Silverx50's Workshop

[acs121]

Too hot to sleep over here, so coded Alkmaar:

It's hot indeed, but I did get some sleep though. Fast work getting this coded

The station itself. You know, with the kinda dome, arch and all...

That station is in the planning, but it's a hard one with the shape of it and all. gave it a try a few months ago but that was a total failure.
but it will get done eventually.

At first i also tried to make sprites myself for Rotterdam Alexander, Blaak and Noord... like you, i totally failed and just wasted time doing it. Although, a few Rotterdam and Amsterdam stations are really good-looking, other than Blaak, like Amsterdam Amstel, Bijlmer ArenA or Sloterdijk. But their shape is very complicated, although they do look great in real life because of that.

[Pyoro]

Something about the lighter-colored stuff just always bugs me. I don't think I can even explain it. I look at, say, Geldermalsen and go "wow, this is awesome." And then I looked at this and it feels kinda off. With the texture or something. Like it doesn't look quite "real". I don't know ^^;

But weird perception issues it's great stuff as always

[Quast65]

I see your point, however the reallife building is very bright and smooth, so the chosen colors/textures (also for the roofs) are pretty much spot on in my opinion.
There are a couple of things that make it pop up a bit more, for example the combination with the grey concrete (but that is the standard concrete that is used for all of the Dutch stations, so changing that is not really a good option).
Also it depends a bit on monitor-settings. Some people have those a bit more bright, others a bit more darker.
And finally, it may be different when used ingame, with loads more eyecandy (and moving stuff) around it
Its always difficult to get brighter reallife buildings into the OpenTTD environment, so that it fits in with the general brightness ingame, but it should not loose its reallife look because of that…
Again, to me, it looks pretty much like the real thing and that for me is the most important factor.

That said, there is a thing I am unsure about after I coded it and thats how the glass looks of the windows under the awnings.
It doesnt look like glass in my opinion, I did some altering and came up with this, is that better looking?

Example479.png (72.53 KiB) Viewed 5315 times

Although this also makes the dark brown lines next to the windows (especially in the shaded sides) stand out too much, toning down that darkness may improve it even more...
What do you think?

[Pyoro]

That's really tough. If I just look at them it mostly looks like a solid wall in either case. It works if there's something beyond them, but my brain instinctively kinda goes "oh, looks like Japanese walls" (thing is even on reallife picture the style is vaguely reminisced if you replace glas with either stone or paper ^^; ). I'm not sure that can be fixed on that scale.

Maybe you could have some of those "windows" open? There seems to be shops and a subway entrance and stuff irl anway. Then you'd see the ground there and you'd see that there's this ground texture beyond the glass. Kinda. I mean, there seems to be shops and a subway entrance and stuff.

[Quast65]

I mean, there seems to be shops and a subway entrance and stuff.

Well, those are more or less part of the very recently built overpass.
However, that does raise an interesting issue...
Silver, were you planning on making that overpass?
If so, How were you envisioning this connection between that overpass and the station as it is drawn/placed right now?

Example480.png (760.56 KiB) Viewed 5274 times

As I think with the awnings also going along the narrow side of the station, you wont get a nice connection…

I would therefor suggest to move the station.
Move the part with the awning to the edge, removing the awning along the narrow side. That way you could get a good connection to the overpass.
On the other side you will get empty space then, but in the reallife situation there is a fenced area there, so that could be drawn in then.

I dont mind doing that, if you are ok with that. I can also then see if I can get the windows under the awning better looking, maybe indeed with Pyo's suggestions of adding doors… (as there is at least one where the HEMA shop is)

[Silverx50]

Silver, were you planning on making that overpass?

I wasn't actually. but that's mostly because of the way I drew it. I don't know why I didn't think of moving the station to the other edge so that it would be possible.

As I think with the awnings also going along the narrow side of the station, you wont get a nice connection…

I would therefor suggest to move the station.
Move the part with the awning to the edge, removing the awning along the narrow side. That way you could get a good connection to the overpass.
On the other side you will get empty space then, but in the reallife situation there is a fenced area there, so that could be drawn in then.

