Making the Mesh

 

Some basic things about Trainz meshes.

Scale: Trainz uses a scale of 1:1, that's 1ft.=1ft.

3D space: +Z is up and -Y is the front and the "ground" base board is at Z=0 (note that no mater what shape the base board has it is always Z=0, this is why you can place a box on a hill side and have a gap at the bottom.

 

First thing that you need to make are some attachment points. All kind "traincar" have to have 5 attachment points, 4 of them you make and 1 is a default that you do not make, it's X=0,Y=0,Z=0, Trainz will use it as a fallback for some things others must have the right name.

So in order you must make  and name a.limfront, a.bog0, a.bog1, and a.limback. If the order is wrong you will get an Error it use to be a derail.

 

The two a.lim ones are the coupling bounding boxes that Trainz adds and the two a.bog are the bogeys and how the car/loco fallows the track. You can have any number of bogeys but the body will turn and fallow a,bog0 and a.bog1. (a.bog3, a.bog0, a.bog1, a.bog4) is good and (a.bog3, a.bog1, a.bog0, a.bog4) is not.

 

In Blender you add an Empty for FBX and name it.

 

Here are the names and xyz in feet/inches:

 

a.limfront  X=0, Y=-21'11", Z=2'9.6"

 

a.bog0      X=0, Y=-15'4", Z=1'4"

 

a.bog1      X=0, Y=15'4", Z=1'4"

 

a.limback X=0, Y=21'11", Z=2'9.6"

 

Note that all have X=0 as in Trainz the trains only "see" the center line of the track and the bogeys fallow that. My bogeys are set up so that the center of the wheels is at Z=0 so the attachment point is one half the diameter of the wheel, 33"/2=16.5" rounded off to 16".

Next make a box, size about 10'x10'x40' centered at X=0, Y=0 and the bottom at Z=3'4.94".
You can now export the box and the 4 attachments as FBX into your work folder saved as 40ft_boxcar_body.fbx. You can then import into CM, "submit edit" and it should be a working boxcar, the top will be green and white.