SolidWorks

[NevadaNorthernFan901]

Hello Community,

I have been planning to buy SolidWorks for a while now, and I have some questions of concern.
1. Can SolidWorks be used to make models for TS12?
2. Can models be exported from SolidWorks to TS12 and be animated and work in TS12?

Thanks,

NNF901

 

[hminky]

I make models in Pro-Engineer and added texture in Blender:

Never could get the hang of making a model in Blender.

OBJ or DXF works for exporting and importing into Blender.

Harold

 

[NevadaNorthernFan901]

Thanks for the info, I am interested in using SolidWorks because it is almost the platform for the program I used in school which was Autodesk Inventer which is about $1,500.00.

 

[hminky]

PTC has Creo Elements for free:

http://www.ptc.com/products/creo-elements-direct/modeling-express/

It requires an internet connection to work but is free. Lots of people find that objectionable.

It is parametric so the model can be changed by changing the dimensions. The models can be exported to Blender:

Harold

 

[martinvk]

Hello Community,

I have been planning to buy SolidWorks for a while now, and I have some questions of concern.
1. Can SolidWorks be used to make models for TS12?

Yes if the next is true

2. Can models be exported from SolidWorks to TS12 and be animated and work in TS12?

Thanks,

NNF901

You will need an exporter that converts your mesh file into the native Trainz file format. Only a few programs have these so you will end up having to export into another programs' file format or hope that one of the other programs can read SolidWorks files. GMAX, 3DStudio, Blender are able to export directly to Trainz.

Unless you will be using SolidWorks for other purposes, why do you want to use it for Trainz? Since every program has a learning curve, is it really worth it when every modification of the object will have to through the same multistage transformation? I don't think I've ever made an object that didn't go through many changes and adjustments.

 

[hminky]

Yes if the next is true
Unless you will be using SolidWorks for other purposes, why do you want to use it for Trainz? Since every program has a learning curve, is it really worth it when every modification of the object will have to through the same multistage transformation? I don't think I've ever made an object that didn't go through many changes and adjustments.

If you already know how to use an engineering modeler it is easier to make a mesh in that engineering modeler. Most engineering modelers export a format that is accepted by Blender or 3dCrafer: obj, dxf, wrl, etc.

Texturing the mesh in Blender or 3dCrafter and exporting it into Trainz from there is easy.

Making meshes in a parametric engineering modeler is much quicker than "artsy" modelers.

Harold

 

[NevadaNorthernFan901]

I have worked with SolidWorks for over 3 years in school, and I want to get back to using it again. I am really good at it, and the program is quite easy to use.

 

[martinvk]

As long as you realize that the route from SolidWorks to Trainz has to go via another program and that probably includes all the texturing and possibly animation although someone can correct me on this.

Since my creation style involves a lot of iteration, getting closer and closer to the finished object, I would find the roundabout method a pain. But like you say, you really know how to use SolidWorks so it might be easier for you. Good luck and looking forward to see some of your creations.

 

[NevadaNorthernFan901]

Thanks for the commet martinvk and hminky about the SolidWorks program and my questions. From my experience with SolidWorks it is by far easier to use than Blender or Gmax. I think it is well worth the $150-$200 for it.

 

[hminky]

Leeferr uses Microstation for mesh creation:

http://forums.auran.com/trainz/showthread.php?67859-Yes-a-berkshire

There is hope for us on the unbeaten track

Harold

 

[johnwhelan]

Thanks for the commet martinvk and hminky about the SolidWorks program and my questions. From my experience with SolidWorks it is by far easier to use than Blender or Gmax. I think it is well worth the $150-$200 for it.

What sort of content are you intending to make eventually? The reason I ask is the conversion process usually isn't perfect. Solidworks looks like it is designed to create machined parts so the poly count might not matter, this is different to real time rendering. Sketchup creates reasonable looking models but the poly count is very high because of the way it is configured. Can you control the number of sides on a cylinder etc.

You can use sub assemblies in Blender ie just drag components in and it is free. Textures are usually a major problem area no matter which tool you use.

Much of the time you spent learning solidworks you spent learning concepts and if you switch to another tool you'll find that creation in many ways is similar, a cylinder is a cylinder, the steps to creation might be slightly different but not by much.

Cheerio John

 

[hminky]

When you export from a "mechanical engineering" modeler there is control over the number of faces in curved faces in the exporter.

I made a freight car wheelset in 3ds Max from a tutorial on a Trainz site. I made one in AutoCad Mechanical Designer and Pro-Engineer. All three had the same number of polys. The AutoCad had the advantage of being able to be put directly in 3ds Max.

