| Updates
|
18/01/2006
Car Carrying Wagons |
The first model started was the lengthy Procar-80 PLA/JLA. The basic structure was assembled quite quickly and tested using temporary bogies and plain textures. A rather dodgy model of a Ford Fiesta car was also built and included in the main mesh (this being before I learned about industry compatability). I decided that the car should have see-through windows and this resulted in a rather poly-heavy model. The model is seen on test with some of my steel wagons in the background. |
22/01/2006
Car Carrying Wagons |
I also wanted to use see-through decking on these wagons, and the use of opacity maps seemed the best way to achieve this. Using a simple texture tiled across the deck objects, the results as shown were obtained. Some refinement is still required. Railings were also added to the upper deck using very thin boxes. |
14/06/2006
Car Carrying Wagons |
The Procar-80 model was sidelined awaiting the construction of some suitable bogies, but another type was started in the summer. The Cartic-4 uses articulated bogies, and the modelling of these using invisible bogies was tested in May. By mid-June I had started on the main side-frames. The curious lighting effects on some of the verticals was due to having tidied up the vertices on the mesh and not welded all of the overlapping ones. The bogies are temporarily represented by some Auran ones. Both ends are articulated as this is one of the inner wagons. |
26/06/2006
Car Carrying Wagons |
By the end of June the lower deck had been added using the same opacity map technique as for the Procar-80. Making the deck this way meant that the support framework underneath had to be represented. This is an outer wagon with articulation at one end only. |
17/08/2006
Car Carrying Wagons |
The Bardon aggregate hopper project involved the construction of some cast Y25 bogies, which also suited the Procar-80 model. This view shows the new bogies in place. Work on the LOD meshes of the bogies remains to be completed, while the wagon is unchanged since January. |
24/12/2006
Car Carrying Wagons |
Over the Christmas holiday I had a blitz on the Cartic-4 model, and added a lot of details as well as some anti-vandal meshes, once again using opacity maps. Also evident in this view are the Ridemaster bogies built, and the beginnnings of the MAT livery texture. |
26/12/2006
Car Carrying Wagons |
I decided that I would build my own vehicle products for use with the wagons, and the first up was a 2005 Ford Fiesta car. This was my first experience of modelling complex compund curves and the result is reasonable but not spot-on. A simple texture was made up and cloned into several different colour schemes. Sadly, the use of opacity for the car windows and interior proved not to be possible. As the anti-vandal screens also used opacity, these often appeared behind the cars even though they were in front. A murky grey was used instead, rather like the Auran default cars.
Also visible in this view is the inner version of the Ridemaster bogie, with the brake pipe carried across it. These pipes terminate under the wagon sides in such a way that they are hidden except on overly sharp curves. |
27/12/2006
Car Carrying Wagons |
Although the first set of Cartic-4 wagons was not yet complete, I had already started work on other variations. Some of the MAT sets were fitted with metal roof panels as well as mesh side screens. These lift up at each end to give clearances for cars to drive along the set. Making the animation for this was quite simple, and the texture included the comprehensive operating instructions displayed on each end. |
15/01/2007
Car Carrying Wagons |
The fully protected MAT set is seen here with specular lighting applied to the wagons and bogies. To improve the appearance, a slightly darker texture was used on inward and downward facing surfaces. The reflectiveness of the cars was later toned down somewhat. |
18/01/2007
Car Carrying Wagons |
The fleet is growing! The mesh-fitted set was copied and a white-based texture applied to represent the STVA liveried examples. As-built wagons were also built by removing the meshes and fitting stanchions and 'chains' (represented again by thin boxes but with more segments) to the upper deck, and this was reliveried in Silcock & Colling orange. For various reasons it was decided that Chameleon could not be used, so each livery and variation would be represented by its own model. Because the loads should all face the same way, and the individual wagon numbering should be different, it was also decided to make a model for each wagon in each set, rather than placing duplicates and reversing. As can be seen, work is concentrating on the A-end cars and B & C centre cars.
Also visible in this view is a 1980s Ford Escort car built, which turned out barely more recognisable than the earlier Fiesta! |
19/01/2007
Car Carrying Wagons |
Unlike the MAT sets, the Silcock & Colling Cartics were given anti-vandal protection in the form of plastic side sheets and roof. The side panels should be translucent but tests showed that this also interfered with the opacity used for the deck mesh, as seen in the upper picture.
