How to Use S20 Tools

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The information in this Wiki Page applies to Surveyor 2.0 (S20) as found in Trainz Plus. The original refernce material for this document can be found at WikiLink.PNG Surveyor 2.0 Overview

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Contents

Surveyor 2.0  Mouse  and  Keyboard  Aids and Shortcuts
 Operations 
 LClick  Left Click on an object to select it
 Shift   LClick  hold down the Shift key and Left Click on another object to add it to the selection
 LClick   Drag  Left Click and Drag to move an object or a group of selected objects
 RClick  Right Click on the terrain to move the Compass Rose and Focus to that location
 DLClick  Double Left Click on an object to place it and all nearby identical objects into one selection
DotPoint.JPG when used on a consist all the wagons in the consist, regardless of type, will be selected
DotPoint.JPG when used on a spline or track all the segments upto the next junction will be selected
 Shift   DLClick  hold down the Shift key and Double Left Click on another object to add it and its nearby identical objects to those already in the selection
 Ctrl   LClick   Drag  hold down the Ctrl key and Left Click and Drag to clone an object or selected objects
 Ctrl   C  press Ctrl C to copy selected objects (including the ground height, ground textures and any effect layers) into a new Scrapbook
 Ctrl   D  press Ctrl D to unselect a selected object
 Ctrl   V  press Ctrl V to paste the current Scrapbook into the route at the cursor position (the Surveyor Compass Rose). The current settings in the Scrapbook Palette Filter will control which objects are pasted and how they are pasted
 Ctrl   X  press Ctrl X to cut and remove selected objects from the route and place them into a new Scrapbook. The ground height, ground textures, effect layers and any objects in locked layers will be copied, not cut
 Ctrl   Z  press Ctrl Z to undo actions
 Alt  hold down the Alt key and hover the pointer over an object to identify it
 Alt   LClick  hold down the Alt key and Left Click on an object to select it in the Assets Palette
 Delete  press the Delete key to delete a selected object or objects
 Tools 
 W  selects the Brush Tool
 E  selects the Placement Tool
 R  selects the Eyedropper Tool
 S  selects the Free Move Tool
 D  selects the Fine Adjustment Tool
 F  selects the Marquee Tool
 T  opens the Context Menu of a selected object


NotePad.PNG Assets and Objects

(from the Surveyor 2.0 Overview document)

In this online documentation, the term Asset is used when talking about the items listed in Content Manager and the Asset Palette. Every asset has a KUID (unique identifier). When an asset (selected in the Assets Palette) is placed into the world, the instance of the asset in the world is referred to as an Object. There are multiple types of object, such as Scenery, Splines, Trains, Trackside, etc.


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Surveyor 2.0 vs Surveyor Classic

Surveyor 2.0
Surveyor 2.0 (or S20) is the new 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.
Whats New
DotPoint.JPG a single set of common tools that can be applied to ALL types of objects
DotPoint.JPG the ability to select multiple objects of different types that can be manipulated as one with more freedom than was previously possible
DotPoint.JPG each object has its own Context Menu that applies specific actions depending on the type of object
DotPoint.JPG information and controls in dockable and moveable Palettes that can be hidden when not needed
DotPoint.JPG a new Scrapbook asset to store "scenes" that can be pasted anywhere in a route, between routes and shared through the DLS
DotPoint.JPG a new Marquee Tool that allows:-
DotPointBlueSquare.png multiple baseboards to be added, deleted and have their height, ground texture and grid resolution changed in a single operation
DotPointBlueSquare.png objects, ground heights, ground textures and effect layers to be moved and copied


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

Surveyor10Screen.png
DotPoint.JPG all the tools are in separate fixed Tabbed Flyouts with a different Flyout and set of tools for each type of object (scenery, track, terrain, textures, trains, etc)
DotPoint.JPG the workflow forces you to select the correct tool for the type of object and then apply it to just a single object at a time


 Surveyor 2.0 

2022 -

Surveyor20Screen.png
DotPoint.JPG there is just one set of tools that can be applied to all types of objects
DotPoint.JPG the workflow allows you to select multiple objects (that can be of different types) and then apply a selected tool
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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.

Tools and keymap for S20


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.

NotePad.PNG Notes: Palettes

If the Tools Palette is not shown on the screen, then:-

Windows Menu
Steps:
DotPoint1.JPG open the Window Menu from the menu icons at the top of the screen
 
BulletTick.png visible palettes have ticks next to their names
DotPoint2.JPG Left click on the item Tools Palette
  this will add a BulletTick.png and make the Tools Palette visible
DotPoint3.JPG make sure that the Tool Options Palette is also visible
PencilTips.PNG An Eyedropper is inside all the tools so you can quickly identify any object without having to switch to the Eyedropper Tool and back again.
Just hold down the  Alt  key as you move your selected tool onto an object to reveal its name. Left click on the object while holding down the key to select it in the Assets Palette list.


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The Brush Tool

S20 BrushToolIcon.png Keyboard Shortcut:  W  The  Brush Tool  "paints" the ground height, ground textures, effect layers and scrapbook scenes in a route


The Brush Tool has two drop down menu lists.

Brush Tools
The first drop down menu will set the "Brush Target" which is the type of brush.
The Targets are:-
BulletTick.png Ground Height
BulletTick.png Ground Texture
BulletTick.png Scrapbook Data
BulletTick.png <List of Effect Layers>
BulletTick.png Edit Effect Layers
BrushToolsGroundOptions S20.png
NotePad.PNG 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 PageLink.PNG 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 actions.

The actions are:-
BulletTick.png Height Up
BulletTick.png Height Down
BulletTick.png Set Height
BulletTick.png Grade
BrushToolsHeightOptions S20.png
The brush tool options for each action 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 by the selected action, but they can still be edited.
 Height Up/Height Down 
Up/Down brush options
 Set Height 
Height brush options
 Grade 
Grade brush options

 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


Steps: To set the Ground Height:-
DotPoint1.JPG select the Brush Tool from the Tools Palette (or press the  W  key)
DotPoint2.JPG select the brush Target  Ground Height 
DotPoint3.JPG select the brush Action (Height Up, Height Down, etc)
DotPoint4.JPG set any brush controls (radius, height, sensitivity, etc) in the Tool Options Palette
DotPoint5.JPG Left Click and Drag on the terrain to change the terrain height


NotePad.PNG Notes:

DotPoint.JPG Unlike Surveyor Classic, there is no upper limit to the brush  Radius . Brushes of hundreds of metres (even kilometres) in size are possible. However, the performance will decrease as the brush radius increases. If you are using the brush to set an entire baseboard, or many baseboards, to a specific height then the Marquee Tool would be a better choice.
DotPoint.JPG 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 PageLink.PNG 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 actions.

The brush tool options for each action 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.