I dont mind doing that, if you are ok with that. I can also then see if I can get the windows under the awning better looking, maybe indeed with Pyo's suggestions of adding doors… (as there is at least one where the HEMA shop is)

That's a good idea. go ahead.


This is what I've drawn up till now, still need to figure out the stairs on both sides of the new raised area. and then draw a flipped version.

alkmaar station incl platforms 1.1.png (35.03 KiB) Viewed 5242 times

[Quast65]

go ahead.

Will get to that in the next couple of days

This is what I've drawn up till now

Awesome!! I really like that you got that light-greenish glass effect into it!!

still need to figure out the stairs on both sides of the new raised area

These pictures may help:

Example481.png (776.67 KiB) Viewed 5226 times

Example482.png (363.22 KiB) Viewed 5226 times

I think the placement of the stairs on the station-building side is pretty much ok, it just needs to be twice as wide and needs to get escalators on either side of the stairs (If I recall correctly you had already drawn a couple of those for one of your Utrecht buildings in the Dutch Landmark Objects, those may be usefull).
For the far side, I also think that the placement of the stairs is pretty much ok (that doesnt have to be twice as wide) and needs to get one escalator and the elevator.
For both stairs, I dont think you really need to get those small plateaus in that are halfway in the stairs, I think those will be almost not visible anyway with the escalators next to them.
Everything else looks to me pretty spot on!! Great job!

[acs121]

Silver, were you planning on making that overpass?

I wasn't actually. but that's mostly because of the way I drew it. I don't know why I didn't think of moving the station to the other edge so that it would be possible.

As I think with the awnings also going along the narrow side of the station, you wont get a nice connection…

I would therefor suggest to move the station.
Move the part with the awning to the edge, removing the awning along the narrow side. That way you could get a good connection to the overpass.
On the other side you will get empty space then, but in the reallife situation there is a fenced area there, so that could be drawn in then.

I dont mind doing that, if you are ok with that. I can also then see if I can get the windows under the awning better looking, maybe indeed with Pyo's suggestions of adding doors… (as there is at least one where the HEMA shop is)

That's a good idea. go ahead.


This is what I've drawn up till now, still need to figure out the stairs on both sides of the new raised area. and then draw a flipped version.

alkmaar station incl platforms 1.1.png

Awesome man. Your drawings look excellent even without shading

[Silverx50]

quick update, drew some escalators and added the elevator on the far side.
thoughts?

[Quast65]

thoughts?

Starting to look pretty good!

I think you are spot on for the escalator/stairs at the station-building side.
That escalator looks really good.
I think the only things you have to do for that is just widen the stairs (so wide that a railing wouldnt be visible anymore) and add a pole that holds up the roof (somewhere along the inner railing of the escalator, see the picture I posted in a previous post).
And then that one is done I think.

For the far side:
First, the elevator, also pretty good, but I think it should be attached to both the roof over the escalator/stairs and the roof of the overpass. Right now you can still see a tiny bit of the yellow groundtile. So I think it just needs to be 1 pixel wider, that should get rid of the yellow being visible.
The hight of it is good, but I think that the roof of the elevator should be glass. Make it that greenish glass you also use for the Island-stairs. You should then probably just see a tiny bit of the roof over the escalator/stairs through it.

Regarding the escalator/stairs.
That doesnt look too good to me right now, it looks like the escalator widens/fans-out at groundlevel.
Is it possible to use the escalator and stairs you have drawn for the side at the station-building? And then just flip that?
Like this:

Example483.png (2.46 KiB) Viewed 5060 times

I think that should be ok, as there is just one escalator and a not so wide stairs.

I think just these minor adjustments are needed to get that view of the overpass completely right.


By the way, I havent worked on replacing the station building...
Its been soooooo hot and I also had some extra reallife work to do.
Ill try to work on it the coming days, have bought an airconditioner, so should be better regarding temperature at home now

[Quast65]

I worked on Alkmaar station building:

Alkmaar_Q65Edit_31072018.png (125.21 KiB) Viewed 4987 times

They are the same, just added some more concrete in the lower ones for better visualisation.
What do you think?

