My latest 3DC scenery projects for Trainz

[Pencil]

Yeah, it's pretty much look and see - zoom out a bit, and see what detail no longer is visible. I do it two different ways - one is by removing polygons that won't be visible from farther away, and the other is to build a less detailed model. Sometimes, one method works better than another. It's one of those areas where experiance helps - after doing a couple, you start to get a feel for how much detail you can cut at what distances.
For each LoD, I try to do at least 50% polygon reduction, although my target is an order of magnitude (10x-ish). Since you control the distance that the lod switches, you have a fair amount of flexibility. The various CCGs have a nice section on LoD, as well.

For the barrel lod, I might try an 8-sided cylinder with 3 height segments. That would hit around 60 polygons; less if you could delete the faces on the bottom. I'm not sure how you did your texturing if you could just apply the same texture or not. In this case, you'd want the band details as part of the texture.

[thegrindre]

That barrel has a lot of polys, (288), and I wanted it to look good in the game real close up so, I played with lessor faces but it didn't look as good.
I wanted the shape to be seen as well and used 3 sides, so to speak, a top angle, a straight (middle vertical), and a bottom angle 48 in all. 8 looked too blocky to me, at the time of building it in TSM and, two side faces just didn't show off the shape well enough I thought.
It has two parts, the body and the lid and it has two textures, one for each at 256x256 for detail.

The whole thing is invisible when turned upside town but the lip of the barrel has been rolled over giving it more polys and faces, (another 16), and a better 3 dimensional look when close up.
In MSTS, the detail is noticed much better then in Trainz and the little imperfections do show up.

If I were to build another barrel, I would do it differently for Trainz. The detail in construction isn't noticed any where near as much in Trainz.

Not sure you can see the rolled down lip, here.
Top and side view, btw.




Did my explanation help any?


Now, take my 'smoke stacks' or stove pipes, they are made with a 6 faced tube and the cap is also. (16 total polys I believe) Much smaller and less noticeable in Trainz.

[Pencil]

Oh, I was just saying for the lod for the barrel, you could do an 8-sided cylinder - I wasn't implying you should change the detailed model. Sorry for the misunderstanding!

[thegrindre]

I didn't take it as a misunderstanding. LOL I just wanted to share it all.

[thegrindre]

Here's another version filled with water.

Just and old rain barrel...



Enjoy!

[nwhitney]

Rick, your saloonsign1.bmp is not a power of 2. It's 192X96, so I changed it to 256X128. No errors. I know, I know, 2004 doesn't care. Just in case you'd like to know. Looks like you and I are having email problems again.
Norm

[thegrindre]

Been having a problem with that sign. I've changed it a few times... Hmmm I understand, though.

Thanks,



P. S. Got the package but hadn't had time to play with it yet.

[Col Hogan]

Hey Rick
I really like the saloon. The boards look especially nice.
What I would really like to know is "Where'd you get those letters?"
I really like the old types like you have here. Plus the idea of
making them curve around like a half-circle.

Ken

[thegrindre]

Thank you everybody! I did get a bit of help from you guys, too, ya know.


A Google search can retrieve wonders.
Tweakin' it in MS Paint, Irvanview, and Paint.net can achieve miracles.
All I do, is post it when I think it looks good.
To quote Curtis,

Yeah, it's pretty much look and see...

"And, now you know the rest of the story..."



To the King of Kitbash, you have mail.


...away I go, onto my next endeavour...

Have fun!

[thegrindre]

Here's the next project;

If you land on this square,
you go straight to jail,
you do not pass go,
and, you do not collect $200;



This is no pleasure hotel, boys. It wasn't built for comfort.
It's only 8 feet tall with a 6 foot door. It has four cells 4'x6' and that's it!
It's made of adobe and grass has started to grow on the roof.

Got the whole idea from the net. It's a copy, more or less, of a photo I grabbed.

Comments, suggestions, and criticism's are welcomed.

I'm gonna try to round the corners and blend the textures together a bit better.

[nwhitney]

What would happen if you made an alpha mask to give it jagged, and or rounded corners? Ha, me giving advice to the King of Reskinners. There seems to be a preponderance of the seamy side of life lately, how about a nice livery stable?
Norm

[thegrindre]

Hmmm, I wouldn't go so far as to calling me a king.
I'm just a 2D copy and paste artist that doesn't know what an alpha channel or mask is.
I've had over 4 years of drafting experience back in the 60's but it was all in 2D. I draw in a 3D app, now all of my 2D creations and, they come out in 3D. WOW! It amazes me, btw.

Guess I better research alpha channeling/masking...

[jayo]

Knowing jailhouses, it was most likely built for discomfort!

[nwhitney]

You're not speaking from experience now, are you? We built one down in Elizabeth, NJ, well, actually it was a police station, with holding cells, and that was quite nice. Almost better than some motel rooms I've stayed in.
Norm

[Col Hogan]

Suppose you had windows big enough to crawl out of but, have bars close enough to keep 'em in ???
Then some adobe-looking bricks around the bottom lining about two or three rows up, sort-of wearing away ??

Norm, "Nice" livery stable??? It would have to be BIG to be nice.

Ken