected spline endpoint or segment. If the endpoint or segment is at the end of the spline then the following new endpoints and segments will be added at the new height. The height change can be made by:- directly entering a value in the Tool Options height setting, OR selecting the Apply Height option from the object Context Menu

Notes:   The  Grade  may cause some confusion. It is defined as vertical rise divided by horizontal distance converted to a percentage figure. So a grade of 100% (the maximum allowed) would mean a gradient formed by both measurements having the same value (e.g. a rise of 50m over a distance of 50m). A vertical grade (such as up a cliff face) would have an infinite grade which is currently impossible in Surveyor.

Deleting Placed Objects

To delete objects either:-

Select the object or a group of objects using either the:- Free Move Tool (or press  S ) OR Fine Adjustment Tool (or press  D ) Multiple object can be selected by holding down the  Shift  key when using these tools Either:- Press the  Delete  key, OR Open the Context Menu of the object (or object group) and select the  Delete  option

OR

Use the Marquee Tool to select the object or a group of objects, then either:- Press the  Delete  key OR Open the Marquee Context Menu and select the  Delete  option

The Eyedropper Tool

Keyboard Shortcut:  R

The Eyedropper Tool Identifies and Selects Objects in a Route

This tool uses the Assets Palette. If this palette is not visible on the screen then refer to  Notes: Palettes at the top of this document.

When selected, the Eyedropper Tool has no drop down menu lists.

Quick Steps

With the Eyedropper Tool selected, move the mouse pointer (which will now be an eyedropper symbol) onto any object in view.

The object will be identified by its object name appearing in a  ToolTip  below the mouse pointer (image shown left). Leave the mouse pointer in place for a few seconds and additional information about the object will be shown, its <kuid> code, Author and (if available) some of its description (image shown below left). Left click on the object to identify it in the Filter List. The type of object and its name will be automatically shown (highligted in grey) in the Asset Palette filters as shown in the image left. Left click on the object name in the Asset Filter List to select it (highlight in blue) and switch control to the Placement Tool

Narrowing the Search

Sometimes (or often) a scene will be too crowded with different scenery objects to be able to use the Eyedropper Tool to easily select a single object. In these cases additional options are available to help "remove the clutter".

At the top of the Assets Palette is a drop down box which controls how the Eyedropper Tool works with the filters that you set.

The drop down box will provide three options:- Filter List Filter Selection Filter Visibility

These options work with the Asset Filters to help narrow the search for a specific object or type of object that is in the route.

Filter List  this option will have no effect on the operation of the Eyedropper Tool or on the objects displayed on the screen. It is the default setting and any selections made with the eyedropper will be shown in the Assets Palette as described in the section Quick Steps above.  Filter Selection  this option will restrict the Eyedropper Tool to only working on those objects that are in the filtered list. Objects that are not in the filtered list cannot be selected and will not have their details (name, <kuid>, author) displayed on the screen.  Filter Visibility  this option will hide all objects that are not in the filtered list. The only exceptions are Ground Textures and Effect Layers which will be visible but, unless they are also in the filtered list, cannot be selected.

As an example the following images show the progressive application of a Visibility Filter.

		No filter has been applied. All the objects are visible on the Surveyor screen. ALL objects can be selected by the Eyedropper Tool
		The Visibility Filter option has been applied and the filtered list has been set to display only Scenery Splines. All objects except Scenery Splines, Ground Textures and Effect Layers are now hidden. Only Scenery Splines can be selected by the Eyedropper Tool.
		An additional filter has been applied. The word "fence" has been added to the search text box. All Scenery Splines that do not have the text "fence" in their names have now been hidden. Only the remaining visible Scenery Splines can be selected by the Eyedropper Tool.

The Free Move Tool

Keyboard Shortcut:  S

The Free Move Tool Moves Objects Around a Route

This tool uses the Tool Options Palette and the Info Palette (to display data only). If these palettes are not visible on the screen then refer to  Notes: Palettes at the top of this document.

When selected, the Free Move Tool has no drop down menu lists.

Free Move Alternatives In addition to the Free Move Tool the position and height of objects can be changed by:- using the  Fine Adjustment Tool editing the objects  X   Y   Z  values in  The Info Palette selecting the  Apply Height  option in each objects Context Menu

For Scenery Mesh Objects

Individual "non-spline" scenery objects that are not attached to track are often referred to in Trainz terminology as Scenery Mesh Objects.

 Moving a Scenery Mesh Object 

Select the Free Move Tool. Select (Left click on) the object. Use the mouse (Left button held down) to drag the object in any horizontal (XY) direction. When moving a scenery object, its height will be fixed to the terrain height.

