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

[jpetersjr]

I will join later about when I have more time off of work. At the moment I'm working 5 to 6 days a week. Might have a little more time to do something as soon as I can go on vacation in a couple of weeks. Or about the time business slows down some. I'm having a difficult time as is completed my building set since I have very little time to work with.

[SCLALINE]

it is a good idea to add a smoothing group (3dsmax) or crease to models, it fixes some visual issues

[SMMDigital]

Yes, as long as there are issues with cutting out windows in 3DC, creasing will have to be done. One thing i'm not sure of though is if Creasing doesn't make more triangles in a model, then why does the IGS file get larger? Creasing the cab at 60 degrees produced a file of 178kb. Creasing at 20 degrees to completely get rid of the artifact took the file size up to 265kb, but 3DC did not report any increase in triangles.

Oh well, i'll take what I can get. If I understood everything about Railworks, i'd be working for RSC now wouldn't I?

[SMMDigital]

Ummm, one little detail I forgot to mention... Per Ian's recommendation, the max poly count for these locomotives should be 19,999. Raikworks seems to like that number. I have heard also that anything over that won't show up in the Asset Editor. I can testify first hand thats it's a real pain trying to position couplers and receiving points on an invisible locomotive.

Just to give an idea of what 20,000 polys can do, my RPE-4D slug is 21,000, and it doesn't have a cab or fuel tank. I was reckless though and ended up putting 8500 polys just into the trucks. I've learned since then that some stuff can be made from simpler shapes, and some details can even be painted or normal mapped on.

[PapaXpress]

One thing I am looking into with my trucks is to see if any parts can have there back faces removed. I saw this with the GP9. I may have some screen shots by tomorrow. Right now I am not entirely happy with the shape of them.

[Kali]

One thing I am looking into with my trucks is to see if any parts can have there back faces removed. I saw this with the GP9. I may have some screen shots by tomorrow. Right now I am not entirely happy with the shape of them.

If you add traction motors - which can be a really simple shape given they're there just to fill space - you can probably delete most of the back faces of the complex parts of the trucks ( around the axleboxes ).

[eyein12]

Ummm, one little detail I forgot to mention... Per Ian's recommendation, the max poly count for these locomotives should be 19,999. Raikworks seems to like that number. I have heard also that anything over that won't show up in the Asset Editor. I can testify first hand thats it's a real pain trying to position couplers and receiving points on an invisible locomotive.

Just to give an idea of what 20,000 polys can do, my RPE-4D slug is 21,000, and it doesn't have a cab or fuel tank. I was reckless though and ended up putting 8500 polys just into the trucks. I've learned since then that some stuff can be made from simpler shapes, and some details can even be painted or normal mapped on.

20,000 or less is ideal, but theres some wiggle room with this as I recently took notice. I would safely say 25K would be the new ceiling where the game will run your model with ease. the gp60M is 21,300 polys and its smooth as butter in the game, with as many units as I want. asset editor will only process one 20K group at a time(the rest as you say does indeed disappear). you can have many groups/parts of your mode that can be 20K or less per group and export as 1 piece from your modeller. Thus having a model that can be anythign higher than 20K if you need it to be.

[PapaXpress]

This post may help with Blomberg type trucks:
http://dieseldetailer.proboards.com/ind ... hread=7845
http://dieseldetailer.proboards.com/ind ... hread=8513

[PapaXpress]

As promised, my (not so great, but still learning) work in progress...

[SMMDigital]

I'm not familiar with that type of locomotive, but those trucks look good to me! Very nice contouring.

[PapaXpress]

U30B/28/23... and then 25

Its a AAR type B... with part still missing.

[SCLALINE]

those are alco trucks if i am right, looks really good

[Chacal]

Alco and Baldwin.
Did you get measurements? I have been searching for hours for a technical diagram for those trucks. All I can find is a side elevation or photos. No idea about the measurements, especially depth, od individual pieces.

[PapaXpress]

Trust me I am ripping my (what ever I have remaining) hair out on this. I cannot find any technical drawings. I am working off the side profile off Trainiax and this picture:



here is another I look at often:

[Kali]

If I might interject, you might be better making the end of the secondary spring a seperate item, rather than growing it out of the subframe.

http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/manual/geg-15304h.pdf might help a bit.