How to Use S20 Tools

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

In Summary: Surveyor 2.0 (or S20) is the new and much more powerful Surveyor interface provided to Trainz Plus Gold and Trainz Plus Standard subscribers as an alternative to Surveyor Classic. Classic is still available as an option to subscribers S20 combines the separate Tool Flyouts from Classic into a single set of common tools Further tools and information are provided by a series of moveable and dockable on-screen Palettes Assets can be positioned in a route using new 3D Tools with more freedom than was previously possible Track assets, such as signals, now have far more options for positioning on the track, including vertically, than is possible in Classic A new Marquee Tool allows:- groups of different assets placed in the route to be selected, copied, deleted and moved multiple baseboards to be added, deleted and have their grid resolutions changed in a single operation not just one-at-a-time as in Classic Scrapbooks (assets that form a "scene" in a route) to be created and shared with other routes and through the DLS

S20 vs Classic

The following screen images help illustrate the change in philosophy that has occurred with the release of the Surveyor 2.0 user interface.

Surveyor Classic  2002 - 2022

Surveyor 2.0  2022 -

Surveyor Classic  all the tools are in separate fixed Tabbed Flyouts with a different Flyout and set of tools for each type of asset (objects, track, terrain, textures, trains, etc) the workflow forces you to select the correct tool and then apply it to just a single asset at a time

Surveyor 2.0  there is just one set of tools that can be applied to all types of assets the workflow allows you to select multiple assets (that can be of different types) and then apply a selected tool the palettes (8 of them) can be undocked, moved around the screen and hidden when not required

The Tools Palette

The Tools Palette is at the core of the new interface and takes the place of all the Tool Flyouts that have been the standard for Trainz Surveyor for many years now. Some of the tools are new while others have been given new abilities.

The  Context Tool  is attached as an icon to a selected or newly placed object. The icon will vary according to the type of object.

Notes: Palettes If the Tools Palette is not shown on the screen, then:- open the Window Menu from the menu icons at the top of the screen   visible palettes have ticks next to their names Left click on the item Tools Palette   this will add a and make the Tools Palette visible 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  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 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

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

 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)

Effect Layers

If the route has preset Effect Layers installed then they will be listed individually as additional Targets.

To paint with an Effect Layer simply select one from the list and start painting. The Brush Tool Options settings  Radius  and  Sensitivity  will control how the Effect Layer is applied. Notes: Effect Layers are created using the Edit Effect Layers options found in both the Edit Menu at the top of the screen and also in the Brush Tools drop down list (see below). They can also be loaded from .CDP files and installed from the Download Station (DLS). Once installed or created, Effect Layers can be added to a route as presets using either of the Edit Effect Layers options.

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  Apply Height  option in its 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 object 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

Notes: 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 the last object placed will be highlighted (covered in "green/yellow"). This will be the selected object if you switch control to the Free Move Tool or the Fine Adjustment Tool

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 this will set the height of 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 attachment point for the object. An existing height that is already in the Tool Options Palette can also be applied after the object has been placed using the  Apply Height  option in its 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 objects Context Menu

Notes:   The  Grade  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 objects can be selected by holding down the  Shift  key when using these tools Then .. 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 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.

Notes: The object will be identified by its 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. Notes: 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. If this palette is 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 its  X   Y   Z  values in  The Info Palette selecting the  Apply Height  option in its 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 

To move 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 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.

To set the height of a Scenery Mesh Object:- 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 that opens a Context Menu. The icon design will vary between object types.

To open a selected objects Context menu either:- Left click the Context Icon, OR Press the  T  key

Mesh Object Context Menu

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 at the cursor (focus) point  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 (Radius 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. The operation of a track object is not affected by these changes.

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 - particularly useful if the track object was originally created for a different gauge track

After being moved left with the Free Move Tool and up with the Height setting in the Tool Options Palette

The track object can still be moved along the track with the Free Move Tool.

Track objects can be restored to their original height and position (on the track) by opening their Context Menu and selecting:-  Reattach to Track  to cancel the both the height and position changes, OR  Settle on Ground  to cancel the height change only

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 track or its height.

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 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.

