Textures
(Formula for a Perfect Paste)

Well, how big should you make your graphics? The obvious thing at this point is that since MTM2 uses 64x64 RAW files, the size of any graphic you make should be in multiples of 64. For example, two grid squares would be 128 pixels, three would be 192, four would be 256, etc. And, I'm assuming that by now you have done enough copying and pasting of textures to realize that most straight road sections are just two textures repeated again and again. So, to create a custom road you would need to make a graphic that is the equivalent of 1x2 grid sections or 64x128 pixels. Likewise, you should also be aware that most road corners use a 5x5 grid section, so our graphic would be 320x320 pixels (i.e.. 5 times 64 equals 320).

Right? If only things were that simple. Enter the 2 pixel overlap system.

Yes, you may use the off-set feature to align the Traxx cutting tool to slice up your graphic in precisely the spot that you want. Or, you can create your graphic so that it fits perfectly into the paste area so that no off-setting will be necessary. But, with the overlap, how big should you make your graphic? The formula is as follows: the number of grid squares times the size of a single grid square minus 2 pixels per side (horizontally or vertically) plus 4 pixels for the outer edges.

The table summarizes this formula for grid sizes 1 - 16 (minimum to maximum possibilities).

Grid Squares (width or height) |  | Square size (in pixels) |  | Outer edges (in pixels) |  | Total Size (in pixels)
1 | x | 60 | + | 4 | = | 64
2 | x | 60 | + | 4 | = | 124
3 | x | 60 | + | 4 | = | 184
4 | x | 60 | + | 4 | = | 244
5 | x | 60 | + | 4 | = | 304
6 | x | 60 | + | 4 | = | 364
7 | x | 60 | + | 4 | = | 424
8 | x | 60 | + | 4 | = | 484
9 | x | 60 | + | 4 | = | 564
10 | x | 60 | + | 4 | = | 604
11 | x | 60 | + | 4 | = | 664
12 | x | 60 | + | 4 | = | 724
13 | x | 60 | + | 4 | = | 784
14 | x | 60 | + | 4 | = | 844
15 | x | 60 | + | 4 | = | 904
16 | x | 60 | + | 4 | = | 964

And even if you don't care to be so precise, you can still use the table as a guideline in your work. Certainly, nothing prevents you from making your graphic slightly larger than the perfect fit, and then using the off-sets to align it the way you want.