Australian MSTS @ steam4me Tutorials Archived news items

Archived news items

27 April 2007

Geoff Forrest has come up with a quick tutorial demonstrating a simple technique to add fences etc. to the roads in your route.

Browse to Fencing your Roads to start reading Geoff's contribution.

17 April 2007

Sean Lim, aka "Trackdancer", wrote a series of tutorials which were formerly hosted on the Hobo Junction web site which no longer exists and thus valuable information disappeared from the web. I contacted Sean recently and offered to host the tutorial section of Sean's former site for the benefit of the MSTS community: Sean agreed and thus most of the tutorials have been reinstated and reformatted for presentation here.

I'm proud to announce that the Trackdancer tutorials on model-building and texturing now have a permanent home here at the steam4me site.

Browse to Trackdancer's MSTS Modeling and Texturing Tutorial Archive to start reading Sean's valuable tutorials.

6 February 2007

Nick Fletcher's MSTS Content Creation Video Tutorials are a series of videos that begin with a look at the basic skills you'll need in order to work with 3D Canvas. Nick assumes you've never seen the program before or worked with 3D modeling software. Subsequent video tutorials walk you through the procedures to assemble a model.

No excuse for not jumping into 3d modeling now.

6 February 2007

Jim Ward's been at it again, this time showing clearly What folders do what in MSTS: with a few screenshots, he describes the effects each part of MSTS has (WORLD, TILES folders and the role of the .TDB files). Jim just has the knack for clearly explaining some of the trickier parts of MSTS.

The advent of Google Earth means that many people can now visualise their route from "up above". Using Google Earth To Place Markers in RE in MSTS is a brief tutorial showing you how to import placemarkers into a usable form for Route Editor to exploit.

7 January 2007

"Track database error: 'remove_end_end' one non-vector, one vector" ia a common and dreaded message when you're trying to do a track database rebuild. Jim and friends give you some pointers to repair this problem in Correcting Track Database Errors in Route Editor.

In response to a query on railpage, I've written a short tutorial on selecting textures in Route Editor. See Selecting and Placing Terrain Patches in RE in MSTS.

Lukas Lusser discovers a source of MSTS crashes in erraant sound source files and Mike Simpson provides a fix. Read Sound Source Placement Error Causes MSTS to Crash.

Tue 1 August 2006

Scott Miller, author of the improved ACE making program AceIt!, points out a small change that model builders can make to their model to reduce or even eliminate the "shimmer" or moiré effect when looking at the model in the sim. See Getting Rid of Moiré Pattern by Altering the Shape File for information on this simple change.

Wed 19 July 2006

Two more tutorials this morning for your edification and enjoyment:
  1. Paul deVerter's latest tutorial covers Adding Steam Effects with TSM: use Reference parts in TSM to accurately place smoke and steam effects: another clear and lucid explanation from Paul.
     
  2. Master of the shape file Paul "decapod" Gausden has used a recent discovery about textures in MSTS to open up possibilities to attain reflective shiny surfaces on models in MSTS. Paul clearly documents the steps required in his latest tutorial Adding Shine to MSTS models.
     

Thu 15 June 2006

Tutorials are popping up everywhere: another three today bring the tally to seven over the past few days and over 100 in total.
  1. Paul deVerter describes the use for a button we've all seen on the TGATools screen, but have never used or even understood: Alpha Channel Generation Using the TGATool Alpha Channel Template Option. Sounds tricky, but Paul's explanation makes it quite simple.
     
  2. Otto "Ottodad" Wipfel is one of the most prolific writers on MSTS and today presents two tutorials arising from his methodical inquisitive nature: Changing the MSTS Registry Entry the Easy Way - another way of changing MSTS Registry settings - probably useful if only to keep a set of registry entries to avoid having to completely re-install MSTS if you have a computer crash.
     
  3. Otto "Ottodad" Wipfel's other contribution today is a simple but effective way to make sure that your carriages' wheels are planted on the rails, not under or in the rails. Read Placing the Wheels on the Rails for his technique on getting this feature right on your vehicles.
     

Wed 14 June 2006

Late last year, Michael Sinclair wrote A Pictorial Tutorial For Creating Activities in MSTS. It's taken a couple of months to get here, but this tutorial will walk you through the creation of activities, including player and traffic trains, paths and consists. Click on the link above to start viewing this excellent tutorial.

Tue 13 June 2006

More new tutorials today:
  1. Jim Ward's back with another tutorial on Creating Static Trains to fill Up Yards.
     
  2. A short tutorial by Mike Simpson on Using Route Riter to Change the MSTS Registry Settings
     
  3. Paul deVerter continues his struggles with TSM and on this occasion explains how to Make Wheels With Spokes As Separate Parts Rotate together
     
  4. A checklist for re-installing MSTS (updated), helping you to eliminate or avoid the "default" errors that came with MSTS. By Yuri Sos.
Click on the links to start reading these new additions.

Tue 14 Feb 2006

We're proud to host a superb 192-image pictorial tutorial by Michael Sinclair which will surely become the definitive work on Creating trees for MSTS. Click on the link to start viewing this excellent tutorial.

Sun 15 Jan 2006

Just a quick tutorial showing you how to "place a zero degree node using Scalerail".

Thu 1 December 2005

Ted Curphey, better known as "Funnelfan" on the sim forums, has been an accomplished model builder for some time: he's also an excellent teacher and here he presents an image-based tutorial on "Creating a vehicle for MSTS using Train Sim Modeler", though the principles will apply to any 3D modelling program.

Tue 29 November 2005

Jim Ward disappeared for a while during a house move but now he's back and into the swing of things with two gems of information - the first is a short tutorial on "Setting up a yard cam view" and also an activities tutorial entitled "Verify Starting State" showing you how to test (and debug) your activities before they cause grief in the sim.

Thu 10 November 2005

I've written a tutorial on "Using Carspawners" to help in placing and modifying car spawners.

Thu 25 August 2005

Lukas Lusser started it with his idea for removing catenary by converting TrackObjects into StaticObjects. Now Wayne Campbell has refined the technique and taken catenary removal to a new higher level with a tutorial and matching utility that is one of the most revolutionary techniques we've seen in MSTS for quite some time. Truly ground-breaking material by one of the sharpest minds in the MSTS arena.

Wayne's utility is called Hidewire and you can read all about his extraordinary work in a tutorial entitled "Using Hidewire to Remove Catenary Over Part Of Your Route".

Sat 28 May 2005

Needing to add gantries to a route for testing some soon-to-be-released locomotives, I start to unravel the gantry.dat file in order to understand how it worked. I discovered that the Auto-Placement feature in the Route Editor is a much under-rated and under-used route building tool that has far more applications than simply applying gantries.

I've written a tutorial entitled "Using The Auto-Placement Function in Route Editor" to assist you with getting the most out of this very useful tool.

Sat 16 April 2005

Paul Deverter's been busy again continuing his series of tutorials on animation using TrainSim Modeler.

His latest sensational epic is a series of eight tutorials (sections) that will cover every aspect of electric loco animation using the "P" key - BUT the models created do not have to look like an electric locomotive.

In increasing order of complexity, the tutorials cover the following topics:

  • a rail gun whose barrel goes up and down;
  • a trolley car whose trolley pole goes up and down;
  • a linecar having a lift that raises, and a gangplank that extends out to one side;
  • a linecar having a lift the raises, with a gangplank that rotates out to the side when raised;
  • a side dump gondola whose container slides to one side, and then tilts to discharge the load;
  • a crane having a cab that pivots on the body, with a cable that lowers a hook or a weight to the ground.
  • an .ENG file for a side dump gondola that is no longer than a short .wag file and which does not have, nor need, the Sound and Cabview Folders; and finally
  • how to animate a trolley wheel on an electric car, which rotates backwardly compared to the wheels on the track. This is necessary because the wheels on the track are riding on top of the track, but the trolley wheel is riding on the bottom of the wire.
Start reading Paul's latest tutorial by clicking here. There is a wealth of information here and Paul has gone to a lot of trouble to set this all down in writing for us all.

Tue 12 April 2005

In a response to a query on one of the forums, Russell Beer's written a short illustrated tutorial entitled Setting up Signals in MSTS - A Primer, showing you how to set up signals in the Route Editor of MSTS. This should help you understanding the various linking buttons and paths.

