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Track Texture (1 pic)

Started by Coonskin 12 posts 6 min read

Track Texture (1 pic) – image 1

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CoonskinMember since Aug-1-02 · 1362 posts

LAST EDITED ON Jan-02-03 AT 09:30 PM (EST)

Well... this is going to have to be "good enough" for now. Working with track texturing is a time-sucking quagmire!I've removed the oil streak down the center of the ties, lightened the tie color to look a bit more like untreated spruce ties, as well as made the ends randomely pointed to look somewhat "hand hewn". I've quickly discovered the limitations of how detailed the track texture can be. Plus, I've still not figured a way to stop the "shimmering" appearance as you ride along the rails. Anyway, I've got it more pleasing to my eyes: The rails look smaller, the ties are longer, lighter in color, and pointed on the ends... this will do until I can think on it some more to see if I can come up with some other ways of doing things.Edit: Oh yes, and I've got to add spike heads. (No tie plates were used "back then", just spikes.)Andre

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Track Texture (1 pic) – image 2
http://www.train-sim.com/dcforum/User_files/3e14f4190ef27fbc.jpg

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RE: Track Texture (1 pic), griffinmt, Jan-02-03, 10:23 PM, (1) RE: Track Texture (1 pic), Coonskin, Jan-02-03, 10:46 PM, (2) RE: Track Texture (1 pic), GMOF3A, Jan-03-03, 06:13 PM, (9) RE: Track Texture (1 pic), jonathanmlewisrgs, Jan-03-03, 04:21 AM, (3) RE: Track Texture (1 pic), OkrasaGhia, Jan-03-03, 05:21 AM, (4) RE: Track Texture (1 pic), Railfan727, Jan-03-03, 07:59 AM, (5) RE: Track Texture (1 pic), Coonskin, Jan-03-03, 10:08 AM, (6) RE: Track Texture (1 pic), wacampbell, Jan-03-03, 11:19 AM, (7) RE: Track Texture (1 pic), OkrasaGhia, Jan-03-03, 03:24 PM, (8) RE: Track Texture (1 pic), K36487, Jan-03-03, 06:50 PM, (10) RE: Track Texture (1 pic), Coonskin, Jan-03-03, 09:06 PM, (11)

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griffinmtCharter Member · 545 posts

RE: Track Texture (1 pic)

It may be just my own perception, but it 'seems' that the ties are lying lower than the gravel in between. Shouldn't that be the other way around? Of course, I wouldn't know the first step in creating that effect.Martyn T. Griffin
griffinmt@mindspring.com

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CoonskinMember since Aug-1-02 · 1362 posts

RE: Track Texture (1 pic)

I think what you're seeing is the dark edge on the ties. The eye could certainly interpret it that way. Mine don't, because I've been staring at the textures in Paintshop for so long!!!We're definitely talking 2D here, so any type of effect would have to be a texturing trick.Later I will come back and try some more things, but some of the main things that were bugging me have been fixed for now. If I could just get rid of that "shimmering" effect, I could be satisfied with this for some time.Long time no hear from you, Martyn. Hope all is well with you and yours.Andre Ming

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GMOF3ACharter Member · 598 posts

RE: Track Texture (1 pic)

LAST EDITED ON Jan-03-03 AT 06:14 PM (EST)

uuuuh huuuuh......hmmm...let me see...narrow gauge welded rail..hummmYa know...I'll bet you can place an angle-bar on that rail Andre..If not..send me the file..I'll add one.(edited for spelling)

Paul...
www.mstsgmo.com

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OkrasaGhiaCharter Member · 685 posts

RE: Track Texture (1 pic)

Andre, I have an untested idea about the 'shimmering'.
The narrow gauge is scaled by 0.6 but uses the same size textures as normal gauge. It could be the 'shimmering' is because of this. Try using the next lower texture size for the track-bed. You'll loose some detail but if that stops the 'shimmering' I think it worth it.About my other posting, I don't know of any texturing problems just that if there is any I'm willing to look into it. Track-bed overlapping as reported in that thread is a feature that unfortunately does not work out as nice as it could have.Keep up the good work on your route, looking forward to it.
Don't hesitate to contact me if you run into a track laying problem that would need new narrow gauge tracks. 95% complete track laying there ain't much to add but one never knows.Now I'm going to do some valve gears thanks to Steve Thompson, his is another narrow gauge route I'm looking forward to.


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

Track Texture (1 pic) – image 6

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CoonskinMember since Aug-1-02 · 1362 posts

RE: Track Texture (1 pic)

Railfan727:* How do you use that program?* How do you know when an item needs to be re-mipped?* In layman's terms, what is "mipping"??Thanks for some help here.Andre

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wacampbellMember since Jun-30-02 · 121 posts

RE: Track Texture (1 pic)

> How do you use that program? It is pretty easy. Use its file browser to find the .ace file for your track textures. Then click on the 'Remipit' button. The only restriction is that the .ace file must be an uncompressed type. Use TGATools2 to uncompress it before you remipit.> How do you know when an item needs to be re-mipped? If the object shows funny artifacts when viewed at a distance, then it probably has a mipping problem. The pinstripes on some of my interurban cars did funny things - ie disappearing and reappearing, becoming dashed lines, etc. All this was fixed by remipit.> In layman's terms, what is "mipping"?? When an object is distant from the viewer, there will be many pixels from the ace texture file that land on one pixel of your monitor. The distant track, for example, may have several ties and a rail all land on a single pixel of the monitor. MSTS must decide what color to make that pixel. 'Mipping' provides some clues to MSTS as to what color it should use for these distant pixels. It does this by providing extra smaller texture sheets, embedded in the ace file, that MSTS must use when rendering distant objects. Scott Miller, the author of the remipit program, uses an improved algorithm for generating these mip images which gives better results.
Wayne

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K36487Member since Oct-27-02 · 237 posts

RE: Track Texture (1 pic)

Track Texture (1 pic) – image 8

LAST EDITED ON Jan-03-03 AT 06:50 PM (EST)

I like that alot! I was going to try an add the rusty track texture to my Narrow Gauge Rails. Would this work? JohnFuture Cumbres & Toltec or Durango & Silverton engineer!(I'm only 14)
Track Texture (1 pic) – image 9
Long Live D&RGW K-36 487!Member of the NGVWTo see progress of the NG Route, go to: http://groups.msn.com/MSTSNarrowGauge/narrowgaugerouteformsts.msnw

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CoonskinMember since Aug-1-02 · 1362 posts

RE: Track Texture (1 pic)

Yup.Andre

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