Elvas Tower: Modeling projects: Motive power - Elvas Tower

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Modeling projects: Motive power locomotives and related types... Rate Topic: -----

#1 User is offline   captain_bazza 

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Posted 13 August 2012 - 10:37 AM

Intro...

#2 User is offline   captain_bazza 

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Posted 15 August 2012 - 02:05 AM

To celebrate pinning down the display problem to a 'last successful' version, I decided to further tweak the texture for the smokebox and boiler.

And the resultant render is:

Attached Image: M&U5-render1.jpg

....and in the sim, V957:

Attached Image: M&U5-tweaked1.jpg

Cheers Bazza

#3 User is offline   Shay 5 

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Posted 15 August 2012 - 06:08 AM

Awesome Cap'n. I'm glad your back at the ole girl again. Keep up the good work. :)

#4 User is offline   captain_bazza 

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Posted 16 August 2012 - 04:44 AM

Attached Image: M&U5-render3.jpg

Here is an artistic render of the nearly completed #5. I finally added the front air brake hose.

Cheers Bazza

#5 User is offline   captain_bazza 

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Posted 16 August 2012 - 04:45 AM

How embarassing, it's there, but doesn't show up very well. :goodnight:

Cheers Bazza

#6 User is offline   Shay 5 

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Posted 16 August 2012 - 04:53 AM

Man, Sure looks good in the render. What do you think is wrong? I thought you fixed the display issue.

#7 User is offline   B & O GUY 

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Posted 16 August 2012 - 08:41 AM

Capt.

I think in the other shot the two colors are so close that at that particular angle the headlight base blends right in. It shows well in both these shots. Guess it should be alright then.

So in 957 everything display's properly! But in 958 is when the anomaly occurs and part's start to disappear?

Allen

#8 User is offline   D&RGW 

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Posted 16 August 2012 - 09:38 AM

Bazza,

Looking great! I don't have your model currently pulled up on my computer (it's buried somewhere inside my labyrinth of MSTS-miniroutes), but I'll try and make some suggestions based on your above renders and memory:

1. The valve chests should not be centered directly above the cylinder centerlines, but to the inside of each cylinder. On narrow gauge locomotives (I can't speak to standard gauge power at this moment, but I assume it would have been similar,) the inside faces of the valve chests were snug against the frame (with maybe an inch or two of clearance.) Looking at dimensions I took from #42, this resulted in roughly a three inch offset between the cylinder CL and valve stem CL on each side of the locomotive (the distance between valve stem CLs being ~55-1/4" and the distance between cylinder CLs being ~61-3/16".)

Now, if I'm correct, I believe your current setup would not allow for the admission or exhaust of steam through the valve chest. If you do correct this issue, keep in mind that the valve stem and snifter valve centerlines will need to be adjusted accordingly, to remain centered with the valve chest.

2. I've noticed previously that your spring rigging on this locomotive is very simple, with each spring being anchored directly to the frame with no equalizer levers. Would you mind posting a render of the frame, sans wheels and running gear for better viewing, so we might get a better idea of what's back there? I realize that you didn't have any drawings to work of with this locomotive, but it might be possible to find some drawings of a similar locomotive so that you might be able to "guesstimate" whatt he spring rigging would have looked like on the #5.

Oh, and in case you would like them, I spent a few hours a while ago compiling dimensions for a Sharon "Type D" coupler which I believe is similar to the coupler M&U 5 would have used. Feel free to PM me if you're interested.


Thanks,
Eliot

#9 User is offline   D&RGW 

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Posted 16 August 2012 - 10:18 AM

EDIT: Well, since this appears to be a general modeling thread, I suppose I'll post a project of my own. I've been working on this project on-and-off (though mostly "off") since December, although I can be relatively sure the only surviving parts from the original build are the cab and the headlight, both of which were intended to be entirely temporary and are shown below only to get a sense of scale. I believe that what you see below are the remains of the third complete rebuild I did for this project, with the oldest parts (the frame and spring rigging) modeled during February or March, and the newest parts (the rods and crosshead) modeled two or three months ago.

Unfortunately, I've reached a point where I feel uncomfortable to continue this project; the various inaccuracies and compounded errors are simply too great for me to feel comfortable completing or releasing the model. In addition, the drawings I used were a bit dubious, especially where the boiler and firebox are concerned, so the next project I start will be done using my own measurements and research. Nevertheless, it was a fun project and learning experience, and I'd be happy to provide the .blend file to anyone interested in my construction and modeling methods.

Okay, so on to the pictures. This is a render generated within Blender, complete with ambient occlusion and environment lighting.

Attached Image: Render_315_6.jpg

And, thanks to the work of Wayne Campbell, here's a shot of the locomotive—sans boiler, which I accidentally deleted before export :goodnight: —in Shape Viewer, complete with all her 186,500 polygons. The locomotive has not been tested in OpenRails or MSTS, although other objects with triangle counts significantly higher than the generally accepted limits were exported and loaded successfully in MSTS and OR without using PolyMaster or any similar utilities.

Attached Image: Render_315_Sview_1.jpg


Thanks,
Eliot

#10 User is offline   captain_bazza 

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Posted 16 August 2012 - 09:54 PM

@Eliot. I didn't model (small) detail that was not normally visible at first glance and to help this illusion I've added 'shadow' boxes in appropriate places as a cover-up. This 'subterfuge' IMO, is okay, because the model was already very detailed and heavy on polys. However, it is my usual policy that if I can get away with a certain level of detail, then I'll try and boost it further by adding those seldome seen details.....until the model 'breaks'.

Your remarks re the cylinder and valve chest setup are noted.....the several photos I had to work with were all taken at various angles except those I really needed, but given the rareity of the locomotive I was very lucky to have those photos to work from. I do have a lot of locomotive drawings, scattered through many publications and I'll admit I didn't think to check them too closely.

Your model has a lot of fine detail. After a while you just cannot help adding more and more bits to it, so I've found.

With the evidence from Walter's testing in versions 957 and 959, showing that in his setup GForce G220, it displayed okay. My brother tells me the GForce is an nVidia card, whereas mine is an ATI, so I wonder if that has something to do with the situation.

Cheers Bazza

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