ATTN Repainters: EMD SD7 Update Coming Soon

[GreatNortherner]

Hi,

It's been a long time since the first release of my SD7 engines, but now the updates for them is finally nearing completion. It will include a number of bug fixes and improvements, including a more detailed cabview, tweaks to the engine blueprints, fixes to some bad folder dependencies, shader/material improvements, and the biggest step ahead: animated roof fans built by Dan Vystrcil.

A new paint version -- Pennsy's two SD7s -- will also be released together with the updates/re-releases to the old models.

Some screenshots are on my blog, more will be added over the next few days: http://golden-age-rails.blogspot.de/

To all who already repainted the SD7s:

Please feel free to email me the three main textures of your repaint (main1, main2, clutter files, preferably in BMP format) if you'd like me to update repainted engine to the same specs as my own models. That way I could extract a fresh copy of the repaint directly from the source files and we could make sure that there aren't any conflicts with any file depencies or other things.

Cheers
Michael

[Chacal]

That's good news, Michael.
Will you also check its size?
I remember a discussion here about how your SD7 is noticeably smaller than other SD models.

[thecanadianrail]

That's good news, Michael.
Will you also check its size?
I remember a discussion here about how your SD7 is noticeably smaller than other SD models.

The SD7 has the correct size, remember its basically a 3 axle version of the GP7 and the GP7 and GP9's were much smaller in comparison to newer locomotives.

[Chacal]

Ah OK. I didn't know that.
Thanks.

[GreatNortherner]

Thanks!

Will you also check its size?

Whew! That gave me quite a scare until I read to the end of the thread.

While I'll never vouch for any of my models' accuracy, I did use a blueprint/drawing (of PRR origin) when building the SD7. It's always possible that I made a mistake during modeling or unit conversion, but overall it should at least be "close enough". The SD7/9 and GP7/9 had about the same total height as the F-units.

Cheers,
Michael

[jpetersjr]

I can't wait to get it, also, can we see what the cabview looks like now? I can't wait to try it out.

[GreatNortherner]

Thanks!

Unless some unexpected "last minute bug" shows up I should be able to re-release the old models within tonight or tomorrow.
In the meantime, here are a few more screenshots from testing.

New headlight effects, suggested by Micheal Calvin:


PapaXpress's animated roof fans: Also more contrast to the textures and added bump mapping to the radiator grilles (it was also Dan who noticed that bug on the original models).


Handbrake added to long hood, more detailed number boards, fixed positioning of long hood autodigits in numberboard on 4-digit units:


Cheers,
Michael

[buzz456]

[CSXK921]

nice work as always

[Chacal]

Placed next to each other, it seems to me the SD7 is about 1.5" less tall than the RSC GP7/9.
I don't know if this is significant, just reporting my observation.

[thecanadianrail]

Well according to stat sheets the SD7 is 4" taller than the GP9 but that's a hardly noticeable difference in the first place so being 5.5" off shouldn't be too big of a deal?