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Reading Topic #6751
Alright,There seems to be more about this sim that I do not know than I thought.On Kicking Horse Pass-2 all of the number boards have numbers that glow rather than a pice of light code stuck in there to make them appear to glow.How do I go about achieving this effect.Is there a " trick " in Paint Shop Pro, or is this somthing that is set up in part of the .S file ?Thanks againLaterTim Kent
96th_Malice
" Power for You "
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It's part of the .S file.In the 3D modelling software, the builder is able to apply a material property that causes a surface to glow. Once the model is exported to a MSTS .S file, it is usually not possible to adjust the material attributes in such a way that it doesn't affect the entire model.Wayne
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Not the answer I was hoping for, but thanks anywaysLaterTim Kent
96th_Malice
" Power for You "
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Well, there is an outside chance you can use Shape File Manager to change the S file settings... but it can only be applied to an object as a whole... and that might be more than you bargained for.
Pete Willard
http://www.trainsimstuff.com
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Investigated this a while back, there is a thread but for all the tea in China I would not know what to search on. Here's what skilled loco builders told me: You will never get the number (letter) board lit properly using the "Lights" section of the .eng file. There is a special "glow material" which has to be specified when building the loco. This material can also be used for headlights and tail lights on motor vehicles. When equipped in this manner, the vehicles will not project a beam of light, but the head- and tail lights will appear to be turned on. Which is a vast imporovment over local yokels driving with their lights out in the dark, middle of a blinding snow storm. I'm not a loco builder: being not able to chew gum and read a newspaper at the same time, it will likely never come about. But I believe these fellas. My attempts to "light" a number board look exactly like what they are: One bulb on each board.Bummer. Bing
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Bing,What you said was correct, but was also just one modeler's opinion.When you see numberboards in real life, the center is usually much brighter than the edges. With the material applied to make the numberboards "glow", the trouble is that the only way to replicate this effect is on the textures themselves. It can be done to look great during the night! Trouble is... then during the DAY the edges of the numberboards will still be darker on the edges than in the center. Otherwise, they will just evenly "glow", not at all very realistic looking (ALTHOUGH it IS perfect for the LCD/digital car numbers on Superliners!).I prefer using lights to make the numberboards glow. IMHO, it provides for a much more realistic looking numberboard glow. The lighting, if done right, will provide only enough illumination to light the numberboard itself.If you look at NALW's F40, you can actually see BOTH of these methods applied! Although difficult, if you position yourself JUST right, you can see the "lit" guages in the cab - this was accomplished using the material mapping you mentioned. Then you'll see the numberboards - they look just like a glowing blob from the distance, but up close, you'll be able to read them. These were lit using the lights in the .eng file.Which method the modeler chooses all depends upon his/her tastes. ------ BUZZ ------
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