Emulate the 3D Canvas "ENGINEER" tool

[pwillard]

Way back when, Amabilis created some options in their 3D Canvas/Crafter tool that made getting started in modeling a little bit easier. I was called TrainSim Engineer. This quick-start shortcut could help a modeler provide rolling stock or engine dimensions and details, and it would give you a pre-generated starting point for your model. Some people used it and found it to be helpful... and since one of those people was me, I sort of missed that functionality. I even mentioned it in the OpenRails Content Creator Notebook.

Well, I needed a break from all of the other things I'm working on (I mean, self-created bugs I'm fixing, since I'm what real programmers would call a "horrible programmer") so I decided to look into emulating this long-forgotten and lost feature now that Amabilis is a thing of the past. It's just barely working... but it will create a Wavefront OBJ file for import into Blender.

So what am I talking about... well, it's this:
mstsengineer.jpg



Right now, it's a standalone item, not a Blender add-on. Maybe someday it could be; we will see.


And here is the result of that form fill-out in blender.




pacific.jpg

There is a lot more to do. And as usual, I'm probably only doing this mostly for myself... but I just hated seeing things we used in the past unavailable to us today.

PS: Ok, maybe just me and Scott

[scottb613]

Hi Pete,

Very cool - I pulled this from my very old 3DC Tutorial:

Trainworks Engineer Parameters

Pilot Truck
+Include
+Fully Modeled Wheels
+Relative Group Position
+Pilot Box Height
+Axle Number
+Axle Facets
+Axle Radius
+Wheel Radius
+Hub Radius
+Relative Axle Position
+Spokes Number
+Spoke Width
+Spoke Taper
+Spoke Rotation
+Rim Thickness

Drivers
+Include
+Fully Modeled Wheels
+Relative Group Position
+Solebar Height
+Solebar Length
+Solebar Width
+Solebar Thickness
+Axle Number
+Axle Facets
+Axle Radius
+Wheel Radius
+Hub Radius
+Relative Axle Position
+Spokes Number
+Spoke Width
+Spoke Taper
+Spoke Rotation
+Rim Thickness
+Animate Wheels and Connecting Rods
+Connecting Rods Include
+Connecting Rod Offset
+Connecting Rod Width
+Connecting Rod Depth
+Bearing Radius

Trailing Truck
+Include
+Fully Modeled Wheels
+Relative Group Position
+Pilot Box Height
+Axle Number
+Axle Facets
+Axle Radius
+Wheel Radius
+Hub Radius
+Relative Axle Position
+Spokes Number
+Spoke Width
+Spoke Taper
+Spoke Rotation
+Rim Thickness

Options
+Meters or Feet
+Track Gauge
+Tire Depth
+Driver Wheel Facets
+Truck Wheel Facets
+Vertical Offset
+Extra High Poly Wheels

I can send you my detailed driver in both Boxpok and Spokes - in Blender - it improves on Paul's basic wheel a bit.

Regards,
Scott

[pwillard]

Yeah, I already include an improved high-poly wheel for standard trucks and diesels. Spoked wheels are not my area of expertise.

Did we ever get any of Paul's old code?

[scottb613]

Hi Pete,

Why yes - yes, we did - I looked for it a while back and I could not find it - it is probably on my old machine - I have to set it up again to look.

I'm pretty sure I sent it to you.

Regards,
Scott

[scottb613]

PM... Forgot he sent it to me in email...

[pwillard]

Nice. Thanks. That will make sure I'm heading down the right path with this.

Testing High-poly wheel and track gauge accuracy.

image.png

[demando]

That might make it easier for me to branch out into using Blender more. I've had a PCF Economy Baggage Car on the back burner for a good decade now, trying to wrap my head around building the car, and eventually skinning it into a variety of paint schemes, but just getting past some of the tutorials on Blender has been a challenge for me, so I've stuck to track laying. If this could work for a variety of shapes and stock types, it would more than likely lead to a new boom of modelers. Maybe, maybe not, but this is definitely an eye opener, Scott.

[pwillard]

Well, now that you say that... I'm changing how this works... I no longer generate a WAVEFRONT OBJ file that you have to import into Blender; instead, I call Blender. I'm now using Blender as a headless file writer, and it seems to be working. I recall that some track generation was done that way as well... so why not?

I just created this with the software as a Blender file: (You will note that I forgot tocopy BOGIE1 settings to BOGIE2, hence the skinny axles)
image.png

This ENGINEER tool is focusing on generating the jumping-off point, basically the MAIN structural component and Wheels and Bogies as defined by the Configuration sheets in the tool. I'm trying really hard to maintain the original concept from 3DCanvas, but I'm also tempted to add improvements... like maybe Coupler models. But then I stray into making it America-only, and that might make some people frown at me.

[scottb613]

That might make it easier for me to branch out into using Blender more. I've had a PCF Economy Baggage Car on the back burner for a good decade now, trying to wrap my head around building the car, and eventually skinning it into a variety of paint schemes, but just getting past some of the tutorials on Blender has been a challenge for me, so I've stuck to track laying. If this could work for a variety of shapes and stock types, it would more than likely lead to a new boom of modelers. Maybe, maybe not, but this is definitely an eye opener, Scott.

Hi Stephan,

I played around with Blender for years before I dove in. Never taking the time to grasp how it worked.

Then one holiday weekend - I was sick and stuck home - spent three days with this kids' tutorial and I was hooked.

To be fair - I was looking at prior to Blender 2.8 (which sucked) - and this tutorial was after the 2.8 complete rebuild.

Three days was all it took to get the basic concepts and use of the UI down - granted I modeled with 3DC previously.

With millions of users - you can find a tutorial to suit your needs. I like this kids slow methodical way of explaining things.

I didn't do the complete course - I jumped around pulling what I needed.

Give him a try - you never know.

Link:
Blender 2.9 Beginner Tutorial Series - YouTube

Regards,
Scott

[pwillard]

As a slight diversion to the conversation... a few of us (as in me) are determined to help get people over the Blender learning cliff. If you have questions, particularly about how all this (the 747 cockpit syndrome of Blender) relates to creating ORTS content... please ask.

[scottb613]

Hi Pete,

Nice work! Couplers would be fine - and easily deleted and or selected - I've been using Erick's couplers, and they were a big improvement over my originals.


Just as a reference - my current steam loco driver setup - I add the weights needed as a full 3D shape as well.

Driver_3.zip

Regards,
Scott

[pwillard]

At the moment, I have 2 coupler options.. Janney Standard and Janney Shelf. Sorry, all you Hook/Chain coupling guys, not gonna happen.

Oh my. Nice driver. I could make that a default for high poly in the MAIN chassis section.

image.png

[pwillard]

At the moment, the settings above generate the following. (Which would be the beginnings of a hopper car)image.png

[pwillard]

One nice thing is it gets you started on the correct layout for the Blender exporter as well.image.png

[scottb613]

Hi Pete,

Nice couplers - so purty - more detail than Ericks' - I would suggest just adding a reference place holder for bogies - so the animation is all set and ready for the user to modify. Just add a car body and away you go.

Regards,
Scott