Texture brush options
 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
Steps: To paint a Ground Texture:-
DotPoint1.JPG select your Ground Texture in the Assets Palette - you can use the Assets Palette filter options to narrow down the selection
DotPoint2.JPG select the Brush Tool from the Tools Palette (or press the  W  key)
DotPoint3.JPG select the Ground Texture target from the Brush drop down menu
DotPoint4.JPG set any brush controls (radius, sensitivity, rotation, scale) in the Tool Options Palette
DotPoint5.JPG Left Click and Drag on the terrain to paint with the texture


NotePad.PNG Notes:

DotPoint.JPG Unlike Surveyor Classic, there is no upper limit to the brush  Radius . Brushes of hundreds of metres (even kilometres) in size are possible. However, the performance will decrease as the brush radius increases. 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.
DotPoint.JPG 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.
Stop.PNG 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).


 Default Baseboard Ground Texture 

When a new route is created or a new baseboard is added it will be covered with the Default ground texture for the selected Region. This can be temporarily disabled or permanently changed to a different texture (including to the standard TRS19 grid pattern).

MainMenuSetGroundTexture.png
The easiest option is to disable the current default ground texture
Steps:
DotPoint1.JPG open the Display Menu
DotPoint2.JPG select the Ground option
DotPoint3.JPG select the Grid option. This will use the current grid texture.


A more complex solution is to edit an existing Region or create one of your own to add your preferred ground texture (such as the standard TRS19 grid pattern) to each new route you create and every new baseboard that you add.

LinkWiki.PNG

Information on creating and editing Region assets can be found on the Trainz Wiki at:-


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 PageLink.PNG Notes: Palettes at the top of this document. Instructions on how to create Scrapbooks can be found in the PageLink.PNG Marquee Tool section of this document.


NotePad.PNG Notes:

Scrapbook Data can be made from:-
DotPoint.JPG Ground Heights
DotPoint.JPG Ground Textures
DotPoint.JPG Effect Layers
DotPoint.JPG Assets - scenery items, splines, track, track objects, etc
 But NOT Rolling Stock (Trains) 


PencilTips.PNG The current Scrapbook can be Pasted into a route at the position of the screen cursor (the Compass Rose) by:-
DotPoint.JPG pressing  Ctrl   V , OR
DotPoint.JPG selecting  Paste  from the Context Menu of a selected object
In both cases the Scrapbook will be pasted using the original scrapbooks size. It will be pasted inside a Marquee Selection Area that can be moved and resized. The objects that are pasted and how they are pasted is controlled by the current Scrapbook Palette filter settings


 The Scrapbook Actions 

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

The actions are:-
BulletTick.png Scrapbook Brush
BulletTick.png Scrapbook Clone
BrushToolsScrapbookOptions S20.png


NotePad.PNG Notes:

 Scrapbook Brush  will resize the scrapbook contents to fit the selected brush shape and size.
DotPoint.JPG If the brush is small then the scrapbook contents will be compressed closer together
DotPoint.JPG If the brush is large then the contents will be spaced further apart
DotPoint.JPG Every Left Click will paste another complete scrapbook copy
DotPoint.JPG The Scale control in the Tool Options Palette is ignored.
 Scrapbook Clone  will paste the scrapbook sized according to the Scale setting (100% = original size)
DotPoint.JPG If the brush is the same size as the scaled scrapbook then a single exact copy will be pasted
DotPoint.JPG If the brush is smaller than the scaled scrapbook in 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 covers the saem area as the scaled scrapbook. Further painting will clone or tile the scrapbook contents
DotPoint.JPG If the brush is larger than the scaled scrapbook in size then the contents will be cloned or tiled to fill the set brush radius
DotPoint.JPG The Scale and Radius settings must be carefully selected. Setting  extreme  values for both (e.g. a very large brush radius and a very small scale value) can cause  performance issues  (e.g. long delays) while the program 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 
Brush options
 Scrapbook Clone 
Clone options

 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:  BrushToolsScrapShapes S20.png 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


Steps: To "paint" with a Scrapbook asset:-
DotPoint1.JPG select the Brush Tool from the Tools Palette (or press the  W  key)
DotPoint2.JPG select the Scrapbook Data target from the Brush first drop down menu
DotPoint3.JPG select a brush action (Brush or Clone) from the Brush second drop down menu
DotPoint4.JPG select a Scrapbook asset from the Scrapbook Palette
DotPoint5.JPG open the Scrapbook Filter in the Scrapbook Palette and select the features to be pasted and their method of pasting (see The Scrapbook Palette below)
DotPoint6.JPG set any Brush controls from the Tool Options Palette
DotPoint7.JPG Left Click and Drag on the terrain to paint with the scrapbook asset


NotePad.PNG Notes:

DotPoint.JPG Unlike Surveyor Classic, there is no upper limit to the brush  Radius . Brushes of hundreds of metres (even kilometres) in size are possible. However, the performance will decrease as the brush radius increases.
DotPoint.JPG 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 palette tools

 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)


For example: To paint a scrapbook asset onto a route with certain conditions set:-
 Ground Height:   None  ground height data will not be pasted and the ground heights already in the target area will be used
 Ground Texture:  Overwrite  textures present in the scrapbook will replace those already in the target area
 Meshes:  Add  scenery objects in the scrapbook will be added to those already in the target area
 Splines:  Add  scenery splines in the scrapbook will be added to those already in the target area
 Effect Layers:   None  effect layers in the scrapbook will not be pasted and any already in the target area will be used


PencilTips.PNG The current Scrapbook can be Pasted into a route at the cursor (the Compass Rose) position by:-
DotPoint.JPG pressing  Ctrl   V , OR
DotPoint.JPG selecting  Paste  from the Context Menu of a selected object
In both cases the scrapbook contents will be pasted using the original scrapbooks size. It will be pasted inside a Marquee Selection Area that can be moved and resized. The objects that are pasted and how they are pasted is controlled by the current Scrapbook Palette filter settings


Effect Layers

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

BrushToolsPresets S20.png


PencilTips.PNG You can also select an Effect Layer from the Assets Palette filter list and immediately start "painting" using the current Tool Options Palette settings. This will also add the Effect Layer into the Brush Target List
NotePad.PNG Notes:

DotPoint.JPG 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).
DotPoint.JPG Once installed or created, Effect Layers can be added to a route as presets using either of the Edit Effect Layers options.
When an Effect Layer Target has been selected, the second drop down box will give a choice of three actions.
The actions are:-
BulletTick.png Increase
BulletTick.png Decrease
BulletTick.png Set Intensity
EffectLayerActions S20.png
NotePad.PNG Set Intensity will paint the layer using the Intensity setting stored in the Tool Options Palette. Increase and Decrease will raise or lower the intensity as it is painted


Steps: To paint with an Effect Layer
DotPoint1.JPG select the Brush Tool from the Tools Palette (or press the  W  key)
DotPoint2.JPG select the <effect layer name> from the Brush Target drop down menu. If there are no Effect Layers listed then none have been created or installed
DotPoint3.JPG select a Brush action from the second drop down list
 Set Intensity  will paint the Effect Layer at the Intensity level in the Tool Options Palette
 Increase  will paint the Effect Layer with each "sweep" of the brush increasing the layer Intensity up to the maximum (100%) at a rate controlled by the Sensitivity level
 Decrease  will paint the Effect Layer with each "sweep" of the brush decreasing the layer Intensity at a rate controlled by the Sensitivity level
DotPoint4.JPG set any required Brush  Radius ,  Intensity  and  Sensitivity  controls from the Tool Options Palette
DotPoint5.JPG Left Click or Left Click and Drag on the terrain to paint with the Effect Layer


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.