Mon 31 January 2005

It's been a while since we've featured any new tutorials on the art and science of route-building: today we've got three superb tutorials by master modeler Wayne Campbell, each teaching you some extraordinary tips and tricks - amazing how far one can push MSTS with these skill sets!
  1. Building an Incline Railway: how to build, animate and then be able to enjoy riding in an incline railway;
     
  2. Activating Interlocking Signals by Using the Hazard feature: you can activate interlocking by a blast of your whistle. Wayne's tutorial opens up possibilities for using this technique for a variety of train-controlled animations;
     
  3. Using Maps as Transfer Objects in Route Editor: yet another clever tutorial demostrating a technique to use scanned maps or airphotos to aid in exact placement of track and structures.
     
Mon 24 January 2005
Chapter 3 in Paul De Verter's series of tutorials on transparencies entitled ""Changing the Transparency of an Alpha Channel Window Using Paint Shop Pro" is now available for your enjoyment and learning.
Thu 16 December 2004
Paul De Verter's back with another tutorial, this time on how to "Write in a Circle Using PaintShop Pro.". Invaluable advice and yet more techniques to add to your skill set.

Tue 7 December 2004

Robert Fontaine has created a new ACE file that has, in my opinion, revolutionised the science and art of lighting for MSTS models. I show you what it is and how to use it in "Better Lighting for Locomotives".

Tue 2 November 2004

Paul De Verter continues to produce tutorials: the latest two are entitled "How to Make an Alpha Channel Using Paint Shop Pro and TGATool2" showing you a simple way to create alpha channels without having to understand PSP's masks; and "How to Make Additions to an Alpha Channel Using Paint Shop Pro", a logical follow-up to the first tutorial.

Sat 30 October 2004

Scott Brunner has produced a tutorial/checklist on "Using the Rod Animator Plug-in in 3D Canvas Pro"; follow this checklist to ensure you animate your steam locos with a minimum of fuss.

Mon 25 October 2004

You may remember Sean Lim (aka Trackdancer aka KnightTrain) wrote some excellent tutorials which were hosted at Griffon Media Design. That web page disappeared but Sean now hosts these superb tutorials at "http://www.cham-ministry.org/msts/tutorials.html".

I've also placed this link in the Texturing ("Painting")and digital image manipulation section of this site.

Paul De Verter's been busy again with "How To Animate A Scenery Object- Part 2"; this time Paul demonstrates a really neat trick for animating an inclined object: while written with TSM in mind, any 3D modeller will benefit from Paul's work.

Tue 4 October 2004

Richard Osborne adds two more chapters to his sensational tutorial entitled "A Coach made with GMax".

He adds tips on using textures correctly and a final page on "Hierarchies" which is useful no matter what 3D modelling program you are using or whether or not you've followed the rest of his tutorial.

There's a simple way to ensure that your vehicles are the correct length and couple up together as you would want them to: I've written a tutorial on "getting the Wagon length parameters right" which walks you through a sure-fire way to correct these values.

Fri 10 Sept 2004

Richard Osborne continues to share his knowledge and skills with all of us as he's written yet another tutorial, this time on the vexed question of "Animating valve gear" (useful for both TSM and GMax users).

Paul deVerter's also been busy sharing his knowledge with a tutorial entitled "How to Make a Symmetrical Part using TSM".

Tue 31 Aug 2004

Latest tutorial to be released on this site is by Bob Latimer's "Fixing broken paths using Activity Editor". Broken paths are usually the result of paths created for one version of a route being used on a different version: Bob walks you through the steps (and tricks) required to correct this problem.

Mon 30 Aug 2004

Richard Osborne, author of the ground-breaking TSM tutorial on building a steam locomotive has moved over to GMax. He has now produced a great "how to" tutorial entitled "A Coach made with GMax". As well as showing you how to build a coach, there's a wealth of information on learning how to use Gmax's powerful tools. Highly recommended.

Sun 22 Aug 2004

Today both Wayne Campbell and Ron Picardi share their awesome knowledge with two extremely useful tutorials: Ron on straightening photos to use in textures for models you might be planning and Wayne on how to get started on weathering using PaintShop Pro.

Achieving Sharp lettering on your models by Tim Muir: Tim shows a simple technique he uses in TSM (but it'll work for any 3d software) to achieve sharp lettering on the sides of his models.

Thu 19 Aug 2004

Paul Gausden continues to tip the balance of 3d modelling software towards 3D Canvas Pro with yet another clever use for his "Pipe Builder" plug-in - a ladder with a curved top. You'll find it by clicking here to read this latest gem from Paul.

