We shall build a locomotive not because it is easy...

[PapaXpress]

you mean "drop step thingy"

You have mail...

[Kali]

You can add passenger views to all cars with the view from the step if you want. There's already a paxview for the caboose.

Interesting. I have several questions (I know I should just look into the blueprints, but I'm at work right now):

Wouldn't you need to supply interior geometry like for the caboose? Or can you point the camera at the exterior geometry for the passenger view?
Also, what happens if you have several cars with passenger views and hit "5"? Does the camera go to the first or last car? Can you browse with Ctrl-+ ?

Hm, yeah, thinking about it I'm not sure how you'd set it up - maybe just adding the existing car body model as the interior view? that would be no extra work. You can switch paxviews somehow, might be the same keys as switching cabs, I can't remember.

Should be easy enough to try using the exterior as interior, anyway! not sure what would happen to couplers.

[PapaXpress]

So.... I broke 20k... and I haven't punched out the windows yet. I blame the handrails.

And was I right... Just by optimizing the hand rails and nothing more (and there will be more), I dropped to just over 16k from over 22k (after I finished the front left boarding hand rail).

If all goes well I will have everything from the anticlimber down to the rail done and locked (I will post a picture)... then I will attempt to punch out the windows (listen for screams of pain, this will be round two).

[SMMDigital]

I was surprised when I took a close-up look at the ES44 unit. The hand rails look like cubes that have been turned 45 degrees and extruded. Effective at keeping up the illusion unless you look close.

My loco ended up at around 24,000 for the external model. The only problem I anticipate is viewing it in the Asset Editor, but there are ways around it.

You haven't experienced pain yet. I just started the Painting tutorial, part 1 - Unwrapping.

[PapaXpress]

I am doing that as I go along. Since I plan to use this model for U28, 25 and 23's I broke the textures into sharable parts. The next WIP shot will show the whole lower half completely textured (except for the normal map).

[Chacal]

About handrails
Years ago when I was building levels for Doom and Quake games the current wisdom was that small piping could be modeled with a triangular section, thus saving one face for each section of piping, and no one would notice.
I don't know if this would be applicable here.

[PapaXpress]

I think using a pure triangle would be the last resort. I still have some polys to purge so I don't have to go there yet.

[thecanadianrail]

I think using a pure triangle would be the last resort. I still have some polys to purge so I don't have to go there yet.

u mean using a purple triangle thingy would be the last resort....proper grammer good chap, proper grammer!

[PapaXpress]

u mean using a purple triangle thingy would be the last resort....proper grammer good chap, proper grammer!

Canada... sorry to correct you, but this must be the triangle that you thinking about:

[Hawk]

u mean

Proper grammar?

proper grammer good chap, proper grammer!

Kelsey Grammer maybe? (check your spelling)

[Kali]

About handrails
Years ago when I was building levels for Doom and Quake games the current wisdom was that small piping could be modeled with a triangular section, thus saving one face for each section of piping, and no one would notice.
I don't know if this would be applicable here.

I keep going there, it's ok until you get close ( albeit rotated square section is a little better ) - like in an external view where you're standing on the steps, which someone is likely to try here. Personally I'd not be limiting myself to this 20k limit, iirc the model compiler can handle up to 60k.

[PapaXpress]

Personally I'd not be limiting myself to this 20k limit, iirc the model compiler can handle up to 60k.

But do I really want to make people cry when they load my my model?

So far I am very happy with the optimization, they have not taken too much away from the original shapes.

[Kali]

I'm not suggesting using all 60k! but think about it - pop 3 engines down in RW, and compare the graphics performance to just having one. Not really much difference there. If you were going to add 100, maybe...

[eyein12]

out of personal experience on the poly limit matter. my c40-8W model is topped out at just under 27K and no stuttering from it whatsever, i can put 10 in a line and it runs seemlessly. I gotta imagine 30K and maybe even 40K isnt going to be a big deal either. I havent tried that high but i guess the only way to tell is to do it. Presonally I know how to keep my polys in check, and dont ever see a need to hit that kind of a ceiling. poly reducing functions in your modelling programs are not good options either. They break your model up into even more triangles, shifting them around, saying that there is less of them though though.

[sleepyto]

Is there a good site for getting drawings of locomotives. I done a fair amount of googling but haven't found anything.
Suggestions would be helpful.
Thanks in advance.
John