Newsletter learn how to model with Trainz

[johnwhelan]

It's always nice to see N3V being helpful.

Does any one know where you can still buy 3DS MAX 2008 by the way? The 2014 version which I understand doesn't have a Trainz exporter costs around $4,000 locally. I take it the lod example is for a car I love the lod version that is intended to be seen at 160 metres.

Has any one made something with these wheels? They look a little heavy on the poly count to me for my machine but I'm sure T2 will cope easily on any laptop.

Since we now know that Sketchup is capable of low poly assets perhaps N3V could create a tutorial on explaining how to do it?

Cheerio John

 

[amigacooke]

It would be nice if the newsletter that I'm subscribed to ever turned up.

 

[teddytoot]

Same here.

 

[rumour3]

John

I understand where you're coming from, but leaving aside the costs etc of 3d max I think it makes the point about the benefits of LOD pretty well. Even with pretty basic hardware, you can use 2 or 3k+ scenery items without too many problems, provided that they use LOD to degrade nicely into the distance. The modelling tool is up to you.

Edit: it's noteworthy that the article doesn't say 'just use Sketchup to grab something from the 3d Warehouse and export it into the game'. I wonder why not...?!

R3

 

[n8phu]

hmmm no newsletter here either....

 

[johnwhelan]

Edit: it's noteworthy that the article doesn't say 'just use Sketchup to grab something from the 3d Warehouse and export it into the game'. I wonder why not...?!

R3

Well why not, with what we now know about sketchup there might even be one or two useful low poly items in the 3d Warehouse.

Cheerio John

 

[Zeldaboy14]

John
...it's noteworthy that the article doesn't say 'just use Sketchup to grab something from the 3d Warehouse and export it into the game'. I wonder why not...?!

R3

And what is usually wrong with that?

 

[johnwhelan]

And what is usually wrong with that?

I think there is a asset from there with 500,000 poly count on the DLS with no lod its guaranteed to kill any machine that uses it and that is the concern about using Sketchup the very high poly counts it creates using the default settings.


Cheerio John

 

[sparky15]

Wings 3D is easier than Sketchup, free as well. Nice little modeling program for beginners like me. Honest question, why not start there?

 

[Zeldaboy14]

What's the name of the Asset? It surely can't be those Code Lyoko Scenery I uploaded last year.
EDIT: @sparky15 Hardly anyone knows about Wings 3D

 

[nikos1]

And what is usually wrong with that?

Because it just shows you are lazy and unable to make anything of your own. Would be great if there was a way to filter out sketchup content on the DLS.

 

[sparky15]

Because it just shows you are lazy and unable to make anything of your own. Would be great if there was a way to filter out sketchup content on the DLS.

Don't confuse lazy with the complex programs needed to make content for this sim. I'm sure you dove in and bought 3DMax just to make content for a video game. Sketchup is an easy alternative for some. Tell us where you started?

 

[Scitimar]

Does any one know where you can still buy 3DS MAX 2008 by the way?

Cheerio John

You can't legally purchase ( or acquire by any other means ) any version of 3ds Max other than the current 3ds Max 2014. You'll find the info at Autodesk. Adding a Subscription package to the initial purchase gets you the benefit of every release there after.

 

[nikos1]

Don't confuse lazy with the complex programs needed to make content for this sim. I'm sure you dove in and bought 3DMax just to make content for a video game. Sketchup is an easy alternative for some. Tell us where you started?

Since you didnt read the thread the original quote referred to pulling content straight off the google warehouse and importing it into Trainz, that IS lazy. I've done it and it takes all of 5 minutes max.

 

[sparky15]

Since you didnt read the thread the original quote referred to pulling content straight off the google warehouse and importing it into Trainz, that IS lazy. I've done it and it takes all of 5 minutes max.

I have read the thread. OP asked about a newsletter to TEACH Sketchup users. Not call them lazy.

 

[nikos1]

Clearly not the part that was referenced.

it's noteworthy that the article doesn't say 'just use Sketchup to grab something from the 3d Warehouse and export it into the game'. I wonder why not...?!

R3

 

[sparky15]

Clearly not the part that was referenced.

Sketchup is becoming a popular entry level 3D design program. The OP suggested helping new creators with it that want to create for Trainz. That would be lazy, huh?
Too bad he has a good idea that upsets you somehow.
Blaaaaaaah

 

[rumour3]

Johnwhelan's suggestion about a Sketchup tutorial is a good one. My tongue in cheek comment was meant to highlight that most models on the 3d warehouse are very badly optimised for game use, and that direct import into Trainz is usually not a good idea unless you're happy to have your system reduced to a slide show.

Low poly modelling in Sketchup requires a methodical approach and a lot of thinking ahead, in order to counter the natural tendency of the program to fuse edges and surfaces together. I personally think that this is harder than Blender, where you have complete control over how surfaces and vertices interact. However, I've no doubt that in the right hands Sketchup is capable of producing decent models for the game, as indeed are many other modelling programs. I've not seen Wings3D so can't comment on it's suitability for Trainz models, but if a Trainz exporter isn't available then it will be necessary to export in a format that can be read by another program in order to get the models into the game.

Blender and Max offer some features that, as far as I'm aware, aren't available in Sketchup. These include the ability to use normal mapped materials, and to bake lighting effects, such as ambient occlusion, into the texture image. In my opinion these should be looked upon as essential features for most new models, and creators should rule out learning any program that can't do these.

For me, Sketchup's main use is for roughing up quick block models from a Google map base, which are then imported into Blender for further refinement.

R3

 

[norfolksouthern37]

You can't legally purchase ( or acquire by any other means ) any version of 3ds Max other than the current 3ds Max 2014.

you can still get 2010 onward from Autodesk. you can also access versions as low as 2012 with a current subscription.

 

[teddytoot]

As the OP was talking about the latest newsletter and in spite of a previous thread some time ago about not getting newsletters and my re-selecting the newsletter option yet again, I am still not getting it, can anybody please give me an online link so I can read it.