TS2012 PS-1 40/50ft Boxcars: 24 Variations!

[PapaXpress]

Guys, have you even seen this the model in game, or are you basing all your alpha comments on the screen shot?

[arizonachris]

Papa, Michael's first two PRR cars are sweet. The rest, well, too shiny? OK, Southern belle, WP and Chessie are OK. That yellow one's gotta go. Just me, but I like weathered stuff. Gimme dirt and grime.

[PapaXpress]

shiny as in alpha, or shiny as in fresh from the builder?

[thecanadianrail]

or shiny as in fresh from the builder?

i think he means this one.

oh and yes i have downloaded them and have them in game, but personaly i do prefere it with a bit more alpha. (i am shure it woulden't be hard to make 2 copys, 1 with more alpha, and one with less, just to give some variaty, i love the car but like it to have that gloss that you see on steel with new paint; and i know i am not alone. just my )

[arizonachris]

Shiny as in plastic fresh off the hobby shop shelf.

Y'all talk about alpha channels and stuff, it's over my head. I can build a PC, wire a house (anything electrical/ electronic) rebuild the motor in your car, but I can barely use RW Tools let alone model anything.

[PapaXpress]

I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I just can abide seeing the sky (i.e. you can see the clouds) reflected off the sides of the car. In the end its up to Mike what he will like to do with his work. As for any repaints I am releasing, I will not be include two sets with different alpha (this does not mean I will not strive to improve my skills using alpha), Sorry. I will continue to release a "new" and "dirty" set as I have traditionally done.

Update: Just an example of too much alpha.

[Kali]

Quick vaguely related tip: patterns in the alpha channel - you can't help creating some if it's dxt3 compressed and you've not used plain blocks - are quite good for making stains or splatters or similar; you could do something similar in RW2, but it seems much, much more effective in TSX. Did this by accident:

pctanksplatter.jpg

which is only vaguely different alpha levels.

Think the only time I've ever seen a shiny freight car was either just before it left the shop - once it's out of the shop it seems to go dull straight away - or one particular china clay flow here where they polished the steel tanks before every trip.

[PapaXpress]

There is one thing that eludes me. If you look at the alpha on an RSC model there is some dropout but its controlled. I am assuming this gives more depth to the repaint (more matte where there are shadows, more shine where exposed), but I cannot figure out the best way to reproduce this affect.

Any ideas? Or do I have it all wrong?

[Kali]

I'm pretty sure RSC models have just got copies of the one of the other channels for alpha channels - which is rather handy if you want to paint one, you've got a ready made overlay. Paint in shadow isn't any less shiny than paint with light on it, it's just got less light on it - TSX should handle all that by itself.

The hard bit in my case is trying to stop DXT compression posterizing the alpha channel - it's not so bad if the grey levels are quite high, but if you want darker near-matte paint then it tends to just turn everything into one dark grey with odd blotches. You can add noise, patterns, do whatever you want and it just seems to chew it all up.

[MadMike1024]

(thanks to Mr. Cowen for the base template)

http://www.gimp.org/

http://www.mediafire.com/?4i2j2mvay21

[thecanadianrail]

ok after much closer looks in game i have figured out part of my problem with you newer stuff....

1. too clean
2. your colours are too.....plastic looking? (to see what i mean just compare your first releases of boxcars and stuff to what you just released the other day.)

nothing personal against you, just my opinion.

[BNSF650]

Any chance of anyone doing some of the Frisco cars.?

[PapaXpress]

For those that think its plastic (heck, if anyone wants to try these) please try the attached textures and provide feedback:

CNW-40Ft.7z

UP-50Ft-Double.7z

Remember to back up the original texture.
Also note, I have only altered the body, not the doors, bogies, or other child objects.
You will need 7-zip to uncompressed 7z files.

[Kali]

Any chance of anyone doing some of the Frisco cars.?

Hmm, I like the middle one, has a vibrant 70s/early 80s feel. Might try throwing that together, should be a nice little snackbreak. Appears to only be riveted at the ends too, always useful. I hate rivets.

[thecanadianrail]

the yellow one came with GN's boxcar pack that is temporaraly unavalable due to the update.