To get started with Content Manager, we'll have you search for a specifically named asset and then view a preview of the asset (this can be used to quickly have a look at any item in Trainz, without needing to place it into Driver or Surveyor modes!).

1. To start with, open Content Manager from the Manage Content button on the Launcher Screen.
2. Now click on the Search box at the top right corner, and enter Animal (this will show a list of assets with "Animal" in the name
3. Now left click on the "Animal - Dog" asset to select it
4. We now need to open the Asset Preview tool via the Content or Context (Right Click) Menu:
   1. To open the Content Menu, click on "Content" at the top of the Content Manager Window
   2. To open the Context Menu, right click on the selected asset
5. Now place your mouse cursor over the "Open..." option
6. Next, click on "Preview Asset"

You will then see the Asset Preview window open, showing a dog over a white background. Note that this window shows the asset with all detail/video settings at full, and as such it may sometimes be blurry if you are too close, since the depth of field function will blur objects that are very close to the camera.

You have now mastered the basic controls in Content Manager. All core content management functions are accessed through the Content and Context (right click) menus.

Additional tools for searching for content, or filtering the content list, are found in the Content Filters tool, and the Asset List Tools.

Importing a CDP File

There are currently two options for importing CDP files into Trainz.

The first is by clicking on the File menu in Content Manager, then click on 'Import Content File'. Now locate the cdp file, select it, and click on Open.

The second is by simply dragging and dropping the 'cdp' file from Explorer/Finder (or from your desktop) into the Content Manager window.

Exporting a CDP File

To send an asset that you have made (ie a route or a session) to another Trainz user, or to create a backup of an asset that is installed, you should export a cdp file with the asset(s) by following these steps:

1. Locate the asset you wish to export
2. Left click on the asset to select it
3. Click on the 'Content' menu or right click on the asset
4. Click on Export to CDP
5. Now name the CDP file, choose a location to save it to, then click Save.

You can select multiple assets to export to a CDP file by holding the CTRL key and left clicking on each asset. Once all selected, follow steps 3-5 as above.

Creating Content

There are many aspects to creating content for Trainz, most of which do not require Content Manager. However you can generate a new asset with a blank config.txt file by clicking on the 'New Content' option found in the Developer menu at the top of the Content Manager window.

Note that this is a blank asset, which you will then need to configure yourself.

For most content creation tasks, please see the following pages:

• HowTo Guides
• Trainz Content Creation Wiki

Additionally, we would recommend visiting our forums at [Trainz Forums] for assistance with Content Creation.

Editing Content

There are several options for editing existing, or new, assets in Trainz.

To open an asset for edit, select the asset in the Asset List, then open the Content or Right Click menu and go to 'Open'. Under open will be several options to edit the asset:

• Open for editing - Will open the selected asset for editing. This will place the selected asset in the 'Editing' folder of your LocalData.

• Show in Explorer - Will open the selected asset for editing, and then open an Explorer or Finder window with the asset's folder in the Editing folder of your LocalData shown.

• Edit Config File Text - Will open the selected asset for edit, and then open the asset's 'config.txt' file in your computer's default text editor (ie Notepad on Windows, unless another is set as default).

• Edit Primary Script - Will open the selected asset for edit, and then open the asset's primary 'script' file (ie the '.gs' file) in your computer's default text editor (ie Notepad on Windows, unless another is set as default). Note that some assets may not have a script, or may have a non editable encrypted script file.

• Open Asset in Surveyor - This option is only available for Route and Session assets. This will open the selected route or session for editing in Surveyor (the same as the Edit Route option from the Driver/Surveyor menu).

• Open Asset in Driver - This option is only available for Session assets. This will open the selected session in Driver (the same as the Driver Session option from the Driver/Surveyor menu).

Submitting Edits

After you have made the desired changes to an asset, you will need to submit it. Submitting the asset will move the asset back into the Trainz Asset Database folders, and update it's status and any details that may have been changed.

To submit an asset, left click on it to select it, then open the Content or Right Click menu and click on Submit.

Reverting Edits

Sometimes, when you edit an asset, you may find that you do not want to submit edits (i.e. you may have accidentally deleted something, or you simply wanted to see how it was configured). In this case, there are three options to revert the asset.

Revert Unsubmitted Edits - This is used after you've opened an asset for editing, but prior to submitting the edits. - The files are in a subfolder of your editing folder. If you want to peruse them, use "Open > Edit in Explorer". - This will revert the edits, deleting the files from your editing folder. The installed version of the asset will be left unchanged. - This will fail if you don't actually have an installed version (ie. the asset is newly created and has never been submitted).

Revert If Unchanged - As above, but it will first check to see whether any of the files have changed. - If there are modifications to any file, as compared to the installed version, the entire asset will NOT be reverted. - If there are no modifications, the asset will be reverted as above. - I believe this may also list any modifications.

Revert To Original - You may have up to three copies of each asset:

 - (i) The original, downloaded from the DLS, included in a DLC package, or built-in to the game.
 - (ii) A locally modified version.
 - (iii) An "open for edit" version.

- The above commands deleted #3, leaving you with #1 and/or #2. - This command deletes both #2 and #3, leaving you with only #1. - This command does nothing if you have no original version installed (eg. if the asset is locally created, or installed from some third-part source).

..and for good measure..

Delete - This removes #3, #2, and (if possible) #1. - Built-in content and DLC-packaged versions of content cannot be deleted.