Not all splines have endpoints at each ends. As shown in the image on the left, some splines will have an "endcap" that is attached to the start of the first segment and to the end of the last segment. The use of an endcap is a purely cosmetic effect - to give the spline a more distinctive appearance.

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/yellow. 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 If the spline contains a junction then this will only select all the segments upto the junction point The segment that you double-clicked will have the temporary endpoint added

Use the mouse (Left button held down) to drag the selected segment(s) in any horizontal 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 (but not their endpoints) adjusted multiple spline segments then those segments will be moved and the adjacent segments that were not selected will also have their shapes adjusted the entire spline then ALL the segments and endpoints will be moved

 Spline Object Context Menu 

Notes: Splines have two different Context Icons that lead to two slightly different Context Menus. one context icon and menu for each endpoint one context icon and menu for the segment If multiple segments have been selected then the last segment added to the selection will have the context icons. If all the segments were selected by a Dbl-Click then the segment that was clicked will have the icons.

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 at the cursor (focus) point  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 (Radius 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 in which case selecting this option will "un-straighten" the segment and remove the tick  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 3D adjustments (position and rotations) to objects in a route This 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 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 its  X   Y   Z   R   P   Y  values in  The Info Palette selecting the  Apply Height  option in its Context Menu The most obvious feature of the Fine Adjustment Tool is the 3D Anchor Frame it adds to the selected object. The coloured lines, called  Anchors , allow manual positional and rotational controls:-  The Horizontal and Vertical Anchors   Red   Green   Blue  move the object (forward and back) in the direction of the Anchor  The Rotational Anchors   Red   Green   Blue  rotate the object (clockwise and anti-clockwise) along the Anchor To use the Fine Adjustment Tool controls:- move the mouse pointer onto an Anchor - 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 vertical Anchor) Notes: Not all objects will have  Red  and/or  Green  rotational Anchors. 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 . You can move the objects freely in the horizontal plane by using a Left Click and Drag anywhere on the selected object except on an Anchor point or line. To move an object in one of the Anchor directions, Left Click and Drag on an Anchor line.  Blue  vertical Anchor movement    Green  Anchor rotation    Red  Anchor rotation    Blue  Anchor rotation Notes: Objects can be restored to their original height and rotation settings by opening their Context Menu and selecting either:-  Reset Object Rotation  to cancel the rotation changes, OR  Settle on Ground  to cancel the height change The  Randomise Object Rotation  option in the Context Menu only affects rotations around the vertical axis.  Selecting Multiple Objects  Multiple objects can be selected with the Fine Adjustment Tool. To select multiple objects:- Select the Fine Adjustment Tool or press the  D  key Hold the  Shift  key down Left click on each object that is to be included in the selection group Notes: The last object selected will have the 3D Anchor Frame and Context Icon attached to it. If that object limits the allowed Anchor rotations then that limitation will be applied to all the objects in the selection. If one of the objects in the group has movement restrictions then do not select it as the last object unless its restrictions are not an issue. To see if any objects have movement restrictions, Left click on each one in turn to check its 3D Anchor Frame. If an Anchor is not showing in the frame then there is a movement restriction. In the examples shown above, the car and the pole have no movement restrictions while the tree does not allow rotations through the  Red  and  Green  rotational Anchors. The car was the last selected object so it has the Context Icon and the 3D Anchor Frame. Using the  Blue  rotation Anchor, all the objects are rotated in the horizontal plane around the 3D Anchor Frame which is attached to the car, the last object that was selected. The 3D Anchor Frame on the car is the centre of all rotations. Restarting from their original positions and using the  Green  rotation Anchor, the car and pole objects are rotated through a horizontal plane which runs through the 3D Anchor Frame. The tree does not move. Again restarting from their original positions and using the  Red  rotation Anchor , the car and pole objects are rotated through a horizontal plane which runs through the 3D Anchor Frame. This time the tree does move but vertically upwards. It does not rotate like the car and the pole.  Mesh Object Context Menu   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 at the cursor (focus) point  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 (Radius 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. The operation of a track object is not affected by these changes. 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 - particularly useful if the track object was originally created for a different gauge track Track objects can be restored to their original height and position (on the track) by opening their Context Menu and selecting:-  Reattach to Track  to cancel the both the height and position changes, OR  Settle on Ground  to cancel the height change only 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 track. 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 Fine Adjustment Tool. Select, Left click on, the spline endpoint to be moved. Note: only the horizontal  Red  and  Green  and the vertical  Blue  lines can be selected. Left Click and Drag either:- an Anchor to move the endpoint in that specific direction, OR the endpoint itself to move it in any direction in the horizontal plane  Moving Spline Segments  Notes:   The  Green  rotational Anchor CANNOT be used on Track splines To move spline segments:- Select the Fine Adjustment Tool. Select, Left click on, the spline segment to be moved. Left Click and Drag either:-   an Anchor to move the endpoint in that specific direction, OR anywhere in a segment to move it in any direction in the horizontal plane To select:- more than one segment. Hold the  Shift  key down and individually Left click on each segment ALL the segments. Dbl-Left click on a segment. If the spline contains a junction then this will only select all the segments upto the junction point Selecting a spline segment with the Fine Adjustment Tool will add a Temporary Endpoint at the point where the segment was clicked. This will produce 3 Fine Adjustment Tool control frames, one at each end of the segment and one at the click point, as shown in the image on the left. The whole segment can be moved, as shown in the following images, by a Left Click and Drag anywhere within the segment. Segment moved to the right along the  Red  line Segment moved up along the  Blue  line Segment rotated anti-clockwise around the  Blue  Anchor Segment rotated clockwise the  Red  Anchor

