How do I use Train Simulator Classic's Blueprint Editor?

To use Train Simulator Classic’s Blueprint Editor, launch BlueprintEditor2.exe from the active RailWorks installation, create your project under Source/Provider/Product, add the appropriate blueprint, complete its source references and simulation fields, then export it. The tool compiles that editable project into Assets/Provider/Product for enabling and testing in-game.

What is the Blueprint Editor used for?

The Blueprint Editor defines and compiles Train Simulator Classic assets; it does not create 3D models, paint textures, lay track or build scenarios. It connects source geometry, textures, animations, sounds, physics, controls and metadata in the structure the simulator expects.

Using the wrong editor is a common source of confusion. Our overview of how the Train Simulator Classic developer tools work together explains where Blueprint Editor stops and the in-game editors begin.

Where is BlueprintEditor2.exe, and how do I find the active RailWorks folder?

The safest method is to open the installation through Steam rather than trusting an old shortcut or a path found by Windows Search.

1. Open the installed files. In Steam, open Train Simulator Classic’s properties and use Installed Files > Browse. Some Steam layouts present the same command as Manage > Browse local files.
2. Confirm the RailWorks root. The folder normally ends in steamapps/common/RailWorks and contains the simulator executable, Assets and Content.
3. Launch the correct editor. Run BlueprintEditor2.exe from that same RailWorks root. Do not use a copied or similarly named executable from another Steam library, an old installation or a backup; it may read and write the wrong trees.
4. Repair a missing executable. If BlueprintEditor2.exe is absent from the active installation, use Steam’s installed-file verification. Recheck the folder Steam opens after verification rather than downloading or copying the program from elsewhere.
5. Create a missing Source tree. An absent Source folder often means no local authoring project has been created. Make RailWorks/Source/YourProvider/YourProduct, then reopen or refresh Blueprint Editor.

“No, I want to make my own” — where do I start?

For a self-authored asset, create a new Provider/Product project under Source; do not begin by copying a compiled DLC folder from Assets.

The first-click workflow is straightforward: create the folders in File Explorer, launch Blueprint Editor from the active RailWorks root, select YourProduct in the Source tree, then use its new-blueprint or Add command and choose the required blueprint class.

What source files must I create before Blueprint Editor can compile anything?

Blueprint Editor can only compile files and references prepared for the Train Simulator toolchain. It does not convert a raw modelling project into a finished train or scenery object by itself.

• Every asset needs an editable blueprint definition. Creating and saving a new blueprint produces the source XML definition.
• A visible object needs exported geometry and textures. Train Simulator source projects commonly use .igs geometry and .ace texture sources.
• An animated object needs animation exports. Relevant animations are commonly supplied as .ia source files and referenced from the appropriate blueprint.
• Complex assets need dependent definitions. A driveable locomotive may require engine, simulation, cab, control, sound and particle blueprints as well as the main model.
• Raw modeller files are not enough. They must first be exported into formats accepted by the Train Simulator tools. Our guide to preparing models and rolling stock for the Train Simulator toolchain covers that earlier stage.

Before export can succeed, mandatory fields must be filled and every referenced source resource must exist, unless the reference deliberately points to an already compiled dependency.

Do I need both Source and Assets folders?

Yes: Source is the editable authoring project, while Assets is the generated runtime output used by Train Simulator Classic.

Do not manually mirror or copy files from Source into Assets. Exporting performs the required conversion and creates the output in the corresponding Provider/Product path. Distribute compiled Assets unless you intentionally want to release editable source as well.

How do I create and export a blueprint?

1. Create a stable namespace. Make RailWorks/Source/YourProvider/YourProduct. Choose names you control because Provider and Product form part of the asset identifier; renaming them later breaks references.
2. Organise the source resources. Put models, textures, animations and related blueprint files into sensible subfolders beneath the Product folder. Keep their relative paths stable.
3. Select the Product or one of its subfolders. In Blueprint Editor’s Source tree, select the folder in which the new blueprint should be saved, then invoke the new-blueprint or Add command.
4. Choose the smallest suitable blueprint class. A static object normally uses a scenery blueprint, an unpowered rail vehicle uses a wagon blueprint, and powered stock uses an engine blueprint plus the required simulation definitions.
5. Complete the required fields. Set the display name, browser category, geometry ID and class-specific values. Use the editor’s asset selectors where possible so references use Provider/Product identifiers rather than an absolute Windows drive path.
6. Save and export. Select the finished blueprint and run Export. If it depends on blueprints you also created or changed, compile those dependencies as well.
7. Read the export feedback. Blueprint Editor displays compiler messages in its export/output area or export report. Fix the first error first; later messages are often consequences of a missing file or malformed reference reported earlier.