Open effect layers Ablue.png If no Effect Layers are present then you can create a new one
New effect layer
Bblue.png If Effect Layers are present then select one to edit
Edit effect layers


PencilTips.PNG Effect Layers are created for each route. You can select and edit a previously saved Effect Layer rather than having to recreate the entire effect each time.


LinkWiki.PNG

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


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The Placement Tool

S20 PlacementToolIcon.png 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 PageLink.PNG Notes: Palettes at the top of this document.


The Placement Tool has no drop down menu lists.

Placement Tools
PencilTips.PNG More Placement Options
After an object has been placed in a route its position and height can be changed by:-
DotPoint.JPG using the PageLink.PNG Free Move Tool
DotPoint.JPG using the PageLink.PNG Fine Adjustment Tool
DotPoint.JPG editing its  X   Y   Z  values in PageLink.PNG The Info Palette
DotPoint.JPG 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 .

Steps: To add a Scenery Mesh Object the first step is to identify the exact object you want to add.

DotPoint1.JPG In the Asset Palette either:-

Left click on an object selection icon

Filter Icons

GroundTextureFilter S20.png all ground textures
SceneryMeshFilter S20.png all non-spline scenery objects
ScenerySplineFilter S20.png all spline scenery objects
TrackSplineFilter S20.png all track spline objects
TrackMeshFilter S20.png all track objects (signals, etc)
TrainFilter S20.png all rolling stock
PresetFilter S20.png all Effect Layer presets
OR
Left click the Content Drop-down Box

Filter List
Then select Scenery Objects
Scenery Objects

PencilTips.PNG  Shortcut 
If you already have the same object placed in your route then:-
DotPoint1Blue.png move the pointer over the object to be selected and hold down the  Alt  key. The object name will appear in a ToolTip attached to the pointer
DotPoint2Blue.png while holding down the  Alt  key Left click on the object to identify it in the Assets Palette. Release the key
DotPoint3Blue.png Left click on the object name in the Assets Palette filter list to select it for the Placement Tool
Jump to Step DotPoint5.JPG below.
DotPoint2.JPG 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).
Text search
DotPoint3.JPG This will list all the Scenery Objects containing the text "barn" in their name.
Filtered list DotPoint4.JPG 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 Double-Left click on the name to bring up its image and description or view its rotatimg and resizeable 3D image in the Preview Palate.

PencilTips.PNG Left clicking an object in the Assets Palette filter list will automatically activate the Placement Tool so the next Left click in the route will place that object in the route.


DotPoint5.JPG The final step is to place the selected object into the route.
  1. If the Placement Tool is not selected then Left click it or press the  E  key
  2. Click on the spot where you want to place the object
NotePad.PNG Notes:

DotPoint.JPG 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
DotPoint.JPG 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 track or scenery spline as described in steps DotPoint1.JPG to DotPoint5.JPG in PageLink.PNG Placing a Scenery Mesh Object above but in Step DotPoint1.JPG select the Scenery Spline or the Track filter in the Assets Palette

Select from the Assets Palette object icons:-
ScenerySplineFilter S20.png spline scenery objects OR TrackSplineFilter S20.png track spline objects
OR
Select from the Assets Palette object drop down list:-
 Scenery Splines  OR  Track 


Then continue with the steps listed below:-

PlacementTrack1 S20.png DotPoint6.JPG "Click on the spot" as shown in Step DotPoint5.JPG above to place the start or first endpoint of the spline.
DotPoint7.JPG Move the mouse in the direction you want to lay the spline or track. The spline will follow the mouse wherever you move it.
PlacementTrack2 S20.png DotPoint8.JPG 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.

PencilTips.PNG Different context menu options are provided depending on which icon you click on
PlacementTrack3 S20.png DotPoint9.JPG 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.
PlacementTrack4 S20.png DotPoint10.JPG When you have the pointer in the final position for the second spline segment, Left click. This will anchor the third spline endpoint and the Context Icons will move to the new segment.
PencilTips.PNG
DotPoint.JPG To add a junction to a spline segment Left click on it with the Placement Tool at the point where you want to insert the junction, including at an endpoint. Then move the mouse to draw out the new spline segment.
DotPoint.JPG To edit a spline segment  DO NOT  click on it with the Placement Tool as this will insert a junction. Select the Free Move Tool or the Fine Adjustment Tool and then click on the segment to be edited.
DotPoint11.JPG Repeat Steps DotPoint9.JPG and DotPoint10.JPG 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 or of any selected segment.

Steps: To set the height of a Spline:-
DotPoint1.JPG Lay the first spline segment which will be added at the terrain ground height
DotPoint2.JPG 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


Placing Track Objects


Track Objects are objects, both visible and invisible, that can only be attached to track splines.

NotePad.PNG Notes:

Visible examples of track objects include:-
DotPoint.JPG Signals, speed signs, end buffers, switches
Invisible examples of track objects include:-
DotPoint.JPG Trackmarks, triggers, direction and priority markers


Start the process of adding a track object by identifying and selecting the object as described in steps DotPoint1.JPG to DotPoint5.JPG in PageLink.PNG Placing a Scenery Mesh Object above but in Step DotPoint1.JPG select the Track Object filter in the Assets Palette.

Select from the Assets Palette object icons:-
TrackMeshFilter S20.png Track objects
OR
Select from the Assets Palette object drop down list:-
 Track Objects 


Step DotPoint6.JPG Left click on the track segment at the position where you want to place the track object.


Placement Tool Options

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

 Scenery and Track Mesh Object Tool Options 

PlacementMeshHeight0 S20.png PlacementMeshHeight3 S20.png

In Surveyor 2.0 track objects can be given a height above (or below) the track.

Steps: To set the height of a selected Scenery or Track Mesh Object:-
Ablue.png enter a value in the Tool Options Palette  Height  setting, OR
Bblue.png select the  Apply Height  option from the objects Context Menu to apply an existing height value, OR
Cblue.png enter a value in the objects  Z  (height) setting in the Info Palette. This can be used to set the height to mm accuracy (see PageLink.PNG The Info Palette below).
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.


 Spline (Scenery and Track) Tool Options 

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

PlacementSplineTools S20.png
 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)
PencilTips.PNG The Track Condition can also be set for each track segment in its Context Menu  Edit Properties  option


PencilTips.PNG
The height of a selected spline endpoint or segment can be set by:-
Ablue.png entering a value in the Tool Options Palette  Height  setting, OR
Bblue.png selecting the  Apply Height  option from the objects Context Menu to apply an existing height value, OR
Cblue.png entering a value in the objects  Z  (height) setting in the Info Palette. This can be used to set the height to mm accuracy (see PageLink.PNG The Info Palette below).


