Traxx 1.4 5/28/99
-----------------

e-mail: SoftParts1@aol.com
Web:    http://members.aol.com/SoftParts1/traxx.html

Version 1.4 is for registered users only. It will not run if
you are not registered - this version is not shareware.


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Installation.
-------------

Unzip all the files into your Traxx folder (usually C:\Program Files\Traxx)
and run Traxx.exe

The installation comprises:

Traxx.exe	- the program
Traxx.hlp/.cnt	- help files
ReadMe14.txt	- this file.


You will probably need to look at the Help for some of the new features!


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Whats new in this Version? (since 1.3)
--------------------------------------

Can select stock icons (right-click/Stock...)

Update map display correctly after undoing terrain edit.

Prevent spaces in WAV file names (object sounds).

Prevent spaces in texture/model names.

Set MOD filter for MTM1, WAV for MTM2 (music file open).

When copying texture from TexturesBox, now uses proper
palette (previously copied with main track palette).

Some reorganisation of main menu (for new options).

Optimized palette based on textures in track (Special/Palette).
Colors chosen depends how how frequently textures are used -
intended for trak swhich use custom textures that dont look
good with the stock palettes.

45 degree orientation for terrain tools.

Improve terrain curvature rounding errors (smoother hills).

Periodic auto-save (View/Options/auto-save).

Apply textures based on altitude (Special/TextureTransitions).
Click to "paint" textures into the box then apply. You must be
careful to put textures in that match EXACTLY the layout of the
yellow/green pattern for it to work properly! (you may need to
use the "Invert" option in there!)

Fractal terrain (Special/RandomTerrain now has "Classic" and
Fractal modes). Be careful - the fractal thing can make very
spiky terrain! Can use this feature with CopyTerrainAsBitmap
to make new fractal textures :)

Undo now works for random terrain + raise/lower.

Copy/Paste terrain (uses current yellow grid area).

Dont allow >10 ramps, >48 trains or 541 objects total (avoid
"too many sims" errors etc).

Remember more settings (grid size, terrain tool, wireframe etc)
so they will be the same next time you start.

No bogus lighting at edges of world (used to put black strip
sometimes).

Shadows for objects (Special/Lighting will now apply shadows
to objects which have a model and mass=0, and are not moving).
Ignores small models.

Patterns now ok with 256x256 textures (+ fixed occasional crash?)

Funky object tilt angles fixed (now align correctly with terrain).

TAB key to select objects (cycles through the visible objects
from nearest to furthest).

Keys to rotate objects by 1 degree (R, Ctrl+R).

Keys to raise/lower objects (S/X, [] - just like terrain).

More accurate object height-above-ground (0.1 units).

Top-crush support.

Arena support (alternative to backdrop). Load backdrop
and select Arena type, then right-click for settings.
Note: there is no z setting for arenas - they align auto-
matically with terrain at the lowest south-west corner of
the arena model.

Customize colors for wireframe, terrain grid etc (View/Options/Colors).

More F1 Help from boxes (Lighting, Patterns etc). When in a box
hit F1 and the correct Help page comes up.

More useful messages if theres a bad texture or model (on load txx
and write pod). Also keeps black image for bad textures so you can
see them and take them out etc.

Some systems had grimbled colors in textures box and bitmaps in
track components - has been fixed.


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Special thanks to Skyman, JT and Phineus for much help with 1.4.




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What was new in version 1.3? (since 1.2)
----------------------------------------

(only need to read this if you went right from 1.2 to 1.4)

Support for display resolutions of 512x384, 640x480, 800x600 and
1024x768 has been added (View/Options).

The MTM2 weather mask can be set (Edit/WeatherMask).

You can now select from the standard music tracks for MTM2. This
eliminated the necessity to include a WAV in your track (Edit/
TrackComponents).

The color palette that the track uses can now be changed in order to
use one that best matches the textures you are using (MTM2 only).
(Edit/TrackComponents).

Options to purge unused Models and Textures from your track have
been added. These allow you to minimize the POD file size by
eliminating superfluous data. (TexturesBox, ModelsBox).

An occasional crash that could occur when pasting in a Pattern has
been fixed.

Textures of size 256x256 can now be applied to terrain and ground-
boxes.

New options have been added to the Textures Box to Rename and Delete
texture files (right click in [Load >>] display).

A new feature has been added to the Textures Box so you can paste
in an over-size bitmap and have it cut into multiple textures.

The backdrop (if defined) is now displayed (not in wireframe mode).

An option to save a viewing location and return there has been added
(Navigate menu and F2/F3).

The <Home> key is now used to make the view point "North".

Keyboard shortcuts have been added for switching the display of
course, objects, ground-boxes, water and backdrop on/off (F5 - F9).

The vertical view position can be locked to follow the terrain as
you move around (Navigate menu and F4).

A new option to delete a model and all the objects that use it has
been added (fat scissors in Models Box).

Support for "Ramps" has been added. These are implemented as a new
"Type" for scenery objects.

You can now double-click model names in the Models Box instead of
clicking "Apply".

Rotating objects can now be done by holding <shift> while dragging
with the mouse.

You can now paste copies of objects using Ctrl+V, which will be put
at the current mouse location.

Three new Paint Modes have been added to ground-box editing that
can apply textures to multiple faces of a box at once.

A new "Cut" option has been added for ground-boxes so you can move
them using Cut/Paste rather than Copy/Delete/Paste.

A new option to delete all segments from a course has been added.

Start points of course segments are now indicated on the small map
display.

The Help has been updated, and can now be invoked using F1. This
is context-sensitive in certain places (eg TexturesBox, Options).


Occasionally the program window would start up in a position off
the screen (would appearhat it failed to run). This has been fixed.

Zero characters are put in unused parts of POD files to make them
"cleaner" and possibly compress slightly better.

The Backdrop load function now lists *drop*, *drp* and *fixd*

The side-panels have been rearranged to fit better on smaller
monitors.

A range limit has been added to object selection to prevent distant
objects being selected and moved by mistake.

Model names from cloned tracks are read correctly to avoid an error
where some were not loaded.

The folder for cloned SIT files is remembered after being set
manually once.

"Tooltips" are now displayed on the side-panels when you hold the
mouse over certain items.

A new feature to specify the position of the sun and add shadows
has been included (Edit/Lighting).

The ViewPODFile option on PODs that have multiple tracks now allows
you to double click the track name to load.

The main display graphics quality has been improved slightly.

The name of the currently selected texture is displayed in the main
status bar.

The display now draws terrain textures with a small border for more
accurate alignment of road markings etc (as MTM2 itself does).

Texture name, Pattern name and course speed limit popups now allow
you to type-and-enter without having to click the data-entry box
first.

An error where objects were sometimes Inserted at the wrong position
(center of grid) has been fixed.

An error where scenery objects with no model assigned would
disappear has been fixed.

When you Copy a pattern the texture paint area is automatically
resized (Paint Mode only).

A cacheing mechanism has been added to the Textures Box so that
paging back-and-forth in the [Load >>] area is smoother.

Scrollbars now work correctly in the main display, if you have them.


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Copyright statement.
--------------------

This software ("Traxx") is protected by copyright law and is the
intellectual property of the author. Unauthorized reproduction,
distribution or duplication of Traxx or any portion of it will
result in a severe spanking of the offender at the very least.


BP 5/28/99
