Modern Freight Cars Props

[Gn_leugim 858]

just more and more awesome cars, love it

[tigerbuilder 131]

Looking really great! The expert prop guys are pumped?...even better. Can't wait until your classes end. Take care of that first. 

Cheers, tiger

[Angry Mozart 1,199]

Thank you all for you nice comments, I never expected this project to had a lot of welcome, but I was wrong. Thank you very much

@rsc204Of course, help is always needed, so if you or anyone wants to help, that will be great.

@CT14 Yes, they were scaled to the 133% vertically.

@Simmer2 I can't wait to see the magic you will surely do with these, and that will be very helpful.

@DavidDHetzel I'm considering some switchers locomotives, I'm curentelly working on a GP38-2, and I have in mind some MP15's, SW1500's, C30-7's and SD40-2's. But others locomotives will have to wait some time.

Before making the versions for different angles, I need to know your opinion about the cars, more specific about the size and height, so, if anyone wants to be a tester, please contact me, your opinnion will be helpful and very important to me.

[Simmer2 23,831]

@Angry Mozart I'm in! Drop me a pm with a file sharing link and I will happily test them.

Simmer2/Nick

[CT14 2,486]

@Angry Mozart thanks for confirming that - I would be happy to test on lots as well.

This is shaping up to be the definitive railcar prop pack!

[DavidDHetzel 1,816]

@Angry Mozart Check your PMs

[rsc204 21,866]

1 minute ago, DavidDHetzel said:

Check your PMS

Ahem!  

_{(sorry - Couldn't resist)}

[Simmer2 23,831]

Hello Mozart. Here are a few pics for reference. Please check your personal messages.

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[T Wrecks 10,210]

Model railroad feeling incoming in 3, 2, 1... NOW! Nice recycling of that Maxis building, too. I think it really looks the part.

One thing I noticed is that the trees next to the building seem to be a bit isolated. You see, in a park you may have singular trees on an open grass area, but in a place like this railyard you're more likely to see a mess of wild shrubbery IMO. Everything seems to be a bit too well maintained in that spot, at least for my taste.

[metasmurf 705]

Some models have that too bright/saturated white problem on top. Otherwise overall they look great.

[Simmer2 23,831]

@T Wrecks That lot, minus Mozart's props, is already out here 

I'm just recycling the layout for sample purpose. I have sent him a PM regarding a few details which can definitely improve. Thanks for the comment on the lot

[Angry Mozart 1,199]

Hello guys, sorry for the long time, school keeps me busy most of the time, but that doesn't means that I haven't worked on this project. These last weeks I have been working on some details and problems that  @CT14 and @Simmer2 (I have to say it, I loved those pictures, even with those ugly white roof  textures) have found on some of the models. I have fixed most of that white saturation problems on some roofs, adding new roof textures to the models. Also, I re-modeled the loaded versions of most of the open top cars, now the loads look more realistic instead of a flat load. New different coal textures have been added to the coal hoppers too.

Now I want to show you the first glance to the locomotives. Three EMD GP38-2's in different schemes: BNSF, Norfolk Southern and  Union Pacific. More schemes will be made in the following days (CN, CSX, CP and some others).  Tell me what do you think.

A closer look to the locomotives.  Notice the uneven loads on the hoppers and the gondolas.

[APSMS 1,893]

Although I like the idea of the unevenness, unless you introduce significantly more variants to choose from (perhaps in a prop family), the repetitiveness (and the oddly flat top, which may be realistic but still looks bad) becomes immediately apparent.

I was looking into JPG compression the other day for some personal side project of mine, and read some interesting stuff about how our brains can easily detect gradient changes, and any artifacts in images that have them across smooth gradients, but sharp contrasting images can have significantly more artifacts and still look fine to our eyes if the contrast and busy-ness of the picture is sufficiently high.

All this combines to make smooth textures and repeating patterns very easy to identify, and it's made worse by the fact that the hoppers with the lump evenly in the middle (bottom two cars) appear to repeat even in the same car, again due to that odd effect of the flat top, which is jarring mostly because its unexpected, not because it's a bad effect or unrealistic (I have no idea about the latter condition). A smooth Gaussian distribution of the hopper contents would be less realistic, but more normalized and generally harder to notice outright because our brain ignores the information as standard.

 

Like I said, I really like this effect, but IMO for it to be properly successful, any cars you model this way will need to be in prop families with varying drop patterns for their contents so that the load is randomized and the repetitiveness is mitigated.

[Simmer2 23,831]

I agree with APSMS. Make the load prop like a longitudinal mound and make sure you check the "create map" when creating the plane to be manipulated. Then create a texture with the same aspect ratio as the prop and apply it . The results will be far better.

Simmer2

[Angry Mozart 1,199]

Repetitiveness is still a problem, I didn't thought about it,  altought using prop families  is a good idea,  I'm afraid that this will have to wait because I don't know yet how prop families work, and I want to finish another details before getting into this. But, if anyone knows about a better or more recent tutorial about prop families (I'm reading a tutorial I found on th SC4 wiki), it would be helpfull if you can link me to it. Happy halloween.

[Simmer2 23,831]

Hello Mozart.

First you will need a prop family range and you can obtain one here https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=2490.400

The actual tutorial is here https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=128.0

However if you think its too daunting then do not worry about it. Like I said in a previous post, I will make the prop families for you.

Just make 2 maybe 3 variations of the loaded cars textures and the rest is easy.

On a side note, have you made some containers to go with the inter-modal cars?

 

Simmer2/Nick

[Angry Mozart 1,199]

@Simmer2 I'll give it a try, but, I think I'm gonna need help with this, altought I have more than five years playing, I'm still new at modding, so, If you could help me I'll provide you whatever you may need for this. Thank you in advance. 

