Not enough details provided in manual on how to create wagons (graphics and anim).

[DimPoint]

I wanted to create my own wagon, but there is not enough detail in the manual on how to do the graphics and animation part. Is it possible to do in blender or do I need something specific? What file types accepted?

[superheatedsteam]

Yes you can use Blender.

Open Rails supports the MSTS .S shape file format. Support for .gltf is being worked on. Texture files can be .ACE or .DDS format.

Blender to .S Export Plugin available from:

https://sites.google.com/view/blendertomsts

Pete Willard has created documentation for Open Rails content creation available from:

https://github.com/pwillard/ortsbccn

[DimPoint]

Thank you. 😊

[geepster775]

Route and rolling stock content development is a whole "cottage industry" of its own. These efforts have their own evolution of preferred tools and learning curves. It is not the responsibility of the Open Rails dev team or manual to teach model creation in Blender any more than it is the responsibility of the Run8 docs to teach Photoshop. Whatever tools you choose, just be sure it is adaptable to future needs and formats and it is not anything strictly tied to the previous MSTS era. I think we already are seeing some limitations inside the content that is produced by some developers who have hitched their wagons to the older tools and have not explored or evolved yet into newer options.

[EldoradoRailroad]

Yes you can use Blender.

Pete Willard has created documentation for Open Rails content creation available from:

https://github.com/pwillard/ortsbccn

When you have your fingers in too many pies, you are bound to miss a few things. Pete's tutorial is quite comprehensive and also very detailed. I am surprised that I did not know of its existence, but I am sure it was posted some place and I did not take heed. Pete has really put in a lot of effort to make that tutorial, and I personally commend him for taking on such a huge and pesky task. I will download that PDF soon enough, when I get my health back and I can use my modelling machine(s). Bravo Pete!!

If you are a complete novice with Blender there are many tutorials on Youtube, but a channel that has been useful in many esoteric ways has a couple of "get you feet wet videos for more recent versions of Blender" that even I found useful:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsufneMOvWA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=srogwyiO2mI

If you can get by his "british" style, you will enjoy his banter.

Steve

[EldoradoRailroad]

I think we already are seeing some limitations inside the content that is produced by some developers who have hitched their wagons to the older tools and have not explored or evolved yet into newer options.

I do not know who this is aimed at specifically, but yes some of the affordable/old tools are the only way to get certain things done easily. Even Pete acknowledges that fact in his comprehensive "howto" PDF posted on github. One can only really allow themselves the luxury to be critical of developers if they themselves are undertaking the task of developing. While no names are mentioned, I certainly appreciate the fact that learning new ways and tools is not for the faint of heart. I do not know if you are given to public/constructive criticism of those who devote their time and post their work for free. It is a double edged sword. If you are too heavy handed, those people move on, if you say nothing, the "mediocre" output remains the same. Pick your poison. We want to encourage old/new model makers, not scare them away. I think the idea/requirement of perfection in something that you paid for is a high ideal. In my experience you get what you paid for, and are willing to modify to suit your taste, if we can call it that.

[pwillard]

At least it looks like a few people have looked at my notebook...

It's far from complete but i do work on it 1) When I figure stuff out or 2) Have some free time.

[pwillard]

New update: Added the beginnings of a section on Blender scripting.

https://github.com/pwillard/ortsbccn

Note: You only need to download the PDF file unless you want to contribute to the project.

[pwillard]

Updated Link https://github.com/pwillard/ebook-ORTSBCCN

[eric]

Thanks, Pete. As someone transitioning from Sketchup to Blender, your notebook has been invaluable.

Tutorials on YouTube are good for a general overview of the tool, but you've captured the context-specific detail needed by folks here to create buildings and rolling stock.