For some reason, I'm unable to select the group of trees shown in the attached photo without clicking and dragging. Can somebody please tell me how to fix this?
I think it's because it's a very large asset block that probably has a small selection hotspot, so unless your accurate with your click you miss it. Others more expert than me may be able to say more.
Zoom in on a corner and look for a blue "pin", the pin marks the edge of the asset block, click on that and you should be able to move and/or delete the block.
Pretty sure that's not a "block asset" (as in one with trees you can change in a menu) but an actual asset of trees created as a big asset. Block assets don't highlight red when you select them (I had to load the game up to check) - that's a big block of trees created as an asset - what route is that? (asset block - square - Asset block irregular ) The block in the first picture shows it highlighting as red - so that's not one of those above but something created to fill a big area - I think could be from one of the routes that has "auto gen" scenery - I think perhaps one of High Iron Simulations routes or at least American?
the route is the B&O Kingwood Branch. Or at the very least, an AU version I'm creating where it survives as a tourist railroad. Anyway, how exactly does autogen scenery work? I'll admit, I am desiring to replace the trees with 3d trees
Might not be the issue here of course, but some developers inhibit the ability to select items once placed in the editor, to discourage other people from referencing them in their own routes. Thomson/Rivet particularly notorious for doing this.
As you discovered, the trees are merged into one large scenery object per tile. This improves frame rates and gives better control over view distances. Click and drag near the center of the tile to select the tree object. Delete it. Then replace it with 3D trees, or asset blocks, etc as you wish.
Sadly in this case the autogen is done by someone else (I think for HIS - but i'm just guessing here though), and asset blocks are created outside of the game (I don't know exactly how, but it has been suggested in the past for DTG routes - and for the routes it was suggested for returned bad results (in mine and others opinions), it's not a function in the game it's a separate side person who does it, if i remember correctly. It's not this - and also Thomson / Rivet and DTG have done this so that the stations (or bridges too sometimes) aren't moved accidently, which i think is a good reason for those asset - the amount of times i have done this (moving things accidently ). Equally though it's not "done on purpose", it's done for a valid reason! despite the amount of people saying "Rivet / Thomson do this on purpose out of spite" they don't. I know other content creators have done this with naming though which i do disagree with.
It's genuinely one of the biggest faux pas in TS. Third party assets in Kuju/RailSimulator is only marginally better than this. Where did you get this information from? It is a stupid excuse and I find it hard to believe anyone would actually cite that as the reason for locking people out of using assets.
My verdict is out but tending towards your view. The item must have been created without the lock on free movement so it can be freely placed and rotated. It then requires a specific effort to go back in and lock the movement. I can understand doing this for a large item like a station or maybe a mapping overlay but not for small structures or foliage. And if done for the route builder’s convenience, then where’s the harm in unlocking the item again before the route goes gold and everything is locked away in the ap file. Leaving us the drudgery of having to unzip the file in RW Tools, try and find the item then change its properties. TBH I don’t really touch TSC much now for playing or building but this was certainly one of the irritations when trying to make a route referencing assets from DLC. Bear in mind too, the only way routes can get on the Workshop is if all the assets are from DTG official published content, plus reference to items from a DLC route might result in extra sales to those who want your route, but not necessarily the DLC!
I think the person you are asking might know more about the game than you - And because you find something hard to believe does not make it wrong
If that's what you think, but it's the truth, I know that Alan Thomson (the Scottish one) did that for that reason because he told me that - and in the case of him, the assets weren't "locked out" out of spite - just it was annoying when big stations were moved out of place. (I agree with you on other assets but again not out of spite) - I mean i guess they could have unlocked them at the end but that's not really for me to say, I mean I only said I agreed on the reasons during route building not after release but equally it's not like i can control what Thomson or Rivet do. (just to point out i do agree on everything that isn't a station (aside from tunnels that are designed to fit one piece of track - i mean matching track to stations or tunnels designed for one track can be a pain to match) Although i think that renaming assets to completely different names or blanking out the names is far worse than the above though! (at least with the locked stations / bridges you can fix it easily)
