In the drive Menu where you pick a train what information does the game find to display? Example I have the Chiltern 68 as Class68 Chiltern and Class 68 Chiltern. Does the game take some information from the locos *.bin file or somewhere else? I would like to edit some to get them in to order Thanks Peter
All the information that the game pulls about a loco is from the bin files. So if you wanted to order them, just go into the bin file and find the name to change it. Just remember that it will be reset if you ever need to update the stock.
Prepare for some work, the loco blueprint contains the name, but also the ScenarioProperties.xml. And then sometimes there's the localisation .lan which also contains the display name which overrides what's in the blueprint.
I was asking Which part of the tractions bin file does the game get it's info from. There are three or four different entries for the loco name in each bin file.
It does also depend on what kind of scenario. Quick drives use the information contained in the consist's preload .bin file. Other scenarios will use either ( and I forget how they do exactly but I used to know ) the loco's .bin file to populate the scenario's information at which point it is either a matter of editing the loco's .bin and resaving the scenario or directly editing the scenario.
Done of bit of revision ( and checking ). So in the Career and Standard - and I assume Freeroam - scenarios the data in the loco's bin files is used in the loco selction filter if you do not have a metadata .bin file for that locomotive type. The metetdata .bin is usually located in the preload directory of the loco / provider / asset. However, like all preload files it is loaded independantly of the route. So to take an example: Imagine that I have the AP Class 37 pack, a class 37 from the default kuju locos, and an EWS class 37 from the RSC settle and Carlisle pack. If I have no metatdata file then each of these show seperatley in the loco selection menu for the scenarios. If I have a metadata .bin for class 37 in either ( or any ) of the AP / Kuju / RSC S&C asset preloads the loco class will be read from that in preference. So, if I make a Class37_metadata.bin in my AP class 37 preload directory and in that file list all of the instances of any class 37 locos I have, no matter where they are located - including the RSC and default ones - I can assign the global class (GroupDisplayName) to them of "Class 37" and the global identifier of RS_TXT_CL37_GRP. These are descriptions of my own choosing - I could call them "Fred" and RS_TXT_MYFavs. All these locos are now available under the single picture/class of Class 37. When I select this "Class 37" picture/class the scenarios still list the locomotives for each scenario using their individual .bin files localised display names. Making a metatdata file can act retrospectively - in most instances. Locos that were scattered through the loco selection by their specific localised names will now all be available under their GroupDisplayName. Metadata.bins are a particular kind of .bin file. You can find examples of them in many asset directories to act as a template. However, many assets do not come with a metadata.bin file which ( in my view ) is a mistake as its a very helpful thing to have. I tend to make a single metadata.bin for each class of loco but I think ( but have never tried) that you can have multiple metadata.bins in various preload directories for the SAME class each of which adds to the list of locos in that class.
I believe I need to look into this metadata thing too, simply to group the many instances of the VP deltics, very helpful maxtedrw thank you.
It's great to have choice and I'm not going to knock them for that, however they could have organised ie grouped them together to save the massive expansion of the consist list, hopefully I can fix it locally with maxtedrw's suggestion, then I may ask Mathew if it'd be OK to upload the metadata.bin publicly for anyone else that would want it.
With named consists that are located in the preload directory the quick drive ruleset applies ( edit later - no it doesn't see below you can use metadata files for consists as well ). The metadata.bin file only affects standard and career scenarios where there is no consist being used. For specific consists you need to make sure that the : <LocoName> <Localisation-cUserLocalisedString> <English d:type="cDeltaString">Class 37</English> <French d:type="cDeltaString"></French> <Italian d:type="cDeltaString"></Italian> Is consistant for each class of loco as detailed in the consists .bin file in the preload directory. So in the example above for all consists driven by class 37 locos I have given them a localised loconame of class 37 and then used <DisplayName> <Localisation-cUserLocalisedString> <English d:type="cDeltaString">5 x Mk2B (Perth)</English> <French d:type="cDeltaString"></French> <Italian d:type="cDeltaString"></Italian> the displayname localisation to show me the details of the consist. This means if I select Class 37 in the loco selector I get a list of all the consists that have a Class 37 loconame but the list shows the Display name ( and if you have the correct image for the particular loco that heads up that specfic consist. You could go through all your existing preloads and make sure that you use consistant loconames then you will just get a single selction picture for that loconame
Another lightbulb moment ! I recall seeing metadata.bins with lists of preloads in them so I have just tried an experiment. You don't have to edit all your consists after all - if you add the consists .bin file name to the metadata file as well. You learn something new everyday. So imagine that you have all your class 37 locos listed in your metadata file. You have a consist whose name is class37withsomecoaches.bin and it is located in an entirly seperate directory called Wibble under a provider called "Fred" and product called "Stuff". Just add a section to your metadata file in the same format as for locos except use Fred and Stuff for provider and product and replace the blueprintID that normally has the loco file with wibble\class37withsomecoaches.xml I needed to then delete the databases under content for the change to be recognised when they are rebuilt on startup. Bingo my consist now has the same loco class all all my other class 37 locos. So you can use metadata files for consists - its just a different approach. The downside is that the metadata file would need adding to everytime you make a new consist which is where my approach above might come in handy ( of having consist lcoonames in the consist's .bin file ) as it will work alongside your metadata.file and is easy to do as you build the consist. Apologies for the blind alley thing above.
