train sim modeller

dkightley · Post by **dkightley** » Tue Aug 14, 2007 7:10 am

I've not got TSM......but I'll have a guess that what Vern is referring to is being able to export from TSM in a file format that 3DC has the capability of importing from.

johny · Post by **johny** » Tue Aug 14, 2007 7:16 am

ARG706 wrote:...Can you really import models to 3dcanvas from TSM?

Yes, you can. The ability to do so comes with one of the 3DC versions issued earlier this year. Unfortunately the textures do not go across, you just get an overall grey model. I have not tried it yet, but would assume that it is necessary to copy the constituent parts of a model, texture them individually in 3DC, and then marry them to form the complete model.

John

bigvern · Post by **bigvern** » Tue Aug 14, 2007 7:23 am

Yes you have to texture in 3DC but there is a plug in (one of Decapod's I think) that allows you to do so.

Unfortunately I lost all my .dst files from my previous route building a while back but I may still use TSM for actually building the shapes.

olibacon · Post by **olibacon** » Tue Aug 14, 2007 10:36 am

starting 2 get the hang of it but how u get it 2 msts?

dkightley · Post by **dkightley** » Tue Aug 14, 2007 11:13 am

No text speak please. Refer to the Forum Rules section for the reasons why.

bigvern · Post by **bigvern** » Tue Aug 14, 2007 5:48 pm

olibacon wrote:starting 2 get the hang of it but how u get it 2 msts?

For buildings, you have to copy the .s and .sd files into the Shapes folder of the route and the textures into the texture folder, adding separate night and snow textures to the relevant folders.

Finally you need to place an entry in the ref file to ensure it shows up in the Route (editor).

mikesimpson · Post by **mikesimpson** » Tue Aug 14, 2007 10:56 pm

Just as an aside, I cannot really work out why anyone would use TSM when 3D Canvas is available with all of Paul's plug ins.

Both programs came out about the same time, yet TSM only had one bug fix just after it was released and 3D Canvas has been updated/improved on a regular basis ever since.

This weekend, I built a 28 arch viaduct using Paul's bridge builder plug in for 3DC in about 10 minutes, including texturing.

Mike.

buffy500 · Post by **buffy500** » Wed Aug 15, 2007 4:42 am

Speaking from personal experience..

I have no doubt that Canvas is the better application. It certainly has more functionality, but I just never got on with it.

I seem to remember that texturing caused me no end of troubles.
TSM is fairly limited, but for most people, skill with the application is the limiting factor not limitation of the application.

It will take me a long long time to catch up in Max so I can produce similar models.

johny · Post by **johny** » Wed Aug 15, 2007 6:52 am

TSM has several things going for it, not least the ability to write the shape file (either binary or unicode), shape definition file, entry in the route.ref file, etc. The one thing I do like is the ability to set the animation for a semaphore signal and know that it will work in MSTS, unlike 3DC where although I can make the signal, it won't work unless I copy and paste into the shape file the animations from a working model.

John

bigvern · Post by **bigvern** » Wed Aug 15, 2007 7:01 am

I would say the grid is slightly easier to work with in TSM than the checkerboard of 3DC. Also you can define the size of your primitives in TSM before placing them in the workspace. Was setting up a culvert for use in my TRS2004 route but found after doing considerable work found the primitives had extended under the workspace so it was all wrong.

But yes the plug-ins (and texturing) of 3DC give it major plus points, I guess it all comes down to what you're used to working with. I will continue to use both side by side, the only certainty is that Gmax has been consigned to the Recycle bin!

fadedGlory · Post by **fadedGlory** » Wed Aug 15, 2007 7:40 am

I've always used TSM, and made some abortive attempts in the past to come to grips with Canvas but I found it too different and the transition was confusing me.

Now that we know that the new Sims will be supported by Canvas I have had another go at it, and after some blood, sweat and tears (and lots of help from Paul and others) I have produced my first model. The trick was not to think about the 'TSM way' of doing things whilst working in Canvas, and just try to figure out how Canvas operates without mentally comparing the two all the time.

It is clear to me that Canvas is vastly more powerful than TSM, and I am glad I persisted this time.

Trewithen [2772821 bytes] - Trewithen.zip
File ID: 17264 Date: 13 Aug 2007 - 255 Downloads

fG