Gmax; Need a hand

[tlowthion1]

Hello all. I've been thumbing arround with Tranz 2006 now for a few months and have found it pretty easy to use; i've worked on two 'big layouts' already; first, a pretty basic model of the SWT line from Wimbledon to London Waterloo; track and signal-wise very good; i operated a complete set of SWT, Southern, London Underground and London Overground and First Capital Connect services; about 100 trains in total, but since i was using only existing or DS content, scenic-wise it's very innacurate.

My second model was of the closed Strathspey railway; a nice single-track line though pituresque Scotish Highlands; of course, having never been there a lot of the modelling came from staring at old photos and google-maps! So again, pretty inaccurate.

So i'm returning to my model of Southwest london (since i live hereabouts i thought that'd be much easer to survey) but working with the accuracy of modeling i gained from my strathspey model.


Right, enough of my life story.

I've started working with the GMax (trainz asset creation studio)to create custom content. Now, 3d modelling isn't a problem, since i work as a designer, but i'm having trouble getting to grips with Gmax's texturing and exporting functions. I'm currently importing my exising SketchUp/AutoCAD DTX coponent files into Gmax (no problems), assembling them and basically texuring but from there to getting them into the game is proving difficult. can anyone give me an 'idiots guide to gmax' that's a bit easier to use than auran's guide, which is rather confusing.

Oh, plus if anyone knows where i can get some good ready made southlondon trains (other than Andi06's excellent tube trains, Sqeak's SWT 455's, and nexusdj's FCC neon units let me know).... or if there's any good SWT station bits too!

Right, cheers all; i hope to get the mega-model out in under a year.

Thomas

 

[Johnk]

You should find something here:

Link

One tutorial shows you how to create a simple model and get it into Trainz.

John

 

[Jerker]

G'day tlowthion1,

I (and a number of other 'members' here) have found the 3ds Max 5 Bible by Kelly L. Murdock, published by Wiley (ISBN 0-7645-3703-2) to be most illuminating, although you may not be able to get a new copy of it, these days. Do not be deterred by the 3ds Max 'association' Gmax is 3ds Max's smaller brother and although some things discussed in the book are not applicable to Gmax, much of it is, since Gmax was based on 3ds Max 4...

...if you can't get the 'version 5' publication, don't panic, a copy of the Bible for the latest version is still very much applicable...

...in fact, I recommend that you search these pages for references to this tome, you may be pleasantly surprised at what you find...

...speaking of tutorials, there should have been a number of tutorials available for download with Gmax (when you obtained it from Turbosquid) and you can always resort to using the so-called 'User Reference' - the Gmax equivalent of the standard 'Help' file...

Jerker {}

 

[Johnk]

Snippet: ...speaking of tutorials, there should have been a number of tutorials available for download with Gmax (when you obtained it from Turbosquid) and you can always resort to using the so-called 'User Reference' - the Gmax equivalent of the standard 'Help' file...

There were indeed, but they don't show us how to build a Santa-Fe SD45 Mark 2.09999, 1996 version with a 16 cylinder Deltic engine, so what good are they? :wave:

User Reference? You must be kidding? Do you actually expect me to read a User Reference or even do a Tutorial?

gMax should be automatic. All it needs is a little box where you enter what you want and press GO. Anything less is a total waste of time.

I don't usually use smilies but I'm predicting the (unanswered) response to what I consider a very, very serious, sensible, and educational post!

Thanks for your input Jerker. I just hope it hits home with at least one person!

Regards,

John

 

[johnwhelan]

Hello all. I've been thumbing arround with Tranz 2006 now for a few months and have found it pretty easy to use; i've worked on two 'big layouts' already; first, a pretty basic model of the SWT line from Wimbledon to London Waterloo; track and signal-wise very good; i operated a complete set of SWT, Southern, London Underground and London Overground and First Capital Connect services; about 100 trains in total, but since i was using only existing or DS content, scenic-wise it's very innacurate.

