This may be a dumb question, but

I keep seeing people talking about parts of locos that can be added or subtracted...how exactly is this done? I was kinda curious seeing how i'm still quite a novice..thanks for any help...

-->Kyle Penn<--
kfp@vvm.com

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Parts can be added/subtracted in two ways:1) Through the alpha channel. TAs version of the SD40-2 is a good example of this. The alpha channel of the skin can be modified in such a way as to make certain parts visible or invisible. These parts have to be defined by the creator of the model, though. For instance, a person can "alpha out" the ditchlights on Justin Cornell's EMD models, but not on Jason Dilworth's freeware SD40-2 because Justin made his ditchlights "alphable" but Jason did not. Once the skin/ace file has been converted to a tga file, Alpha channels can be modified in a graphics program such as Paint Shop Pro or Adobe Photoshop. 2) If the creator provides access to his/her 3D project files, parts can be added/removed with a 3D program such as TSM or 3D Canvas. If not, the .s file(s) that determine the shape cannot be altered.

Clayton

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>2) If the creator provides access to his/her 3D project
>files, parts can be added/removed with a 3D program such as
>TSM or 3D Canvas. If not, the .s file(s) that determine the
>shape cannot be altered. No, it's alterable. If it appear in SFM component list. It can easily eliminate by change lines in matrix(...) section. (You can set component to bright mode and view it at night to see what it is). If not, it's not impossible, but very very difficult manually do it.

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Or look into the FreightAnim tag that 3DTrains has used on their Passenger SDK. You can add one additional shape file to a model. Then you don't need the original files. However it doesn't help you take stuff away.- Andrew

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.. and in addition parts can be added with the freightanim command. The new parts are created using a 3D modelling program - TSM, 3DC etc. A new line is added to the .ENG file that looks something like: Freightanim( headlight.s 1 1 )
In this example a new headlight is added to a locomotive.This feature is great for adding loads to flatcars and other open top cars.

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So something like the UP shield on the NALW locos would require a 3D modeling program to get rid of??

-->Kyle Penn<--
kfp@vvm.com

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A 3D modeling program AND the original model files for that program. The s-file won't do as you can't convert it back to the file format for the 3D program (this is good as many capable designers would not release their efforts for free if they did not have this protection for their work).


//Okrasa
Chief Engineer
okrasaghia @ yahoo.com
http://www.geocities.com/okrasaghia
http://www.geocities.com/okrasaghia/XTracks

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Kyle,No, you don't neccessarily need to have a 3d program if all you want to do is change the flat, two-dimensional features of a locomotive or car to "repaint" it. You can use TGATools2 (available in the File Library), to convert the .ace files to .bmp files, and you can then repaint and make other changes there. You could remove the railroad logos or change then by just repainting the textures. And as Osakra said, you can even eliminate some three-dimensional rendered parts by just making them transparent by repainting the alpha channel. But if you wanted to change the shape or placement of three-dimensional parts to a locomotive or car (like pipes, steps, grab handles, bells, etc), you would have to have a 3d program. In any case, definitely get permission from the original modeller before you change and upload their locomotives here!

Chris T.
San Bernardino, California

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Right now, I'm having to work with the UP shield. Honestly i want to get rid of the thing. So what your saying is to get rid of this Shield i could repaint the alpha channel? or as Osakra said, make it transparent. Is this as easy as it sounds, or a little harder than one might guess? Either way i'm appreciating the help on this

-->Kyle Penn<--
kfp@vvm.com

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Osakra didn't say it. *I* did! You CANNOT remove the UP shield from Jens Chris' Challenger/Big Boy/etc. Jens did not make the shield alphable and he did not release an updated version of the Challenger without the shield, even though several of us asked about it not long after the loco came out. Do a search of the forums and you'll see a conversation we had about it, but some of that conversation also was done through e-mails.

Clayton

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I realized last night when i fired up TGAtool that there was no alpha channel on those locos..so i'm stuck using the shield..no biggy...but thanks a whole lot...i've learned some more...

-->Kyle Penn<--
kfp@vvm.com

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Actually, there IS an alpha channel for the Challenger, but you still can't alpha it out b/c Jens Chris did not design it in such a way as to allow the shield to be alpha'ed.

Clayton

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During this whole conversation though, i have become quite interested in learning more about this "freight anim" that ya'll are talking about..where can i learn more about this?

-->Kyle Penn<--
kfp@vvm.com

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Check out http://www.3dtrains.comLook for the Passenger Car SDK, there is some information there.- Andrew

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ok ok guys...I'll do it...
I'm shot enough now...Jens-Chris

16 years old, from Germany, MSTS 3D Add-on maker and repainter ---- Jens-Chris ----

-- "Power for You" --

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Harass, er, I mean ASK, and you will receive!

Clayton

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lol

-->Kyle Penn<--
kfp@vvm.com

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Clayton,Sorry about the mixup with who posted that message. I had just scrolled through the messages too fast and forgot who posted what when I sent that reply. As far as the UP shield is concerned, I didn't know if it was actually a 3d rendered detail on the loco, or if it was just painted on. If it was painted on, then I would think you could remove it by just repainting the textures. But then a lot of times, unless you have a really good image editing program, it doesn't look as good as the original textures. A little while back, I repainted Matt Austin's Milwaukee Electric interurban into a Pacific Electric scheme and while it looked okay (this was my first repaint), it looked a little cartoonish compared to the trolley and inteurban cars that people have done lately. Anyway...if the UP shield is a 3d rendered feature, then yeah you would need a 3d program to change it. And if it didn't have an alpha channel, then you couldn't use the "invisible" trick to get rid of it.

Chris T.
San Bernardino, California

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There is a way potentially to remove it. Even if it wasn't made "alphable", (don't you just love making up new words), you might take a look at the SFM program available on this site. SFM, or Shape File Manager, lets you change the properties of parts. If you can find the part with the shield, and change its part properties to transnorm(I honestly don't know what properties are available in SFM), you could then apply an alpha channel to the shield to make it invisible. I've only used SFM twice--once successfully, the second time I ended up with a worse mess than when I started. I hear great things about SFM, so you might ask the SFM gurus if this is possible, and how to do it.Dave

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Yea i may hafta check that out..Sounds definately intriquing..thanks for all the help dudes...i was beginning there was a "don't help BeltonTigers" rule..

-->Kyle Penn<--
kfp@vvm.com

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