a  Blue  line height change and a  Red  Anchor rotation can be cancelled at any time (even after saving and reloading the route) by selecting the  Settle on Ground  option from the segments Context Menu a  Blue  Anchor rotation can be straightened at any time (even after saving and reloading the route) by selecting the  Straighten Spline  option from the segments Context Menu but this will not return the endpoints to their original positions

The Marquee Tool

Keyboard Shortcut:  F

The  Marquee Tool  selects areas of a route

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

The Marquee Tool draws out a rectangular area on the route. Any objects (including Heights, Textures and Effect Layers) that are in the area or touched by the boundary of the Marquee area will be selected.

In the image above:-
	a road spline at the bottom of the Marquee area and a house at the lower left have been overlain by the Marquee rectangle so they have been included in the selection.
	the rectangle area was drawn from the top left to the bottom right which places the Marquee Context Icon at the bottom right of the rectangle.
	the bottom right of the rectangle also has a 3D Anchor Frame.
	The road spline was the last object that was included in the selection area so its Context Icons are also present.

Not shown in the image, because they are not highlighted, are the Ground Heights, Ground Textures and Effect Layers inside the rectangle that are also included in the Marquee selection.

The Marquee Selection Area 3D Anchor Frame has some similarities to the one used with the Fine Adjustment Tool. the  Green  and  Red  horizontal Anchors will move the Marquee and all its contents in the Anchor direction the  Blue  rotational Anchor will rotate the Marquee with all its contents in the direction of the rotation movement there are no  Green  and  Red  rotational Anchors at the centre of the 3D Anchor Frame is a Select Area Anchor. Left Click and Drag this Anchor point to move the Marquee with all its contents in any horizontal direction each of the  Green  and  Red  horizontal Anchors has a resize Anchor, an orange coloured dot, located at its end. Left Click and Drag these Anchor points to resize the Marquee Selection Area in that specific direction

Marquee Anchor Controls

The following images demonstrate the effect of using the Marquee Anchor Controls on the image shown at the top of this section as the starting point.

 Horizontal Anchor Shift 

The  Green  horizontal Anchor has been used to shift the Marquee Selection Area to the left. Note that the 3 trees and a small building that were on the left of the Marquee Selection Area in the image above have been replaced (overwritten) by the Marquee contents.

 Rotational Anchor Shift 

The  Blue  rotational Anchor has been used to rotate the Marquee Selection Area about 45° anti-clockwise. Again, anything that was originally in the area now covered by the Marquee Selection Area has been replaced by the contents of the Marquee.

 Vertical Anchor Shift 

The  Blue  vertictal Anchor has been used to lift the Marquee Selection Area upwards.

