BVE: Train Editor Help

[Technical Numpty]

Hi Gang!!

Still being a bit of a newbie to this BVE lark, I was wondering if anyone knew of a train editor help or tutorial file. I'm trying to create a train and, although I can work out some of the commands, I can't work them all out.

There are plenty of tutorials for route and object development but none that I can find cover trains.

All help appreciated.

Technical Numpty

[Wulf_9]

RE: Train Editor Help

Hi Numpty,

Look on the SLW page, there's a guide to the train.dat written by Shaun Myers (co-author of the class 66)... other than that, ask away

Ciao

Saxon Locomotive Works - "The difficult we do immediately; the impossible takes a little longer"

http://www.zodiac-infosystems.co.uk/rail/bve

[Technical Numpty]

RE: Train Editor Help

Hi Wulf!!

Yes, I've already downloaded a copy of that.

Given that there is only so much that can be done to hand code a train, I thought I'd try and get to grips with Train Editor. Problem is, I don't know what most of the boxes are asking me for and have very little train data to use (these trains no longer exist except as static museum pieces).

Perhaps a "Numpties Guide to Train Editor" would be of help; perhaps in the FAQ section of this forum...?

Cheers!!

TN

[Wulf_9]

RE: Train Editor Help

Hiya,

Well I guess a mini-tutorial with a few screenies isn't beyond the bounds of possibility, but the real nitty-gritty of tweaking the sound and performance profiles is, believe it or not, lots of trial and error! You do need the basic specs to make a realistic result, if none are available try looking for something else that's similar, but after you get the performance done (the first stage) then it's time to get to grips with the sound profiles (the second stage). At this point it's useful to run several copies of Train Editor with some different .dat files loaded, ones which you know the sound of, then once you 'click' how the graphs represent the changing sounds it all kind of 'comes together' in one's mind... not easy to explain, I could have made an electric motor in the time it took to write this

Ciao

Saxon Locomotive Works - "The difficult we do immediately; the impossible takes a little longer"

http://www.zodiac-infosystems.co.uk/rail/bve

[Technical Numpty]

RE: Train Editor Help

Hi Wulf!!

A fairly basic guide would be most helpful indeed. I appreciate that a lot of train development does come down to trial and error, but I (and probably some others...?) would find it useful to at least have some idea of what values need to be put into which boxes, together with some basic understanding of the way in which the performance and sound files work.

In terms of the required performance data, what sort of information would be required as a minimum? I've got the maximum speed together with maximum acceleration and braking rates, but nothing else. Given the weight of the vehicle, the rating of it's traction motors and the gearing (all known factors), is it possible to infer at least some of the performance data?

I appreciate that I'm asking a lot and that time is a precious commodity, especially to part-time BVE hobbyists like myself, but any assistance that could be provided would be of immense value. As I've already said, there's plenty of help with route and object building but next to none with train development.

Many thanks...!!

TN

[kayedj]

RE: Train Editor Help

Is there not an english version? I'm sure I have the english version at home.

[Stooopid_person]

RE: Train Editor Help

>There is an english version, although i am not sure where
>from.

http://bve_fan.tripod.com

[Technical Numpty]

RE: Train Editor Help

Hi Gang!!

That's the download for the English version of Train Editor, which I've already got. What I'm looking for is some sort of instructions and help on how to use it.

Thanks anyway!!

TN

[Technical Numpty]

RE: Train Editor Help

Hi Gang!!

OK, panic over. I've been playing around with the code and would appear to have created an acceptable hand-coded performance profile. The acceleration curves look OK in Train Editor and a quick trundle around Edgware shows that it runs OK(ish), although it's hard to be sure with the gradients and no speedo.

One thing I did notice was that Train Editor doesn't like train.dat files using the newer BVE2000000 format and returns all manner of errors and overflows. I presume that most developers code in the older BVE1220000 format and then change it once happy with the performance and sound (?). Is there likely to be any fix for this in the near future?

TN

[Stooopid_person]

RE: Train Editor Help

>One thing I did notice was that Train Editor doesn't like
>train.dat files using the newer BVE2000000 format and
>returns all manner of errors and overflows. I presume that
>most developers code in the older BVE1220000 format and then
>change it once happy with the performance and sound (?). Is
>there likely to be any fix for this in the near future?

Then use the newer Japanese Train Editor! Once you get used to the English one and know the positions of each box well, then there will be no problem with the Japanese one...