Having made a start on my next loco project (GWR Auto train) I have completed the Class 48XX (14XX) loco chassis and about to start creating the skeleton and animations. I have just finished the first texturing test and the photo shows the Chassis (Static Mesh) in Editor. My only "self" criticism at the moment is that the Dirt layer on the below footplate parts is a bit too heavy but I would appreciate any other comments / suggestions. For anyone who has downloaded my Class 57XX and is waiting for an update I have made some changes but still struggling with cooking at the moment. (Ability to play scenarios in game is broken) By starting from the ground up with the Auto tank I am hoping to learn/refine things as I go and then use what I have learned in the earlier model
This is very good news. I am very much enjoying your original creation and wasn't expecting another one to come along quite so soon
Thanks for your encouragement. I'm hoping that the Train Sim World aspects (RVM/RVV/Simugraph) etc. will just be a cut and paste exercise as the two locos are very similar. I have modelled the Cab Exterior and tanks in Blender and just need to add the Boiler itself and texture. I am part way through the cab Interior which is mostly a copy of the 57XX except the 48XX/14XX had screw reverser. In the next week or so I hope to do a You Tube video of the chassis working in the editor to check the (hopefully correct) animations of the valve gear.
Nice work. Love to see a video about making the loco. Even I am more into diesel and electic I still love to see how people make there creations.
Oh sorry to hear about this. However the version we already have is very good and I'm about to try and create some formations for the loco in the same way that I have done for other locomotives in the game. (If you click on the links in my signature you will see what I mean). Are you working in TSW5 or TSW6 as I've avoided upgrading at the moment is case it affects my mods. PS - I have just sent you a PM with a Editor question if you have a spare minute. Hope to hear back from you
Here are a couple of images of the old class 57 on my own route to illustrate my answer to your PM. This one !! and this one :- Regards
Brief Update I have just completed most of the Boiler / Superstructure modelling although there is some mirroring to do to get Filler Caps etc. on the other side. About to start UV unwrapping and setting vertex groups ready for texturing. As there are huge numbers of rivets on tanks of the Prototype I am going to try baking normal maps from High Poly mesh to Low Poly mesh to reduce the triangle count of the finished loco. The photo below shows a test of the loco in Play In Editor mode with a basic metal texture applied to the boiler. This is a test to check the fit of the superstructure on the chassis. The loco is driveable like this but still has the 57XX cab (which can be seen sticking out at the back. There is a slight gap between the smokebox and the saddle on the cassis. Owners of my Class 57 pannier tank will be pleased to hear that this loco has a basic HUD, placeable headcode lamps, working brake shoe animation when the brakes are applied and retextured cab. I hope to get these "retrofitted" to the Class 57 when I can overcome the "All scenarios fails after 3 minutes" issue.(which has now followed me to Play in Editor mode.)
Baking normals from a high-poly mesh sounds like it should work fine for smaller details like rivets. Speaking for myself I would probably whip up a heightmap in Photoshop or something similar, then convert it to a normal map using AwesomeBump, to save myself from having to model that much detail; but that's the lazy way of doing it, and the results wouldn't be as refined. Can't wait to see how it turns out!
Thanks for your reply. At the end of last year I treated myself to the Steam "one off licence" version of Substance Painter and this baking normals form high to low is one of its main features so I thought I'd give it a try. With the 4F DTG use geometry for the rivets (at the highest LOD) so when I did the 57XX I didn't bother as both locos only have a relatively small number of rivets. The 48XX/14XX had long rows of rivets - very close together - along the top and bottom angles of the tanks so I thought I'd see if Substance Painter can help. As I may have said before this project is not just the loco but I hope to do the matching trailer (coach) including the rear cab so that the formation can be driven from both ends (complete with bell communication between the "Driver" and "Fireman". When I get to that point I will be reading through your posts on setting up the seating etc. for the driver and passengers as you are way ahead of me on this aspect of TSW. Victory Works produced a working GWR Auto train some years ago for TSC so I thought this would be a good challenge for my next project - got to keep on learning after all ! Thanks for your support. P.S. Did you get the DM I sent a little while ago about the brakes on the Gloucester cars ?
I got your message, Daunfr59 , I meant to get back to you earlier but things have been busy at work. The Gloucesters did have trip arms, which I gather were a fairly new feature. That is all useful information about the brakes, and very much appreciated, thanks!
No problem - I'm glad it was some use. London Underground had been using the (Signal) trip Arms fore some time so I guess Westinghouse suggested it for the Gloucester Cars. When I joined in 1978 they had separate engineering departments for "Main Line" and "Rapid Transit" and the "Transit" engineers would have been most familiar with London Underground practices.
UPDATE I have now completed the Boiler textures and using baked normal map for the rivets reduced the size of the mesh by about 17,000 triangles. I think the rivets work quite well as shown in this photo. The Brass colour isn't quite right but that's what I get for going against GWR rules (Safety Valve covers on tank engines were painted green at this time although some depots - and modern day preserved railways - have them in polished brass ). At the moment I'm still using the 57XX cab hence the round windows in the picture and some misalignment of the cab inside and outside. The loco is running in the editor and I have done a new You Tube video of a short run to the first stop (Halt) on the old Calne branch Line. The video can be found here
Thanks . Having wrestled with RVM's RVV's and Simugraph etc. for the Class 57XX it's easier to understand the basic setup and there are a lot of similarities. I may even do a revised Pannier Tank in the "8750" series, which were the 57XX with the Collett cab but that's a job for the future. For the moment I want to get the Auto Trailer done as that is the next challenge - learning how to do a passenger vehicle with a working cab.
Thanks - glad you like it Who knows ? Given enough time I might just do that. How about a filthy dirty black BR version to represent a Class 57 in the 1950's ? ( I can still remember seeing the Chippenham Station Pilot running through the station in about 1958 !!)
Actually I was going to ask for a black version as I assumed, probably wrongly, that it would be relatively easy to make.
Doing the textures in Substance painter you have to allocate vertex colours to the faces of the mesh, each colour representing a different material e.g green vertex colour for green paint. You then allocate the Green Paint material (complete with dirt masks etc.) to only apply that material to the faces which have green vertex colour. It would be easy to produce a different texture where the GWR green was replaced by black, blue or London Transport maroon. Lining out and lettering would be more tricky as you'd have to have decals but a simple BR unlined black would be fairly easy and no "branding" problems .
Just for fun: To be correct, of course, I would have to rework the model to include top feed etc.etc for the BR era. !
