Graphics for new UK locomotives

qzdcg8 · Post by **qzdcg8** » 27 Jan 2005 07:59

Does to me! But if I post up the Visual Basic source code on here, does someone want to take it over? I've just got involved with an MSTS commercial outfit and I know I won't have time to do this justice for you guys given I have a day job to do as well.

scrat · Post by **scrat** » 27 Jan 2005 11:23

A very tentative yes on the taking over the project part. I could integrate this into VC, but I'm a freelancer with a very busy schedule, so I too cannot make any promises.

ChrisCF · Post by **ChrisCF** » 27 Jan 2005 11:33

My only concern is that necessary tools don't disappear, so as long as somebody takes it, regardless of whether they're going to put effort into maintaining it, we can still move forward with the project as a whole.

Shame to see Steve N turning to The Dark Side though. Good luck

scrat · Post by **scrat** » 27 Jan 2005 11:37

I'll take over!!!!

You see, a month ago I downloaded v1.00A but never installed it. I just did. (I understood development has progressed since, but I don't know where to download the latest version). This tool is absolutely bloody brilliant and I now officially love you.

When Locomotion was first released I downloaded a zillion of MSTS models, thinking it would be easy to convert them. It wasn't. And now it is.

qzdcg8 · Post by **qzdcg8** » 27 Jan 2005 15:14

scrat wrote:I'll take over!!!!

You see, a month ago I downloaded v1.00A but never installed it. I just did. (I understood development has progressed since, but I don't know where to download the latest version). This tool is absolutely bloody brilliant and I now officially love you.

When Locomotion was first released I downloaded a zillion of MSTS models, thinking it would be easy to convert them. It wasn't. And now it is.

V1.10A is on this thread - the prerequisites are to download and install Shapeviewer 1.4 first then install V1.00a (you might not need it) and then use the EXE in V1.10A.

qzdcg8 · Post by **qzdcg8** » 27 Jan 2005 15:24

scrat wrote:I'll take over!!!!

You have email....

....best of luck! You can ask me questions here or on my email address from which you've got the coming email from!

scrat · Post by **scrat** » 27 Jan 2005 15:54

Thanks. Email received. I'll set up a project folder and sourcesafe it. I also have a spare 10MB of webspace on my site so it has a home as well.

ChrisCF: Would you mind terribly if I ask you to assume the project manager role for the project? (EDIT: I'll fix the rendering sequence first; it's a little off. Then I want to work on integrating PNG/palette export into the program).

EDIT: Below some samples that I just generated.

chevyrider · Post by **chevyrider** » 27 Jan 2005 17:35

Wow, that are real beauties

ChrisCF · Post by **ChrisCF** » 27 Jan 2005 18:31

scrat wrote:ChrisCF: Would you mind terribly if I ask you to assume the project manager role for the project? (EDIT: I'll fix the rendering sequence first; it's a little off. Then I want to work on integrating PNG/palette export into the program).

Sigh. Do I *have* to? Very well, I'll add it to my list

Those do look beautiful ...

I'm going to give ImageMagick a shot soon, but I'll need a few reference inages to check to see if it does the whole palette mapping thing correctly. More details when I'm in a better position to test.

scrat · Post by **scrat** » 27 Jan 2005 19:34

ChrisCF wrote:Sigh. Do I *have* to? Very well, I'll add it to my list

Thanks. Just plot the course and I'll just row and stuff, captain.

Those do look beautiful ...

Nice innit? It's from a compilation of user made MSTS models. Each one contains readmes (handy for reuse permission emails). I've also eh... acquired some commercials models (fell from a virtual truck via eMule) that I shan't be bothering with for the moment... yet.

I'm going to give ImageMagick a shot soon, but I'll need a few reference inages to check to see if it does the whole palette mapping thing correctly. More details when I'm in a better position to test.