NotePad.PNG 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


Steps: To delete objects:-

DotPoint1.JPG Select the object or a group of objects using either the:-
Ablue.png Free Move Tool (or press  S ) OR
Bblue.png Fine Adjustment Tool (or press  D )
  Multiple objects can be selected by holding down the  Shift  key when using these tools
Then ..
DotPoint2.JPG Either:-
Ablue.png Press the  Delete  key, OR
Bblue.png Open the Context Menu of the object (or object group) and select the  Delete  option
PencilTips.PNG
DotPoint.JPG You can also use the Marquee Tool to select an area of the route to delete its objects
DotPoint.JPG With these tools (Free Move, Fine Adjustment and Marquee) you can restrict the objects that can be selected and deleted by using filters in the Assets Palette. For more information see PageLink.PNG Narrowing the Search in the Eyedropper Tool section below


  Top Next Up Next Down Bottom

The Eyedropper Tool

S20 DropperToolIcon.png 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 PageLink.PNG Notes: Palettes at the top of this document.


The Eyedropper Tool has no drop down menu lists.

PencilTips.PNG An Eyedropper is available in all the tools. Hold down the  Alt  key when using another tool and move the pointer onto an object to reveal its name


Eyedropper Tools When selected, the Eyedropper Tool will change the mouse pointer to an "eyedropper" icon.


PencilTips.PNG
DotPoint.JPG move the eyedropper pointer over any object to reveal its name in a  ToolTip  below the pointer
DotPoint.JPG hold the eyedropper over any object for a few seconds to reveal more information
DotPoint.JPG Left click on an object to select it in the Assets Palette


Quick Steps

DotPoint1.JPG With the Eyedropper Tool selected, move the mouse pointer (which will now be an eyedropper symbol) onto any object in view.

Eyedropper
DotPoint2.JPG Left click on the object to identify it (highlighted in grey) in the Assets Palette filter list AssetFilterNameHighlighted S20.png
Asset filter set by the Eyedropper in S20


DotPoint3.JPG Left click on the object name in the Assets Palette filter list to select it (highlighted in blue) and switch control to the Placement Tool
AssetFilterNameSelected S20.png


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".

PencilTips.PNG These filter options can be used with the Placement Tool, Free Move Tool, Fine Adjustment Tool and the Marquee Tool as well as with the Eyedropper Tool


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

Assets palette The drop down box will provide three options:-
BulletTick.png Filter List
BulletTick.png Filter Selection
BulletTick.png Filter Visibility
AssetsPaletteFilterOptions S20.png


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 Tool or on the objects displayed on the screen. It is the default setting and any selections made with the Tool will be shown in the Assets Palette as described in the section Quick Steps above.
 Filter Selection  this option will restrict the Tool to only working on those objects that are in the filtered list. Objects that are not in the filtered list cannot be selected.
 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.

AssetFilterScene1 S20.png AssestFilteredScene1.png

DotPoint1Blue.png No filter has been applied.

All the objects are visible on the Surveyor screen.

ALL objects can be selected.

AssetFilterScene2 S20.png AssestFilteredScene2.png

DotPoint2Blue.png 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.

Now only Scenery Splines can be selected.

AssetFilterScene3 S20.png AssestFilteredScene3.png

DotPoint3Blue.png 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.

Now only the remaining visible Scenery Splines can be selected.

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The Free Move Tool

S20 FreeMoveToolIcon.png 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 PageLink.PNG Notes: Palettes at the top of this document.


The Free Move Tool has no drop down menu lists.

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


Free Move: 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 

FreeMoveToolCar S20.png
Steps: To move a Scenery Mesh Object:-
DotPoint1.JPG Select the Free Move Tool (or press the  S  key)
DotPoint2.JPG Left Click and Drag the object in any horizontal direction


NotePad.PNG 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.

FreeMoveMeshObjectSetAboveGround S20.png
Steps: To set the height of a selected Scenery Mesh Object:-
Ablue.png enter a value in the Tool Options Palette  Height  setting, OR
Bblue.png select the  Apply Height  option from the objects Context Menu to apply an existing height value, OR
Cblue.png enter a value in the objects  Z  (height) setting in the Info Palette. This can be used to set the height to mm accuracy (see PageLink.PNG The Info Palette below).
The scenery object will now be fixed at the entered height above (or below) the terrain as it is moved around. 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.


 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:-
Ablue.png Left click the Context Icon, OR ContextIcons S20.png
Bblue.png Press the  T  key


 Mesh Object Context Menu 
ContextMenuMeshObject S20.png
 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. If the asset selected in the Assets Palette is the wrong type (e.g. a mesh object instead of a scenery spline) then this option will be greyed out
 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. If no ground texture has been selected in the Assets Palette then this option will be greyed out
 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  selects and identifies the highlighted object in the Asset Palette, like the Eyedropper Tool
 Edit Properties  opens the Properties window of the selected object


Free Move: 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.

FreeMoveTrackObjectOnTrack S20.png
Throw Lever track object in its original position
Steps: To move a track object horizontally:-
Ablue.png Left Click and Drag the object anywhere in the horizontal plane
To move a track object vertically:-
Bblue.png enter a value in the Tool Options Palette  Height  setting, OR
Cblue.png select the  Apply Height  option from the objects Context Menu to apply an existing height value, OR
Dblue.png enter a value in the objects  Z  (height) setting in the Info Palette. This can be used to set the height to mm accuracy (see PageLink.PNG The Info Palette below).


PencilTips.PNG Situations where it is useful to be able to move a track object away from the track include:-
DotPoint.JPG placing Track Marks and Triggers above or beside the track so that they are not hidden by consists parked on top of them
DotPoint.JPG 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
FreeMoveTrackObjectOffTrack S20.png
After being moved horizontally and vertically

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

 Track Object Context Menu 

To open a selected track objects Context menu either:-
Ablue.png Left click the Context Icon ContextIconsTrackObjects S20.png OR
Bblue.png Press the  T  key


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


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

FreeMoveTrackObjectReversed S20.png
Steps: To rotate a track object:-
DotPoint1.JPG Open the track objects Context Menu (click the icon or press the  T  key)
DotPoint2.JPG Select the option  Rotate Trackside 
Rotating a track object does not change its distance from the track or its height.


Free Move: 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:-
Ablue.png an endpoint, OR
Bblue.png a segment, OR
Cblue.png multiple segments including the whole length of the spline


 Moving Spline Endpoints 

FreeMoveToolSpline S20.png
Steps: To move an individual spline endpoint:-
DotPoint1.JPG Select the Free Move Tool or press the  S  key
DotPoint2.JPG Left Click and Drag the selected spline endpoint in any horizontal direction
Active (selected) endpoints are shown as green. Inactive spline endpoints are shown as black


NotePad.PNG 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.

spline made of 3 joined segments
NotePad.PNG 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.


FreeMoveSplineSegmentSelected S20.png
Steps: To move an individual segment or multiple segments:-
DotPoint1.JPG Select the Free Move Tool or press the  S  key
DotPoint2.JPG Left click on the spline segment to be moved - click anywhere between the two spline endpoints on the segment
NotePad.PNG Notes:

DotPoint.JPG the selected segment will be highlighted in green/yellow.
DotPoint.JPG The segment will have a temporary endpoint inserted at the location you clicked.


