Okay, so now what......?

[Cactushead]

I read the posts on the Google Sketchup, and went to the forum link provided, but am still just as clueless as before. Where do I find Google Sketchup, and does it contain a user manual? And a how to download manual, etc etc? I have the link to download rubyTmix, but am going to hold off doing that until I find more info on Sketchup, and try it out a few times. So, can anybody provide me a link to Google Sketchup? WHAT AM I SAYING!! Of course somebody has that link. A lot of somebodies in fact. After all, this is the trainz forum. Right?

 

[RRSignal]

First, let me just mention, since it needs repeating, that you have to be really careful if you're going to get models off 3DWarehouse. Lots are hi-poly and/or use gigantic textures which are hard on performance, many models are extremely low-quality, and there seem to be lots of people flooding the DLS with non-nightmoded assets which is also a big problem for many. I strongly advise against 3dWarehouse unless you know what you're doing and willing to put some major work into an asset to get it Trainz-worthy. That said, if you type in "Sketchup" into Google, it'll be on the fourth line that comes up, I think it's up to version 8 now. I know it's available for Windows and Mac.

 

[Cactushead]

Well, and Hmmmm. I did notice that some of the pictures of assets made with sketchup looked a little, shall we say, less than acceptable. Sounds like it wouldn't be worth the effort. Maybe if I wait long enuff, someone will come out with "Gmax for Dummies."

 

[steamboateng]

'Blender for Dummies' is available. But online tutes are sooo much better!

 

[RRSignal]

I don't believe what you see is a limitation of the software itself. It's capable of very high-quality work - see some of my Philly skyscrapers for proof, like Liberty Place or Independence Hall. But it, by design, is geared towards amateurs who don't need or can't grasp software much more complex. It's sort of what Windows Notepad is to word processors - easy, but very basic. But it's sufficient if you want to do basic scenery objects, perhaps combined with some basic nightmoding techniques.


That said, Blender's actually easy to learn. I hated the interface at first (and I'm big on interfaces, which is one of many reasons why I probably won't ever upgrade beyond Windows XP.) But you can master it in a few hours. The one and only "gotcha" I ran into - which I never knew about till Mick Berg pointed it out - is that, when texturing, there's a little dialog you have to change to UV (mapping) instead of "Generated."

Frankly, modelling in Blender is a heckuva lot of fun!

 

[Euphod]

I think Sketchup is a great stepping off point for content creation. Station Mistress and Bob Cass have gotten their content into trainz through that avenue, and you would want to "start small" anyway. A shed, a small house, something not too complicated until the program is well and truely learned.

Of course, if someone doesn't know where to find a program like "Google Sketchup", or "Google Earth", then perhaps building content is not as intuitive as one might think!

 

[angelah]

Sketchup prog

I found it on the Internet without any difficulty and the tutes as well. Got quite a lot of stuff down and had a look at the program to see what it was like, more out of curiosity than anything else.
Yes, it works, but seems to rely on high poly counts mainly due to the textures perhaps.
It is a 3D program so will have more or less the same controls as both gmax and Blender.
So having had a look I closed Sketchup and reopened gmax, which I shall continue to use until I pop my clogs I expect.
I did try Blender but the manual I bought to go with it wasn't very clear or was for an earlier version to the working prog I downloaded.
Gmax does all I want and much, much more. I have only scratched the surface really and made an awful lot of assets in the process and it didn't take long to learn it all things considered, although with quite a bit of help from other gmaxers on the forum and a major content creator via email. Somebody (theoretically) by your elbow is a great help.
What I see when looking at a Sketchup model is a great similarity with those old printed card models you could buy, cut out and glue together for a model railway layout. This may be due to the texturing and not the actualy abilities of the program to manipulate objects within the build screen though.
I downloaded the Paddington station model but it is of no use at all without major work and even then it would be questionable, so I shall continue plodding away at my own gmax version and maybe one day it will be completed, who knows, it is a very complex building to make in 3D.
In the meantime I am continuing with the umpteen houses, shops and small businesses for the third section of my WCL route.

My twopennyworth,

Angela