Let me know how that pans out please. I'm going to familiarise myself with Steve's code first, but after that the PNG conversion should be the number one priority. If a (freeware) third party tool can be automated, so much the better, but if need be I can probably do the conversions through custom code, though I do admit my graphics manipulation skills are a little rusty.

EDIT: Code is easy to read through and well documented. I've also fixed the rendering sequence.

Muschi · Post by **Muschi** » 28 Jan 2005 04:29

@scrat great that you develope the program now further. you wrote that you've updated the render-sequence too. were you able to fix the lightning-problem too? I'm just wondering if it's possible to fix that. i'm using painted shadows on my models now but a lightsource with real shadows would look better

scrat · Post by **scrat** » 28 Jan 2005 07:42

The lighting had already been fixed. There's also a slight tilt when the vehicles are in elevation that I need to fix before I release.

qzdcg8 · Post by **qzdcg8** » 28 Jan 2005 08:06

scrat wrote:The lighting had already been fixed. There's also a slight tilt when the vehicles are in elevation that I need to fix before I release.

I think the problem is I started off rotating the model in the Y axis and then doing the sloping images I got stuck rotating the model in the X/Z plane - so I changed it so that the Y axix rotation is achieved by spinning the camera around the model so that the uphill/downhill tilt can be easily down by rotating the model in the X (or Z) axis only. You've got some useful bits of code there - the trainlib.ocx, tsfileutil.dll and the tsview/viewobject.cls files provide all the bits you need to play with MSTS models in 3D to your hearts content - those 3 bits form the basis of my own evolving model-railway version of MSTS, TSCM

If anyone is wondering where they can get Shape Viewer 1.4 from to use with LocoTSGfx, try http://steam4me.railpage.org.au/trainsim/sviewr.html

scrat · Post by **scrat** » 28 Jan 2005 08:20

You know what my biggest handicap here is? (You're gonna laught).

My brain isn't geared to do 3d in a 2d environment. I never could quite cope with it; three dimensional trigonometry almost did me in in secondary school.

I cope by using short strings of rope on my desk to simulate camera angles, while using a pack of cigarettes as my would be train.

Your code is a great help btw. I'm confident I'll have this sorted over the weekend.

lobster · Post by **lobster** » 30 Jan 2005 11:49

scrat wrote:using a pack of cigarettes

what brand d'you smoke?

Shifty Powers · Post by **Shifty Powers** » 30 Jan 2005 11:53

astath wrote:
scrat wrote:using a pack of cigarettes
what brand d'you smoke?

This is a little bit off topic m8, useless post I gues

qzdcg8 · Post by **qzdcg8** » 31 Jan 2005 12:51

scrat wrote:You know what my biggest handicap here is? (You're gonna laught).

My brain isn't geared to do 3d in a 2d environment. I never could quite cope with it; three dimensional trigonometry almost did me in in secondary school.

I cope by using short strings of rope on my desk to simulate camera angles, while using a pack of cigarettes as my would be train.

Your code is a great help btw. I'm confident I'll have this sorted over the weekend.

Since trains never tilt in Locomotion (or shouldn't!) think of 3D trig as two sets of 2D trig. Spin the model around the Y axis (trig in the surface plane) and separately think about elevation, tilt the model uphill or down. I wrote a function (in the code I sent) to translate simple elevation into the 3D trig you need - of course it could be this bit that's broken and causing the tilt on some elevations.

Illegal_Alien · Post by **Illegal_Alien** » 31 Jan 2005 13:28

! thin i miss in the TNF program: Making pictures of the size I want to make. Not automatic 240x240.

Villem · Post by **Villem** » 31 Jan 2005 14:53

the APT is a tilting train..the tilting is just very subtle.

qzdcg8 · Post by **qzdcg8** » 01 Feb 2005 12:21

Illegal_Alien wrote:! thin i miss in the TNF program: Making pictures of the size I want to make. Not automatic 240x240.

The latest sources I send to scrat have this restriction turned off - but it does when you'll have to play with the sizing whereas when it was 240x240, I had autosizing (44m viewing distance as I recall)

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