PencilTips.PNG Temporary spline endpoints can be made permanent by selecting the  Insert Spline Point Here  option from the segment Context Menu


FreeMoveSplineSegmentsAllSelected S20.png
IF you are going to select and move more than one spline segment, then:-
DotPoint3.JPG 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.
PencilTips.PNG To select ALL the segments in a spline, Double-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 context icons and the temporary endpoint added
DotPoint4.JPG Left Click and Drag the selected segment(s) in any horizontal direction.
If you had selected:-
DotPoint.JPG 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
DotPoint.JPG multiple spline segments then those segments will be moved and the adjacent segments that were not selected will also have their shapes adjusted
DotPoint.JPG the entire spline then ALL the segments and endpoints will be moved
FreeMoveSplineSegmentSelectedMoved S20.png FreeMoveSplineSegmentsAllSelectedMoved S20.png


 Spline Height Adjustment 

Steps: To det the height of a spline endpoint or segment:-
Ablue.png enter a value in the Tool Options Palette  Height  setting, OR
Bblue.png select the  Apply Height  option from the objects Context Menu to apply an existing height value, OR
Cblue.png enter a value in the objects  Z  (height) setting in the Info Palette. This can be used to set the height to mm accuracy (see PageLink.PNG The Info Palette below).
The object will be moved to the set height above (or below) the terrain.



 Spline Object Context Menu 

ContextIconsSpline S20.png
NotePad.PNG Notes:
Splines have two different Context Icons that lead to two slightly different Context Menus.
DotPoint.JPG one context icon and menu for each endpoint
DotPoint.JPG 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 Double-LeftClick then the segment that was clicked will have the icons.


Left click on an icon to open its Context Menu.

SplineEndPointContextIcon S20.png  Endpoint Context Menu 
ContextMenuSplineObject S20.png
SplineSegmentContextIcon S20.png  Segment Context Menu 
ContextMenuSplineSegment S20.png


 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. If the asset selected in the Assets Palette is the wrong type (e.g. a mesh object instead of a scenery spline) then this option will be greyed out
 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. If no ground texture has been selected in the Assets Palette then this option will be greyed out
 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 selected 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 selected endpoint to the value in the Tool Options  Height  text box
 Apply Height  sets the height of the selected segment or segments 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


  Top Next Up Next Down Bottom

The Fine Adjustment Tool

S20 FineAdjustmentToolIcon.png 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 PageLink.PNG Notes: Palettes at the top of this document.


The Fine Adjustment Tool has no drop down menu lists.

Fine Adjustment Tools
PencilTips.PNG Fine Adjustment Alternatives
In addition to the Fine Adjustment Tool the position and height of objects can be changed by:-
DotPoint.JPG using the PageLink.PNG Free Move Tool
DotPoint.JPG editing its  X   Y   Z   R   P   Y  values in PageLink.PNG The Info Palette
DotPoint.JPG 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.

FineAdjust3DFrame S20.png 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 line
 The Rotational Anchors 
 Red   Green   Blue  rotate the object (clockwise and anti-clockwise) along the Anchor arc line
 The Object Anchor 
     (black central dot) moves the object in any horizontal direction
Steps: To use the Fine Adjustment Tool controls:-
DotPoint1.JPG move the mouse pointer onto an Anchor - its colour will change to yellow for Anchor lines or green for the Object Anchor
DotPoint2.JPG Left Click and Drag along the chosen line in the required direction (e.g. up on the blue vertical Anchor or clockwise around the arc of the red rotational Anchor)
NotePad.PNG Not all objects will have  Red  and/or  Green  rotational Anchors.


PencilTips.PNG To achieve finer and more accurate control when moving anchor points, either:-
Ablue.png zoom in closer to the anchor point, OR
Bblue.png use the  X   Y   Z  fine adjustment arrows in the Info Palette object Pos controls. These arrows can be used to set the height and position to mm accuracy (see PageLink.PNG The Info Palette below).


Fine Adjustment: 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 .

Steps: To move an object with the Fine Adjustment Tool:-
Ablue.png Left Click and Drag anywhere on the selected object (except on an Anchor line) to move it freely in any horizontal direction
OR
Bblue.png Left Click and Drag on an Anchor line to move or rotate it in the direction of the line or arc


 Blue  vertical Anchor movement
FineAdjustZMove S20.png
   Green  Anchor rotation
FineAdjustYawMove S20.png
   Red  Anchor rotation
FineAdjustPitchMove S20.png
   Blue  Anchor rotation
FineAdjustRotateXYMove S20.png


NotePad.PNG Notes:

Objects can be restored to their original height and rotation settings by opening their Context Menu and selecting either:-

Ablue.png  Reset Object Rotation  to cancel the rotation changes, OR
Bblue.png  Settle on Ground  to cancel the height change

The  Randomise Object Rotation  option in the Context Menu only affects rotations around the vertical axis.


 Mesh Object Context Menu 

ContextMenuMeshObject S20.png
 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. If the asset selected in the Assets Palette is the wrong type (e.g. a mesh object instead of a scenery spline) then this option will be greyed out
 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. If no ground texture has been selected in the Assets Palette then this option will be greyed out
 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


Fine Adjustment: 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.

Steps: To move a track object with the Fine Adjustment Tool
Ablue.png For movements along the track - Left Click and Drag on the  Green  horizontal Anchor line (movement is restricted to the track and Anchor line only)
Bblue.png For movements left or right of the track - Left Click and Drag
DotPoint.JPG on the  Red  horizontal Anchor line (movement is restricted to the Anchor line only), OR
DotPoint.JPG on the black dot (unrestricted horizontal movement), OR
DotPoint.JPG anywhere on the object except on an Anchor line (unrestricted horizontal movement)
Cblue.png For movements vertical to the track - Left Click and Drag on the  Blue  vertical Anchor line (movement is restricted to the Anchor line only)
For most track objects the Rotational Anchors have no effect


FineAdjustTrackObject S20.png
PencilTips.PNG Situations where it is useful to be able to move a track object away from the track include:-
DotPoint.JPG placing Track Marks and Triggers above or beside the track so that they are not hidden by consists parked on top of them
DotPoint.JPG 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 Object Context Menu 

To open a selected track objects Context menu either:-
Ablue.png Left click the Context Icon ContextIconsTrackObjects S20.png OR
Bblue.png Press the  T  key


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


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

FineAdjustTrackObjectReversed S20.png
Steps: To rotate a track object:-
DotPoint1.JPG Open the track objects Context Menu (click the icon or press the  T  key)
DotPoint2.JPG Select the option  Rotate Trackside 
Rotating a track object does not change its distance from the track.


Fine Adjustment: 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:-
Ablue.png an endpoint, OR
Bblue.png a segment, OR
Cblue.png multiple segments including the whole length of the spline


 Moving Spline Endpoints 

FineAdjustSplineEndPoint S20.png

The 3D Anchor Frame shown is for a spline endpoint.