Notes: The Marquee Anchors will move:- the selected scenery assets. If the assets are in locked layers then they will be copied before being moved and the original assets will remain in place the ground textures. As shown in two of the images this will leave the original baseboard ground texture showing the effect layers the ground heights

Scrapbook Operations

Once an area has been marked out by the Marquee Tool a number of options become available.

The Trainz Edit Menu will show some additional options:-  Cut  the objects selected in the Marquee area (including the ground heights, ground textures and effect layers) will be copied and placed into a new Scrapbook. Any scenery objects (excluding ground heights, ground textures and effect layers) that are not in a locked layer will be removed from the Marquee area.  Copy  the objects selected in the Marquee area (including ground heights, ground textures and effect layers) will be copied and placed into a new Scrapbook.  Paste  the contents of the current Scrapbook will be pasted into the route at the cursor (focus) point. Which contents will be pasted and how they will be pasted are controlled by the Filters in the Scrapbook Palette (see  Scrapbook Data for more details). This option will always be available with and without a Marqee area being marked if there is a scrapbook available to be pasted.  Clear  the selected scenery objects that are not in locked layers will be removed from the Marquee area but NOT the selected ground heights, ground textures and effect layers.  Select None  the Marquee selection boundary lines are removed from the route cancelling the selection process. Everything else is left as it was.

Marquee Context Menu

Left click on the Marquee Context Icon or press the  T  key to open the Context Menu for the Marquee.

Marquee Context Menu

Cut  the objects selected in the Marquee area (including the ground heights, ground textures and effect layers) will be copied and placed into a new Scrapbook. Any scenery objects (excluding ground heights, ground textures and effect layers) that are not in a locked layer will be removed from the Marquee area.  Copy  the objects selected in the Marquee area (including ground heights, ground textures and effect layers) will be copied and placed into a new Scrapbook.  Paste to Selected Area  the contents of the current Scrapbook will be pasted into the Marquee area. Which contents will be pasted and how they will be pasted are controlled by the Filters in the Scrapbook Palette (see  Scrapbook Data for more details). This option will always be available with and without a Marqee area being marked if there is a scrapbook available to be pasted.  Delete  the selected scenery objects that are not in locked layers will be removed from the Marquee area but NOT the selected ground heights, ground textures and effect layers.

Paint Within Marquee

the currently selected Ground Texture will be painted into the Marquee area using the  Radius  and  Sensitivity  settings in the Brush Tool Options. If no texture has been selected in the Assets Palette then this option will be greyed out.

Set Marquee to Brush Height

the Ground Height in the Marquee area will be set using the  Height  setting in the Brush Tool Options.

Convert Baseboards To

the entire baseboard where the Marquee selection area is located will be converted to a  5 metre  or a  10 metre  grid size (select one from the sub menu). The 5 metre grid gives a more accurate ground shape but it uses 4x as much memory.

Delete Baseboards in Marquee

when a Marquee Selection Area is drawn inside a baseboard, the entire baseboard will be given a green border. If the Marquee is drawn over the boundary between basebaords then both will have a green border. This option will delete ALL the baseboards that have a green border.

Select in Assets Palette

when a single asset has been highlighted, including ground textures and effect layers, this will identify the asset in the Assets Palette.

The Info Palette

If the Info Palette is not visible on the screen then refer to  Notes: Palettes at the top of this document. Some Info Palette functions will also require the Assets Palette and the Tool Options 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 objects
	to allow precise control over the position and attitude of objects (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

The Info Palette will appear as shown in the image below.

Each of the small arrowhead icons will open the palette to display more information and some controls.

Notes: All the positional data and controls in the Info Palette are defined in the following ways:-  X  is ALWAYS the  North-South  compass direction regardless of the direction that an asset is facing  Y  is ALWAYS the  East-West  compass direction regardless of the direction that an asset is facing  Z  is ALWAYS the  Vertical  direction (perpendicular to the compass directions) regardless of how an asset has been rolled or tilted distances are measured in metres from the North-West corner of the first baseboard.  (+)  positive distances are in the  South  and  East  directions  (-)  negative distances are in the  North  and  West  directions. New boards added to the North of the first baseboard will have negative X coordinates and new boards added to the West of the first baseboard will have negative Y coordinates.

