[release] 1927 Express Passenger Carriage (v1.2 - 9/10)

[PikkaBird]

Edit: Updates in Version 1.2:

The lighting is now very much improved, to fit in better with the default stock.
Improved graphics.




(v1.1 screenshots)

It's (roughly) a Pullman car, but it makes a half decent Gresley teak carriage too.

Introduced: 1927
Obsolete: 1971
Capacity: 30 passengers
Max. Speed: 90 mph

DOWNLOAD

[mlw_1550]

Again, very nice!
Pikka, can you tell me the correct angles, etc, for the rendering, please?

[Hyronymus]

Pikka, maybe you and a few other graphics MODders can write a short readme for other wannabe-MODders with angles and other relevant stuff. This coach looks nice btw!

[PikkaBird]

Again, very nice!
Pikka, can you tell me the correct angles, etc, for the rendering, please?

I'll try to put together a proper guide some time (with pictures, this would be much easier to explain with pictures ), but for now, here it is quickly off the top of my head; No responsibility taken for anything I got wrong.

Camera Setup in 3dsm:

Camera is looking at the world origin.
Camera is in Orthographic Projection (so, no perspective).
Camera is equidistantly positioned to the left and to the front of the origin (so, looking at the origin at 45 degrees.
Camera is raised to look down at the origin. The downward angle is 30 degrees from horizontal

Dummy (Helper) Setup in 3dsm:

Tilt dummy, at the world origin.
Rotation dummy, slightly below the tilt dummy.

The tilt dummy is attached to the rotation dummy. The vehicle to be rendered is attached to the tilt dummy, and is positioned above the origin (as if the origin is ground or rail level).

Render Sequences

This is the full render sequence of 184 sprites for an non-animated locomotive with bogie:

Sprites 0-63
Tilt is 0 degrees. Rotate 360 degrees clockwise over 64 frames.
These are the level sprites.

Sprites 64-67
Tilt is 6 degrees. Rotate 360 degrees clockwise over 4 frames.
These are the transition-to-decending sprites.

Sprites 68-71
Tilt is -6 degrees. Rotate 360 degrees clockwise over 4 frames.
These are the transition-to-climbing sprites.

Sprites 72-103
Tilt is 12 degrees. Rotate 360 degrees clockwise over 32 frames.
These are the decending slope sprites.

Sprites 104-135
Tilt is -12 degrees. Rotate 360 degrees clockwise over 32 frames.
These are the climbing slope sprites.

Sprites 136-151
Tilt is 0. Rotate 360 degrees clockwise over 16 frames.
These are the level bogie sprites.

Sprites 152-167
Tilt is 12 degrees. Rotate 360 degrees clockwise over 16 frames.
These are the decending slope bogie sprites.

Sprites 168-183
Tilt is -12 degrees. Rotate 360 degrees clockwise over 16 frames.
These are the climbing slope bogie sprites.

Hope that was at least vaguely helpful.

[Davie_UCF]

Wooow Pikka your on fire.. how about HAA HAA?

Davie

[mlw_1550]

Thank you very much Pikka! It's a bit complicated, since I'm more familiar with AutoCAD, I've got no experience with animation in Max. I'll give it a try and let you know...

[-matt-]

Lookin good pikkabird. I will have to download this as well as your warship.

Cheers

[jdtech]

Nice one Dave! (Pikka, not Davie)

John

[norfolksouthern37]

pikka i used the angles a bit differently, but it may also have to do with the camera setup i did. i used a rectangle block so that id get it perfectly aligned with the reails and i ended up using 6 degrees for the transition and 12 degrees for the uphill. this way the block lined up with the rails in every situation.
however i noticed you did not mention a camera, i used the standard 200 mm lens about 400 feet away with orthographic projection turned on, since in locomotion things dont get smaller the farther away they are.

i posted a max file at my site with the exact camera and angles ive used for about 8 different trains now. http://www.startrekgaming.com/moon_xl/l ... camera.rar

i ckecked your carriages and there are definately some problems on the slopes, meaning the angles are still not precise. just look at the bottom sill compared to the rail, and the apprent 'stepping' of the cars.

[PikkaBird]

Hmm.

They're definitely closer than the Warship though, you can see even in that screenshot.

I'll have a looksee.

[norfolksouthern37]

yes, i thoguht the warship was great, but it looks... overweight? like its being pressed down onto the tracks really hard.

[PikkaBird]

Ok, it looks like 12 degrees is the go. Funny, mathematics says it should be 14 degrees (the gradient in Loco is, of course, 1 in 4, not 1 in 8 as I said before)... but that appears too steep in the game.

I have updated the carriage to slope at 12 degrees, and also improved the graphics somewhat (expanded the colour bars beside the windows, and it also now rides higher on its bogies to better match the default stock).

The Warship is getting the same treatment (including the higher riding, so it won't look "pressed down" any more ). Next step is to play with the lighting and try to get it to match the default stock better.

[norfolksouthern37]

thanks!

[Sellu]

Hmm I used 11.5 degrees in slopes in my bus and it looked fine in max and the game. So Is it really 12 degrees or 11.5?

[PikkaBird]

So Is it really 12 degrees or 11.5?

Mathematics suggests it should *really* be 14, if anyone can explain why it's actually less, please do so.

I tried 11.25, and 12 certainly seems a lot closer than that. It's much more noticable with carriages though, because when they're strung together you notice the differences in heights. With a bus, any discrepency would be far less noticable.

[Sellu]

Hmm, Does anyone know the angles for tilted trains? It would save A LOT of work for me to get them right at first time.

[PikkaBird]

Bump. See first post for update.

[Born Acorn]

even better!!!!!! but then again, you are Pikkabird!

[TheGrew]

[/quote]
I think this train would be good on the mars senario.
And please can you post it I like it A LOT.

[Born Acorn]

its nothing to do with this thread. Talk to norfolksouthern_37 about that.