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Reading Topic #23669
I have this locomotive that I have downloaded but there is only one download of it. I would like to make a copy of it and change the number on it. Could someone tell me how to go about doing that? Also, what all will I need to change the number to a different one?CSX #1JAVA
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You need to "reskin" the loco. Check out the Engine and Livery Reskinning forum - there are a couple of anchored posts with links to tutorials.Andy
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LAST EDITED ON Jun-05-04 AT 09:53 PM (EDT)
If you do a forum search you’ll find a lot of material on this. On the other hand, if you’re like me when I started, it won’t help a lot, because most of it isn’t basic enough. So here’s renumbering for dummies. You change the “skin” of a loco or car by editing the .ace files in the loco or car folder. If you want to become an accomplished re-skinner you’ll eventually need a sophisticated graphics program, like Paint Shop Pro or Photoshop, etc., but for simple renumbers, Paint is sufficient. You will need some special tools, though, since an .ace cannot be edited straightforwardly like a .jpg or .bmp file. So first download and install Martin Wright’s TGATool2, available at http://fly.to/mwgfx/. You’ll also need a tool called MakeAceWIN, available in the "tools" update at the MSTS website. Download and install it as well.Open TGATool2 and check "Updated MakeAce."Now copy the loco or car folder to a file other than TRAINSET - I use one I named DOWNLOADS. Rename the folder; i.e., if you're re-numbering BN_SD40-2_2345 to BN_SD40-2_2346, name the folder BN_SD40-2_2346. You also need to re-name the .s, .sd and .eng files; open the .sd file with Wordpad and re-name the shape line; and finally open the .eng file with Wordpad and change the Wagon (2), WagonShape, Eng and Name lines. Don't change the name of the .ace file; it won't matter if it still has the name of the original loco. To edit an .ace file, open TGATool2, click “File”, click “Load,” and browse to the appropriate car or loco folder. Open the “Type of File” dropdown menu and click on “ACE Image.” It will show you a list of the .aces for that item. Open them until you find the ones you want to edit - don’t forget the number boards, frequently found on their own .ace file. Click on “Image,” then “Send Main Image to Editor.” The file will open as a .bmp file in your default graphics editor - probably Paint, but you can change it if you want using the “Prefs” dropdown on the TGATooll2 editor. Modify the .bmp as you would any other graphics file.Once you’re satisfied with the result, click "File/save as" and assign the file a name with a .tga suffix - I use the same name as the .ace file I've edited - such as "main.tga" for "main.ace"; “number.tga” for “number.ace.” Then exit TGATool2 and open MakeAceWIN. Browse the "input" window to the loco or car folder and find and click on the edited .tga file, browse the "output" window to the same folder and click on the original .ace file, and click on "convert." But note the size of the .ace file. Many later models use at least one 1024x1024 skin. For these you need to check "Create bitmap for cab backgrounds and controls" on the MakeAceWIN editor, then check "Clamp output width to 1024" and "Clamp output height to 1024" before converting the file to .ace format. Not everybody would agree with this method - some claim to do fine every time just using the "export" function in TGATool - but it's the only foolproof way I've found to edit large .aces and .aces with complex alphas - though alpha channels deserve a little treatise all their own. Now as you can see, the idea here is to take the .ace file, change it to a .bmp file using TGATool2, edit it in your graphics program and change it back to an .ace file again using MakeAceWIN.When you're done you can move the folder back to TRAINSET, preview it with with Shape Viewer and add it to a consist.
Bud
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I just realized I forgot to mention a couple of intermediate steps there, JAVA. When you've finished editing the .ace file, click the red "x"; you'll get a Paint prompt box with the options "Yes - No - Cancel" and another red "x". Click "Yes;" this takes you back to the TGATool2 page. Click "Image/Reload After Edit." Then click "File," then "Save As," then assign the file its .tga name, etc.
Bud
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