 Set the Height for a Scenery Mesh Object 

When placed in a route by the Placement Tool a scenery object will take the height of the terrain as its set height. It will be fixed to the terrain so when you move it around it will always be at the same height as the terrain it is over.

This can be changed to fix the object to a set height above or below the terrain.

With the scenery object selected, enter a height value into the Tool Options  Height  text box Hit the  Enter  key The scenery object will now be fixed at the entered height above (or below) the terrain as it is moved around.

 Mesh Object Context Menu 

A selected scenery object, or a group of selected scenery objects, will have a Context Icon with a Context Menu. The icon design will vary between object types. Multiple objects can be selected by holding down the  Shift  key while Left clicking on each object.

To open an objects Context menu either:-

• Left click the Context Icon, OR
• Press the  T  key

Cut  remove the selected object or objects and move them into the Scrapbook  Copy  copy the selected object or objects and place them into the Scrapbook  Paste  paste the contents of the current Scrapbook  Delete  delete the selected objects. It has the same effect as pressing the  Delete  key  Replace Object with Selected Asset  the highlighted object will be replaced with the asset currently selected in the Assets Palette  Paint Under Selected  the texture selected in the Assets Palette will be painted under the highlighted object. The Tool Options for the Brush Tool (Size and Sensitivity) will control how the texture is applied  Smooth Ground Under Selected  changes the height of the terrain under the object to match the set height of the object. If multiple objects at different heights have been selected then the terrain height will be set to match the height of the lowest object  Settle on Ground  sets the height of the objects to match the height of the terrain beneath them ("drops them back to earth")  Apply Height  sets the height of the objects to the value in the Tool Options  Height  text box  Reset Object Rotation  resets the rotation angle of the objects to their default values  Randomise Object Rotation  applies a random rotation angle to each object  Select in Assets Palette  identifies the selected object in the Asset Palette like the Eyedropper Tool  Edit Properties  opens the Properties window of the selected object

For Track Objects

Track Objects (signals, switches, speed signs, etc) are always attached to an existing track. They can be moved to new positions along the track and in Surveyor Classic that was the limit of their movement.

Surveyor 2.0 brings a new freedom of movement to track objects. They can be moved away from the track to the left or right as well as above and below the track.

Throw Lever track object in its original position

To move a track object horizontally left or right of the track:- select the track object with the Free Move Tool drag the object left or right To move a track object vertically:- select the track object with the Free Move Tool enter a value in the Tool Options  Height  control and press the  Enter  key Situations where this feature is useful include:- placing Track Marks and Triggers above or beside the track so that they are not hidden by consists parked on top of them repositioning switches, signals, track signs closer to or further away from the track

After being moved left with the Free Move Tool

The track object can still be moved along the track with the Free Move Tool. The operation of a track object is not affected by its change in position.

The track objects can be quickly returned to their anchor points:- Open the track objects Context Menu (click the icon or press the  T  key) Select the option  Reattach to Track

Track objects can also be rotated to the opposite side of the track.

To rotate a track object:- Open the track objects Context Menu (click the icon or press the  T  key) Select the option  Rotate Trackside  Rotating a track object does not change its distance from the anchor point.

For Spline Objects (Including Track)

Scenery splines and track splines are defined by their endpoints. Splines are usually added to a route as a series of joined segments linked at the endpoints. Moving a spline can involve moving:-

• an endpoint, OR
• a segment, OR
• multiple segments including the whole length of the spline

 Moving Spline Endpoints 

To move an individual spline endpoint:-

Select the Free Move Tool. Select (Left click on) the spline endpoint to be moved. This will be shown as green meaning active. Inactive spline endpoints are shown as black. Use the mouse (Left button held down) to drag the spline endpoint in any horizontal (XY) direction. The spline endpoint will be fixed at its original height.

 Moving Spline Segments 

Splines are frequently made of multiple segments joined together. You can easily move a spline by moving its segments, individually or as a group.

To move an individual segment or multiple segments:-

Select the Free Move Tool. Select (Left click on) the spline segment to be moved - click anywhere between the two spline endpoints on the segment. The selected segment will be highlighted in green. The segment that you clicked will have a temporary endpoint inserted at the location where you clicked. This temporary endpoint is:- where the Context Icon for the segment will be attached the location where a new permanent endpoint can be added from the segments Context Menu

IF you are going to select and move more than one spline segment, then:- hold the  Shift  key down and individually Left click between the endpoints on each additional segment. The last segment that you click will have the temporary endpoint added. To select ALL the segments in a spline, Dbl-Left click on a segment The segment you double click will have the temporary endpoint added

Use the mouse (Left button held down) to drag the selected segment(s) in any horizontal (XY) direction. If you had selected:- only a single spline segment then only that segment will be moved and the adjacent segments that were not selected will have their shapes "adjusted" multiple spline segments then those segments will be moved and the adjacent segments that were not selected will have their shapes "adjusted" the entire spline then ALL the segments will be moved

 Spline Object Context Menu 

Splines have two separate Context Icons that lead to two slightly different Context Menus. One icon and menu is for each endpoint and another icon and menu for the spline segment. So a spline segment will have three Context Icons - one for each endpoint and one for the segment itself. Left click on an icon to open its Context Menu.

