Textures
(Traxx Texture Numbering System)

Traxx numbers the textures in a very systematic and orderly way. So simple is it, in fact, that you barely have to trouble yourself about lining up textures or about what goes where.

Now let's see how many of you I can spook with this next bit of information. Traxx uses a standard 16 bit numbering system (which explains why we can only paste a 16x16 grid square section). Facing north in our grid space, that means the numbers will be pasted in according to the following arrangement (assuming a full 16x16 paste job):

00 | 10 | 20 | 30 | 40 | 50 | 60 | 70 | 80 | 90 | a0 | b0 | c0 | d0 | e0 | f0
01 | 11 | 21 | 31 | 41 | 51 | 61 | 71 | 81 | 91 | a1 | b1 | c1 | d1 | e1 | f1
02 | 12 | 22 | 32 | 42 | 52 | 62 | 72 | 82 | 92 | a2 | b2 | c2 | d2 | e2 | f2
03 | 13 | 23 | 33 | 43 | 53 | 63 | 73 | 83 | 93 | a3 | b3 | c3 | d3 | e3 | f3
04 | 14 | 24 | 34 | 44 | 54 | 64 | 74 | 84 | 94 | a4 | b4 | c4 | d4 | e4 | f4
05 | 15 | 25 | 35 | 45 | 55 | 65 | 75 | 85 | 95 | a5 | b5 | c5 | d5 | e5 | f5
06 | 16 | 26 | 36 | 46 | 56 | 66 | 76 | 86 | 96 | a6 | b6 | c6 | d6 | e6 | f6
07 | 17 | 27 | 37 | 47 | 57 | 67 | 77 | 87 | 97 | a7 | b7 | c7 | d7 | e7 | f7
08 | 18 | 28 | 38 | 48 | 58 | 68 | 78 | 88 | 98 | a8 | b8 | c8 | d8 | e8 | f8
09 | 19 | 29 | 39 | 49 | 59 | 69 | 79 | 89 | 99 | a9 | b9 | c9 | d9 | e9 | f9
0a | 1a | 2a | 3a | 4a | 5a | 6a | 7a | 8a | 9a | aa | ba | ca | da | ea | fa
0b | 1b | 2b | 3b | 4b | 5b | 6b | 7b | 8b | 9b | ab | bb | cb | db | eb | fb
0c | 1c | 2c | 3c | 4c | 5c | 6c | 7c | 8c | 9c | ac | bc | cc | dc | ec | fc
0d | 1d | 2d | 3d | 4d | 5d | 6d | 7d | 8d | 9d | ad | bd | cd | dd | ed | fd
0e | 1e | 2e | 3e | 4e | 5e | 6e | 7e | 8e | 9e | ae | be | ce | de | ee | fe
0f | 1f | 2f | 3f | 4f | 5f | 6f | 7f | 8f | 9f | af | bf | cb | df | ef | ff

For those of you not following, it's like this: I named the textures PGMTMG and Traxx appends two numbers to that base so that we end up with a series of texture names like this: PGMTMG00, PGMTMG10, PGMTMG20, PGMTMG30, PGMTMG40, etc. That two digit number added to the name corresponds to the numbers I have put into the table. So, PGMTMG00 goes in the top left corner, PGMTMG10 goes next to it on the right, PGMTMG20 goes next to that on the right, and so on until you get to the end of the row and you start over again down on the next row. Now, of course, our little sample paste was not 16x16 but was only 5x5. Doesn't matter; the numbering system is the same. For example, our textures will be arranged like this:

00 | 10 | 20 | 30 | 40
01 | 11 | 21 | 31 | 41
02 | 12 | 22 | 32 | 42
03 | 13 | 23 | 33 | 43
04 | 14 | 24 | 34 | 44

This is exactly the same numbering system described by the larger table; it starts at the top left but stops at five squares.

Furthermore, it will not matter what you name your custom textures because the Traxx numbering system will always work in the same way. The system is so simple it's almost brilliant.

Lastly, a word to you who has read this and imagines me somewhat insane for admiring what I describe as simplicity. Remember, you do not need to use the multi-paste feature of Traxx. You can create your textures one by one and convert them using a palette conversion program and load them into the textures box one at a time (excuse me, a page at a time), and paste them on to the terrain using a naming system of your own devising, and after you have done all that, you better hope and pray that everything lines up. For my money, though, I'll create a single graphic and let Traxx do a masterful job on the grunt work.