Making things for 2012
- Thread starter soggy
- Start date
I got started in G-Max with this simple Tutorial:
http://trainz.christrup.net/TRS/tut5.html
Cheers and Good Luck,
Dave Snow
http://trainz.christrup.net/TRS/tut5.html
Cheers and Good Luck,
Dave Snow
In general, the process is really pretty simple. You use a 3d modeling program to create the framework for the content; you use a image processing package to create the outside faces to map to the framework, you (optionally) create a few scripts to control different aspects of the content, and you bundle them all together, and import them to Trainz. But as with many things related to computers, the devil is in the details. At least two things are necessary to make content: working familiarity with an image processing software package, such as photoshop, GIMP, or Paint, and working knowledge of a 3d modeling package, such as GMAX, Blender, 3d Canvas, or 3ds MAX. If you want special effects, for example, sounds to play (which might be useful if you're modeling a small club which hosts music acts), you need some knowledge of programming to write scripts.
I started out with GMAX, as Dave Snow did, downloading the software at the Turbosquid.com website, and working through the tutorials. However, shortly after I started, I discovered that GMAX is an orphan program. You can still get the software, but as nearly as I can tell, no one is developing, or maintaining it. The upside to this is that it is a static program, and you know future development is not going to make your files unusable. The downside is that if (when) it happens that a conflict develops with a future operating system, there is will be no fixes, either, so it is highly unlikely that there will be a 64 bit GMAX. My choice, since I had no more than a few hours in GMAX, was to look for a product in which there would be future support and development, and preferably would be open source and user supported, and so I switched to Blender. But Blender and GMAX are not the only choices available. Some are using Google's Sketchup program, and there is a relatively inexpensive payware program, 3dcrafter (formerly 3d canvas), which has the capability of creating files for Trainz. When I bought a copy, I believe I paid about a hundred dollars, or so, for the full fledged package but it may be less now. The officially supported product is the one Auran uses, a commercial product, 3ds MAX, which has an expensive license fee. To avoid shocking you, I'll leave it to warn you that it's a lot, and let you find the amount on your own.
ns
I started out with GMAX, as Dave Snow did, downloading the software at the Turbosquid.com website, and working through the tutorials. However, shortly after I started, I discovered that GMAX is an orphan program. You can still get the software, but as nearly as I can tell, no one is developing, or maintaining it. The upside to this is that it is a static program, and you know future development is not going to make your files unusable. The downside is that if (when) it happens that a conflict develops with a future operating system, there is will be no fixes, either, so it is highly unlikely that there will be a 64 bit GMAX. My choice, since I had no more than a few hours in GMAX, was to look for a product in which there would be future support and development, and preferably would be open source and user supported, and so I switched to Blender. But Blender and GMAX are not the only choices available. Some are using Google's Sketchup program, and there is a relatively inexpensive payware program, 3dcrafter (formerly 3d canvas), which has the capability of creating files for Trainz. When I bought a copy, I believe I paid about a hundred dollars, or so, for the full fledged package but it may be less now. The officially supported product is the one Auran uses, a commercial product, 3ds MAX, which has an expensive license fee. To avoid shocking you, I'll leave it to warn you that it's a lot, and let you find the amount on your own.
ns