We shall build a locomotive not because it is easy...

[NDORFN]

Interesting jersey you've knitted there Paps. I'd wear it

[PapaXpress]

I am learning a ton... and there are many more tons to go. Still can't get the wheels to spin though.

[NDORFN]

Likewise with my route building. I see big things on the horizon for RW American members and RW in general. This is a brilliant thing you guys are doing. Just remember to have fun!

[SMMDigital]

Hmm, I had the same idea of wrapping the loco in the drawing! May use it for a painting template.

The Bogie tut is being proofed and will be available online next Tuesday.

[Kali]

Im still working the Bogies tut, but im also looking ahead for info...

Are cab windows on an RW locomotive cut-out from the cab shape or alpha "cut-outs"?

They're holes in the body ( with seperate frames, if you're detailing ), there is a glass shader for the glass polys themselves. The recommended shader for locomotive body materials - TrainBumpSpecEnvMask - doesn't have alpha transparency anyway, the alpha channel in the primary map is for specularity.

Tip from the docs - details like handrails and things aren't cut into the main mesh, helps lodding. Tip from what I've picked up, use as few materials as you can.

[eyein12]

Jerry the way i do my windows is create a frame cutout in the side plane. if yo udid an alpha cutout it could work, but you would need a glass plane with trainglass.fx as the shader so that you can achieve a glass look. trainbumspecmask.fx is a great shader hwoever all faces must be "facing out" the backside will be invisible. There is a function in max to apply to both sides of the face. but just pan thru and inside the dash 9 body and you'll see what i mean. just paint your alpha as dark as possible(not black) so that the "reflectivity" isnt so bright. the opposite goes for your glass. the alpha should be somewhere in the lights grays, which will give your glass a more "glossy" appearance. black will be completely see thru.

I basically take a blueprint drawing on both sides. and create a box. I scale my box to the proper dimensions and start modelling from there! the world is your oyster and thank you trainiax!

[PapaXpress]

... May use it for a painting template.

This is exactly why I have done it. To make this model a success I must have it repaint friendly so as I add a detail I immediately unwrap it to see how I can "puzzle" them together and make sense. I also predict that it will help me make a bump mask.

Kali, I would like to ask a favor. In MAX can you create an I beam and bake a shadow on it and post a picture of it here? I need to fake my baking and I need a reference to work from.

[SMMDigital]

Thanks for the replies on the cab, and that's what I was afraid of. The Boolean subtract (cutout) operation in 3DC 8.2 is crap. If you try to subtract a simple object like a single window, it fractures the face and you have to clean it up using the line trim command. Usually there is one line that is disassociated and you will get an error box about it not being part of the face. If you try to subtract multiple objects, like you would have to with a locomotive cab, it fractures the object beyond use or repair. I will have to find another way.

[PapaXpress]

This is not happening in 9.x (at least not for me). "Supposedly" you can install 9.x and have it not affect 8.x or 7.x, but it will upgrade your 3DC project so back it up before trying.

[Chacal]

I've been keeping away from boolean operations since the first day I started modeling for games (DOOM engine, when was that?).
No matter what 3D modeling app was used, I always heard those operations caused problems, especially when the game engines had to perform vis and collision calculations.

If I want to make a hole in a surface, I slice it manually and then delete the hole part.

[Kali]

Boolean ops in Max are something to avoid for RW stuff too, apparently. Can you not just cut polygons?

Is there no shadow map generation in 3DC, btw? you can do it all in Photoshop or equivalent but it's pretty timeconsuming ( I used to do that for another modeller a long time ago when whatever he was using didn't support ambient occlusion ). In simple terms, the more horizontal a surface is - and facing upwards obviously - the lighter you want it. Baking shadows cast by bits of body like hoses isn't so important now TSX casts it's own. Curved surfaces you will want to shade using a gradient, it gets darker the more it moves away from pointing upwards.

This might be a hook to start learning to use Blender, I know that can bake shadows.

[PapaXpress]

What do you mean by "cut polygons"?

[Kali]

Max has a tool where you can literally cut polygons up - you slice them like you're using a knife and you end up with two polygons at the end of it. Obviously quite handy for cutting windows out. There is a "slice" tool also but you generally want that if you want to cut large bits of model apart.

[PapaXpress]

Interesting... I see if there is a tool like this in 3DC.

[SMMDigital]

Not really interested in switching to Blender, and learning an entirely new system, just for shadow baking. 3DC does not support shadow baking. It is possible that the creator of the program will take note of this and include it in future versions. However, I have no problems with using Photoshop to simulate shadows and lights straight on the textures, as it also results fewer draw calls on the asset. I've also found that specular shine on horizontal surfaces has a lot to do with use of Environment and Normal maps, as well as the TrainBumpEnvMask.fx shader.

To clarify my earlier statement, building the cab will not be a problem, as there is more than one way to skin
the proverbial cat. It's just that the way that would be easiest, the Boolean Subtraction, won't get you the pelt.

@Chacal - I modeled for the original Duke Nukem. Ahh, the good old days.