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

[mrennie]

Just to back SMM, have you seen this thread?
viewtopic.php?f=31&t=5763

Its all 3DC.

That is a sweet looking ride. Hope it doesn't kill my computer when I try to run it!

As far as things go with 3DC, i'm finding that it will do pretty much anything you ask it to do as far as modeling goes. There are some odd workarounds for some things, but it all turns out good in the end. One drawback I am finding however is how the program handles files as they get larger. As I approach 40k with my models, the program slows down immensely, sometimes looking like a powerpoint presentation as I move around the scene. I'm not sure what is causing this, as I have a very robust system. Also, i'm starting to have 3DC program crashes if the program compilers reaches/uses more than 1GB of system memory. Then again, i'm using an older version of Canvas.

I had that problem of slow response too, but now it's back to normal. I found a partial solution to the 1Gb problem. It's posted in the tips n tricks section of my blog. Even so, 3DC still crashes, but far more often on my 64-bit Win7 PC than on my Vista 32-bit laptop. However, the laptop isn't powerful enough to export the Consolidation. By the way, I get the same fps with her as with RSCs diesels.

[mrennie]

Here´s what I found. It might be worth a try:

How to correct an "out of memory" error when running a 32-bit program like 3DCrafter on a 64-bit machine with lots of memory.

I have a 64-bit Windows 7 PC with 12GB of RAM. The model of the Consolidation got so big that I kept getting an "out of memory" error when trying to export it to an .igs file. It seemed to happen when the memory used by 3DC reached about 1.5GB. I fixed this by installing the "Explorer Suite" from NTCore (http://www.ntcore.com/4gb_patch.php) and then using its "CFF Explorer VII" tool, following the instructions given here to ensure that the executable of 3DC can handle more than 2GB of memory: http://www.talkgraphics.com/showthread. ... d990d3ee70

[PapaXpress]

I am starting to repost SMM's tutorial. Here is the index page:
http://thegradecrossing.blogspot.com/20 ... tives.html

[jpetersjr]

Thanks, making use of the tutorial now on my new Alco RS-11 model.

Alco RS-11 Progress 3 C.jpg

Will be looking forward to the rest of the tutorial.

[PapaXpress]

I will probably get around to posting then next few pages tomorrow night. Mainly proof reading at this point. Then I need to scan them to see if anything needs tweaking for 3DC 9.2 (I still recommend 9.1.2).

[RAILSOHIO]

Thanks Papa,for your time and effort to get the tutorial "live" again!

[jpetersjr]

John, you have so many great locos, once you start exporting these succuesfully we will be spoiled

Well, the same goes for when Papaexpress is able to finish and put his engines into the game, the community will be spoiled.


I really am looking forward to that brown bomber engine, I have some cab pictures of a very similar engine that I'm going to give him. The photo's were of the old Alco MRS 1.

[mrennie]

I will probably get around to posting then next few pages tomorrow night. Mainly proof reading at this point. Then I need to scan them to see if anything needs tweaking for 3DC 9.2 (I still recommend 9.1.2).

I'm using 9.2 now and there's no way I'd go back to 9.1, because 9.2 has a few features that I find really useful. One in particular is the button on the right that instantly points the camera at the object you selected in the list (or the entire loco if no object is selected. I was forever ending up with the camera pointing into space and having to zoom right out to find the loco! Not anymore

[PapaXpress]

9.2 is not an option for me. It crashes if I sneeze.

[mrennie]

9.2 is not an option for me. It crashes if I sneeze.

Every version crashes for me, on average about every 10 minutes. It seems to work better on a 32-bit computer, like my older laptop, but my PC and my new laptop are both 64-bit, with enough memory to handle the model. I can't export it from the old laptop. I've got used to the crashes. It gives me an excuse to get up and move about

[PapaXpress]

9.2 is not an option for me. It crashes if I sneeze.

Your a Railworks user, you should be used to it

Honestly, RW hasn't crashes on me in a long time.

[artimrj]

Same here. Making scenarios, building a route, knocking on wood. Since 2013 update everything looks better, runs better and is working.

[PapaXpress]

I prefer strawberry... but I don't get it.

[PapaXpress]

Done...
http://thegradecrossing.blogspot.com/20 ... tives.html

[Chacal]

In the script for that engine, SMMDigital wrote this in the update() function:

Code: Select all

if Call("*:GetControlValue", "DriverCabLight", 0) == 1 then
   Call( "CabLight:Activate", 1)
else   
   Call( "CabLight:Activate", 0)
end


Since update() is called at every game tick (I think), one Activate call is made at every game tick for the entire duration of the scenario.
I'm not sure about the performance cost of such a call, but there are many game tickes in a second.
The call only needs to be made when the player switches the cab light on or off.
It would make sense to change this to something like the following:

Code: Select all

cablightstate = 0 -- add this to function initialise()


and

Code: Select all

-- add this to function update()
-- turn cab lights on and off if the player has changed it
-- from a post by AndiS at UKtrainsim.com
local newcabLight = Call ( "*:GetControlValue", "DriverCabLight", 0 )
if newcabLight == 0 and cablightstate == 1  then
   cablightstate = 0
   Call( "cablight:ActivateNode", cablightstate)
elseif newcabLight > 0 and cablightstate == 0 then
   cablightstate = 1
   Call( "cablight:ActivateNode", cablightstate)
end

Alternatively, I suppose we could put that in function OnControlValueChange and do away with the ifs.