trainboy2006
New member
What are some software program to design and produce Locomotives and rolling stock? Your help would be greatly appreciated, Thanks!
Shane
Shane
Interested in making my own content. Can You Help?
- Thread starter trainboy2006
- Start date
steamdrivre
Narrow gauge or nothing
You can also use 3D Canvas Pro, ($70), to create content with.
Blender is free to create with but am not sure if they have the exporter for it yet.
Paint.NET is a free graphics app and is quite good and a bit easier to learn then TheGimp.
As gfisher said, most everybody is using Gmax and it is the most supported of them all for content creation.
Blender is free to create with but am not sure if they have the exporter for it yet.
Paint.NET is a free graphics app and is quite good and a bit easier to learn then TheGimp.
As gfisher said, most everybody is using Gmax and it is the most supported of them all for content creation.
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johnwhelan
Well-known member
The game is changing, GMAX will not be able to create for TRS2009. There are two methods of creating for TRS2009, one is to use an 3ds exporter from Auran the other is to use the Auran XML importer.
Currently there is a Blender exporter available that exports XML for the Auran importer and that is the only one I'm aware of at the moment.
My suggestion would be to try the Blender tutorial in the wikibook to get a feel for it before making a major commitment into learning one or the other.
Cheerio John
This needs corrected.
You can create for 09 using gmax. you just won't be able to use it for the new features.
applegathc
NoT tHe StAtUeS!
3DS Max
Whadda bout 3DS Max?
Can't you use that?
Whadda bout 3DS Max?
Can't you use that?
johnwhelan
Well-known member
My understanding is TRS2009 uses a new native file format and that the current GMAX exporter is unable to create to that format, TRS2009 will be able to use content created for TC and TRS2006.
Cheerio John
John, you are correct that you can't use gmax for native 09 content. What I should have said is that you can still use gmax, you just can't utilize it for 09 features. As long as the content is rated for an earlier version, it should work fine in 09. Just don't expect alot of "eye candy" with it.
Zapper, I did read this somewhere but can't remember where it is. Wasn't this a small tutorial ?
Zapper, I did read this somewhere but can't remember where it is. Wasn't this a small tutorial ?
I think you are referring to the Paul Hobbs tutorial "Setting up Gmax" at http://www.44090digitalmodels.co.uk/Files/CC_Tutorials/CC_01_GMAX_Setup.pdf.
It doesn't seem to work as cleanly as Paul suggested though (at least not for me). The problem I had with this is that the exporter plugin is in a self extracting archive, which does extract the plugin, but fouls up gmax in the process. After running the plugin installer you have to copy the plugin somewhere safe, then re-install gmax, then copy the plugin back, then manually adjust the config as in Pauls tutorial. It all seems to work now, but the time it took to figure all that out ......
Have fun !
Dave Bird
It doesn't seem to work as cleanly as Paul suggested though (at least not for me). The problem I had with this is that the exporter plugin is in a self extracting archive, which does extract the plugin, but fouls up gmax in the process. After running the plugin installer you have to copy the plugin somewhere safe, then re-install gmax, then copy the plugin back, then manually adjust the config as in Pauls tutorial. It all seems to work now, but the time it took to figure all that out ......
Have fun !
Dave Bird
Of course you don't have to reinstall GMax - extract the exporter to a folder on your desktop and then copy it into GMax. My understanding is that you will still be able to use GMax to create models for TS2009, what you can't do is create normal maps inside GMax like you can with Blender and 3DS. This can be done using other software though, my Payware J50 for example has a bump map created outside GMax, the export was done using the Max exporters in GMax.
Paul
Paul
johnwhelan
Well-known member
The problem with gmax is the new poly sizes. Gmax has a bug if you export much over 50,000 polys. The new poly count for a station is 50,000 up from 300 for TRS6 this would put all roiling stock way over the safe export limit in gmax. You will also need to make a normal map by baking a texture. Making content to 09 standards will be much harder and take mush longer to make.
To create models greater than 50k poly, firstly create your model. Then subdivide into say 25k chunks, then export these seperatly, then use the config to re-combine them.
Hey presto a GMAX created model > 200k if ya want !!!
A bit of thought into this process could yield useful ways to create the other LOD models.
Hey presto a GMAX created model > 200k if ya want !!!
A bit of thought into this process could yield useful ways to create the other LOD models.