Steps: To move an individual spline endpoint:-
DotPoint1.JPG Select the Fine Adjustment Tool.
DotPoint2.JPG 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.
DotPoint3.JPG Left Click and Drag either:-
Ablue.png an Anchor to move the endpoint in that specific direction, OR
Bblue.png the endpoint itself to move it in any direction in the horizontal plane


 Moving Spline Segments 

NotePad.PNG The  Green  rotational Anchor CANNOT be used on Track splines


FineAdjustSplineSegment S20.png

The 3D Anchor Frame shown is for a spline segment.

Steps: To move spline segments:-
DotPoint1.JPG Select the Fine Adjustment Tool.
DotPoint2.JPG Select, Left click on, the spline segment to be moved.
DotPoint3.JPG Left Click and Drag either:-
 
Ablue.png an Anchor to move the endpoint in that specific direction, OR
Bblue.png anywhere in a segment to move it in any direction in the horizontal plane


PencilTips.PNG To select:-
Ablue.png more than one segment. Hold the  Shift  key down and individually Left click on each segment
Bblue.png ALL the segments. Double-Left click on a segment. If the spline contains a junction then this will only select all the segments upto the junction point


FineAdjustSplineSegmentStraight S20.png 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.
FineAdjustSplineSegmentXYMove S20.png
Segment moved to the right along the  Red  horizontal Anchor line
FineAdjustSplineSegmentZMove S20.png
Segment moved up along the  Blue  vertical Anchor line
FineAdjustSplineSegmentRotate S20.png
Segment rotated anti-clockwise around the  Blue  rotational Anchor arc line
FineAdjustSplineSegmentPitch S20.png
Segment rotated clockwise around the  Red  rotational Anchor arc line


PencilTips.PNG
DotPoint.JPG 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
DotPoint.JPG 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


Fine Adjustment: Heights

Two Anchor Points on the  Blue  vertical Anchor line determine the height of an endpoint or an object above the ground.
DotPoint.JPG the Object Height Anchor, which is normally Black but turns Green when it is selected, controls the height of the object (including a spline Endpoints) above the ground. This Anchor point can be moved vertically by the pointer
DotPoint.JPG the Ground Height Anchor, which is Yellow, marks the position of the object on the ground. This Anchor point cannot be moved vertically by the pointer but its height can be changed by setting the Tool Options Palette  Height  value
It is common for both height anchors to be at the same height but there are many situation where the two will be at different heights. The examples below show situations where the two are at different heights and the height of the Object Height Anchor will need to be adjusted.

FineAdjustSplineHeightUp.png  Object Height Above Ground Height 


Steps: To bring the object height down to the ground height:-
DotPoint1.JPG Left Click and Drag downwards on the  Blue  vertical Anchor line to bring the Object Height Anchor down to the same level as the Ground Height Anchor


PencilTips.PNG To achieve finer and more accurate control when moving anchor points, either:-
Ablue.png zoom in closer to the anchor point, OR
Bblue.png use the  X   Y   Z  fine adjustment arrows in the Info Palette object Pos controls. This can be used to set the height and position to mm accuracy (see PageLink.PNG The Info Palette below).
FineAdjustSplineHeightDown.png  Object Height Below Ground Height 


Steps: To bring the object height up to the ground height:-
DotPoint1.JPG Left Click and Drag upwards on the  Blue  vertical Anchor line to bring the Object Height Anchor up to the same level as the Ground Height Anchor

FineAdjustSplineHeightOK.png


link Where this method fails is when the height difference between the two Anchor points exceeds the length of the  Blue  vertical Anchor line so the Ground Height Anchor or the Object Height Anchor is at the very top of the Anchor line. Once it is in that position the Object Height Anchor can no longer be moved up or down because there is no vertical Anchor line to grab.



PencilTips.PNG The Quick Solution to this problem is to:-
DotPoint1.JPG open the object or endpont Context Menu
DotPoint2.JPG select the option  Settle on Ground . For splines this option will force the spline segment to follow the contours of the ground but it will now be at the same height as the ground


A more complex alternative method is to use the Surveyor Compass Rose, the Info Palette and the Tool Options Palette.

FineAdjustSplineSetFocus.png
The Surveyor Compass Rose
Steps:
DotPoint1.JPG Right click on the terrain at a point which has the height that will be used by the object. This will position the Surveyor Compass Rose and record its data as the Focus
DotPoint2.JPG Open the Focus controls in the Info Palette by a Left click on the small Right Arrowhead to the left of the Focus label
InfoPaletteFocusUseHeight.png The Info Palette stores the positional data, including the Height (the  Z  value), of the Compass Rose under the label Focus
DotPoint3.JPG Left click on the white Down Arrowhead next to the  Z  value and select the menu option  Use Height for Brush . This will transfer the Focus  Z  value to the Tool Options Palette  Height  control
DotPoint4.JPG Open the Context Menu for the object (or spline endpoint)
DotPoint5.JPG Select the option  Apply Height  or  Apply Height to this Spline Endpoint 


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The Marquee Tool

S20 MarqueeToolIcon.png Keyboard Shortcut:  F  The  Marquee Tool  selects the content in areas of a route, creates and deletes baseboards and sets their properties


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


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

MarqueeSelectArea S20.png

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

MarqueeAreaTools S20.png The Marquee Selection Area 3D Anchor Frame has some similarities to the one used with the Fine Adjustment Tool.
DotPoint.JPG the  Green  and  Red  horizontal Anchors will move the Marquee and all its contents in the Anchor direction
DotPoint.JPG the  Blue  rotational Anchor will rotate the Marquee with all its contents in the direction of the rotation movement
DotPoint.JPG there are no  Green  and  Red  rotational Anchors
DotPoint.JPG 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
DotPoint.JPG 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 (and its contents) in that specific direction


Steps: To Create a Marquee Selection Area:-
DotPoint1.JPG select the Marquee Tool (or press the  F  key)
DotPoint2.JPG Left Click and Drag out the Marquee Selection Area around the objects to be selected


 Using the Assets Palette Filter 

The Assets Palette filter tools can be used to restrict the objects selected by the Marquee Tool.

AssetsPaletteFilterSelection S20.png
Steps: To restrict the objects selected by the Marquee Tool:-
DotPoint1.JPG set the Filter Type in the Assets Palette to  Filter Selection 
DotPoint2.JPG set the other filter options in the Assets Palette to narrow down the type of objects (e.g.  Scenery Splines  and/or enter a partial name in the Text Box)
DotPoint3.JPG select the Marquee Tool from the Tools Palette (or press the  F  key)
DotPoint4.JPG Left Click and Drag out the Marquee Selection Area around the objects to be selected
Only those objects identified in the Assets Palette filters will be selected by the Marquee


Using the Filters shown above, the Marquee Selection Area only selects scenery spline objects.