 Focus Info and Controls 

The Focus shows the current position and height of the Cursor object. Open up the Focus by Left clicking on its arrowhead icon.

Before changing the cursor position with the Focus controls, set a Bookmark at its current position.

The current cursor position is shown in the X, Y and Z text boxes. These values can be edited to move the cursor to a new position but CARE will be needed. Notes: If you enter an X or Y value that is beyond the edge of a baseboard then the cursor will be refocussed at a point on the baseboard edge that is the closest to the entered co-ordinates. On the right of each box is a pair of Up/Down controls. Left Click and Drag up or down on these to adjust the cursor position in smaller increments.

Next to the Z co-ordinate is a small down arrow. Left click on the arrow to open its menu.

There is only one item in the sub-menu.  Use Height for Brush  Left click on the option to copy the current cursor height (Z) value from the Info Palette to the Tool Options Palette  Height  entry.

 Asset Name Menu 

You must have an object selected for its name to be shown and the menu options to be available.

If more than one object has been selected then the name of the last selected object will be shown together with a count of additional selected objects (the named object (+2) indicating 2 additional objects shown in the image on the left). The position data shown will be for the last selected object.

Next to the assets name co-ordinate is a small down arrow. Left click on the arrow to open its menu.

The menu options are:-  Copy  undescribed at present  Show Asset Details  opens a new window showing the image and description of the selected asset  List Assets in New Window  opens up Content Manager and lists all the selected assets  Add to Picklist  adds selected assets to a Picklist  Remove from Picklist  removes selected assets from a Picklist (assets must already be in a Picklist)  Select in Assets Palette  highlights the selected asset in the Assets Palette

 Position Info and Controls 

You must have an object selected for its position data to be shown and edited. Open up the object position data by Left clicking on its Pos: arrowhead icon.

The position of the selected object (or the last object if more than one is selected) is shown in the X, Y and Z text boxes. These values can be edited to move the object or objects to a new position but CARE will be needed. Notes: If you enter an X or Y value that is beyond the edge of a baseboard then the objects will be moved to that position and may vanish from view. The Undo command can be used to reverse the move or the Marquee Tool can be used to add a baseboard under the "floating" objects. On the right of each box is a pair of Up/Down controls. Left Click and Drag up or down on these to adjust the position in smaller increments.

Next to the Z co-ordinate is a small down arrow. Left click on the arrow to open its menu.

There is only one item in the sub-menu.  Use Height for Brush  Left click on the option to copy the height (Z) value for the selected object from the Info Palette to the Tool Options Palette  Height  entry.

 Rotation Info and Controls 

You must have an object selected for its rotation data to be shown and edited. Open up the object rotation data by Left clicking on its Rot: arrowhead icon.

The rotational orientation of the selected object (or the last object if more than one is selected) is shown in the R, P and Y text boxes. These values can be edited to rotate the object or objects in 3D space BUT not all objects can be rotated in certain directions. On the right of each box is a pair of Up/Down controls. Left Click and Drag up or down on these to adjust the rotation angle in smaller increments.

Notes: The rotation data and controls are defined in the following ways:-  R  ALWAYS rotates around the  North-South  compass direction regardless of the direction that an asset is facing  P  ALWAYS rotates around the  East-West  compass direction regardless of the direction that an asset is facing  Y  ALWAYS rotates around the  Vertical  direction (perpendicular to the compass directions) regardless of how an asset has been rolled or tilted all angles are measured in degrees  (+)  positive angles are clockwise when facing the primary direction ( North  or  East ) and clockwise around the  Vertical  axis  (-)  negative angles are anticlockwise when facing the primary direction ( North  or  East ) and anticlockwise around the  Vertical  axis angles greater than ±360° can be entered but will give the same result as the corresponding angle less than 360°. For example: 450° is exactly the same angle as 90° (450-360=90) clockwise and anticlockwise angles are complementary. For example: entering -270° (anticlockwise) will give the same angle as entering 90° (clockwise)

Layer Info and Controls

You must have an object selected for its layer data to be shown and edited. Open up the object layer data by Left clicking on its Layer: arrowhead icon.