Endpoint Context Menu   Segment Context Menu   Cut  remove the segment or segments and move them into the Scrapbook  Copy  copy the segment or segments and place them into the Scrapbook  Paste  paste the contents of the current Scrapbook  Delete  delete the segment, segments or endpoint. It has the same effect as pressing the  Delete  key  Replace Spline with Selected Asset  the highlighted spline will be replaced with the asset currently selected in the Assets Palette  Paint Under Selected  the texture selected in the Assets Palette will be painted under the highlighted spline segments. The Tool Options for the Brush Tool (Size and Sensitivity) will control how the texture is applied  Smooth Ground Under Selected  changes the height of the terrain under the segment or segments to match the set height of the spline (does not work on endpoints)  Settle on Ground  sets the height of the segment, segments or endpoint to match the height of the terrain beneath them ("drops them back to earth"). When used on segments the spline will follow the height changes of the terrain  Apply Height (to this Spline Endpoint)  sets the height of the segment, segments or endpoint to the value in the Tool Options  Height  text box  Apply Grade to this Spline Endpoint  sets the height of the endpoint to give a Grade to the surrounding segments that matches the value in the Tool Options  Grade  text box  Straighten Spline  forces a straight line (as far as possible) between the endpoints of a single segment. This option will be ticked if the segment has already been straightened  Separate Splines  breaks the spline into two separate splines at the endpoint  Merge Splines  removes the selected endpoint and merges the segments on both sides into one segment. The two segments can also be joined by selecting and deleting the endpoint with the  Delete  key  Insert Spline Point Here  inserts a new endpoint in a segment at the point where it was clicked. This will create a new segment at the endpoint  Select in Assets Palette  identifies the selected spline in the Asset Palette like the Eyedropper Tool  Edit Properties  opens the Properties window of the selected spline The Fine Adjustment Tool Keyboard Shortcut:  D  The Fine Adjustment Tool Makes Fine Detail Adjustments (Position, Rotation, Pitch, Yaw) to Objects in a Route This tool uses the Info Palette. If this palette is not visible on the screen then refer to  Notes: Palettes at the top of this document. When selected, the Fine Adjustment Tool has no drop down menu lists. Fine Adjustment Alternatives In addition to the Fine Adjustment Tool the position and height of objects can be changed by:- using the  Free Move Tool editing the objects  X   Y   Z   R   P   Y  values in  The Info Palette selecting the  Apply Height  option in each objects Context Menu The most obvious feature of the Fine Adjustment Tool is the 3D Frame it adds to a selected object. The coloured lines shown in the frame allow precise manual controls:- RED GREEN horizontal lines - positional movements in the horizontal XY plane BLUE vertical line - positional movements in the vertical Z plane RED GREEN arc lines - pitch and yaw movements around the XY axis lines BLUE arc line - rotational movements around the Z axis line To use the fine controls:- move the mouse pointer onto a coloured line - its colour will change to white hold down the Left button drag the pointer along the chosen line in the direction required (e.g. Up or Down on the blue line) You can still move the object freely in the XY (horizontal) plane by using a Left "click and drag" anywhere on the selected object except on a coloured line. Scenery object after a Z axis vertical move   Scenery object after a "green" axis yaw roll Objects can be restored to their original height and rotation settings by opening their Context Menu and selecting:-  Reset Object Rotation  to cancel the rotation changes, and  Settle on Ground  to cancel the height changes This section is still under construction The Marquee Tool Keyboard Shortcut:  F  The Marquee Tool Selects Areas of a Route This tool uses the Scrapbook Palette. If this palette is not visible on the screen then refer to  Notes: Palettes at the top of this document. This section is still under construction The Info Palette This palette can be easily overlooked but it has some very useful features. Its uses are:- to display precise data on the "focus" - the position of the cursor to display precise data on the position and attitude of a selected object to allow precise control over the position and attitude of a selected object (i.e. it can be used instead of the Free Move Tool and the Fine Adjustment Tool) to change the "home" layer and binding layer of a selected object to lock and unlock layers This section is still under construction 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 This page was created by Trainz user pware in January 2023 and was last updated as shown below.