Numbers as Child Objects

[MaineLines]

I am working on a four panel child object which I have attached to the Feather River route Western Pacific reefer (which is actually a very nice model of an early 1960s insulated boxcar) so that I can repaint it in single number schemes that its current uv mapping does not support. The problem with auto numbers is that they require a separate panel for each digit applied to the car (24 in the case of this car) and by their nature need to be sized and located differently for the many different paint schemes.

Screenshot_Columbia Valley Pacific Railway(V1b)_49.54948--120.75936_09-32-38.jpg

[Railfan722]

Child objects are all black magic and witchcraft to me, but does this help? It seems to work, although I haven't tried it myself.
viewtopic.php?f=9&t=3934&hilit=portable+autonumbering

[MaineLines]

Thanks, I had forgotten about that discussion.

[QcRail]

Child objects are all black magic and witchcraft to me, but does this help? It seems to work, although I haven't tried it myself.
viewtopic.php?f=9&t=3934&hilit=portable+autonumbering

Thanks Matt. That link has gone passed me . It seems to point in the right direction and I'll have to take time digesting the concept, the procedure and its potential - à suivre (keep tuned )

QcRail

[jalsina]

I've actually used Chacal's technique to place a steam tractor load on a wooden flatcar model a few years ago. It wasn't so hard due to the fact that part of the matrix was already set for a lumber load. What document are you referring to in this statement "You may want to complement Chacal´s tutorial with this I wrote nearly four years ago"?

......

Harry

I am sorry I forgot the link: viewtopic.php?f=39&t=16074&p=184713&hilit=flatcar+loads#p184276

[jalsina]

....

However, I have some questions regarding number placement as a child object. First, are the number placeholders based on a picture of the sides of the locomotive? For example, would it be profitable to take a side view pic of the original model and impose a graphic grid over it to help with placement? Second, I assume the number placement is 3D so I would have to not only move numbers left and right but also in toward the locomotive body.

Perhaps some of our model builders can help with this process. Maybe they have created some shortcuts that might help us. I am certainly willing to experiment as I did with the tractor load.

Harry

Placeholder: A model plate with the number textures (maybe different panels, one for each number) and with the other sides transparent or solid. As it would be a child you could move it anywhere in the loco or wagon or scale it to change number sizes.

What I have no idea is how to get a working autonumbering since that has to do with the main vehicle geo. I guess using scripting that has already been mentioned here.

[jalsina]

Child objects are all black magic and witchcraft to me, but does this help? It seems to work, although I haven't tried it myself.
http://railworksamerica.com/forum/viewt ... onumbering

Interesting. I will take a look to this one. I had not seen it before.

[MaineLines]

I am not sure if this technique still works. So far I have been unable to get the included example boxcar to show up in game.