Buddybuds Expansive Attempts at Anything & Everything.

[Swamper77]

Bud! Nice work on the elevated rail interchange area! I love how that wood looks when the 2 different tracks meet. Also noticed you have a interesting looking switch signal with it as well, seems a lil blurry compared to the other stuff though.

That is not a "switch signal". It is a switching stand, used to manually switch tracks before the computerization of track switches. I will not be remaking that prop without good reason to, and remaking it will require updating the NAM.

-Jan

[just_a_guy]

Hey nice switch textures! Those HD textures really make a big difference. Maybe making the switching stand some what smaller might help. It seems to big to be a manual switch at least

[Swamper77]

I modeled the switching stand at real world scale using photos for reference. I have no interest in redoing them as there were no complaints after they were released with the NAM for the Wide Radius Rail switches and the STR mod. If I were to redo them, it would require updating the NAM as they are contained in the NAM's "NAM Props" file.

The switching stands were made for the rail network and don't look good on the Elevated Rail network anyways. I wouldn't mind making as set of switch controls for Buddybud's project here, provided I can find some decent photos of them and get some dimensions of their size.

Sorry if it sounds like I am getting defensive about the switching stands, but I put a lot of work into creating them in the first place.

-Jan

[Jonathan]

Looking great buddybud  Now the track is HD, could the side/supports be HDified too?
The switching stand in HD would look amazing! Please consider doing this, Jan?

Scaling can be done by a user now if it is so desired with Cogeo's new S3D tool, even though I think they are the right size.

Jonathan

[buddybud]

Swamper...i would much appreciate some help on switches and semaphores and such. Whatever you want to offer!

So far I tried making a high def one based on a signal produced in rochester. It's not historically accurate but was from the same time frame. I could stack them on a stand also i guess. But lets be honest, i know nothing of rail detailing and how signaling is actually implemented! But i don't want anything dumb either so let me know if anything is highly inappropriate. All help and advice in any form is welcome!



i wanted to see if i could get something small but recognizable with the hd. it's not bad but the green color for the body casing needs to be changed. I made a two position random prop for trial. caution and stop. I can make them flippable easily enough but should i make them random flag positions or is there a way to animate these using the seasonal method/??? 



Anyways 
bud

[Swamper77]

Looking great buddybud  Now the track is HD, could the side/supports be HDified too?
The switching stand in HD would look amazing! Please consider doing this, Jan?

Scaling can be done by a user now if it is so desired with Cogeo's new S3D tool, even though I think they are the right size.

Jonathan

I'll think about it but I won't make any promises. I don't have a whole lot of interest in HD props.

-Jan

[buddybud]

Thats cool, i got a good start here. Any other advice such as type of signaling would still be appreciated! 

Bud

Edit....been busy the last week but i played with some 3ds electrical boxes and track props. They blend in perfectly with the network tracks. I'll be able to place these with the pattern placement and make a couple variations. Anyways hopefully i can get my pace back now.



cheers

Edit....cross-over track.

[carkid1998]

Looking good!!

[io_bg]

Nice progress!

[CasperVg]

Excellent! This keeps on looking better and better. 

[131080]

Hi Buddybud,

The electrical boxes look very good, and I also love how the wooden planks beneath the tracks change at switches. It looks very realistic.

About the signaling etc, perhaps you already know this website but it has tons of pictures of New York's elevated railway lines. Perhaps you could get your inspiration for them here?
http://www.nycsubway.org/index.html

Here's an example:
http://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?100192

There's also an article there about how signaling on the NYC subway works, but I'm not sure if you're interested in that.


Cheers!
Pjotr

[buddybud]

thanx 131080, i've had that sight bookmarked for quite some time. Much appreciated though  .

cheers everyone.

I've completed all the HD content i'm willing to do at this point, railings and network textures. I'm kinda back to the point where i was and am just need to assemble the avenue and highway intersections. Keeping in line with the non-nam sidewalk i added dirt to the zoned rail areas, non zoned rail has no dirt to match other non zoned areas. It is fluid like the sidewalks and can be replaced with a simple texture change or even a transparent texture if you don't want the dirt, after all theres only one texture to deal with. Except for the frame of the el all textures are all moddable and are placed via t24 unsing 3ds props. Besides the dirt, network textures and sidewalks no other items will be added below the tracks for now. There's still a couple of gaps and tiny visual glitches but nothing bad for a beta.




so only highways and avenues left, + a station and that will complete the non-nam rush hour skin.

Bud

[sithlrd98]

Looks like I missed a few posts...I like where you have gone with this! The addition of the props are great! Can't wait for a beta!

Jayson

[rooker1]

  This stuff is so beautiful.

Robin 

[buddybud]

thanks guys, much appreciated.

i'm down to making station props. Heres a set of stairs i've made. I used HD method but replaced the two rotations you can't see with blank model and textures. Next a platform.



Bud

[Alfred.Jones]

This has come a long way bud. Can't wait to see the platform on there

[mightygoose]

HD base textures should be done as well if your taking the time to make the whole thing high definition, the first fully HD network, that would be awesome...

[sithlrd98]

HD base textures should be done as well if your taking the time to make the whole thing high definition, the first fully HD network, that would be awesome...

I second that!

Those are lookin real good Bud!
Jayson

[buddybud]

another set of stairs.... the track props on the station are not properly aligned so you can see where the props and the 3ds network starts/ends. The nice thing with that is that if i remove my elrail texture the station would also change track textures.

As for the base plates i have not really put much thought into that as of yet. But some kind of combination is likely but no promises for now.

Bud

edit another prop....another couple and i can then put together some stations.

[SimNation]

Wow bud...I cant get over how much that station prop is resembling the real deal.cant wait to see how the rest of it will turn out.