Theres a few mods on train sim community by a guy whos managed to swap couplers and them be compatible on a number of different vehicles. Ive managed to swap the skeletal mesh to a different coupler type on a GWE MK3 but i am totally lost how to set it all up and get the plugin file paths right. As i understand it at the moment all ive done is cut and pasted a 3d model onto the back of a coach inplace of the buckeye.
I have made an attempt at writing a tutorial, but I don't know how well I have managed to explain things. If it doesn't make sense/doesn't work, you can also ask in #tsw-modding in the Discord server (https://discord.com/invite/G6MZ5SR4TR). Some of the people there know a lot more about modding that I do and can probably explain things much better. People also probably respond faster there than on the forums Tutorial Attempt Setting up editor (if you haven't already done this) 1. If you haven't already, install TSW4Editor-Cooking1.2.zip here (https://www.trainsim.cz/?mod=article&showid=2742), it should come with instructions on how to do that 2. Click Create Mod button and give your new mod a name Making variant 1. Either create a new RVD file, or copy an existing one. For this example go to GWR_HST/RailVehicleDefinition in the content browser, and copy RVD_GWR_Mk3_TRFB to your mod. I'll rename it RVD_MOD_Mk3_TRFB 2. Right click and create blueprint class for RVM_GWR_Mk3_TRFB, I'll call it RVM_MOD_Mk3_TRFB 3. Right click and create blueprint class for RVV_GWR_Mk3_TRFB, I'll call it RVV_MOD_Mk3_TRFB 4. Open RVD file, set Model Actor Asset to RVM_MOD_Mk3_TRFB, and View Actor Asset to RVV_MOD_Mk3_TRFB 5. Decide what train you want to copy the coupler from. For this example I will choose the hook coupler from the Training Centre 8F, since everyone who has TSW4 should have Training Centre 6. For reference purposes, right click and create blueprint class for RVM_TTC_8F_Engine, I'll call it RVM_REF_8F 6. For reference purposes, right click and create blueprint class for RVM_TTC_8F_Engine, I'll call it RVV_REF_8F 7. Open RVV_REF_8F, find the front coupler. In this instance it is SK_Coupler_F 8. Note down the Skeletal Mesh, Anim Class, and Location In this instance it is: Location: 616.187317 0.0 108.0 Anim Class: ABP_Jubilee_3Link_Coupler_C Skeletal Mesh: SK_Jubilee_3Link_Coupler 9. Open RVV_MOD_Mk3_TRFB, find the front coupler. In this instance it is AllianceCoupler_F (ConnectionMesh). Change Anim Class and Skeletal Mesh to above 10. Open RVV_REF_8F, find the front coupler. In this instance it is Coupler_F (Hook) 11. Note down Coupler ID, Pivot Point and Receiving Point In this instance it is: Coupler ID: Hook Pivot Point: 6.161873 1.08 Receiving Point: 6.741873 1.08 12. Compare the values of Location (616.187317 108.0) and Pivot Point (6.161873 1.08), in this instance Pivot Point is just Location values divided by 100 13. Find difference Receiving Point and Pivot Point, in this instance it is: 6.741873 - 6.161873 = 0.58 14. Open RVM_MOD_Mk3_TRFB, find front coupler. In this instance it is Buckeye_F (Coupler) 15. Change CouplerID from Buckeye to Hook 16. Open RVV_MOD_Mk3_TRFB, check the location of AllianceCoupler_F, in this instance it is 1070.0 101.099998 17. Go back to RVM_MOD_Mk3_TRFB, set Pivot Point to Location values / 100, if it isn't already. If you haven't moved the coupler it should already be at 10.7 1.011 18. Earlier we calculated the difference was 0.58, so add 0.58 to the Pivot Point, in this case it is 10.7 + 0.58 = 11.28. Set Receiving Point to 11.28 19. Open RVM_MOD_Mk3_TRFB and go to the front coupler, set all the settings (except Pivot Point, Recieving Point, Connection Group) to whatever they are for the front coupler in RVM_REF_8F 20. Since the front coupler ID is set to Hook and the back coupler ID is still set to Buckeye, make sure they are in different connection groups. For example, put the front coupler in Group 1 and the back coupler in Group 0. 21. Open RVM_MOD_Mk3_TRFB and RVV_MOD_Mk3_TRFB, click Compile and Save Testing 1. Go to top dropdown menu, click File -> Open Level 2. Go to TrainingCentre Content, open Map folder, open TrainingCentreMap 3. Right click content browser, go to Miscellaneous -> Route Timetable 4. Open it, set Route to TrainingCentreRouteDefinition 5. Right click and click Create a new formation, set Train Entry to RVD_MOD_Mk3_TRFB 6. Click Pick Location, click on a section of track 7. Create another formation, set it anything with hook coupler, for example FRM_TTC_8F, put it near the first formation 8. Click Set as PIE Timetable, Compile Timetable, Save 9. On main editor window click the downward arrow to the right of the Play button, set 'Spawn player at' to 'Current camera location' 10. Click play, wait a while for everything to load 10. Once game has loaded, check the front coupler of the Mk3, it should be a hook coupler now 11. Try coupling FRM_TTC_8F or whatever else you chose to it
Amazing thank you! I was sort of on the right track at least so it makes sense. Didn’t know you could test it without cooking and packing. if I’m using it in the main game for my own use do I need to cook/pak it or is there a way to save it to game files using the editor if it’s all on the same computer?
got it working!! Brakes wouldn’t connect at first but was just because they were still in the default coupler group. I’ve even added a collision box to simulate buffers otherwise the loco ends up face first in the gangway! Now to work out how to add buffers
It needs to be be cooked and packed before you can use it in game, but if you are using the editor cooking patch it should take care of most things for you. Just need to click the Cook Mod button in the editor, and if that works fine, use TSW4EasyPaking.exe and move the .pak file to the Train Sim World 4 DLC folder
Should I delete the 8f reference and do I need to add a content manifest? Or will the cook mod programme do that?
You can delete the 8F, that was only to check the settings. I don't know if the content manifest is required or not but I always add it anyway just in case, and add any RVD files to the Defined Rail Vehicles section
