The thing, is, they usually DON'T "preserve FPS"; the low-quality-textured content is, probably more often than not, the WORST for performance. Not because of the textures, per se, but because the content came from 3DWarehouse/Sketchup.
Poorly Painted Assets
- Thread starter boleyd
- Start date
The thing, is, they usually DON'T "preserve FPS"; the low-quality-textured content is, probably more often than not, the WORST for performance. Not because of the textures, per se, but because the content came from 3DWarehouse/Sketchup.
Yup and we learned the hard way after creating a bunch of, what appeared to be, very nice and quick models. Sadly, the nature of the beast being b-spline models and not polygon modeling produces a gazillion faces. Combine this with the way Sketch-up attaches textures and we have gigantic models with a gazillion textures. Some of the content-creators have been able to optimize these models, making the number of textures and polygons smaller.
It's not that these models can't be used, it's just recommended that we don't use a lot of them due to their complexity.
John
Hmm, I spend more time mucking around with textures than any other aspect of modelling. In fact I believe the easy part of making a model is the mesh or meshes. Getting the model to look right is another issue.
One of the issues for "painting" the model is trying to mimic the rendering as it might appear in Trainz. I don't know about 3DSMax, or Sketchup or that matter, but the Blender rendering tools do not produce the same visualisation as in Trainz. Consequently, I do a lot of "painting" tests. I've spent about three years working on different techniques and am still learning. It's not easy for someone with no artistic talent, such as me. :hehe:
There are two or three modellers whose creations I admire and use as a standard to achieve.
Cheers
One of the issues for "painting" the model is trying to mimic the rendering as it might appear in Trainz. I don't know about 3DSMax, or Sketchup or that matter, but the Blender rendering tools do not produce the same visualisation as in Trainz. Consequently, I do a lot of "painting" tests. I've spent about three years working on different techniques and am still learning. It's not easy for someone with no artistic talent, such as me. :hehe:
There are two or three modellers whose creations I admire and use as a standard to achieve.
Cheers
LNERlover5
Average Grad
Spot on. I reckon I'll be another month or two into my current project before it looks anywhere up to the standard we expect these days since I'm slowly learning various techniques and such. Even then it probably won't meet said standards since it's my first locomotive that I've actually managed to texture properly! :hehe: There are some of us whom are very talented at both the modelling aspect and the texture work that follows, an ability I wish I had!
Jack.
@Jcitron, RRSignal, Boleyd
I would actually point out that, though as a general rule I'm in agreement, as a Route builder looking for very specific things, I'm in the position of having to use Sketchup Models for things. Mostly landmark items, but I'm to a point where I'm using them for other things as well simply because nobody in 10 years of Modeling for Trainz has ever created a "Costco Store", or a "1 story Two city block sized Distribution/Transload Warehouse". Various attempts to get anything I could use even as a stand in have met with non-interest. And though I can certainly understand the reasons for this situation, nor do I point fingers at anyone, what else is one to do but use Sketchup Models if you can't find any other reasonable stand-in?
That said, I would also point out that there seems to be two categories of Sketchup models... The high poly ones, which are usually of decent-good quality, and eat tons of Resources (I have 2 Landmark Skyscrapers that clock 12K Polys between them on my primary project atm), and then the low quality ones which usually have fewer polys and eat far fewer resources as a result (Which are usually somewhere between incomplete and *ok-ish* background items). It sounds like the OP found one that had the misfortune of being High Poly and poor quality texture wise, but I personally can't say I've encountered many like that (I have found other issues, up to and including poor scaling, but there ya go, and I've found tons of Blender/Gmax created items that have been modeled well but had the misfortune of having poor work done on their Textures).
Anyway, as I said before, its all about perspective. Until such time as the community is able to furnish models of a desired minimum, or standard, quality with in any kind of time frame after a reasonable request (Again, not finger pointing, but noting a lack of a reliable way of getting content made), I will keep all options open for plugging holes on a route with out using my fingers..... Even if that means FPS suffers a bit for it.
Falcus
OK guys if you think this is too dumb just tell me to go back to my hole. Not being a model builder can some one explain to me what the difference is between blender and sketchup is as far as the way they work. Why does one produce such a drain on resources while the other one does not, or give me a link that would explain it. Looked for a link on our wonderful search engine and got my usual duh answer. I've sort of been fooling around with blender but I have the artistic talent of a dead ant. I was going to look at sketchup, but now I may just not bother, at my age I may be dead before I could make something useful. I do a lot of photo work with paint shop pro so I have some idea as how hard painting models must be, and boy doy I appericate everybodys efforts, dont't know how you people can have this kind of devotion.
Thans for all your efforts: George
Thans for all your efforts: George
johnwhelan
Well-known member
There are two major problems with sketchup, the first is textures each texture adds the equivalent of 200 polys, sketchup default seems to be one texture per face. The second is the way it works. Cross two planks to form a cross. In GMAX or Blender this will cost you 12 polys per rectangle, with sketchup it becomes a cube and four separate arms or five rectangles not two which is 60 polys not 24. The more complex the model the more polys get added so the poly count goes up very quickly.
Additionally the more control you have the easier it is to get better performance and with sketchup its very easy to accept the defaults.
Cheerio John
Just a quick thought here, although not sure if blender supports this. Try setting the ambient lighting in the scene (and the render) to approx RGB=70,70,70. This gives a pretty good representation of the default lighting in TS12
Regards
Thanks Zec. That's rather interesting. I will certainly look into that and try some test assets. It's not that difficult to make models look really great in Blender but the problem is converting that look into Trainz.
Cheers
If you make something and enjoy what you do, then it is useful. If you share it with someone and they like it then then it is very useful.
None of us are ever going to get any younger.
steamboateng
New member
This is a great thread, guys. And I candidly admit that textures is my greatest issue in content creation. It's selfishly comforting to know some of you have similar problems.
My approach to Sketch-Up is simple;..................I use it as intended; as a quick reference sketch! For complex buildings, I first make the model in Sketch-Up, which allows me to work in the spatial elements, doors, windows, chimneys, etc, and proportional sizing, if no drawing is available (usual case). I complete the model with few textures, then render it to one of the many artistic formats available in Sketch-up. I now have a model which I can use as a reference, taking dimensions from it to build the model in Blender. I use this method for buildings in our 'Hoosac Project', sending copies of the finished sketch to the museum folks at North Adams (Massachusetts) for their information and comments. John Citron, who works alongside me on the project is familiar with my 'sketchy' assets.
This approach saves time and minimizes frustrations when building assets from photos........OLD historic photos, in this case.
Regards to all and keep on Trainzin'
My approach to Sketch-Up is simple;..................I use it as intended; as a quick reference sketch! For complex buildings, I first make the model in Sketch-Up, which allows me to work in the spatial elements, doors, windows, chimneys, etc, and proportional sizing, if no drawing is available (usual case). I complete the model with few textures, then render it to one of the many artistic formats available in Sketch-up. I now have a model which I can use as a reference, taking dimensions from it to build the model in Blender. I use this method for buildings in our 'Hoosac Project', sending copies of the finished sketch to the museum folks at North Adams (Massachusetts) for their information and comments. John Citron, who works alongside me on the project is familiar with my 'sketchy' assets.
This approach saves time and minimizes frustrations when building assets from photos........OLD historic photos, in this case.
Regards to all and keep on Trainzin'