My second model was of the closed Strathspey railway; a nice single-track line though pituresque Scotish Highlands; of course, having never been there a lot of the modelling came from staring at old photos and google-maps! So again, pretty inaccurate.

So i'm returning to my model of Southwest london (since i live hereabouts i thought that'd be much easer to survey) but working with the accuracy of modeling i gained from my strathspey model.


Right, enough of my life story.

I've started working with the GMax (trainz asset creation studio)to create custom content. Now, 3d modelling isn't a problem, since i work as a designer, but i'm having trouble getting to grips with Gmax's texturing and exporting functions. I'm currently importing my exising SketchUp/AutoCAD DTX coponent files into Gmax (no problems), assembling them and basically texuring but from there to getting them into the game is proving difficult. can anyone give me an 'idiots guide to gmax' that's a bit easier to use than auran's guide, which is rather confusing.

Oh, plus if anyone knows where i can get some good ready made southlondon trains (other than Andi06's excellent tube trains, Sqeak's SWT 455's, and nexusdj's FCC neon units let me know).... or if there's any good SWT station bits too!

Right, cheers all; i hope to get the mega-model out in under a year.

Thomas

I suggest having a look at Blender

http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Trainz/Tutorial_for_Blender#Newcomers_start_here

Read through Paul Hobbs first Blender tutorial. Texturing is easier.

Cheerio John

 

[Dinorius_Redundicus]

......assembling them and basically texuring but from there to getting them into the game is proving difficult........

Thomas

Sounds to me like it may not be a problem with gmax but a problem with the 'configuration' within Trainz (ie. writing the config.txt file). If so, then you'll have the same difficulty with Blender or any other program. Could that be correct? The answer will determine what sort of help you need from us.

~ Deane

 

[wklang]

The Gmax Brick Box tutorial at link:

http://www.worldoftrainz-downloads.com/garyp/gmaxtutorials/boxtutorial/boxtutorial.htm

was written in 2003 and suggests that the user invoke gmax via the Trainz Asset Creation Studio.

Is this still valid for the TS2010 environment?

Wes

 

[johnwhelan]

The Gmax Brick Box tutorial at link:

http://www.worldoftrainz-downloads.com/garyp/gmaxtutorials/boxtutorial/boxtutorial.htm

was written in 2003 and suggests that the user invoke gmax via the Trainz Asset Creation Studio.

Is this still valid for the TS2010 environment?

Wes

Yes but do yourself a favour and try Blender before putting to much effort into GMAX.

Cheerio John

 

[VinnyBarb]

G'day tlowthion1,

I (and a number of other 'members' here) have found the 3ds Max 5 Bible by Kelly L. Murdock, published by Wiley (ISBN 0-7645-3703-2) to be most illuminating, although you may not be able to get a new copy of it, these days. Do not be deterred by the 3ds Max 'association' Gmax is 3ds Max's smaller brother and although some things discussed in the book are not applicable to Gmax, much of it is, since Gmax was based on 3ds Max 4...

...if you can't get the 'version 5' publication, don't panic, a copy of the Bible for the latest version is still very much applicable...

...in fact, I recommend that you search these pages for references to this tome, you may be pleasantly surprised at what you find...

...speaking of tutorials, there should have been a number of tutorials available for download with Gmax (when you obtained it from Turbosquid) and you can always resort to using the so-called 'User Reference' - the Gmax equivalent of the standard 'Help' file...

Jerker {}

Amazon books and EBay (google for these) are excellent sources for new and secondhand 3DS Max books of all versions. Especially second hand older version books usually go dirt cheap on these sites, it is the mailing costs which often is more then the purchase price with some of these. If one goes along such route to buy, it might be prudent to make sure any published CDs or DVDs with mesh examples for these books are included with the books one wants to buy.

I bought some of these books for under US$10.00 dollars and nothing beats a book beside the computer while trying to work out some new techniques in GMax/3DS Max.

My 2 cents worth .

Cheers

VinnyBarb