Swamper's Garage

[Glenni]

Yeah, or U drive it, as maxis called it, you probably have the french version of sim city 4 though, so it might be called something else.

[Andreas]

That European truck looks lovely.

[Adept2Rock]

Thanks for your answers!I understand now!!!
It's possible to create Peugeot (french mark) cars?
If you need help, i can found model!

[Swamper77]

@Pat: I thought about that but it will look odd to see a rope shoot out from the truck, into the ground, before it connects to other vehicles. Plus, I'd have to edit every civilian vehicle to allow the tow truck to attach to them, which would be a daunting task and would cause duplicate icons for those vehicles that appear in menus. It doesn't seem like it would be worth the effort for just the effect of towing a car.

As for working with my "Developer Files" I have put out, all you need is a graphics editing program, FiSHMan.exe, and the Reader Program. These last two programs are found at ST in the Modds & Downloads Section. DarkMatter is the author of the FiSHMan program and iLive is the author of the Reader program. My tutorials that I have written for my "Developer Files" involve the use of these two programs only because I have been using them since 2003. Neither of them have an installer, so you will have to create a folder for each one and then copy the files to the folders you created.

-Jan

[Pat]

Jan OK i know I'm a pest but you gave me a thought again LoL... I understand cars
would have to be edited for the rope to attach to but what about one or two cars
that could be towed? OK i will check into Fishman and reader... Thank you Jan for
being very helpful and explaining to me.  I do have to say that on the tow truck
the first truck you made would look good with the rope coming out of it, as that
would add a little realism? - pat

[Swamper77]

@Pat: I may see about it, but depending on the number of custom vehicles you have installed, it could be very hard to pick one of the traffic vehicles with the tow truck. For simplicity and ease of use, I probably won't pursue the idea of attaching the rope effect to the tow truck and making two modified vehicles to hook it to.

I have the basic operating files for the UDI Tow Trucks in place and functioning at this time. There is one core "Essentials" file for them to work and 2 tow truck files. Only one of these can be onboard the system at any time, but I do intend to release "packs" later to add more tow trucks to the group.

The core "Essentials" file and one of the tow truck files will have to stay onboard for the additionals to work properly. The two tow truck files have the models and icon image for the "default" tow truck (the word default is in quotes since there aren't any tow trucks with the game to start with). However, both will not be able to coexist in the system without conflict.


The European Flatbed Tow Truck in action

I've rescaled the European Flatbed Tow Truck by 120% to make it fit in better with the existing automata in the game. It is now roughly the same size as the Maxis white industrial flatbed freight truck. The headlight and spinning light models have also been rescaled and adjusted to match the new truck model size.

-Jan

[Adept2Rock]

Very nice work!!!

[Swamper77]

@Adept2Rock: Thanks.

As some of you may have noticed recently, I volunteered to convert a collection of train GMAX models from Kenworth of the SFBT to automata. I only have the engine files, and he will be sending me the rest of the cars I asked for soon. In the meantime, here's what I have for the engine I have been converting:


Automata model is in the foreground.
I have the main body, the steps on the ends, and the buffers done so far. The buffers and steps are 3D on the automata model.

-Jan

[Andreas]

Looks great so far! Kenworth (and all other railway fans) will love this.

[Swamper77]

After working on this model for most of the day, I have the automata version finished:


I've modified one of the two skin images that I received to accommodate the insulators on the roof. Each one is composed of 4 planes, to fake being 3D for this model and to keep the polygon count down. The pantographs are 2-sided objects so they won't be invisible when you see the backsides of them in the game. I also ran the wiring across the insulators on the roof as well, so almost all the details from the original on on the model.

I left off the handrails, the ladders at the ends, and the hoses that were on the ends of the engine. The were too hard to model and would be very hard to see in the game. I just need to create the headlight model for the engine, and then I can start importing and coding the vehicle into the game. Next week, I should get the rest of the models for this train from Kenworth and then I will start in on those. When all the models have been converted, I will release the set as a replacement and an additional train set. As an additional set, the engine and cars will mix in with the others in the game, like when you add custom freight train cars/engines to the game.

-Jan

[BigSlark]

Jan,

This is looking great so far! 

Could you also make a freight version that both replaces and mixes with existed freight locomotives, if it isn't too much work?

Cheers,
Kevin

[Antoine]

excellent !! It must be hard to applied the texture ?

[Swamper77]

@BigSlark: This is a passenger train I am working, but I don't see why the engine couldn't be used for freight as well.

@Antoine: It's not all that hard for me to apply the textures and UV map them to the model. I have it down to almost an artform.

I finally got Kenworth's BR143 engine into the game:

Replacing the default passenger engine (running with minimal plugins installed)


Running at night, with front and back lights (Started UDI but didn't move the train)

Later this week, I will be working on getting Kenworth's passenger cars converted and into the game. I'm patiently waiting for the GMAX models and textures.

In the meantime, I'll also be wrapping up my base tow truck files and getting them ready for release. Once the base files are out, then I will see about making additional tow trucks. I don't intend to add any functionality at this point for towing cars with them, since that is beyond my capabilities at this point. I may create additional units with cars  as part of the model(s), particularly for the flatbed types.

-Jan

[Kenworth]

WOW! That's great!  Nice work Swamper77! I love this!

The GMAX-Data are work in process. Should I make the metal on front () darker?

Later I can build a german fright locomotive: BR155 (EX-DR 250) or BR 232(234; EX-DR123) or others?

mfg,
Kenny

[Swamper77]

Ken,

I'll darken it on my end. I used the skin images that you provided (from Trainz?) for the skin of the automata model. I will try using one of the darker sections of the skins for the steps on the ends of the engine. I used a white panel of the skin for the steps, trying to match the GMAX model as close as I could.

When you get around to making the freight engines, I'd be happy to convert them to automata for you.

-Jan

[Kenworth]

Ken,

I'll darken it on my end. I used the skin images that you provided (from Trainz?) for the skin of the automata model.

Okay
No, i used the images from the Microsoft Train Simulator (ProTrain 7 Frankfurt - Nuernberg).

When you get around to making the freight engines, I'd be happy to convert them to automata for you.

-Jan

That's make me happy! Thank you very much

mfg,
Kenny

[Kenworth]

So, the GMAX-Data are in my folder Kenworth of the SFBT TestCenter (RegionalExpress.zip).

Ehm, I have a wish: Can the second current collectors up in forward direction?
What I mean:


mfg,
Kenny

[Swamper77]

Thanks for uploading the files Ken. I will pick them up shortly after this posting.

I will fix the pantographs so the rear one is up instead. I had a little trouble trying to determine which end was which when I was making the automata model. I will most certainly fix that issue

EDIT: I have fixed the orientation of the BR143 engine model. I had it completely backwards when I exported it from GMAX with my custom script. I also darkened the panel that I used of the skin for the steps by 75%, and it appears to look much better:


-Jan

[Kenworth]

WoW, nice work Swamper... !!!

I love the BR143 *happy*

[rickmastfan67]

Very nice Swamper!!!