Notes: operations such as creating, deleting, merging, renaming, moving and hiding layers are performed using the Assets Palette layers can be Locked and Unlocked using the Info Palette or the Assets Palette but the Assets Palette is the better option for this the Info Palette is used to change the assignment of individual assets to layers and to set their optional Binding Layer

This will show the:- current layer assigned to the selected object its assigned Binding Layer (if any) the Locked/Unlocked status of the assigned layer   Layer is currently Unlocked. Click this button to Lock the layer   Layer is currently Locked. Click this button to Unlock the layer   Using this button will also change the Locked/Unlocked padlock icon shown next the to layer name in the Assets Palette

If multiple objects from different layers have been selected then no layer name will be shown in the Layer and Binding boxes. Instead they will be left "blank" as shown in the image on the left. Both boxes can still be opened to assign layers to objects.

 Assigning Objects to a Different Layer 

A selected object or group of selected objects can be assigned to a different layer. If multiple objects have been selected then they do not have to all be in the same layer.

Notes: Before changing any objects to another layer, make sure that the source layer (or source layers for multiple objects) and the destination layer are unlocked. unlocked layers are shown in the Assets Palette with an open padlock icon locked layers are shown in the Assets Palette with a closed padlock icon. Left click the icon to unlock the layer

This operation will TOTALLY FAIL if the destination layer is locked and it will FAIL for any object in a source layer that is locked To change the assigned layer of an object or group of objects:- Left click on the Layer drop down box. The layer containing the object (for a single selected object only) will be shown with a in front of its name Select the destination layer name from the drop down list The layer reassignment will start the instant the destination layer is selected If you see a Debugging Window on the screen as the task is processed, it will inform you when the task has been completed. You can then close the window

Once a target layer has been selected then the  Select Layer  button, which sets the Active Layer, may become active.

The Active Layer is the layer used by the Placement Tool when objects are added to a route (or session). This button gives you the opportunity to set the Active Layer to the same layer that you just used to assign to an object. Its use is optional.

You can also set the Active Layer by selecting its name from the layer list in the Assets Palette.

If the  Select Layer  button is greyed out then the selected object is now assigned to the current Active Layer so there is no need to use this option If it is NOT greyed out then the selected object is now assigned to a layer that is not the current Active Layer. You have the option to Left click on this button to switch the Active Layer to the same layer as the object

 Assigning Objects to a Binding Layer 

The Binding Layer, or Bound Layer as it is also called, is a tool used in the development of a route or session.

It allows you to temporarily assign an object to a second layer while it is still in its original layer. The object will then take on the properties (Locked/Unlocked, Hidden/Visible) of both layers.

So if the original layer or the binding layer is:-
	LOCKED then the object will be LOCKED
	HIDDEN then the object will be HIDDEN

Some examples of using the Binding Layer:-

Example 1:  The problem: You need to stop an object from being selected so that you can you move other objects on or around it The solution: Set the Binding Layer of the object to a locked layer (or use the Assets Palette to create a new empty layer and lock it). The object will then be locked even though its original layer is unlocked so it cannot be selected or moved. When the edit has been completed, reset the object Binding Layer to <none> or delete the empty locked layer you just created  Example 2:  The problem: A group of objects (e.g trees) are blocking access to another object. The solution: Set the Binding Layer of the blocking objects to a hidden layer (or use the Assets Palette to create a new empty layer and hide it). The blocking objects will no longer be visible even though their original layer is visible. When the edit has been completed, reset their Binding Layer to <none> or delete the empty hidden layer you just created

To change the assigned binding layer of an object or group of objects:- Left click on the Binding drop down box. If the object is already bound to a layer (for a single selected object only) the binding layer will be shown with a in front of its name Select the Binding layer name from the drop down list The layer reassignment will start the instant the layer is selected If you see a Debugging Window on the screen as the task is processed, it will inform you when the task has been completed. You can then close the window

As an example, the image below shows what you will see for a single object that has had:-
	its assigned layer changed (in the example from "route-layer" to "Station Buildings") its binding layer set (in the example to "Multi Industries") the newly assigned layer is not locked so you have the option to lock it the newly assigned layer is not the Active Layer so you have the option to make it the Active Layer

More information on creating, editing and using Layers can be found on the Trainz Wiki at:- How to Use Layers

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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 January 2023 and was last updated as shown below.

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