A question about Blender of how hard is it to make a locomotive...

I've got a question,
how hard is it to make a locomotive on Blender?

Do you need to get the files, scripting, etc. in order?
Just wondering.

It's difficult but not impossible. You will need:
1. Some experience with Blender and there are numerous tutorials on the Internet but start with those that do basic mesh modelling.
2. Some Blender experience of creating the materials and their textures (image files).
3. An understanding of how a Trainz locomotive asset is put together. Study a typical locomotive config which defines the loco with all its meshes, materials, and dependencies.
4. You may not need a script. Locomotives have a default behaviour and you only need a script if you want to change that behaviour.

There are, AFAIK, no tutorials to create a locomotive other than Paul Hobbs' tutorial for a steam loco. I'm not aware of any tutorials for diesels/electric locos. The probable reason is that it would be quite a large number of tutorials and no one has the time or inclination to make them. They also go out of date very quickly.

Most who respond this thread will tell you to go and make houses or other simple scenery objects first. I agree with that.

Okay, thanks for your help!

I'm no expert by any means, but here are a few tips:

1. modifiers. there are 50-ish of them and each of them serves different functions. i find boolean, mirror, solidify, array, and bevel to be extremely useful. Don't forget to apply them once you're happy
2. start with something small, like a flat car, or a shunter.
3. use path for stuff like cables and hoses (shift + a > curve > path. bezier curves should also work well)

a few controls you need to now:
1. Middle click (alt + lmb if you don't have a 3-click mouse) to rotate the camera. hold shift to pan
2. Numpad . (dot) to center your camera on an object
3. Numpad / (slash) to isolate the selected objects (useful when focusing on small details on a complicated model, or can be used to see obstructed objects)
4. Shift + A to add objects. X or Delete to delete objects
5. advanced editing can be done via Edit Mode (press Tab, and you should see a menu for switching between modes)
6. join multiple objects using Ctrl J.
7. E to extrude and creates a new segment. use Alt + E to see more extrude options
8. G to grab, R to rotate, S to scale. you can also press either x, y, or z to constraint it to that axis, you can also type numbers. say i want to rotate a cube on the x axis by 45 degrees. i can just press, r, x, 45. you can also press - (negative/minus sign) to rotate it the other way. you can use Escape to cancel this action.
9. save often
10. Inset using I. useful for creating windows/holes within an object.
11. Use B to select things using click and drag. Use C to select things by clicking over them (kind of like drawing), useful for a lot of objects in one small space.
12. Shift + Click to select multiple things.

That's all I can think of.

Best advice is to give it a go and see how you get on. Maybe start off with something simple and don't expect your first few models to be master pieces, but the only way to learn is by trying it out.

It depends.

https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Trainz/Tutorial_for_Blender is old and works only for Blender 2.79b. Later versions use .fbx format which is different. The moving house tutorial basically starts you off with a scenery object and gets it to move on the rails.

Rolling stock is split into two parts. The bit on top and the wheels or bogies. Generally only the bogies are animated.

If you can recycle someone else's bogies that saves working out the animation bit. If you're building a steam loco then look at Paul Hobb's tutorial.

It is extremely unlikely your first model will be perfect. You'll learn about texture sizes and LOD etc as you work, also poly counts. Curves can eat up polys but using smoothing you can make reasonable looking models without a high poly count.

You don't need to know anything about modifiers. They are useful but not essential.

I'd start with a reskin. That gets your feet wet on editing the config.txt file and remember there is a steep learning curve.

Cheerio John

You also need a paint type program to make the textures. Making the mesh is about 1/4 of making things. Also how you make something also depends on what Trainz you have.

I would agree with everything that has been noted. As Paul has said the only tutorial on building a locomotive is Paul Hobb’s tutorial. As excellent as it is it leaves several challenges. One is that it was last updated for Blender version 2.73 and Blender now has a new quite different user interface. For me the biggest hurtle I think is that I can't find schematics to follow.

I think that to creating a locomotive would be like painting the Mona Lisa and thus probably not the projects to start with if you have never painted before. Creating assets is more like driving a locomotive. You have to start off slowly and pick up speed slowly. Otherwise you just end up spinning your wheels and likely get nowhere.

As a Covid lockdown project I have been attempting to produce a series of tutorials for using Blender 2.9+ to create Trainz 2019 assets (Blender 2.9+ beginners Course for Making Trainz Assets).

http://doug56.net/Blender2.9+Course00Index/

There are now five models you can have a go at creating, Freight Crate, Fruit Box, Shipping Trunk, Grain Sack, and Milk Can. Two more are nearing completion, Whiskey Barrel and Luggage Burrow. Each introduces new tools and techniques so you can progressively build up your skills. The idea is to eventually incorporate them into a station scene. Who knows maybe someday I’ll find the schematics, time and skill to create a locomotive to place in the scene.

Cayden

How hard is it to make a locomotive in Blender? It will take hundreds of hours to make the first one if you don't know Blender (or any other 3D program) to start with. As you learn more, theoretically it will get quicker, but then you will model more detail which increases the time again. The effort to learn Blender is about equivalent to learning a foreign language.

Anybody can do it though, providing they have perseverance. You don't need skill, you just need to stick at it, although there is always something new to learn about Blender that makes things easier. I've been using it for 14 years now, and I'm still learning...

I will be updating the old Blender tutorial soon, this will cover building mainly steam locos using Blender 3.0 (out in October hopefully) and PBR materials etc for TRS19 and up. I don't think there's much point in making anything for older versions of Trainz these days. I didn't get much feedback on the original tutorial along the lines of 'can you explain the stuff of page 46 a bit better' or that anything major had been missed out, so it would be good if beginners could tell me if anything needs explaining better. This is a link to the new tutorial PDF (which is a copy of the old one, but any changes to it will be available through this link):

https://1drv.ms/b/s!AgW_lPDScEO9h652uc7-R6cRskciVw?e=mfeUn4

Paul

Making a locomotive, whether in Blender, Gmax, or 3DS-Max, is very difficult. I'd suggest making a LOT of other things, and insuring they work in Trainz, before I'd even start to think about trying to make a locomotive. They are the most complicated thing to make for Trainz. To create content for trainz, you must go through a huge learning curve. It takes a lot of trial and error also. And you'll need to be very experienced working on a computer, too. My two cents worth from years of experience.

Oh yes, and if you do reach the creation plateau and begin offering assets for trains, what follows will be the Gimme Pigs.