Auran TGV SE Update

frogpipe

Yesterdayz Trainz Member
Auran's Original TGV Overhaul Project
SNCF TGV SE Enhanced
(TGV-PSE Enh)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SNCF_TGV_Sud-Est
The SNCF TGV Sud-Est or TGV-PSE was a French high speed TGV train built by Alstom and operated by SNCF, the French national railway company. It is a semi-permanently coupled electric multiple unit and was built for operation between Paris and the south-east of France.

Summary
With N3Vs kind permission and GDennish's timely assistance supplying the source meshes that Auran apparently released years ago, I am updating and tidying up the old Auran TGV train set. (<kuid:-25:103>,<kuid:-25:104>,<kuid:-25:105>,<kuid:-25:106>, and <kuid:-25:107>)

Background / History
Introduced in Trainz v1.3, and later updated with visble interiors, it was never overly detailed by todays standards, but it's iconic profile is certainly recognizable.

I am compelled to embark on this project by the fact that it was this very train that my grandfather had among his collection of N-Scale trains when I was a kid. Sadly, the grand layout he had planned for so many years never really even got started as he was diagnosed with cancer shortly after he finally started building it. Had his model railroad been built this train, with it's iconic eye catching livery would have travelled around it's perimeiter carrying imaginary people to imaginary places far away from the town of Ball, at the foot of Knight Falls and the shores of Wash Basin.

Plan Overview
Some years ago I did a basic debugging to get the original working is TS12, but now that I have access to the original source I can tidy things up, correct what are now errors but probably didn't matter back in the early 2000s, and reexport the models and add scripting and other updates to make it what I think it should be to meet basic standards today.

Project Road Map
Phase 1


  • [*=1]Basic model corrections (correct attachment points, correct materials settings, etc.)
    [*=1]Add basic features (now built in running numbers and taillights)
    [*=1]Fix broken animations
    [*=1]Add LOD models
Phase 2


  • [*=1]Update textures to higher resolution more inline with today's models
    [*=1]Upgrade coach interiors with more correct seating and texturing

Phase 3


  • [*=1]Upgrade the interior cabview model
    [*=1]Add new passenger interior cabview model

The end of this post, and the posts to follow, will document my progress on a more or less daily basis - Covid-19 Quarentine Lite protocls have left me with time on my hands.

I'm still using the original textures, and I've spent a good bit of the day figuring out my workflow for using the now very outdated GMAX exporter with TRS2019, but after all that and some brute force editing of the texture.txt files and textures I've gotten it down to this:


(Commentary below each image)



Left: Latest rendering, devoid of another other updates.
Middle: Updated but the old model (as evidenced by disparity between the door and body and new the light over the cockpit).
Right: Original Auran asset from the DLS. (Weirdly, unusable in TS12, but loads now?)



This is the gloss I spoke of, both models seen here are originals.



My re-export on the left, original on the right. It looks a bit chalky and washed out, but it's consistent now.
 
There was actually a detailed payware version of the TGV-PSE with a TGV-R cab by the (late) site La France en Trains.

This is actually the train with which I always played with in Trainz when I was younger. Very sentimental to me too. Good luck with your project!
 
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