Q. How do I make an object move?  When I hit a sign or something the truck stops dead, but in other tracks they go flying all over the place.

A. In object properties, set the Mass (lbs) value to anything but zero.  Zero is the default which means objects will not budge.  You have to set the Mass to some other value from the object to move.  For small objects like signs and posts use a value of around 5000.  For large objects like backhoes and houses use a value of over 50000.

Q. When I set objects to 3000 lbs, they are half in the ground until I get real close to them, then they pop up to ground level, and stay there from that point.  Is this normal? I sure hope not, because it looks stupid!

A. Yes, thats normal. It has nothing to do with the weight - except if the mass is zero. If the object is moveable (i.e., mass not zero) the game will automatically tweak it so that its at ground level when the game starts.  You need to adjust the "height above ground" up by one unit so they aren't under ground when it starts. It might be tricky to get it exactly right - you just have to try different settings until you get it the best.  For some objects, you could also try tilting it by 180 degrees so they're upside down (should look ok with hay bails, and might line-up with the ground better...).

Q. I know how to set a bin to "moving" in Traxx, but I have these cool airplane bins that I want to have flying over the ground.  I set the above ground alitutde fine but when the game starts, the plane sinks to the ground and chugs along like a train.  How can I fix that?

A. You have to adjust the model itself so that it is off-center. You need BinEdit to do that - theres a "Translate" option in the "Model" menu where you can offset the center position.  The model will still track the shape of the terrain, but it will be up in the air...  If you modify an existing model, make sure you save it under a different name so it wont intefere with the same model in other tracks.

Q. Ok I have been using traxx for a while now and I would like to know how to make an object move like the car-eating dinosaur on Crazy 98.  How do I make something like that move?

A. That is what is known as an "animated bin" model. These are done by making a set of models that are slightly different and then the game plays them in sequence.  MDMRE and Oliver Pieper have have made utilities for putting models together in an animated bin.  If you want to use the dinosaur, you need to load up REX.BIN, REX1.BIN, REX2.BIN, REX3.BIN and REX4.BIN in the Traxx Models box, then just Apply REX.BIN to the object on the track.  Traxx 1.3 or higher is best for this trick.

Q. When i go to race on my track I get the error unable to open MOD file.  What is the problem?

A. You have to find a MOD file for the track music, and WAV files will NOT work in MTM1. If its MTM2, you need a raw (ie uncompressed, PCM) WAV file for the track music. Check your multimedia properties because you might be recording u-Law ADPCM or some other compressed WAV format without realizing it.  But I think thats just an MTM1 message so that probably doesnt apply...

Q. When I try to write a pod file it says "error writing pod!" What do you think the problem is?

A. The first thing to check would be disk space - Traxx uses your drive C in the process of making the pod, as well as where the pod finally goes. So you need to have enough space in both places (or 2x the pod size if final destination is also drive C).  Maybe you have a very large music WAV in the track? Check the size of the file that you used... If that all checks out, have a look at the track statistics (in View/Statistics menu) to see if you have exceeded any limits.

Q. If I dont save each update to a track under a new name it doesn't pod right or somthing.  Mtm2 says "cant load pod file" then it shuts down?

A. Sounds like you might have an old version of your track podded?  You need to make sure that you have UNpodded any old versions of the track, so that the track name is unique. Its the track name that counts (actually the first 8 letters of the name in the TrackComponents box). The best thing to do is use the same POD file for all versions (so you automatically overwrite/kill old versions and avoid having duplicates).  P.S. If you want to keep old versions as you go, just keep copies of the txx file that Traxx uses, then you can re-write the POD whenever you want.

Q. I made a track with traxx for mtm1 but when I try to race on it, it comes up with the error message UNABLE TO OPEN SKY.ACT.  What is the problem or where do i add the sky?

A. You have made an MTM2 track, which always gives that error in MTM1.  What you have to do is start using File/New(MTM1) from the Traxx menu and start from there. You HAVE to do that every time you start making an MTM1 track.

Q. How come on the Guild's Models section you spell vehicles as vehicals?

A. Strange as it may seem but that's how the word is spelled in every single one of Sir James' dictionaries.

Q. How come the Traxx buttons sometime don't work when I follow along on your site with Traxx open at the same time.

A. These are web pages.  Be sure to press the buttons in Traxx.

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