[DavidDHetzel 1,816]

http://rrpicturearchives.net/locoList.aspx?mid=3

 

Here's a wonderful reference for GP-38s

[philforhockey51 4,220]

I really like that the freight cars are being looked at, we have plenty of engines but a lack of the rest of the train. Wonderful work hope to see them released.

[Angry Mozart 1,199]

@DavidDHetzel Thank you for that link, it will be helpful.

@philforhockey51Thank you for you comments, I hope I will be relasing it soon.

I have been working on diagonal/FA's versions of the props, and as some of you have sugested, there are versions at 4 different angles:11.25, 22.5, 33 45 degrees. This will be the longest part of the project (There are a lot of models to be exported). These are the first results:

 

[Angry Mozart 1,199]

Also, I have been working on locomotives. In my last picture, I showed you a set of three GP38-2's: BNSF, UP, NS. Now I'll show you three new schemes for the GP38-2:

• ATSF
• CN
• CP

More schemes will come in future posts, as well as new locomotive models and maybe some other things.

[Jasoncw 11,949]

These look really nice. 

[CT14 2,486]

We are all waiting eagerly for this pack... I appreciate your taking your time and getting all the details right as it will be so crucial when it comes out!

I'm still willing to test those grainers in LE if you feel like sending them my way. I'd also be willing to help with the Herculean task of creating angle versions... after testing angles on just one car model (at 45, 39.375, 33.75, 28.125, 22.5, 16.875, 11.25, 5.625) I feel your pain!

A few notes on the latest previews -

Angles and WRC

It looks like you're going for just four angles. While all angles are good, keep in mind unit trains require more angles to fit Wide Radius Curve tracks end to end. For example there is no way to use the Jestarr angled cars prop pack on WRC without leaving lots of air in between the couplers.

Also on the angle topic, my understanding is that the 33 degree version strictly speaking is 33.75 deg (5.625 * 6), unless NAM RRW slipped in some 33 degree network that I missed.... like the 18.4 deg FAR 3 and 26.6 deg FAR 2 angles which I forgot to put in that set I mentioned.

There is also the new "FAR1.5/1.33" in NAM 35, which has a run of 5 and a rise of 3, seems to be around 31 degrees. Probably not worth it until @Simmer2 feels like extending the RRW overlay texture packs, since no one will be lotting FAR1.5/1.33.

Textures

That CN geep may be a little over saturated. I feel it could be closer to the excellent levels of saturation on the CP Rail unit without losing that 'new paint' look.

[T Wrecks 10,210]

Those locomotive liveries are among the best I've ever seen. The red on the CN one may be a bit too saturated, but other than that these are just wonderful.

Being a person who doesn't recreate precise real-world scenarios (and I can't be the only one, or can I?), I wonder if there's a chance of having a simple and generic one or two-colour livery without company lettering?

[markussaage 762]

Great stuff here coming... Are you doing an CSX locomotive sometime?!

Kind regards!

[Angry Mozart 1,199]

Hello everyone, it's been almost a month since my last entry, sorry about that, but university  kept me very occupied these last weeks. But now my semester is (amost) over and I will have more time to work in this.

First of all, thank you for your patience, this is a big project and it will take some time to get it finished.

@CT14 Thank you, I already made some models at  45, 39.375, 33.75, 28.125, 26.6, 22.5, 18.4, 16.875, 11.25, and 5.625 degrees. I'll work on the saturation of the CN locomotive. About the files, sorry, I forgot about it, I'll send you those files right now.

@T Wrecks Yes, I will have two or three generic models. Thanks for the advise.

@markussaage Of course there will be CSX. You can see the model in the picture.

 

The new schemes are:

• CSX
• Kansas City Southern
• Ferromex
• Southern Pacific

 

[markussaage 762]

12 hours ago, Angry Mozart said:

Hello everyone, it's been almost a month since my last entry, sorry about that, but university  kept me very occupied these last weeks. But now my semester is (amost) over and I will have more time to work in this.

First of all, thank you for your patience, this is a big project and it will take some time to get it finished.

@CT14 Thank you, I already made some models at  45, 39.375, 33.75, 28.125, 26.6, 22.5, 18.4, 16.875, 11.25, and 5.625 degrees. I'll work on the saturation of the CN locomotive. About the files, sorry, I forgot about it, I'll send you those files right now.

@T Wrecks Yes, I will have two or three generic models. Thanks for the advise.

@markussaage Of course there will be CSX. You can see the model in the picture.

 

The new schemes are:

• CSX
• Kansas City Southern
• Ferromex
• Southern Pacific

That is awesome work, dude! I can't wait to see those in the game!

Kind regards!

[CT14 2,486]

It looks like a few LODs may not have been rotated with the models, but these angled boxcars are already looking 100% in at least one view. Here are the 8 major angles on a SM2 45 to ortho transition overlay texture set. On this curve the best fit was to use every other angle, this was done twice to produce the side by side lines of 4 cars - using each of the 8 angles once. One nuance: the two lines thus constructed aren't identical translated copies of each other, in the same way that, for example, the rail overlay has been duplicated straight to the side. to make four tracks instead of two.

Visible on the other shots are a few LOD issues.

[raynev1 1,887]

      You guys that have the patience to create all of this awesome stuff for SC4 , I have to give a big Thank you . Thank you all for keeping SC4 immortal and ever growing with wonderful content . @Angry Mozart That CSX Engine skin , I think you nailed it .  

[Angry Mozart 1,199]

@markussaage @raynev1Thank you for your comments, there will be more locomotives models (including CSX) in a far future (but not so far or, at least, not in this prop pack).

@CT14 There was a problem with the LOD's, I already solved it, and these are the results:

From a far view

a closer view

From different angles

 

No more glitches!

But, if you can try these ones, I'll be very greatful