Making meshes with a "parametric" modeler is so much simpler than any of the "artsy modelers". My 3ds max, Gmax, 3dCanvas and Blender versions of the wheelset took forever and requires too much hair pulling. It took fifteen minutes to make the wheelset in ProE. The texturing is the easy part.

Harold

 

[NevadaNorthernFan901]

What sort of content are you intending to make eventually? The reason I ask is the conversion process usually isn't perfect. Solidworks looks like it is designed to create machined parts so the poly count might not matter, this is different to real time rendering. Sketchup creates reasonable looking models but the poly count is very high because of the way it is configured. Can you control the number of sides on a cylinder etc.

You can use sub assemblies in Blender ie just drag components in and it is free. Textures are usually a major problem area no matter which tool you use.

Much of the time you spent learning solidworks you spent learning concepts and if you switch to another tool you'll find that creation in many ways is similar, a cylinder is a cylinder, the steps to creation might be slightly different but not by much.

Cheerio John

Hello John, I plan on making buildings (mines, ore houses, industries and ect...) and Railroad related items such as locomotives and rollingstock, like this http://www.gouldstudios.com/loco_Tenmile.html. And maybe I will take requests. I believe i can still over come the obsticles with importing content into TS12, if not I love to make models on the programs.

When you export from a "mechanical engineering" modeler there is control over the number of faces in curved faces in the exporter.

I made a freight car wheelset in 3ds Max from a tutorial on a Trainz site. I made one in AutoCad Mechanical Designer and Pro-Engineer. All three had the same number of polys. The AutoCad had the advantage of being able to be put directly in 3ds Max.

Making meshes with a "parametric" modeler is so much simpler than any of the "artsy modelers". My 3ds max, Gmax, 3dCanvas and Blender versions of the wheelset took forever and requires too much hair pulling. It took fifteen minutes to make the wheelset in ProE. The texturing is the easy part.

Harold

Thanks for that piece of information Harold.

 

[johnwhelan]

Hello John, I plan on making buildings (mines, ore houses, industries and ect...) and Railroad related items such as locomotives and rollingstock, like this http://www.gouldstudios.com/loco_Tenmile.html. And maybe I will take requests. I believe i can still over come the obsticles with importing content into TS12, if not I love to make models on the programs.

On the loco my gut feel would be go with 3DS or Blender. When you do a conversion you basically take a subset of both programs, and the conversion process typically isn't perfect. This is general for any software, Microsoft Word to Wordperfect for example. The trickest bit will be the textures I use Blender in a limited way but there are people who know the ins and outs of normal mapping and the newer texture tools.

Have a read through this thread: http://forums.auran.com/trainz/showthread.php?88053-Material-and-texture-settings-in-Blender

What you're looking for are links to the sort of advanced texturing that is being done these days and that's what you'll need to get the loco out.

The concern I'd have is if you pick a tool then find it limits you in some way. If you are just creating houses or small scenery objects this wouldn't be so much of a concern.

Cheerio John

 

[NevadaNorthernFan901]

Thanks John for the information regarding the texturing and mapping, I'll take a look at that link. I have some experience with locos in SolidWorks, as I built the Carson & Colorado 2-8-0 #1 for a class project.

 

[paulzmay]

I've used both Inventor and Solidworks professionally, and Inventor for some of my creations.

As John said, the conversion process can be something of a pain, and I'm not sure of any common file format that will allow you to texture in Solidworks (and to be fair I really don't think much of the texture mapping ability of SW). Note that it is much more efficient to map parts of a single image (material) to the different parts of you model, rather than using a large number of individual textures.

The biggest issue is that, depending on how you go about it, it's quite possible to end up with very poly-heavy models becasue of the way that solid modellers divide up part meshes. I've just done an experiment in SW with two cubes overlapping at the corners. If the cubes are modelled as two features of the same part, the export sees 'L'' shaped surfaces where they intersect that can only be exported as 4 triangles. If they are modelled as two cubic parts of an assembly, then the hidden parts of the faces remain intact, and there is a total count of 12 square faces. Even knowing this, it can often be very hard to minimise poly count. You will certainly need to obtain a working knowledge of Blender, GMax or 3DS Max in order to make the final touches.

Paul

 

[NevadaNorthernFan901]

paulzmay,

Thanks for that infomation i will keep it in mind. I am also good at minimizing faces on SolidWorks.

NNF