How might I get started in content creation?

JonMyrlennBailey

Active member
What do I need to buy? What do I need to know? What do I need to learn and how?


I want to build some drivable truck tractors and trailers. Classic Peterbilt and Kenworth in custom colors and accurate chrome details with complete vehicle running lights (tail, brake, clearance, chicken lights, marker lights) and authentic truck sounds like turbo whine and jake brake roar. Maybe build some drivable Greyhounds and school buses to boot. A big thrill is to see large commercial vehicles and heavy equipment in action on a Trainz layout. A drivable or animated wheel loader, dozer and grader would be cool too.
 
The phrase "biting off more than you can chew" comes to mind.
First make a simple cube and have it appear properly in Trainz. Then we can talk about bigger things.

As for the software, I'm a Gmax man but only because that was what was available way back when I started. Today, get Blender (someone else can suggest which version), it's free. Then study the many tutorials. Don't skip these or you'll be sorry when a a more advanced technique is required and you have to go back and do that tutorial anyway.
 
It might just be over my head and the heads of many others. It's a rare treat to get a nice loco with stunning detail for this game. Much vehicle and traincar content appears "cartoonish". Somebody, a master content creator with a Doctorate in Trainzology, might even start a custom content creation service for hire. What would he charge an hour, $50??
 
So you need these things (all free / my recommendations)

3D Modeling - Blender Wiki Pages HERE

Photo Editor with good PBR and TGA support - Gimp Wiki Page HERE
Gimp Download Page HERE

Script Editing - ConText Wiki Page HERE
If you know C++ or Java Script you may have a big head start in this section

As suggested start with the 'Cube' demo, then maybe do a reskin of a freeware asset. There is a learning curve that's big here, but can be rewarding (money from payware) if you can get your head around it.
 
Just noticed that you do not have TRS19, my recommendations are for TRS19 and the TCCP. I would suggest to get TRS19 first and get past that hurdle, it will need to be Platinum or Plus to get into the TCCP.

Also a good model that 'drives' can take maybe 500 to 1000 hours to make, at $50 an hour, that's $25 to $50K. Finding a prospect at that price probably wont happen. But if you put it on the Trainz Store and get 50% of $19.99 for each sale x 1000 sales, would be $10K (totally hypothetical)
 
Just noticed that you do not have TRS19, my recommendations are for TRS19 and the TCCP. I would suggest to get TRS19 first and get past that hurdle, it will need to be Platinum or Plus to get into the TCCP.)

That was before since those 2 versions had the TCCP function. Since SP2 all versions now have the TCCP function so no special version is required anymore.

Cheers
 
Never mind, I will just stick to building plastics static models from kits with paint and glue. That can be somewhat pricey in itself. For this sim, I will just stick with the best (most appealing) Trainz content that somebody else labored and/or spent money and time over. Some of it I can tweak (modify slightly) in editing even. Most gaming content is probably built by IT geeks with doctorates in computer science. I barely have enough patience to build a Trainz route and get it to work halfway decent with off-the-shelf content as it is. It would be nice to have an easy-to-use custom paint shed in the game software for end users, though. Custom paint/reskin drivable vehicles (perhaps static ones too) with one-off liveries. Change wheels/bogies and trim parts real easily to boot.

I wish the creators of various start-up drivable helicopters would have designed them to auto-start the blades to spin each and every time a session is resumed or started initially. I have to manually hit B on the keyboard to start my drivable Army Huey heli each time the session is launched or it will look stupid flying with static rotors otherwise. Keep the (start-up) helicopters spinning by default.
 
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I wish the creators of various start-up drivable helicopters would have designed them to auto-start the blades to spin each and every time a session is resumed or started initially. I have to manually hit B on the keyboard to start my drivable Army Huey heli each time the session is launched or it will look stupid flying with static rotors otherwise. Keep the (start-up) helicopters spinning by default.


Have you tried this driver command? Could be initiated editing your session to include this?
<kuid2:86105:60577:2> Locomotive start or shut down command
 
The trouble is that this is a toggle command. It's like a push button that has the opposite effect each time it's hit. If this command is on the time table, say at the helipad where the helicopter lands, it will turn the blades on if they are off but when the chopper comes back around the loop again, the blades will be shut off. I have all my AI locos running on time tables that are repetitive. There is no single "turn-on-only" command for locos that I know of. The only thing I've been doing so far is hitting B when the session starts to restart the bird. Key B has a toggle on/off effect. All other traincars, locos, stay on continuously by default, session relaunch after session relaunch. I know there is at least one heli that runs continuously, by I think the army start-up heli looks neat. It's a small inconvenience to turn it on again by hand each session restart. There might be a way to modify it to stay running continuously, or disable the start-up feature, make it a full-time-running loco.

Bell UH-1 Huey helicopter US Army Startup,<kuid2:60238:9956:1>
by Vulcan.

Vulcan, is there any easy way to modify this bird to keep the blades spinning at all times, one session after another without having to manually hit B after session launch each and every time? I use your trigger to reveal the door gunner when this bird lands on the helipad. I have a USFS ranger station on my layout where this bird lands on a helipad there. Might be the national guard assisting in fighting forest fires.
 
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