Canals and Maritime. 1785 to 1800 or maybe a little later and earlier.
My saga with Trainz still continues (I think), but have to keep re-evaluating, with the functions changing from version to version and also some things not working at all and scuppering completely, scenery making and content making, from time to time for me.
For about 6 years now I have been making content using Blender for the Stentec sailing Simulator, and similar content I made in gmax years ago on DS for trainz. Also a few item I made in Blender exported as dxf and textured in gmax for trainz.
Finally stopped using gmax completely a good while ago.
With the development of the beta blender exporter that enables me to use most of my previous blend files and export into Trainz and have tried 3 castles, gaff-rig drivable sailing ships and other items.
However again I am quite happy using real photos for my textures, and the period of interest now moved to about 1785-1800.
The reason for this Liverpool docks were only about 1.5 miles then and no fort at New Brighton, etc. You need to fix a point in time with scenery making as the landscape keeps altering with historical sceneries..
Living near Liverpool docks, much of the old docks still remain for photographing. Providing I remake the material colour settings for each texture and keep the meshes seperated on objects, I can export into trainz, or export as vrml2 and probably OBJ for the next version of the Stentec sailing simulator. The emphasis and discussion around Blender at present seems to be centred on normal mapping, bump mapping and the like, but for me I think with careful photography, the actual photos provide all the detail required, including shadows, tide marks on stonework, smoke and dirt stains on buildings and barges, and the like. There is only so much time, so I will leave the supa-dupa, texturing to others, and I will concentrate more on the history of the environment and to try and recreate what it might have been like (whether using the sailing simulator, or trainz, or both...not quite sure yet, as much depends on the available functions in each simulator)
What I am after is trying to make sceneries that have realism. The area of interest now mainly canals and horse drawn transport, possibly tidal river systems and linked into the docks. I don't think coastal sailing looks too realistic in Trainz with flat seas but the canal world which was the transport backbone of the country may offer more possibilities.
This could be improved if I can find out how to animate the boat movement in Blender to export into trainz. This effect was used in the tram route, forget the name in TC1/2, with boats rocking to wave movement at anchor. Again that depends on how much extra frames are used up if you have a number of boats running.
Working locks are available by Ian (Vulcan) but not sure if that is the way for me to go.
There was a lot of horse drawn traffic on the canals, centuries ago and the easier option may be to unhitch the horse from the barge, lead it along the towpath around to the next canal level with the barge waiting there and the hitch up again to it.
Not fanciful as I made this method in my 2004 route on the DS, altering the attachment points on the meshes, but only used my own non animated drivable horses and the system needed refining.
Anyway food for thought, for me.... and what has this got to be with trains... and the answer is nothing at all....but with Trainz quite a lot as it can be made and has been made...Just something for you to read or not.....Barry...take your pick.
My saga with Trainz still continues (I think), but have to keep re-evaluating, with the functions changing from version to version and also some things not working at all and scuppering completely, scenery making and content making, from time to time for me.
For about 6 years now I have been making content using Blender for the Stentec sailing Simulator, and similar content I made in gmax years ago on DS for trainz. Also a few item I made in Blender exported as dxf and textured in gmax for trainz.
Finally stopped using gmax completely a good while ago.
With the development of the beta blender exporter that enables me to use most of my previous blend files and export into Trainz and have tried 3 castles, gaff-rig drivable sailing ships and other items.
However again I am quite happy using real photos for my textures, and the period of interest now moved to about 1785-1800.
The reason for this Liverpool docks were only about 1.5 miles then and no fort at New Brighton, etc. You need to fix a point in time with scenery making as the landscape keeps altering with historical sceneries..
Living near Liverpool docks, much of the old docks still remain for photographing. Providing I remake the material colour settings for each texture and keep the meshes seperated on objects, I can export into trainz, or export as vrml2 and probably OBJ for the next version of the Stentec sailing simulator. The emphasis and discussion around Blender at present seems to be centred on normal mapping, bump mapping and the like, but for me I think with careful photography, the actual photos provide all the detail required, including shadows, tide marks on stonework, smoke and dirt stains on buildings and barges, and the like. There is only so much time, so I will leave the supa-dupa, texturing to others, and I will concentrate more on the history of the environment and to try and recreate what it might have been like (whether using the sailing simulator, or trainz, or both...not quite sure yet, as much depends on the available functions in each simulator)
What I am after is trying to make sceneries that have realism. The area of interest now mainly canals and horse drawn transport, possibly tidal river systems and linked into the docks. I don't think coastal sailing looks too realistic in Trainz with flat seas but the canal world which was the transport backbone of the country may offer more possibilities.
This could be improved if I can find out how to animate the boat movement in Blender to export into trainz. This effect was used in the tram route, forget the name in TC1/2, with boats rocking to wave movement at anchor. Again that depends on how much extra frames are used up if you have a number of boats running.
Working locks are available by Ian (Vulcan) but not sure if that is the way for me to go.
There was a lot of horse drawn traffic on the canals, centuries ago and the easier option may be to unhitch the horse from the barge, lead it along the towpath around to the next canal level with the barge waiting there and the hitch up again to it.
Not fanciful as I made this method in my 2004 route on the DS, altering the attachment points on the meshes, but only used my own non animated drivable horses and the system needed refining.
Anyway food for thought, for me.... and what has this got to be with trains... and the answer is nothing at all....but with Trainz quite a lot as it can be made and has been made...Just something for you to read or not.....Barry...take your pick.
Last edited: