content creation

In a past post I revealed that I was into TRS10 but circumstances prevented me from pursuing the hobby, which I had to give up for a while. Back then, I created models, which required the diffuse map and the normal map to produce assets and I made a lot of them. Years later, I got into TRS19 and ran into this this PBR thing and I went through the torture of learning how to use the new process, starting with simple models. While looking at the selections in the download station, I noticed that almost all of the assets are legacy, suggesting that there are virtually no free PBR offerings and I now understand why that is. Just off the top of my head, using Blender 2.9 and GIMP, it takes approximately 18 files to generate the required asset process that TRS19 requires. My hat off to those who have slogged through the muck that has led them to mastering the new asset creation procedures.

Best to all,

Rejected Spike

Hiya Spike,


On my return (after 11 years) I noticed actually the basics haven't changed at all.
It just looks better because of the new engine E2 instead of jet.
You can still make content the way you are used to (i do)
and even the old stuff looks better.


I don't take my hat off(or mask), I just ask them to think first haha.


The key is to have fun with Trainz (specially in these covid times)
if you have any questions, I'll be glad to answer
greetings GM

G.M. said:

You can still make content the way you are used to (i do)
and even the old stuff looks better.

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For some things yes, but for other items (and the list of those items will be getting longer) the bar has been raised. Adding LOD data in scenery assets, for example, has long been a practical necessity and while it is currently optional it will, according to N3V, eventually become mandatory. Other advanced graphical features, such as PBR textures in assets, will probably also become mandatory.

All of this needs skills, time, patience and money that many current creators do not possess. Some of the software needed for these new features is not cheap. Although the example of 3D rendering gives some hope - Blender (and earlier, GMax) provided "us poor amateurs" with free versions of the often impossibly expensive CAD software available to the professionals.

It becomes a balancing act - to survive N3V needs to stay ahead of the competition and attract new customers. One way to do that is with better looking more realistic graphics (yes, we do judge our books by their covers) but the penalty is that asset creation becomes harder for those of us who are used to the old ways of making things. People tend to forget that even back in the days of GMax creating a high quality steam locomotive could easily take a year of your time.

And now just about anyone with a computer can (For free) make high quality assets in less than a month. Modern software make pbr texturing easy. There's no way I would ever go back to the old way of doing things...

I used to think the same way until I took it and gradually mastered it. It turns out that everything is not so difficult! You just need to want, the eyes are scared - but the hands are doing.

RejectedSpike said:

... Years later, I got into TRS19 and ran into this this PBR thing and I went through the torture of learning how to use the new process, starting with simple models. While looking at the selections in the download station, I noticed that almost all of the assets are legacy, suggesting that there are virtually no free PBR offerings and I now understand why that is. Just off the top of my head, using Blender 2.9 and GIMP, it takes approximately 18 files to generate the required asset process that TRS19 requires. My hat off to those who have slogged through the muck that has led them to mastering the new asset creation procedures.
...

Click to expand...

Like most things it takes time for content creators to move from one technology to another. Apart from LOD, we had FBX to contend with but that turned out to be relatively easy except for animation which is somewhat more difficult.

PBR certainly sounds scary but once you get your head around what albedo, roughness, metalicity, and perhaps height, you soon realise it isn't that hard at all. The changes to Blender mean that Trainz Blender users can now use much more functionality than before. If you haven't done so then some experimentation with the shader node editor and the BSDF Principled shader might be of value. There is a $15 addon called Bake Wrangler that will bake all the textures you need for Trainz PBR with just one button press. Way easier than messing around with GIMP.

You might want to check out the Trainz Discord server which has a couple of content development channels. Some of the stuff guys are producing and are displayed there is amazing.

RejectedSpike said:

Years later, I got into TRS19 and ran into this this PBR thing and I went through the torture of learning how to use the new process, starting with simple models. While looking at the selections in the download station, I noticed that almost all of the assets are legacy, suggesting that there are virtually no free PBR offerings and I now understand why that is. Just off the top of my head, using Blender 2.9 and GIMP, it takes approximately 18 files to generate the required asset process that TRS19 requires. My hat off to those who have slogged through the muck that has led them to mastering the new asset creation procedures.

