Asset Editor missing templates

[cjg67]

Hello,

After searching the internet, I still can not find any conclusive answers as to why some templates are missing from the asset editor.

For example, the "Dry Dock 01" (named shipyard in-game) does not show up in the asset editor under any circumstances.

Some others include the oil drilling platforms (only the off-shore rig shows up.)

I have used "modtools" on the drilling platforms and it shows that it is already enabled as an asset editor template, but it does not show up under any of the menu items in the asset editor.

I really would like it if everything that is available in-game actually does show up in the asset editor.

Is there a perhaps a non-standard way that these can be added, via a script in mod-tools, or a patch made that will ensure that any item that is in the DLC's are included in the asset editor?

I am willing to pay to have this done, if it is not going to cost too much. If I do pay, then it would also be available to others as I am assuming it will be like a DLC, but for the asset editor. That way you could get more income from that, or just make it available to all for free, as you would have been paid for creating it.

Regards,

Christopher.

 

[jcitron]

It could be copyright reasons or perhaps at the request of the original content creator not to have these assets available for modification. I know this is something that occurs all the time in another simulator I use. In that program, assets are locked by request when sold as DLC or included with the program. Others that are available on the company's download server are freely editable and can be reuploaded when permitted by the license within the config file inside the asset.

 

[cjg67]

It could be copyright reasons or perhaps at the request of the original content creator not to have these assets available for modification. I know this is something that occurs all the time in another simulator I use. In that program, assets are locked by request when sold as DLC or included with the program. Others that are available on the company's download server are freely editable and can be reuploaded when permitted by the license within the config file inside the asset.

Thanks for your response. It is truly shocking that Paradox have not even bothered to post a reply, especially as I am willing to PAY for the inclusion, and the fact that the assets ARE listed as an asset editor template. If it is, as you say, this should be clearly stated, as this game is, apart from the hidden core code, able to be modified, and when people have purchased a DLC, then if an asset editor is included with the game, everything should be able to be changed. The vehicle number for these buildings are ridiculously small, and should be able to be increased, by editing the asset directly.

 

[Glitcher]

The vehicle number for these buildings are ridiculously small, and should be able to be increased, by editing the asset directly.

Is that really your complaint? It's never been a problem for me. Buildings for zoned industry always have two freight trucks, while the number of trucks for Industries DLC varies between buildings. Still, that's enough for a supply chain to function. If your factories are complaining about 'not enough resources' or 'not enough buyers' because they're out of spare trucks, you're better off investing in a comprehensive cargo rail network to transport freight around your city instead of modding the truck limit to your whim.

 

[cjg67]

Is that really your complaint? It's never been a problem for me. Buildings for zoned industry always have two freight trucks, while the number of trucks for Industries DLC varies between buildings. Still, that's enough for a supply chain to function. If your factories are complaining about 'not enough resources' or 'not enough buyers' because they're out of spare trucks, you're better off investing in a comprehensive cargo rail network to transport freight around your city instead of modding the

 

[jcitron]

Thanks for your response. It is truly shocking that Paradox have not even bothered to post a reply, especially as I am willing to PAY for the inclusion, and the fact that the assets ARE listed as an asset editor template. If it is, as you say, this should be clearly stated, as this game is, apart from the hidden core code, able to be modified, and when people have purchased a DLC, then if an asset editor is included with the game, everything should be able to be changed. The vehicle number for these buildings are ridiculously small, and should be able to be increased, by editing the asset directly.

I agree that CO should state this, but this is a tiny spec on their plate with everything else that goes on. Regarding the other simulator I use, the DLC can't be edited unless it's been specifically setup that way and at the request of the content creator. The reason this was setup was due to piracy.

In the olden days, from 2001 when this program came out until around 2011 all content was unlocked including the built-in assets and all the assets could be reskinned, and modded to the hearts' content of the community members. These assets too could be shared but only on the company's servers and nowhere else. There were no specific tools per se, but the assets could be cloned in content manager and modified.

Then a bunch of people got ahold of the assets and released them all to the public with total disregard of what is stated in the copyright notices located in the config files. This was all copyrighted materials with some legal issues associated with it due to the use of certain logos and designs that belong to some large corporations. Now do you think that a small simulator developer can defend itself from the corporate lawyers of let's say Norfolk Southern or Union Pacific? Companies like this have a bevy of lawyers ready to stomp on the small guys and have already shutdown model railroad manufacturers for putting logos on their equipment and in general they're pretty picky on how the logos should look, size, placement, etc.

Without notification, the company locked their program when a service pack was released effectively killing a decade of goodwill among the community. The same company still exists today and has a brand-new version of the program coming out in March sometime soon near the end of the month and all the DLC is locked. Notifying the community, while being a nice gesture is not a requirement.

 

[cjg67]

I agree that CO should state this, but this is a tiny spec on their plate with everything else that goes on. Regarding the other simulator I use, the DLC can't be edited unless it's been specifically setup that way and at the request of the content creator. The reason this was setup was due to piracy.

In the olden days, from 2001 when this program came out until around 2011 all content was unlocked including the built-in assets and all the assets could be reskinned, and modded to the hearts' content of the community members. These assets too could be shared but only on the company's servers and nowhere else. There were no specific tools per se, but the assets could be cloned in content manager and modified.

Then a bunch of people got ahold of the assets and released them all to the public with total disregard of what is stated in the copyright notices located in the config files. This was all copyrighted materials with some legal issues associated with it due to the use of certain logos and designs that belong to some large corporations. Now do you think that a small simulator developer can defend itself from the corporate lawyers of let's say Norfolk Southern or Union Pacific? Companies like this have a bevy of lawyers ready to stomp on the small guys and have already shutdown model railroad manufacturers for putting logos on their equipment and in general they're pretty picky on how the logos should look, size, placement, etc.