Blueprint Editor: Add is greyed out, or I can’t find that

A greyed-out or missing Add command usually means the wrong source-tree item is selected, the Provider/Product folders do not yet exist, or Blueprint Editor cannot write to the active installation.

• Select the Product folder or a subfolder beneath it. Selecting the Source root, the Provider node, an existing blueprint field or anything under Assets will not create a new source blueprint. The usual target is Source/YourProvider/YourProduct.
• Create the folders before adding a blueprint. If only Source or Source/YourProvider exists, create the Product folder in File Explorer first. Blueprint Editor needs a writable destination inside a complete Provider/Product namespace.
• Refresh the source tree. Use the editor’s refresh command after creating folders. If they still do not appear, close the editor and launch it again from the active RailWorks installation.
• Check which installation is open. A folder created in one Steam library will not appear in an editor launched from another copy of RailWorks. Use Steam’s Browse command to confirm both paths.
• Check write permission. Confirm that your Windows account can create and modify files in the project folder. A read-only folder, restricted installation location or security protection can prevent Blueprint Editor from saving even when the tree is visible. Correct the folder permissions or use Steam to move the installation to a library you can write to.
• Distinguish folder Add from list Add. If Add is greyed out inside an open blueprint rather than in the source tree, select the relevant list or container row first. Some blueprint classes only enable that button for fields that accept multiple child entries.

How do I verify the export and make the asset appear in-game?

Verify the compiler output, generated files and Object Set Filter in that order; opening the game before confirming export success makes diagnosis harder.

1. Check the export result. Read Blueprint Editor’s export/output feedback and confirm the process completes without an error. Saving a source blueprint is not the same as compiling it.
2. Check the expected output path. Look under RailWorks/Assets/YourProvider/YourProduct. The product’s subfolder structure should mirror the relevant source paths, and an exported blueprint should have a compiled .bin counterpart.
3. Confirm referenced resources were also compiled. A successful main blueprint does not guarantee that its geometry, textures, animations, sounds or dependent blueprints exist. Check each path named by an error or missing-resource message.
4. Restart or clear stale data when needed. Close any running World or Scenario Editor before re-exporting. If the simulator keeps showing an old version, use Train Simulator Classic’s cache-clearing control and restart it.
5. Enable the exact Provider/Product pair. Enter the World Editor for scenery or the Scenario Editor for rolling stock, open the Object Set Filter control, find your Provider, expand it and tick the checkbox beside the required Product. Selecting the Provider name alone is not enough.
6. Use the correct asset browser. Search the scenery browser in World Editor for scenery and the rolling-stock browser in Scenario Editor for vehicles. Check the blueprint’s browser category and any active browser filters if the product is enabled but the item remains hidden. Our route-editing guide explains how compiled assets are selected and placed after this enablement step.
7. Test the asset in a minimal scene or scenario. Place one copy before building a larger setup. This separates an asset fault from route, consist or scenario problems.

What if the asset exports but is invisible or behaves incorrectly?

An asset can compile successfully and still contain invalid geometry, material or simulation values.

• Invisible or untextured object: verify the geometry ID, material texture paths and exported texture resources. Blueprint values cannot repair a missing mesh or an invalid material reference.
• Rolling stock placed at the wrong height: inspect wheel radii, model origin, pivots, bogie positions and blueprint dimensions.
• Couplings or brakes behave incorrectly: check coupling offsets, vehicle mass, brake configuration and linked simulation blueprints.
• Failure occurs only while loading or driving: use LogMate to inspect Train Simulator Classic runtime messages. LogMate helps with in-game loading faults; it does not replace Blueprint Editor’s compile feedback.

Can Blueprint Editor modify or clone existing DLC?

Blueprint Editor cannot reconstruct a complete editable project from compiled DLC unless its author supplied the original source files. Installed assets may be referenced as dependencies, but compiled models and textures do not turn back into their modeller projects, source animations or layered texture files.

The included Serz.exe utility can convert many loose .bin definitions to readable XML for diagnosis or personal adjustments. That XML is not equivalent to a full Source project, and it does not restore missing geometry or texture sources.

Keep personal modifications under your own Provider/Product where practical. Verification and DLC updates can replace edited files, and proprietary models, textures, sounds or definitions must not be redistributed without permission.

How should I package a finished Blueprint Editor project?

Package the compiled runtime files from Assets/Provider/Product, while retaining the corresponding Source project as your backed-up authoring master.

Train Simulator Classic’s Utilities application can create an .rwp package. Include only files you created or have permission to distribute; list base-game and DLC content as dependencies instead of bundling it. A route package also needs its relevant folder under Content/Routes, separate from the assets it references.