Railworks America

Hi Dick;

I recently uploaded a GN-Steam Pack to RWA, which provided over 100+ Great Northern steam based on your series of Britkits Steam Packs. This was using pretty much using your existing texture files and packaging them into GN-Steam specific set.

I am now doing an update to the pack as I want to match the color scheme closer to the GN olive green used on the GN steam, plus match it to its G-TraX sister, Great Northern #2555.

I am new at this so I am still learning. However, all is looking good with the exception of the bell bracket. It appears that the original bell bracket was mapped in the texture roof area so when I updated the roof to vermillion red the bell bracket also shows up red. So my question is....is there a way to map the bell bracket to another area so it show as black or a work around to resolve the color issue?

The example is the Heavy Mikado, but since the same texture file is used across your steam set it is true for all your steam packs.

Regards, Gerry

Note that the bell and cab roof mapping are quite close

Dick

Hi Dick;

See attached picture. It is the same texture as your original with the exception of the color changes. yet the above picture shows the bell bracket as red. So it appears IMHO that the mapping must have shifted somehow and now is part of the roof instead.

Can this be easily verified? As this is consistent on all your steam locomotives using this texture?

Regards, Gerry

Hmmm! I have checked with my 3DC model and it should be mapped just above the roof. I copied your 03 texture and tried it on my basic model and there was no problem.
It has got me stumped

Hi Dick;

This is a puzzle.

I will investigate further on my end and see if I can get to the root cause.

Just so we are on the same page the shape file I used in this example was from 2-8-2 Heavy Mikado USRA_282_Ha.GeoPcDx,USRA_282_Hb.GeoPcDx, USRA_282_Hc.GeoPcDx and USRA_282_Hd.GeoPcDx all with a creation date of 4/6/2014.

Regards, Gerry

I played with this until my head was about to explode last night and it seems to be overlapping somehow, It seems to be somewhere on the upper right side of the roof on my texture anyhow.

Buzz;

Are you shape (GEO) files dated the same as mine (04/06/2014)? I am getting the same results as you are even when using the texture files supplied by Dick?????


Gerry

The mystery deepens?

I have tracked down the location of the bell bracket shift. Don't know why yet.

I am using RW_Tools for texture file conversion from TgPcDx to DDS and back again. Using Photoshop Elements 8.0 for texture DDS editing.

Again this was using supplied texture file from Britkit 2-8-2 Heavy Mikado.

Research continues.......Gerry

Quick Note: I used the same texture file on all of the Britkit Steam and got consistent results. Using the above texture the bell bracket was the correct (black) color.

Ooops!!!

I have found the problem. Yes the bracket is mapped to the roof!!! At first I checked the sides of the smoke box bracket which are correct!!!! It will mean redoing ALL my steam locos!!!
I have an idea for a temporary work around but I need to experiment first. More on this later.

Whew!

Glad you found the issue.

Hopefully it is not a too large of a issue to fix.

Regards, Gerry

OK. Here is my work around. I have made another cab roof which sits a few mm off the original. As it is a child it can be adjusted as needed.
Paint the -03 texture file as you need it BUT NOT THE ROOF. that can be left grey. The -Cab-roof texture file has the cab roof colour. It is actually the same as the -03 texture

The loco xml/bin files will need editing accordingly. Examples have been included.

Please post feedback to this method and I will then do the same for the other steam locos. Mind it only effects those that have a different coloured roof!!!!!!



LINK
https://dc1.safesync.com/LMFRCjnx/Temporary/Mikado_cab_roof.zip?a=T48I32NbqjQ

Hi Dick;

First of all sorry for not getting back sooner, but was out last week taking care of parent (mom) issues.

The roof fix works on both the Heavy and Light Mikados.

However, on closer look a few other items are showing up. I am assuming one would need the model to resolve.

More tweaks if possible.

The numbers on the cab still show a line after each individual number. This I am assuming this is an alignment issue?

On the USRA tender there appears a line in the logo (both sides). I again assume this is a number alignment issue?

On the Vanderbilt tender the right side the rivets layer show on top of logo, but left side the rivets are shown correctly (below logo). I assume this is a layer coordinate issue.

These tweaks are minor as only noticeable at close up view, but if simple to fix would be appreciated.

Regards, Gerry

Hi Dick;

Any update?

Gerry

I am updating ALL the steam again to get rid of the bell anomaly and number problem. Any other problems will have to go to the back of the list as I want to do something more creative for a change!!!

Dick.

on the getting back to something creative. Most of us are very patient and appreciate your stuff a lot.