Howdy, all;
We all know what 2009 did to the old venerable process of making trees and bushes. Anyone looking at such assets in 2009 Surveyor, can see the "glass"
panels on which the bush or tree picture is painted. Even in compatibility mode, the rendering ain't all that great.
As everyone who uses 2009, knows by now, there is one tree in Surveyor that represents the "new and improved" way of doing things. And, if you go about making a 3D tree, even a little one, be ready to spend more time per tree than is worth the effort, unless you're a fanatic or are getting paid for your time. Moreover, you really have to be very adept at using the 3D program of your choice to make such items--I know, I used both, Blender and gmax.
Only gmax has the Line function, which allows you to draw a freehand shape that you can convert into a mesh. That, done, one can create the correct the size, apply a picture then use the old-fashioned cross-panel method that makes relatively okay tree and bush renditions. Using a mesh, unless you very carefully design the picture for that mesh, you can't have the edge effect on a tree and bush as you did in earlier versions of Trainz.
Though I agree that having better graphics does enhance the Trainzing experience, I wonder, how many people pause to examine a tree while they are driving a train?
So, what to do about the tree and bush problem? Well, someone has come out with a tree pack. Already, some are unhappy with the assortment offered. Clearly, someone has the time and the patience to sit there, creating trees and such. That person is not me, that's for sure.
Since I don't hang my Trainzing experience solely on trees and bushes, (I'm too busy keeping the schedule and watching to make sure that the points ahead are set properly), I'll make that stuff, one tedious item at a time. That makes for a rather bare baseboard but, hey, that's me.
I agree, they should have left the old fashioned way of doing things, in 2009. Remember, photo-realism didn't save MSTS2. If that was so important, they would have kept on going with the project, rather than shutting it down because times are bad.
By the way, I gave up on gmax and became a full-time Blender user, until I tried to make a bush. Now, gmax is back on my computer and I'm practicing making bushes. So, that's my take on this matter.
Ahh, don't ask to see my creations--they ain't that good, folks.
Cheers,
srude
We all know what 2009 did to the old venerable process of making trees and bushes. Anyone looking at such assets in 2009 Surveyor, can see the "glass"
panels on which the bush or tree picture is painted. Even in compatibility mode, the rendering ain't all that great.
As everyone who uses 2009, knows by now, there is one tree in Surveyor that represents the "new and improved" way of doing things. And, if you go about making a 3D tree, even a little one, be ready to spend more time per tree than is worth the effort, unless you're a fanatic or are getting paid for your time. Moreover, you really have to be very adept at using the 3D program of your choice to make such items--I know, I used both, Blender and gmax.
Only gmax has the Line function, which allows you to draw a freehand shape that you can convert into a mesh. That, done, one can create the correct the size, apply a picture then use the old-fashioned cross-panel method that makes relatively okay tree and bush renditions. Using a mesh, unless you very carefully design the picture for that mesh, you can't have the edge effect on a tree and bush as you did in earlier versions of Trainz.
Though I agree that having better graphics does enhance the Trainzing experience, I wonder, how many people pause to examine a tree while they are driving a train?
So, what to do about the tree and bush problem? Well, someone has come out with a tree pack. Already, some are unhappy with the assortment offered. Clearly, someone has the time and the patience to sit there, creating trees and such. That person is not me, that's for sure.
Since I don't hang my Trainzing experience solely on trees and bushes, (I'm too busy keeping the schedule and watching to make sure that the points ahead are set properly), I'll make that stuff, one tedious item at a time. That makes for a rather bare baseboard but, hey, that's me.
I agree, they should have left the old fashioned way of doing things, in 2009. Remember, photo-realism didn't save MSTS2. If that was so important, they would have kept on going with the project, rather than shutting it down because times are bad.
By the way, I gave up on gmax and became a full-time Blender user, until I tried to make a bush. Now, gmax is back on my computer and I'm practicing making bushes. So, that's my take on this matter.
Ahh, don't ask to see my creations--they ain't that good, folks.
Cheers,
srude