How to add UTMs to existing route?

[Chris750]

Hi; Ok, working on my route and I ran a test and was able to create UTM tiles but for some areas only a portion of the UTM shows:





As you can see the upper left of the track crossing the river is not shown. Here is the mask I chose:



And here is my export panel:



At first I had the UTM set to 2 boards around track but it got cut off. I then went back in, selected a wider mask than shown above, set the boards to 6 from route, left the KUID alone, and exported it. Once imported into TS12 the result was identical to the first picture. I tried exporting other areas and they did not show up either (I received the message "route may have changed" but I did not change anything on TS, user edit folder or anything else). So why did only part of my UTM show up and why can't I add UTMs (TMS) to an existing route?

Thanks

Chris

[geophil]

When creating UTM tiles I recommend to set the UTM grid in the TransDEM to the fix width of 1000 m (an option in the View menu). That helps when adjusting the export mask.

Adding tiles to an existing route is influenced by a number of factors but basically you can replace existing tiles with new tile textures without the need to delete the existing tiles first.

Always make sure that the route being edited by TransDEM is the only incarnation, i.e. before opening a route for edit in Trainz Content Manager, move or delete any other route with the same name from the common folder. Otherwise you will work on the original version of the route in TransDEM while Content Manager deals with a newer variant of the route where no changes are actually made to.

If in doubt, play with a small route made from scratch and check the effect of the various replacement/update options there.

[Chris750]

I still don't understand if I can add new (not replace existing) to an existing route without having to export the route and DEM all over again. From what you say above I cannot, I have to delete the first route and then export the route again with the new tiles. When I tried exporting the missing utm to the existing route in Trainz nothing happened at all. A total redo of everything got me what was missing, but it would be nice not to have to do all that for a few missing grids.

[geophil]

I still don't understand if I can add new (not replace existing) to an existing route without having to export the route and DEM all over again.

Yes you can, as already said earlier:

Adding tiles to an existing route is influenced by a number of factors but basically you can replace existing tiles with new tile textures without the need to delete the existing tiles first.

I checked the evaluation procedure in the source code again. To replace an existing tile you must set the KUID management to either "overwrite, new KUID" or "overwrite, keep KUID".

TransDEM is conservative by nature. When to tell TransDEM to keep/reuse the KUID and it finds the tile in the scenery folder, it will create a new tile object with a new texture but with the original KUID. When it finds an object with that KUID and matching coordinates in the route, it will not change the reference in the route, since it is still valid. But you must import the new tile with Content Manager.

When you tell TransDEM to create a new tile with a new KUID, it will create the UTM scenery object as above, with a new KUID, replacing any previous object with the same name in the scenery subfolder, but will also remove any existing previous tile at the same location in the route itself. The obs file will therefore change. You still have to import the new tile(s) with Content Manager.

Once again and most important: Make sure to export UTM tiles to the correct incarnation of the route, the one that was actually exported by Content Manager ("Open for editing"). If a previous route with the same name exists in the common folder, Content Manager silently assigns a cryptic name to its new export which often leads to confusion: "nothing has changed".

[Chris750]

I still don't understand if I can add new (not replace existing) to an existing route without having to export the route and DEM all over again.

Yes you can, as already said earlier:

Adding tiles to an existing route is influenced by a number of factors but basically you can replace existing tiles with new tile textures without the need to delete the existing tiles first.

I checked the evaluation procedure in the source code again. To replace an existing tile you must set the KUID management to either "overwrite, new KUID" or "overwrite, keep KUID".

TransDEM is conservative by nature. When to tell TransDEM to keep/reuse the KUID and it finds the tile in the scenery folder, it will create a new tile object with a new texture but with the original KUID. When it finds an object with that KUID and matching coordinates in the route, it will not change the reference in the route, since it is still valid. But you must import the new tile with Content Manager.

When you tell TransDEM to create a new tile with a new KUID, it will create the UTM scenery object as above, with a new KUID, replacing any previous object with the same name in the scenery subfolder, but will also remove any existing previous tile at the same location in the route itself. The obs file will therefore change. You still have to import the new tile(s) with Content Manager.

