Jon Searles' photos with the keyword: simulator

I recently learned how to export Blender models to Auran Trainz, and built my first Trainz model, of a generic (and semi-fictional) Phillips refrigerator box. This instructional video explains how to export Blender models to Trainz. Blender is available here: www.blender.org The model exporter for Trainz is available here: sourceforge.net/projects/blenderextrainz Gimp, the image editor used in this video, is available here: www.gimp.org

This is my repaint of Mike Stone's Airbus A330-300 into CSA, or Czech Airlines, livery. Because I haven't got his permission to distribute it, I haven't, but at the very least I wanted one for my AI traffic files for Ruzyne (Vaclav Havel) airport. I've tried to take a screenshot that resembles my previous photo of the actual plane, but it was hard getting a good angle in the simulator. It's in roughly the same spot at Ruzyne, but I've had to angle the camera back diagonally. One other inaccuracy is that the A330-323X that CSA have acquired has Pratt & Whitney engines, not Rolls Royce engines. Oh well....I don't really have the time to build a new model.

Here's the nicer (I would argue) of the two SD40-2's that come with Auran Trainz as built-in's. It's sitting here on part of the mainline map that I'm building to support my blog post. This is the Union Pacific one, viewed from the cab in "Driver," which is the part of Trainz that does the actual simulation. I really like this cab, except for that it lacks cab signalling, and it isn't clear whether the alerter actually works as I haven't given it a proper test yet. Why? I've been too busy building the line. It looks nice, though, doesn't it? Surely, there's a reason I've spent so much time trying to torment Auran Trainz into working.

Here's another screenshot from the mainline project, although this is actually part of a branchline off the mainline that I did the Dockside repaint for.

To test Auran Trainz for my blog post, I figured I should build a long track layout to practice line-haul operation, as I wasn't satisfied with the lines that come with Trainz. I also figured it would give me some experience with Surveyor, the other content creation tool that comes with Trainz besides Content Manager. As you can see, it eventually grew to be quite gigantic. I've decided to do the blog post without finishing it, as I realize now that I'm spending far too much time on it. As it progresses, I may post more screenshots just for fun.

This is the most basic way to debug Trainz content. Notice the exclamation points? They indicate errors, so a right click will call up the contextual menu that you see, which in turn offers a number of different dependency and error lists.

This is the Auran Trainz Content Manager, which is a necessity if you want to develop anything for Trainz. Why? Because all content for Trainz is compressed into an unreadable file that has to be decrypted every time something is edited, and re-encrypted whenever a mod is reinstalled or added for the first time. Yeah, it's really that cumbersome. The Content Manager isn't all bad, though, as it includes a number of handy content editors and built-in debugging tools.

Apparently, Auran have a start on a bug fix, as their built-in Union Pacific Big Boy seems to run around trains just fine. Could this be a script that needs to be added? I'll have to check this out when I have more time so that I can bug fix the other locomotives that I have (and perhaps assist other developers with it).

Here's the nearly-unbelievable bug that I mentioned in my last screenshot. This locomotive isn't one of Auran's, but rather is an ATSF repaint (not by me) of Sub Par Productions' Virginia & Truckee 4-4-0. This bug, however, is common to most steam tender engines that I've seen so far in Trainz, and I haven't found anything obviously wrong with the configuration file. So.....obviously Auran have to work on this.

This was my first repaint project since the start of my modding on Trainz. This is an inauthentic repaint of Sub Par Productions' B&O Dockside tank engine, based on an equally inaccurate HO model that I have. I did this repaint so that I would have a Santa Fe tank engine for a branchline in Trainz that I'll show later. The reason I needed a tank engine was that there appears to be a blatant error in the code of Trainz that causes tender engines to run around the train without their tender, leaving it on the front of the train! If you don't believe me, check out the next screenshot.

Here's a report on the patched AEM-7's dependencies....and it still doesn't show an error.

Here's the error report from the patched AEM-7. Neither of these errors appear to be about the number.

This isn't my mod, either, but is the VirtualBeechGrove EMD AEM-7 after I gave it a going over to give it better physics. I haven't re-released it, obviously, as I don't have permission. The mod was just for me. However....the numbers now don't appear on it. That white patch on the left is where it's supposed to be. I've checked the kuid for errors, and I can't figure out what's the matter with it.

I've posted this code from Microsoft Train Simulator's version of the Gresley A1 "Flying Scotman" to compare it to the same locomotive simulated (albeit as an A3) in Auran Trainz. Note the logical, standard units used. I would argue that this is far better format for entering engineering data, as anyone, engineer or not, can understand it and transfer specs directly to the simulator.

This is another screenshot for the upcoming blog post, but this is of an add-on that I've actually built...for Jens Schubert's Railsim. It's an old simulator, but one that I love. It has awful graphics and sound, but decent physics and fantastic signaling. It's also easy to mod routes, as an editor is included, and the whole interface is also made easier by easy track-based grade simulation (with no terraforming needed) and automatic mileposts. The scheduling is also automated. I could go on and on and on.

This is a screenshot of Microsoft Train Simulator that I'm posting to go with a blog post. Only the screenshot is mine, as the scenery is from the Severn Valley Railway add-on from JustTrains.

Here's the Trainz physics (or "config") file for the Flying Scotsman. Regardless if you're an engineer or not, I don't think it makes much sense. Can any of you interpret it just by looking at it?

The most popular Airbus A320 for FS2004 is produced by Project Airbus. However, the Project Airbus A320 is riddled with a number of bugs, and while all but one of these are easily fixable, one is not. Namely, attempting to use it for an AI crashes FS2004. Therefore, AI Aardvark, maybe my favorite FS2004 developer, has produced this low-poly, bug free, generic (nonspecific-variant) A320 for AI use. In order to produce a wide range of AI aircraft that are still flyable (I figured out how), I have perhaps done more repaints of AI Aardvark's A320 than of any other FS2004 aircraft (original liveries include United, Lufthansa, and British Airways, among others, but these aren't enough for even one airport). This is my modern CSA (Czech Airlines) A320 repaint, taking off, appropriately, from Prague Ruzyne.