MarqueeSelectSplines S20.png

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. Also note that the texture has been moved leaving a gap showing the original grid texture.  
  MarqueeSelectAreaShift S20.png
 


 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. Also note that the texture has been moved leaving a gap showing the original grid texture.  
  MarqueeSelectAreaRotate S20.png
 


 Vertical Anchor Shift 

  The  Blue  vertical Anchor has been used to lift the Marquee Selection Area upwards.  
  MarqueeSelectAreaUplift S20.png
 


NotePad.PNG Notes:

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


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 
MarqueeContextMenu S20.png
 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 PageLink.PNG Scrapbook Data for more details). This option will always be available with and without a Marquee 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.
PencilTips.PNG If the Marquee Selection Area goes beyond the current baseboards into "empty space" then this command will create new baseboards in those empty spaces and fill them with the selected texture
 Set Marquee to Brush Height  the Ground Height in the Marquee area will be set using the  Height  setting in the Brush Tool Options.
PencilTips.PNG If the Marquee Selection Area goes beyond the current baseboards into "empty space" then this command will create new baseboards in those empty spaces and set their height to the value in the Tool Options Palette  Height  setting. The new baseboards will be filled with the default texture for the selected Region
 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.
PencilTips.PNG If the Marquee Selection Area goes beyond the current baseboards into "empty space" then this command will create new baseboards in those empty spaces and set their grid resolution to the seleted value. The new baseboards will be filled with the default texture for the selected Region
 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 object has been highlighted, including ground textures and effect layers, this will identify the asset in the Assets Palette.


Scrapbook Operations

NotePad.PNG Notes:

Scrapbook Data can be made from:-
DotPoint.JPG Ground Heights
DotPoint.JPG Ground Textures
DotPoint.JPG Effect Layers
DotPoint.JPG Assets - scenery items, splines, track, track objects, etc
 But NOT Rolling Stock (Trains) 


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

MarqueeEditMenu S20.png 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 PageLink.PNG Scrapbook Data for more details). This option will always be available with and without a Marquee 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 Area boundary lines are removed from the route cancelling the selection process. Nothing that was inside the area will be removed.


 Adding a New Scrapbook 

The  Cut  and  Copy  Scrapbook operations are also found in the Marquee Context Menu (see the Marquee Context Menu section above).

PencilTips.PNG You don't have to use the Marquee Tool to create a new Scrapbook. You can use the Free Move Tool or the Fine Adjustment Tool to select any number of objects and then press  Ctrl   C . The selected objects, along with the ground height, ground textures, and any effect layers, will be copied into a new Scrapbook


When a new Scrapbook is created by a  Cut  or  Copy , it will appear in the Scrapbook palette with some basic details.

ScrapbookNew S20.png
The newly created scrapbook will be given:-
DotPoint.JPG a name consisting of the date and time of its creation
DotPoint.JPG a thumbnail
PencilTips.PNG The thumbnail image will be taken using the current camera POV (point of view). To get a better image adjust the camera position and view to give the best possible shot of the Scrapbook objects before giving the  Cut  or  Copy  command
DotPoint.JPG a scrapbook number (it will be inserted as №1 scrapbook)
DotPoint.JPG an expiry date which will be set 5 days after its creation - this will countdown each day until 0 when the new scrapbook will be deleted


NotePad.PNG Notes:

Scrapbooks use very little memory so there is no real limit to how many you can store in the palette but finding the one you want will be more difficult as the list grows longer


PencilTips.PNG Scrapbooks, old and new, can be deleted at any time by clicking the Delete icon. Deleting a Scrapbook does not delete the objects it contains


There are two changes that can be made to the new scrapbook:-
DotPoint.JPG Give it a name - click inside the Name Text Box and type a new name
DotPoint.JPG Make it permanent - click the Pin icon. It will no longer expire but it can still be deleted at any time
Pinned scrapbooks are always shown with a blue pin icon and the words "pinned, no expiry" displayed next to their scrapbook №
ScrapbookNewNamedPinned S20.png


Once a scrapbook has been Pinned it becomes an asset and will appear in Content Manager

ScrapbookEntryCM S20.png

The scrapbook can be uploaded to the DLS and saved as a CDP file.

PencilTips.PNG You can archive your scrapbooks as CDP files to keep the number of installed scrapbooks to a minimum. If an archived scrapbook is needed then you can use the Import Content Files option in Content Manager to add it to the Scrapbook Palette. It can be deleted from the palette later, when no longer needed.


Managing Baseboards

The Marquee is a powerful tool for adding, deleting and changing the properties of multiple baseboards.

Marquee drawn area
Steps: To add new baseboards:-
DotPoint1.JPG select the Marquee Tool (or press the  F  key).
DotPoint2.JPG Left Click and Drag to draw out an area where the new baseboards will be added. This area can include the current baseboard.
The Marquee Selection Area, shown with a green border in the image on the left, covers the existing baseboard (black, bottom left) and where 3 new baseboards will be created. The Marquee has a Context Icon as shown in the image.
DotPoint3.JPG Left click on the Context Icon or press the  T  key to open up the Marquee Context Menu (see Marquee Context Menu above).
DotPoint4.JPG Create, Convert, Delete
DotPoint.JPG To Create new baseboards, and to Convert selected baseboards to a different Grid Resolution, select the Context Menu option  Convert Baseboards To >  then select a resolution from two sub-options,  5m Grid  and  10m Grid . If existing baseboards have been selected then they will also be converted to the new resolution.
DotPoint.JPG To Delete baseboards select the Context Menu option  Delete Baseboards in Marquee . The  Ctrl   Z  keys can Undo the deletion.
DotPoint.JPG To set the selected baseboards to the  Height  value in the Tool Options Palette select the Context Menu option  Set Marquee to Brush Height . If the Marquee extends over "empty space" then new baseboards will be created at the set  Height  value.


  Top Next Up Next Down Bottom

Mass Object Moves and Clones

Both the Free Move Tool and the Fine Adjustment Tool can move and clone (copy) single and multiple objects. The Marquee Tool can also move and clone objects but will include Ground Height, Ground Textures and Effect Layers in the cloning and moving operations.

Selecting and Moving Multiple Objects

Multiple objects can be selected and moved with the Free Move Tool and the Fine Adjustment Tool.

NotePad.PNG Notes: Mass Moves

The objects do not have to be:-
DotPoint.JPG the same type. They can be a mixture of scenery splines and mesh objects
DotPoint.JPG in the same layers but objects in Locked layers will not be moved
PencilTips.PNG You can also use the Marquee Tool to move objects but this will move Ground Heights, Ground Textures and Effect Layers as well as objects.


FreeMoveMultiGroup S20.png FreeMoveMultiSelect S20.png
Steps: To select and move multiple objects:-
DotPoint1.JPG Select the Free Move Tool or Fine Adjustment Tool
DotPoint2.JPG Hold the  Shift  key down
DotPoint3.JPG Left click on every object that is to be included in the selection group. Release the key
The last object selected will have the Context Icon attached to it
DotPoint4.JPG Left Click and Drag on any highlighted object in the group


PencilTips.PNG You can apply the  Height  setting in the Tool Options to the entire group of selected objects.


 Selecting Multiple Identical Objects 

You can quickly select all nearby identical objects by a Double-LeftClick on an object.

PencilTips.PNG This also applies to all the wagons in a consist. Double-LeftClick on any one of them to select all of them - they do not have to be identical wagons.


