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Spline File and Folder Tutorial

In this tutorial you will learn where to place the files and the naming conventions used for files and folders for a new Trainz Spline item.

NOTE The name tutorial is used for the folder structure. Replace tutorial with the name of your model.

There are four types of spline directory structures

Type 1 Spline Object

Type 2 Track Object

Type 3 Bridge Object

Type 4 Tunnel Object

Type 1 Spline Object

1. Custom folder

The following screen shot shows the directory structure for the custom folder. Some folders may not be present on your machine. If the splines directory is not present then you will need to create it.

Figure 1 custom folder contents

2. Folders and their names

Open the splines folder. Create a folder for the project and use an appropriate name add _spline to the end of the folder and avoid using spaces in the name. . For a normal spline object there are no subfolders required however there is an optional folder called the tutorial_spline_object

Item	Folder	Location
main folder	tutorial_spline	splines folder
optional spline object	tutorial_spline_object	tutorial_spline folder

I have used tutorial for the name of this project. Replace tutorial with the name of your mesh.

Figure 2 Correctly named optional spline object folder

3. File names

Once the folder has been named correctly then you can move your mesh and its textures into the main folder. Rename the mesh as shown in Figure 3 but do not rename any of the other files.

Figure 3 Renamed .im file

Figure 4 Object file named correctly

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Type 2 Track Object

1. Custom folder

The following screen shot shows the directory structure for the custom folder. Some folders may not be present on your machine. If the tracks directory is not present then you will need to create it.

Figure 1 custom folder contents

2. Folders and their names

Open the tracks folder. Create a folder for the project and use an appropriate name add _track to the end of the folder and avoid using spaces in the name. For a normal track object there are no subfolders required however there is an optional folder called the tutorial_track_tex

Item	Folder	Location
main folder	tutorial_track	tracks folder
optional spline object	tutorial_track_tex	tutorial_track folder

I have used tutorial for the name of this project. Replace tutorial with the name of your mesh.

Figure 2 Correctly named optional track tex folder

3. File names

Once the folder has been named correctly then you can move your mesh and its textures into the main folder. Rename the mesh as shown in Figure 3 but do not rename any of the other files.

Figure 3 Renamed .im file

Figure 4 Tex files named correctly

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Type 3 Bridge Object

1. Custom folder

The following screen shot shows the directory structure for the custom folder. Some folders may not be present on your machine. If the tracks directory is not present then you will need to create it.

Figure 1 custom folder contents

2. Folders and their names

Open the tracks folder. Create a folder for the project and use an appropriate name add _bridge to the end of the folder and avoid using spaces in the name. For a normal bridgeobject there are no subfolders required however there are 3 optional folders. To complicate things further the start and end subfolders may also contain a further subfolder for the shadow files.

Item	Folder	Location
main folder	tutorial_bridge	tracks folder
optional start object	tutorial_bridge_start	tutorial_bridge folder
optional end object	tutorial_bridge_end	tutorial_bridge folder
optional shadow object	tutorial_bridge_shadow	tutorial_bridge folder
optional start shadow	tutorial_bridge_start_shadow	tutorial_bridge_start
optional end shadow	tutorial_bridge_end_shadow	tutorial_bridge_end

I have used tutorial for the name of this project. Replace tutorial with the name of your mesh.

Figure 2 Correctly named optional sub folders

3. File names

Once the folder has been named correctly then you can move your mesh and its textures into the main folder. Rename the mesh as shown in Figure 3 but do not rename any of the other files.

Figure 3 Renamed .im file

4. Bridge start file names (Optional)

Figure 4 Bridge start files named correctly

Figure 5 Bridge start shadow files named correctly

5. Bridge end file names (Optional)

Figure 6 Bridge end files named correctly

Figure 7 Bridge end shadow files named correctly

6. Bridge shadow file names (Optional)

Figure 8 Bridge shadow files named correctly

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Type 4 Tunnel Object

1. Custom folder

The following screen shot shows the directory structure for the custom folder. Some folders may not be present on your machine. If the tracks directory is not present then you will need to create it.

Figure 1 custom folder contents

2. Folders and their names

Open the tracks folder. Create a folder for the project and use an appropriate name add _tunnel to the end of the folder and avoid using spaces in the name. For a normal tunnel object there are two subfolders required.

Item	Folder	Location
Main folder	tutorial_tunnel	tracks folder
Tunnel start object	tutorial_tunnel_start	tutorial_tunnel folder
Tunnel end object	tutorial_tunnel_end	tutorial_tunnel folder

I have used tutorial for the name of this project. Replace tutorial with the name of your mesh.

Figure 2 Correctly named subfolders

3. File names

Once the folder has been named correctly then you can move your mesh and its textures into the main folder. Rename the mesh as shown in Figure 3 but do not rename any of the other files.

Figure 3 Renamed .im file

4. Tunnel start file names

Figure 4 Tunnel start files named correctly

5. Tunnel end file names

Figure 5 Tunnel end files named correctly

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