Click to expand...

I'd disagree strongly that content creation has become harder. If you really want to suffer just go back to using GMax... Yes, you need a lot of files for PBR materials but if it's too much trouble simply use the same parameter and normal map files for all of your assets - you'll be missing out on what you could have achieved but the assets will still look better in TS19 than they would have done in earlier versions. Quixel Mixer is free and will generate the necessary files in the correct formats for you, no need to mess around in GIMP.

pware said:

Other advanced graphical features, such as PBR textures in assets, will probably also become mandatory.

All of this needs skills, time, patience and money that many current creators do not possess. Some of the software needed for these new features is not cheap. Although the example of 3D rendering gives some hope - Blender (and earlier, GMax) provided "us poor amateurs" with free versions of the often impossibly expensive CAD software available to the professionals.

Click to expand...

Skills, time and patience yes, but money no. Blender is free and Quixel Mixer is also free will create the PBR texture files for you. Quixel is not as good or as flexible as Substance Painter, but it comes down to how valuable your time is to you. I have hundreds of assets that need PBR materials pronto so I will use Substance in the future, but nobody is forcing you to do the same.

Paul

paulhobbs said:

I'd disagree strongly that content creation has become harder. If you really want to suffer just go back to using GMax... Yes, you need a lot of files for PBR materials but if it's too much trouble simply use the same parameter and normal map files for all of your assets - you'll be missing out on what you could have achieved but the assets will still look better in TS19 than they would have done in earlier versions. Quixel Mixer is free and will generate the necessary files in the correct formats for you, no need to mess around in GIMP.Skills, time and patience yes, but money no. Blender is free and Quixel Mixer is also free will create the PBR texture files for you. Quixel is not as good or as flexible as Substance Painter, but it comes down to how valuable your time is to you. I have hundreds of assets that need PBR materials pronto so I will use Substance in the future, but nobody is forcing you to do the same.

Paul

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I would agree, Mixer and blender have made content creations so much more accessible for all. if it weren't for these two software, I would have never tried entering content creation.

I also think CAD software is a bit impractical for trainz, as the level of detail doesn't require such accuracy and precision. Dealing with CAD software (from the experience of others) can also be quite time consuming compared to blender.

Also, Those are some beautiful models, OlegKhim.

It will take time to get used to PBR stuff.
GMAX is dead horse, the era is of Blender.

RailRoadEngineer said:

...
GMAX is dead horse, the era is of Blender.

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The ghost of Ben Dorsey is likely to appear and argue that. I tried for years to get him to swap but no deal. He didn't like LOD either. Wish he was still around.

RailRoadEngineer said:

It will take time to get used to PBR stuff.
GMAX is dead horse, the era is of Blender.

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For new content creators I would agree but there are plenty who still work in GMAX.

Cheerio John

I don't agree that it's easier. I'm sure people will fight me on it as well....they always do. You are asked to make professional grade content and hand it over to N3V. It seems very few are taking the time to do that. If you look at the DLStation very little new content is being created. It seems to be mostly just upgrades of older content. The majority that is being uploaded is still TS2012 or TANE content...there is a very good reason for that. It's simply much easier to create. Even if you do manage to create something for TRS2019 it's most likely that few will download it without have a first class ticket due to it's overwhelming file size thanks to the PBR texture requirements. For me using the PBR format is a waste of time on a simple bridge or building. It zaps the fun right out of what made Trainz fun in the first place. TRS2019 is a good product, but looking at from a content creative perspective, I'll stick with Tane's standards. I was all gung ho at one point on learning the new TRS2019 process, but I see now it's not really worth it.

I am a former user of GMAX in the MSTS days, the program was good for assets creation.
Regarding learning of Blender, I took my time, when I started learning I prefer a well designed course on Udemy regarding Blender as on Youtube we do not have a proper pattern of playlist as someone take random topics on Blender and make videos and playlists & at the end we are not getting proper exposure.
Here is the link if you are interested to learn Blender in a proper way with examples from Zero to Hero - https://www.udemy.com/course/the-blender-encyclopedia/


Here is another free course from the same author - https://www.udemy.com/course/combat-knife-3d-game-model-asset-in-blender-and-substance-painter/