Question about creation of new vehicles

[locomotionhq]

This is the first time I've tried to make a Lomo vehicle, and I have no clue how to make the sprites to become the graphics for it. I've made a model of the aircraft I want to make in Google SketchUp, but how do I make sprites out of that that are the right size and angle?

Also, when I make the sprite, does it have to have a blue background?

[Illegal_Alien]

Sorry to be a prick, but most of the answers are already answered; Some short answers:

- Yes background should be blue
- Use Locotool
- Vehicle Creator
- Compare it with other ingame planes by using Locotool.
- Angles etc are in a sticky.

- May the search be with you.

[HailStorm]

Unfortunatly making sprites is a little more difficult than Illegal_Alien suggests,

the perspective has to be the exact same as you would see it in lomo: think of it like drawing the frames of a cartoon - what you see in your sprites is exactly how you will see it in-game, including size and orientation (it replicates every sprite in a 1:1 basis)
how correct it looks is directly related to how you 'drew' the sprites that depict your vehicle. i can't help you much more than that - i use 3DSmax v9 for my models, and use a script/scene kindly donated by damage to actually render my sprites.

the background has to be pure blue - it's how the game recognizes what should be considered transparent. the correct setting should be (R:0 G:0 B:255).
http://www.tt-forums.net/search.php?key ... mit=Search
that shows an example of what happens if you use anything other than true blue in your background.

one you have your sprites in their raw form, they need to be put through a pallete changer like 'wally' using the locomotion colour pallette
(check this post:http://www.tt-forums.net/viewtopic.php? ... te#p482084)

the Wiki is actually pretty sparse when it comes to making sprites from scratch - I've been meaning to update that page for a long time, but real-life commitments have gotten in the way so far.

if you need a more in-depth look at how sprites (and .xml files) are done, i strongly suggest downloading the program "Locotool", and decompiling one of loco's original vehicle .dat files in the ObjData folder of your loco install - that should put you on the right track.

[Illegal_Alien]

^^ It isnt difficult, you are making it difficult.

[Plastikman]

actually, since he is in sketchup, it is really difficult since it has no render engine....

For a building, it is do-able, 4 views and there is a camra tool for taking single angle shots.

For a vehical, holy nightmare batman... you're better off with max or similar.

now you can export it to 3ds and go from there... but the scales are all wrong.. etc.. still a mess to deal with..

[locomotionhq]

Don't you have to pay for 3dsmax?

[Xrufuian]

Don't you have to pay for 3dsmax?

Yes, and it's not cheap...

http://store.autodesk.com/DRHM/servlet/ ... =103837600

[locomotionhq]

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I didn't know it was that much!!!! I was expecting maybe a price of like $30 or $50. I was even going to consider asking my parents to buy it for me. Guess I'm not now... So does that mean pretty much anyone who makes vehicles has paid this rediculous price?

[Xrufuian]

No, not really. There is some other programs used.

• Examples:
• gMax, a less powerful version of 3ds Max.
• Google SketchUp (Already mentioned)
• Blender

Personily, I would use gMax, it's free (with regsteration), common, and will get the job done.
SketchUp would be my next choice. (I haven't been able to understand Blender.)

[locomotionhq]

I know there's lots of free design software out there, but can you transfer your designs from any of them to Loco as easy as in 3dsmax? Or do you have to create individual sprites for every angle?

[Xrufuian]

Well, AFAIK, yes, you have to use additional programs. At least with gMax & SketchUp...

1. gMax/SketchUp
2. Make 3d model
3. Export to MSTS format(.s)
4. Generate sprites with MSTS2Locomotion
5. Convert sprites to png and apply correct palette
6. Create XML and compile with locotool

I really don't know what features 3ds Max has over other software, I've never tried it. Nor have I performed step two...

[locomotionhq]

How can you export a SketchUp file to a .s? Do you have to use a converter?

[Xrufuian]

Actually, there is a plugin for SketchUp to export to .s. I got it from UKTrainsim.

SketchUp plugin (Requires registration)

[locomotionhq]

I don't think the plugin is working correctly. I exported my model to a .s file, or so I thought, until I looked at the file I created and it was not a .s. It simple said "File" in the File Type column. I couldn't open this file with MSTS2Locomotion.

P.S. When I try to save it as a .s file through the Sketchup plugin, the "Save as type" bar where you can usually choose the format of the file, is blank; I can't choose any file type to save it as.

[Plastikman]

Well, AFAIK, yes, you have to use additional programs. At least with gMax & SketchUp...

1. gMax/SketchUp
2. Make 3d model
3. Export to MSTS format(.s)
4. Generate sprites with MSTS2Locomotion
5. Convert sprites to png and apply correct palette
6. Create XML and compile with locotool

I really don't know what features 3ds Max has over other software, I've never tried it. Nor have I performed step two...

thats gonna be a pixilated mess...

[locomotionhq]

It'll be better than just my Sketchup model that I have now... if I can get the plugin to work.