Fri 23 Jul 2004

I've rewritten the ConTEXT highlighter following input from Paul Deverter: I've been able to achieve bracket-matching AND multi-line comment highlighting (though not at the same time).

The "Using the ConTEXT Editor in MSTS" article has been re-written to reflect these changes; as well I show you how to change colours in ConTEXT. I've also added instructions for associating files in Windows XP.

Fri 28 May 2004

"Using the ConTEXT Editor in MSTS" by Yuri Sos, based on ground-breaking work by Pete Willard.   This freeware Unicode-aware editor is an excellent replacement for Wordpad when it comes to editing MSTS ENG, WAG, SMS, CVF and CON files: line-numbering, coloured keywords and simple bracket-matching make this a perfect all-round editor.

Sat 3 April 2004

"Removing catenary from Spur lines" by Lukas A Lusser.  Lukas demonstates a clever technique to "trick" MSTS into removing catenary locally, for example above a spur that is supposed to be non electrified.

Sat 27 Mar 2004

"Front coupler issues" by Lukas A Lusser.  This is a lucid, well-written summary on the current thinking  of the vexing issue of the "front coupler".  Some solutions to minimising the problem are also presented.

Fri 13 Feb 2004

Another great tutorial: "How to add loads to your wagons or crew, parts to your rolling stock" by Tim Muir & Chuck Zeiler.  Tim and Chuck present a lucid, illustrated tutorial on using the FreightAnim() parameter to enhance your models.
Tue 10 Feb 2004
How to adjust your (animated) pantograph height" by Paul Gausden.  I don't know where Paul finds the time, but he's written up some advice on how to adjust the pantograph height on your models to make them conform to the route's wire height.

"Setting speed control for AI trains" by Jim "Sniper" Ward.  Jim's turned his attention to unravelling some of the mysteries of the Activities Editor.  With a little help from his friends, he explains parameters controlling speed in AI trains.

Thu 22 May 2003
"Fixing an object's appearance" by Scott Miller (links to external site):  how to use MIP levels to your advantage to achieve the best possible appearance for objects in Microsoft Train Simulator 1.0.
Fri 09 May 2003
"Background Images as a Reference Source in 3D Canvas" by Trouble Pryor:  use this technique to design your model to the correct proportions based on a reference plan and then scale the whole thing to the proper dimensions.
30 April 2003
"How to Animate Walschaert’s Valve Gear using TSM" by Mike Wilson: Mike has written an lucid, illustrated tutorial on how to animate driving rods in TSM: this technique is used by Gavin Woolf in his Z13 locomotive.
29 April 2003
"Which 3D Modelling Software to choose?"   by yours truly: I've had quite a lot of emails lately on what 3d software to use.  Currently a dissatisfied TSM user, I've been reading the various threads on the 'Net looking for advice on which way to jump to my next 3d software.  I've collated many of the messages and comments I've collected along the way and put them all together in this article.  I'd welcome further comments and feedback.
27 April 2003
"How to build a Steam Locomotive" by Paul "Decapod" Gausden.  This tutorial has  now been completed and is available on this site.
8 April 2003
Greg Coote and Gary Gagnon present a simple solution for enabling AI trains to overtake your player train in an activity.  Ground-breaking stuff and valuable information for anyone designing activities.  Click here to read "AI trains overtaking player trains - a simple solution".

Alan Heath has written a tutorial on adjusting Level Of Detail when building a TSM model.  This technique enables the progressive appearance of objects in the sim depending on their distance from the camera, thus saving the software unnecessary work in creating models that can't be clearly seen.    Click here to read "Adjusting Level Of Detail (LOD) In Train Sim Modeler".


26 February 2003

I've repaired the link for "Perspective Control with Wide-Angle Shots" by Larry N Bolch:  Larry now has his own domain name.  Lots of good stuff there about digital manipulation as well.  Find the link at the bottom of this file.
29 January 2003
"How to build a Steam Locomotive" by Paul Gausden, better known to many of you as "Decapod", the author of Shape File Manager.   Paul has written a magnificent tutorial on constructing a steam locomotive using the highly regarded 3D Canvas Pro, a popular 3D editing program from amabilis.com, offering excellent support and features.  Paul has designed and written a variety of plug-ins to simplify the more vexing problems in model building such as rod animation.   This surely will help many MSTS users delve into the wonderful world of 3D modeling and I'm proud to host this benchmark-setting tutorial.  The first half is now available for your perusal.
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