A forest of many different trees. Only one has been selected. Double-LeftClick on a tree to select all the identical trees in the forest.
MultipleSelectTip1 S20.png MultipleSelectTip2 S20.png


PencilTips.PNG Hold down the  Shift  key and Double-LeftClick on another object. It and all its identical copies will be added to the selection.


Cloning Objects

You can easily clone single and multiple selected objects. If you have selected a group of objects they do not have to be the same type - you can select scenery objects and scenery splines.

NotePad.PNG Notes: Layers and Cloning

DotPoint.JPG the objects can be in different layers
DotPoint.JPG the layers can be locked and the objects will still be cloned
DotPoint.JPG all the cloned objects will be placed into the current Active Layer which must be Unlocked
For more information on layers see PageLink.PNG The Info Palette at the end of this document.


Steps: To clone an object or a group of objects:-
DotPoint1.JPG use either the Free Move Tool or the Fine Adjustment Tool to select the object or objects
DotPoint2.JPG hold down the  Ctrl  key and Left Click and Drag on any of the selected objects
FreeMoveCloneSelect S20.png FreeMoveCloneMoved S20.png


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The Info Palette

If the Info Palette is not visible on the screen then refer to PageLink.PNG 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:-
DotPoint.JPG to display precise data on the "focus" - the position of the cursor
DotPoint.JPG to display precise data on the position and attitude of objects
DotPoint.JPG 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)
DotPoint.JPG to change the "home" layer and binding layer of a selected object
DotPoint.JPG to lock and unlock layers


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

InfoPalette S20.png Each of the small arrowhead icons will open the palette to display more information and some controls.


NotePad.PNG 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 object is facing
 Y  is ALWAYS the  East-West  compass direction regardless of the direction that an object is facing
 Z  is ALWAYS the  Vertical  direction (perpendicular to the compass directions) regardless of how an object has been rolled or tilted

DotPoint.JPG distances are measured in metres from the North-West corner of the first baseboard.
DotPoint.JPG  (+)  positive distances are in the  South  and  East  directions
DotPoint.JPG  (-)  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.

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


InfoPaletteFocus S20.png


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.

NotePad.PNG Notes:

If you enter an X or Y value that is "out in empty space" (beyond the edge of a boundary 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 white down arrowhead. Left click on the arrow to open its menu.

InfoPaletteFocusMenu S20.png 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 (or objects) selected for a name to be shown and the menu to be available.

InfoPaletteMulti S20.png If the selected objects are different then a count of the additional objects will be added. The (+2) shown in the object name in the image on the left indicates that "2" additional different objects are in the group of selected objects. The name and position data shown will be for the last selected object.


Next to the objects name is a small white Down Arrowhead. Left click on the arrowhead to open its menu.

InfoPaletteMenu S20.png The menu options are:-
 Copy  NOT WORKING (a known bug) - this option copies the objects details as text for pasting into a text editor
 Show Asset Details  opens a new window showing the image and description of the selected object
 List Assets in New Window  opens up Content Manager and lists all the selected objects
 Add to Picklist  adds selected objects to a Picklist
 Remove from Picklist  removes selected objects from a Picklist (objects must already be in a Picklist)
 Select in Assets Palette  highlights the selected object in the Assets Palette


Position Info and Controls

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

InfoPalettePos S20.png 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.


NotePad.PNG Notes:
If you enter an X or Y value that is "out in empty space" (beyond the edge of a boundary 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 white down arrowhead. Left click on the arrow to open its menu.

InfoPalettePosMenu S20.png 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 (or objects) selected for the rotation data to be shown and edited. Open up the rotation data by Left clicking on its Rot: arrowhead icon.

InfoPaletteRot S20.png 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.


NotePad.PNG Notes:

The rotation data and controls are defined in the following ways:-

 R  ALWAYS rotates in the vertical plane around the  North-South  compass direction regard;ess of the object or objects orientation
 P  ALWAYS rotates in the vertical plane around the  East-West  compass direction regard;ess of the object or objects orientation
 Y  ALWAYS rotates in the horizontal plane around the  Vertical  direction (perpendicular to the compass directions) regardless of the object or objects orientation

DotPoint.JPG all angles are measured in degrees
DotPoint.JPG  (+)  positive angles are clockwise when facing the primary direction ( North  or  East ) and clockwise around the  Vertical  axis
DotPoint.JPG  (-)  negative angles are anti-clockwise when facing the primary direction ( North  or  East ) and anti-clockwise around the  Vertical  axis
DotPoint.JPG 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)
DotPoint.JPG clockwise and anti-clockwise angles are complementary. For example: entering -270° (anti-clockwise) will give the same angle as entering 90° (clockwise)


Layer Info and Controls

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

NotePad.PNG Notes:

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


InfoPaletteLayer S20.png This will show the:-
DotPoint.JPG current layer assigned to the selected object
DotPoint.JPG its assigned Binding Layer (if any)
DotPoint.JPG the Locked/Unlocked status of the assigned layer
  InfoPaletteLockedLayerBtn S20.png Layer is currently Unlocked. Click this button to Lock the layer
  InfoPaletteUnlockedLayerBtn S20.png 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
AssetsPaletteLockedUnlockedLayers S20.png


InfoPaletteLayersMulti S20.png 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.

NotePad.PNG 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.

LayerUnLocked S20.png unlocked layers are shown in the Assets Palette with an open padlock icon
LayerLocked S20.png locked layers are shown in the Assets Palette with a closed padlock icon. Left click the icon to unlock the layer


InfoPaletteLayerDropBoxList S20.png
Stop.PNG 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


Steps: To change the assigned layer of an object or group of objects:-
DotPoint1.JPG Left click on the Layer drop down box. The layer containing the object (for a single selected object only) will be shown with a BulletTick.png in front of its name
DotPoint2.JPG Select the destination layer name from the drop down list
The layer reassignment will start the instant the destination layer is selected
DotPoint3.JPG 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.

Ablue.png If the  Select Layer  button is greyed out
InfoPaletteLayerSelectBtnOff S20.png then the selected object is now assigned to the current Active Layer so there is no need to use this option
Bblue.png If it is NOT greyed out
InfoPaletteLayerSelectBtnOn S20.png 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:-
DotPoint.JPG LOCKED then the object will be LOCKED
DotPoint.JPG 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 Layers 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 Layers 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, use the Layers Palette to make the hidden visible and reset the Binding Layer of all the objects to <none> or use the far easier solution of simply deleting the empty hidden layer you just created


InfoPaletteBindingDropBox S20.png
Steps: To change the assigned binding layer of an object or group of objects:-
DotPoint1.JPG 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 BulletTick.png in front of its name
DotPoint2.JPG Select the Binding layer name from the drop down list
The layer reassignment will start the instant the layer is selected
DotPoint3.JPG 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:-
InfoPaletteLayerSetBindingSet S20.png
DotPoint.JPG its assigned layer changed (in the example from "route-layer" to "Station Buildings")
DotPoint.JPG its binding layer set (in the example to "Multi Industries")
DotPoint.JPG the newly assigned layer is not locked so you have the option to lock it
DotPoint.JPG the newly assigned layer is not the Active Layer so you have the option to make it the Active Layer


LinkWiki.PNG

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

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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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