Without notification, the company locked their program when a service pack was released effectively killing a decade of goodwill among the community. The same company still exists today and has a brand-new version of the program coming out in March sometime soon near the end of the month and all the DLC is locked. Notifying the community, while being a nice gesture is not a requirement.

I am all too aware of copyright violation, I have to be, being an IT professional. I do not however think that this is the issue with this. The assets are able to be mostly dumped with modtools, and they are available on the select template to inherit properties from list, within the asset editor. They are not listed within the available templates to select, and if I do import it on top of another similar one that is available, the outgoing vehicle count is not even listed, which seems to indicate that it inherits some of its properties from something else as well.

With regards to it being a tiny spec, yeah I know, which is why I offered to pay. I was not suggesting I pay the usual cost of the dlc's, as that would just be a fraction of the time needed to do the work.

If any company is truly afraid of copy-right issues, then they should not provide an editor for the game in the first place.

All I wanted from this thread is an Official answer to my request, so that it would help everyone instead of just leaving people to guess, by filling up other forums with guesses and unanswered questions.

 

[jcitron]

I too came from that world as well as the graphics and printing industry where triple damages for violations are not uncommon, so treading carefully is a given.

The company provides an editor for all other assets, but those that are locked are locked just like with the other program I use.

I too would like an official answer.

 

[co_avanya]

My apologies for the late reply! Some assets aren't available as templates due to the limitations of the asset editor. For example, the editor does not support animations, which accounts for the majority of the assets not available as templates.

What are you looking to do? Perhaps another asset template will do the trick.

 

[cjg67]

My apologies for the late reply! Some assets aren't available as templates due to the limitations of the asset editor. For example, the editor does not support animations, which accounts for the majority of the assets not available as templates.

What are you looking to do? Perhaps another asset template will do the trick.

Hello,

Thanks for the reply. The oil rigs are not animated and as I said in the above post, if you do a full dump of the asset using modtools, then you do not get access to the outgoing vehicle number. It appears that you only get part of the asset within the editor. I had totally forgotten that the "dry dock" is an animated asset, and I had already read that the editor does not support this.

It does not however explain why the editor is missing a number of static templates, as the ones that are missing are identified as already being asset editor enabled templates if you explore them using modtools.

I do not understand why a number of the "non animated" assets do not show up as they should. This is why I would like to pay to have them included, as this would improve the asset editor itself.

I am not looking to modify the look of the asset, as I am quite happy with the way the oil rigs look, and I do not want to try re-creating them. So far trying to wrap my head around a 3d modeling program gives me serious headaches as it is such a huge learning curve.

I do create all my own maps, and have created an oct-core cargo train station using the asset editor alone.

 

[co_avanya]

Animations are only one of the limitations that restrict assets from being used as templates. I don't have a complete list of cases for you, but when an asset isn't available as a template in the editor, it is because the editor doesn't support it. I'm afraid it isn't the case of flipping a switch to make these assets available in the editor, but a matter of technical limitations, which aren't feasible to overcome.

If you or anyone else are attempting to create custom assets that ideally would use these buildings as templates, you are welcome to tag me in a post explaining what you're looking to do, and I'd be happy to help in any way I can.

 

[cjg67]

Animations are only one of the limitations that restrict assets from being used as templates. I don't have a complete list of cases for you, but when an asset isn't available as a template in the editor, it is because the editor doesn't support it. I'm afraid it isn't the case of flipping a switch to make these assets available in the editor, but a matter of technical limitations, which aren't feasible to overcome.

If you or anyone else are attempting to create custom assets that ideally would use these buildings as templates, you are welcome to tag me in a post explaining what you're looking to do, and I'd be happy to help in any way I can.

Hello,

Please expand on why exactly they are not feasible to overcome when someone is offering to PAY for it to be resolved? It also makes absolutely no sense to have an asset that is clearly indicated within mod tools as having been tagged by the person who wrote the code for it, as an asset editor template when it does not show up.

Please advise how many programming hours it will take to make sure the asset editor does indeed support animations along with the estimated cost and if I am able to afford that, then I will happily pay it.

If you are unable to find this out for me, then please provide me with a contact email address of someone who is able to answer my question.

Not to be rude, but you have not actually answered my question. I could understand if I was not offering MONEY to have the issue resolved. It is not good business sense to ignore a potential source of additional income.

 

[AndrewT]

Hello,

Please expand on why exactly they are not feasible to overcome when someone is offering to PAY for it to be resolved? It also makes absolutely no sense to have an asset that is clearly indicated within mod tools as having been tagged by the person who wrote the code for it, as an asset editor template when it does not show up.

Please advise how many programming hours it will take to make sure the asset editor does indeed support animations along with the estimated cost and if I am able to afford that, then I will happily pay it.

If you are unable to find this out for me, then please provide me with a contact email address of someone who is able to answer my question.

Not to be rude, but you have not actually answered my question. I could understand if I was not offering MONEY to have the issue resolved. It is not good business sense to ignore a potential source of additional income.

I am sorry but this is an inappropriate request. CO are not mercenaries that you can hire to change the game at your will, they are highly professional game development studio.

Their resources are fully committed to this game and their unannounced future project. They'd have to pull people off those projects, or hire entire new staff to do this. Even to provide the figures you are asking for would take resources away from existing projects.

Please accept the game as it is, and rely on mods to provide what it cannot currently do.

Thank you.

 

[DebbieElla]

Thread moderated, and closed.