Help:Effect Layer Dialog

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This page outlines how to create and paint your own Clutter Effect layers in Surveyor.
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The "Effect Layers" dialog is used to create, edit and delete effect layers. It can be opened using the button on the advanced pane of the topology tab, or from the Edit menu on the Surveyor menubar (TRS19q1/sp1 onward).
  
For Help on creating and painting [[Help:TurfFX_Effect_Layer|Turffx layers]], click the link.  
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== Simple Mode ==
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As of the TRS19 2020q1 update, the effect layers dialog comes with a "simple mode" which allows you to change an effect layer to use specific "preset" assets. A number of effect layer presets are included "built in" to Trainz, but you can also make your own using the advanced editing controls.
  
== Creating and Editing Clutter Layers ==
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To preview an effect layer preset just select it from the list and wait for it to load in the preview window. No changes will be applied to the Route until the dialog is closed using the tick button. If none of the presets are perfect, you can select the best/closest for your application and the modify it using the advanced mode (see below).
  
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== Advanced Mode ==
  
[[File:effectlayertopology1.jpg]]
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The advanced mode of the Effect Layer dialog allows you to edit the fine details of each effect layer. This includes the visuals of the effect layer, but also complex settings which define how the effect layer data is stored within the Route. This interface is quite complex, and it may require some research and experimentation to learn exactly what each option does.
  
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Because of the complixty of these settings they are explained in detail on their own pages, linked in the "See Also" section below.
  
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== See Also ==
  
=== Effect Layer Window ===
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For more information about effect layers, specific effect layer types, or creating your own effect layer assets, see the following pages.
 
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The Effect Layers window allows you to edit your effect properties. The UI in this window will change based on which effect you choose (clutter, turf, something else).
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[[File:effectlayerwindow1.jpg]]
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==== Select ====
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This allows you to select any existing effect layers to view and edit their parameters.
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[[File:effectlayerwindow1a.jpg]]
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==== Delete ====
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This button will delete the currently selected effect layer.
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[[File:effectlayerwindow1b.jpg]]
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==== Add ====
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This button will allow you to create a new effect layer.
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[[File:effectlayerwindow1c.jpg]]
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==== Name ====
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Enter a name for your effect layer.
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[[File:effectlayerwindow1d.jpg]]
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==== Clutter-Density Data Binding ====
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The "clutter-density" options and associated "constant" value control the [[Effect Layer Data Binding]] (read this link for details) which controls the density of this clutter layer across the route. Density ranges from 0.0 (no clutter present) to 1.0 (maximum density).
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[[File:effectlayerwindow1e.jpg]]
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[[File:effectlayerwindow1f.jpg]]
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==== Spacing ====
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Determines the spacing in meters between each clutter asset. The smaller the spacing the closer your clutter assets will be to one another (but most likely, the smaller the spacing the worse your performance will be).
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[[File:effectlayerwindow1g.jpg]]
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==== Random-Rotation ====
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If true, randomly rotates every clutter asset in the effect layer. False will rotate each clutter asset to face the same direction.
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[[File:effectlayerwindow1h.jpg]]
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==== Draw-Distance ====
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How far away the clutter layer will render out to in meters. The smaller you can make this the better your performance will be. If you don't need the default 300 meters and clutter looks fine at 100 meters then do it. 
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[[File:effectlayerwindow1i.jpg]]
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==== Mesh-Assets ====
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This is where you select one or more assets to be randomly generated for your clutter layer.
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* Click the "Add Asset" button to add a new asset row.
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* Click in the text box to list the clutter assets
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* Select an asset you want to use in your clutter layer from the dropdown list.
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* Adjust the slider next to each asset to determine how frequently to spawn this particular asset.
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* Move the slider all the way to the right to give a very high spawn frequency.
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* Move the slider all the way to the left stop it from spawning altogether (0 spawn frequency).
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* When the slider is all the way to the left you get a delete button. Click that to remove this asset row.
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[[File:effectlayerwindow1j.jpg]]
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== Painting Clutter ==
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[[File:paintingeffectlayers1.jpg]]
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==Tips==
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* When you click once to paint an area, you apply the minimum density of clutter
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* Clicking more times on the same location will increase the denisty up to a maximum point (defined in the settings for that effect layer)
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* Holding the left mouse button will paint at the highest density.
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* Creating higher density clutter layers will reduce performance.
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* To avoid major performance degradation, the engine also begins culling clutter in the distance if there is too much in the scene at one time.
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* Try different combinations of plant and/or rocks to work out which items work best together
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* Adjust the density sliders to adjust the % of each item that appears in your effect layer.
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* Currently each effect layer you create is per route only.
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* TurfFX is currently not supported in route merge.
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==Turffx Layers==
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For Help on creating and painting [[Help:TurfFX_Effect_Layer|Turffx layers]], click the link.
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[[File:TurfFX-Example0.jpg|800px]]
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== See Also ==
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[[Help:TurfFX_Effect_Layer]]
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For specific guidance to make your own clutter assets see: [[Clutter_Effect_Layer]]
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* [[Effect_Layer|Effect Layers]]
For specific guidance to make your own TurfFX assets see: [[Effect_Layer_Assets]]
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* [[Effect_Layer_Assets | Effect Layer Assets]]
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* [[Clutter_Effect_Layer | Clutter Effect Layers]]
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* [[Help:TurfFX_Effect_Layer | nVidia TurfFX Effect Layers]]
  
 
Return to [[Help:TRS19|TRS19 Help Page]]
 
Return to [[Help:TRS19|TRS19 Help Page]]
 
[[Category:TRS19]]
 
[[Category:TRS19]]

Latest revision as of 16:47, 5 February 2020

The "Effect Layers" dialog is used to create, edit and delete effect layers. It can be opened using the button on the advanced pane of the topology tab, or from the Edit menu on the Surveyor menubar (TRS19q1/sp1 onward).

[edit] Simple Mode

As of the TRS19 2020q1 update, the effect layers dialog comes with a "simple mode" which allows you to change an effect layer to use specific "preset" assets. A number of effect layer presets are included "built in" to Trainz, but you can also make your own using the advanced editing controls.

To preview an effect layer preset just select it from the list and wait for it to load in the preview window. No changes will be applied to the Route until the dialog is closed using the tick button. If none of the presets are perfect, you can select the best/closest for your application and the modify it using the advanced mode (see below).

[edit] Advanced Mode

The advanced mode of the Effect Layer dialog allows you to edit the fine details of each effect layer. This includes the visuals of the effect layer, but also complex settings which define how the effect layer data is stored within the Route. This interface is quite complex, and it may require some research and experimentation to learn exactly what each option does.

Because of the complixty of these settings they are explained in detail on their own pages, linked in the "See Also" section below.

[edit] See Also

For more information about effect layers, specific effect layer types, or creating your own effect layer assets, see the following pages.

Return to TRS19 Help Page

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