So I have started looking through the TreinPunt site and have discovered that a lot of the British content is, in fact, nothing really newer than 2013. As a result, I am finding some skins in there dating back to the old days of 2009. I'm way behind on this, but I'm currently going through and tryiong to figure out what I can save from there for possible use. This brings me to my question. Some reskins are obviously made for a version of something that no longer exists in the store. Example: I have the Kuju assets (with over 200 DLC, I better have a route that bundles it! LOL), and I also have Settle to Carlisle. As a result, I have those versions of the Class 37. I also have the West Highland Line one, but we'll bypass that one for the time being because I'm sure it's not compatible. (I'll circle back to the AP ones.) So there is this old Class 37, under stub 24038 on SteamDB. Obviously, it's no longer sold. However, on the TrainPunt site, I found 68 skins, minimum, out of 73 for the Class 37 that seem to all require the pack version. The last few have some that delve into the Kuju pack and reskin that instead. This means I now have 68 trains to analyze to see if there is anything I'll be missing out on. In this batch is a Class 97, which is not its own model on Steam but instead uses the Class 37 pack of all things. Before I go further, I will cycle back to AP. I own those Class 37 packs now because I suspected the missing pack would become an issue with reskins (plus the train is used all the time). The reason I am trying to do something with some of these reskins is a simple one: I have a lot of older scenarios to play, timed around the basic default train without fancy brake scripting and special features. This includes Workshop content I might find that doesn't use AP, too. So my question therefore becomes this. Is it possible to use a Class 37 Pack skin on either the Settle to Carlisle Class 37 or the Kuju Class 37? And, if so, how? I am pretty sure it's not as simple as "copy class37.GeoPcDx from RSC\Class37Pack01\RailVehicles\Diesel\Class37\Railfreight_grey\engine into RSC\Class37Pack01\RailVehicles\Diesel\Class37\EWS 37410\Engine" as with the 37 pack, even simply substituting the Kuju version of the Geo file in there. Basically, is there a major compatibility issue between the models? This question is asked, BTW, because I understand the Donner Pass models of some trains may be structurally identical to those that are locked by BNSF, which suggests that a whole new world of reskins might be opening up to me based on using the DP model instead (CN and CP Dash 9, I look forward to driving you). I am therefore trying to figure out if the 37 or other models have a similar caveat. Or whether I would just have to move the GEOs in, rename as applicable, and pray. Frankly, I wish we got at least one model from the Class 37 Pack itself in the Kuju for this reason, but I am sure that will never happen now. In closing, if we can't make the reskins work, that's fine. They're mainly for video recording purpose to show off different models, nothing else. I can play using just the basic Kuju and Settles ones (as applicable) in all cases and use the AP one where it's needed. Side note, I have learned the 66 in Settle is a version 1. Not sure if that can be engineered to work with RSDL reskins. Guessing the same answer as with the 37. And I have the v2 EP too.
Only way you'll find out is compare the main GeoPcDx files, if everything is in the same place and the same files are present in each version then yes they'll work (once in the correct file structure of course) For example body01 on the AP 37 is this.. on the Kuju it's this.. Very different, it's all about how the texture is mapped to the 3D model.
I've seen it posted that you can adapt reskins for Class37Pack01 to work with the Settle & Carlisle class 37, but I've no idea quite how much adapting is required. As an aside, TOPS class 97 was for locomotives removed from the general service pool and transferred to departmental duties; their previous classification could have been anything, but certainly several class 37s were so converted
Oof. Yeah, those are different, though the converting of them to Settle is all the same intriguing. At least there are only about eight I'm missing from other versions of the 37; as for the other 60, they are known to be for the pack version and thus replicated in the AP versions, and I just can't find those other eight. So new skins might be the solution if they don't already exist. Unless there is a volume 3 coming.
I know nothing about this. Is the image a sort of ‘net’, that gets folded round a 3D space, or something that is ‘cut up’ with coordinates give for the relevant parts?
Imagine an airfix model, it's got all the shape and definitions of the real item but it's all one colour, grey. Now picture the transfers that you soak in water and then slide in to place, that's exactly what you do with each image on a 3D model, you have to position (slide) it into place, resize it, rotate it until it's just right. The reason there are all different parts crammed on to each image file is because of real estate management, fit as much detail on a single image as you can, pack it in like some kind of illogical looking jigsaw filling as much empty space within the image square as possible to ultimately keep the image file count down to it's bare minimum therefore keeping the amount of graphic calls by the game engine to it's bare minimum and of course reduces the overall file folder size of the item. This is as simplified an explanation that I can possibly give, I won't go into texture baking, bump maps, noise maps and the like.
I think you can just replace it even in official scenarios with Ts-Tools, no? Or do the extra files with official scenarios in fact block that? I know I plan to use various reskins created for the base models, and then later on try scenarios using the AP models instead. Got a UKTS set that will need a LOT of trains replaced to remove a good portion of their UKTS dependency (some not even available any longer). Literally needs so many changes it will be a different scenario completely in each case. So after playing it with all the replacements, upgrading to AP makes the most sense.
You can edit any scenario, yes... except career scenarios, which you have to convert to to standard ones first. ...and yes, using TSTools.