Once again and most important: Make sure to export UTM tiles to the correct incarnation of the route, the one that was actually exported by Content Manager ("Open for editing"). If a previous route with the same name exists in the common folder, Content Manager silently assigns a cryptic name to its new export which often leads to confusion: "nothing has changed".

Thanks for replying, but saying "yes you can" doesn't help, you didn't explain how. I have tried and tried with zero result, perhaps it is easy for you the creator, but it has been frustration for me. Like other areas of my route, many UTM tiles are missing that were suppose to be exported when downloaded so now I want to add a single UTM to my route, right over Moosonee. I have the UTM but I cannot see how to export it via TD to TS12 without having to export the route and everything else first. It is asking me for a route name when I click on EXPORT UTM, but since I have not created a new route nor exported the DEM to it as it already exists I don't see how I do this. Here is what I am doing:

1. open DEM that I originally created for my route
2. open vector route
3. start map tile services, get my UTM of Moosonee
4 click on 'create UTM and export', it now asks me for a route name which I cannot add to the map name drop down box, thus I am stuck. The only way around I can see is export the DEM all over again so I can create a route name. Tried just adding the folder to the edit folder but that didn't work.

Also: is there any way to stop TD from zooming all the way back out when you obtain a single map when zoomed in?

[geophil]

The last sentence you quoted from my previous posting is the most important.

TransDEM and Trainz share a common folder: TS*\UserData\editing - provided you set it in TransDEM. TransDEM can only find and manipulate routes in that folder. A route opened for edit by Trainz Content Manager will appear in that folder, under the original name - unless an older route with the same name did already occupy the name (like the one originally created by TransDEM from scratch). In that case Trainz Content Manager will create a cryptic name for the new route.

4 click on 'create UTM and export', it now asks me for a route name which I cannot add to the map name drop down box, thus I am stuck.

Check the folder location and its contents. Is it different from TS*\UserData\editing? Does it contain the route you opened for edit in Trainz Content Manager? Check name and date.

[Chris750]

The last sentence you quoted from my previous posting is the most important.

TransDEM and Trainz share a common folder: TS*\UserData\editing - provided you set it in TransDEM. TransDEM can only find and manipulate routes in that folder. A route opened for edit by Trainz Content Manager will appear in that folder, under the original name - unless an older route with the same name did already occupy the name (like the one originally created by TransDEM from scratch). In that case Trainz Content Manager will create a cryptic name for the new route.

4 click on 'create UTM and export', it now asks me for a route name which I cannot add to the map name drop down box, thus I am stuck.

Check the folder location and its contents. Is it different from TS*\UserData\editing? Does it contain the route you opened for edit in Trainz Content Manager? Check name and date.

Ok, I think I may understand. To add a UTM to the route I have to open the route for edit in CM, then export the UTM to trainz. I thought I could just export it to the editor folder and add it like any other content. This clarified it: " A route opened for edit by Trainz Content Manager will appear in that folder". I also have a lot of UTMs in TS12 listed as errors, not sure why, gives four errors "unable to load mesh file UTM XXX" and "unable to load primary texture "UTM 12 XXX", "binary conversion failed" and "the tag 'image' points to non existent file".

Ok, got another question: opened the route for edit and was able to export to the edit folder where it created another scenery folder, do I just commit the route now or do I have to add content/scenery folder in CM and then commit the route? ***GOT IT > OPEN AND ADD CONTENT***

[geophil]

I also have a lot of UTMs in TS12 listed as errors, not sure why, gives four errors "unable to load mesh file UTM XXX" and "unable to load primary texture "UTM 12 XXX", "binary conversion failed" and "the tag 'image' points to non existent file".

This looks like incomplete tiles. A 3D UTM tile has these files:

Code: Select all

config.txt
corpus.texture.txt
corpus.tga
thumbnail.jpg
UTM-10S-720-4149.texture.txt
UTM-10S-720-4149.tga
utm_1000.im

All files will/should be generated by TransDEM.

[Chris750]

Is there something I am doing wrong, is it a DL error from the TMS or an export error from TD?

[geophil]

Is there something I am doing wrong, is it a DL error from the TMS or an export error from TD?

Not sure. Taking one of the UTM tiles rejected by Trainz Content Manager, which files do you find in that particular sub-folder?