The side panels required lots of mounting brackets etc, which were removed from the LOD meshes to reduce the count, while the roof panel was animated to lift up as a single item. Not sure if this is correct but it makes for a simpler model! A further variant was one with side panels but no roof. |
24/01/2007
Car Carrying Wagons |
The last variation of the wagon to be started was the single-deck conversion. Although intended for taller cars and vans, this was tested using the third car model produced; a 1987 Ford Escort Estate. This car had a much improved texture and looked rather more like the real thing than my earlier efforts.
As a quick try-out of larger vehicles, I converted a basic lorry (built for the TYind Steel Rolling Mill) into a product, although it had to be reduced to 80% original size to look correct. These used two attachments points, as compared to the cars which used three. |
28/01/2007
Car Carrying Wagons |
More (and better) vehicles were still needed as loads for the wagons, so I started on a 2000 Ford Transit van. To capture the shape of the front end, wheelarches, etc, quite a high poly-count was used, but opacity was used for the front and side windows. Difficulties with this resulted in me adding a separate mesh for the 'glass', which was tinted so that it showed up more. The product had chocks included under the wheels, while the model was also turned into a scenery item in a variety of liveries, some of which can be seen in the background. |
02/02/2007
Car Carrying Wagons |
Following a rather spectacular derailment during testing, one of my Cartic wagons was found in this very sorry state! Note also the darkening of the side meshes. I felt that these parts had to cast shadows, and the side-effect of the shadow mesh being visible is not too bad. |
04/02/2007
Car Carrying Wagons |
Although I was uncertain whether the single-deck Cartics ever carried lorries (as opposed to vans), a friend persuaded me to build an Iveco EuroCargo chassis cab to load on them. Being based on a lightweight lorry, they do not look oversize. I decided to model the front bumper in the mesh rather than just through textures and this, coupled with the exposed chassis, makes for yet another poly-heavy model. This is very much a work-in-progress view, details such as headlamps still to be added. |
17/02/2007
Car Carrying Wagons |
The EuroCargo was finished as a bare chassis-cab and was released as a product (with wheelchocks) and as a scenic item. In both cases, four basic colour schemes were applied. |
01/03/2007
Car Carrying Wagons |
With the Cartic wagons close to completion, I returned to the earlier Procor80 model. This underwent surgery to improve the mesh, and had details and load attachment points added. The first livery produced was the yellow Renault-branded scheme. |
03/03/2007
Car Carrying Wagons |
Late additions to the Cartic range were two sets in the blue livery of Toleman Distribution services. These featured a fade effect towards the bottom, based on photographs of the prototype. It is not known whether this was part of the livery or the result of weathering! |
04/03/2007
Car Carrying Wagons |
The almost complete Cartic family poses for a portrait. TTP (testing, tweaking and packaging) took a while and the first 10 sets were released in mid-April. The roof-fitted MAT set (seen in the centre here) was still awaiting its outer vehicles but I had had enough of them for now! |
24/06/2007
Car Carrying Wagons |
The first Procor-80 followed the Cartics to the DLS in mid-June. More releases are planned but it is expected that the canvas side screens fitted to most wagons in mid-life will be difficult to model. |
13/06/2008
Car Carrying Wagons |
Following a request, all the outer Cartic wagons were modified to have Couplestar couplings, along with lamp-irons and tail-lamps. A long rake of wagons is seen here on test. All the wagons also had their icon references changed so that the correct image appears in TRS2006. |
15/06/2008
Car Carrying Wagons |
I also finally completed the missing set (the MAT liveried wagons with side meshes and roof panels). The roof panels were animated to hinge from the centre during loading and unloading. Also included in the animation were the hinged end panels and actuating struts. |
03/08/2008
Car Carrying Wagons |
User PEV has released some nice 1960s and 1970s cars as scenery items. I modified his Ford Escort into a product and tested it on the Cartic wagons. The results are as seen here, and I will be contacting PEV to ask if his models can be released as products. |
05/08/2008
Car Carrying Wagons |
PEV kindly supplied a revised mesh for his Ford Escort and Triumph Herald models, while I modified the colouring of the textures. Unlike my previous car products, each colour is a separate KUID. This means that trainloads can be made up of a single colour of cars, or mixed as seen here. |