[Silverx50]

[quote="Quast65"]What do you think?

looks great! this works really well, I'll see if I get some time this weekend to finish at least one view of the modern part, + a tile connecting the two.

cheers.

[Quast65]

looks great! this works really well

Cool, thnx!

I'll see if I get some time this weekend to finish at least one view of the modern part

Before you start adding too many details and/or texturing, I would like to suggest how this big boy can be cut up in segments, this is (roughly) my idea:

Example484.png (41.27 KiB) Viewed 4908 times

So (starting from the main building side):
- a 2x3 non-track segment with the stairs/escalator and shops
- a single-sided platform with the first part of the overpass
- two Island segments
- a waypoint with an overpass segment (as there are no platforms there, that should be a waypoint)
- a 2x1 (or 2x2, depending on how everything eventually fits onto the ground and also depending on what is needed for the flipped view) with the final part of the overpass and the stairs/escalator

Two things to keep in mind when adding details:

- Make sure the details on the roof are placed in such a way that those are not cut up

- The placement and design of the windows on the sides.
In this case the cuts should be right through a window. That way the Waypoint can also be used to add go-through tracks (for example between the island-sections, or an Island to single-side, etc).
I know that in reallife there are no go-through tracks for example between the islands, but that will give players at least the option to place them for an imaginary station.

What do you think about that?

[Silverx50]

Hi,

I actually drew it in separate pieces so as not to have to cut it up in the end.
The way I drew it is about 99% the way you've suggested. I'll send you the psd file later if I get a chance to sit behind my PC when I reach home.
all your points are valid, and very doable in the current way I've drawn it.

[Silverx50]

and here is what I think is the finished non textured version.
going to do the flipped version now.

[acs121]

Really great ! However, did you verify if the ramp correctly lands on the footpaths next to the roads ? I suppose the staircase is overlapping...

[Quast65]

and here is what I think is the finished non textured version.

Awesome job!!

the ramp

Just to clarify, you mean the escalator?

I suppose the staircase is overlapping

Depending on if I understand what you mean, no, nothing will be overlapping.
The segment with the shops and the beginning of the overpass with the escalator and stairs will be a 2x3-tile non-track segment.
The entire overpass will be cut up in various tracked and non-tracked segments, without using any overlaps (so no possible glitches anywhere).

[acs121]

I am talking about the ramp on the station building side. It seems it's supposed to go along a road...

[Quast65]

I am talking about the ramp on the station building side. It seems it's supposed to go along a road...

Coincidence
Look at the reallife satellite image:

Example485.png (778.92 KiB) Viewed 4637 times

And streetview:

Example486.png (683.71 KiB) Viewed 4637 times

As you can see, there is a large pedestrian-area.
Also in front of the stationbuilding, but that can be made by using other parts of the station-set, so no need to include that for the stationbuilding.

@Silver:
3 things I like to mention while looking at these pictures:

- It looks like the awning of the old stationbuilding goes around the corner and continues to/under the single-tile connection-piece between the building and the modern overpass.
Just keep drawing it like now, without that awning piece, Ill see when I code it, if it is maybe nicer to add that little awning-part or not.

- In the satellite image the curved roofed island-pieces are black. I think this is because the image was taken somewhere near the end of completion of the new overpass and that the roofs werent painted yet.
This shows that they are correctly white:
https://www.google.nl/maps/@52.6377899, ... 680!8i3840
And that indeed the Zwolle-roofs can be used for those.

- However… The second island-piece...
Right now you are using a slightly V-shaped roof. I think it should be flat, rather white and with some narrow strip of glass that is off-centered.
So, I think that one needs a little re-design to make it look accurate....
Sorry that I didnt notice that before… I was too focussed on other details..

[acs121]

I understand now.
Now, another thing : the other side on aerial pics does have a road going under the underpass. So is it overlapping ?
The station still looks awesome, it only lacks texture on the overpass and all.