I keep trying to remember that I want to update my B40 from 2002.

[pwillard]

Update. I've been avoiding the inevitable... I have to start work on the "trucks". \

[Whatever2006]

Looking great so far Pete.

[pwillard]

Yeah, trucks take more time... and *attempts* at getting it to look OK.

Progress so far... and I might just trash *this* one as well... we will see. Note: the only thing I really have to go by is a drawing from and old model railroader mag article.

And I know other people have created B40's, but this is me trying to update my original from the dinosaur era.

[yellowdog]

Looking good! Although, you should make it with Flintstone wheels....

[pwillard]

Actually, the placeholder wheels there now are Flintstoney enough... :-P lol

This truck frame is my attempt at making a more correct FB2 truck from a single mesh object as the ones from my original model were a cop-out, being just a double-side flat plane. Can you say "L A M E"?

[yellowdog]

Yeah, your game is definitely improving! Nice work. I'm one of those poor souls that Blender/model making just befuddles.

[pwillard]

Yeah, your game is definitely improving! Nice work. I'm one of those poor souls that Blender/model making just befuddles.

Well, I'll be honest here... my goal with this is to inspire others to give it a try.

[yellowdog]

Well, you definitely inspired me to try. But apparently model-making and Jedi Knight are beyond me

[pwillard]

Really, that's OK. The biggest hurdle when learning or doing 3D Modeling is figuring out the best strategy to craft the best possible shape. The really important thing to understand with that is that you likely will *not* get it right on the first try. And... maybe not even on the second or third try. And then there are the techniques, once learned, that save you *so much time and effort*.

For example: To a novice, creating railings is something we need to do... but how? Honestly, there are probably many different ways to craft a railing and none of them are more right or wrong as long as the result works out. Usually, you start with a cylinder shape and you start extruding and dragging points around... and that can work, but you quickly realize that you get distortions if you are not careful.

Another way to do this is to use a script (addon) Edges2Curve that I found here: https://github.com/Stromberg90/Scripts


With this, you create a BASE SHAPE using something like a cube with beveled edges... and then apply the script... and bam... you have a pipe made using a curve object instead of a mesh... and then you just convert it back to a mesh and you are In business.


Note: Usage: Select edge(s) then search for Edges To Curve, select from menu - edge_to_curve
Left Mouse confirms, Right Mouse cancels, Mouse Wheel increases or decreases resolution.

[pwillard]

WIP shot...

[Erick_Cantu]

One minor suggestion for when you get to making your wheels - remember to taper your treads! There's this contemporary trend in rail sims where model builders make these obscenely hi-poly wheels but make them pancake-thin (the tread should be about 4.375" and the flange about 1.375") with straight 90° wheel treads on them. You wouldn't think a 1:20 taper would be all that noticeable when it's missing, but it is.

Examples of wheel profiles can be found here: https://archive.wheel-rail-seminars....tions/HH03.pdf

Additional profile information - note the face of the wheels should be dish-shaped: https://www.scribd.com/doc/310515935...s-Carbon-SteeL

[pwillard]

Yeah, I'm a stickler for proper wheel shapes. Thanks for the links.

[Erick_Cantu]

You're welcome - I figure there's no point in guessing when there's measurements that ought to make quick work of it.

[Whatever2006]

WIP shot...

Solid work there!

[pwillard]

To be accurate about this... the body doors are modeled for use with texturing and will not be on the final model. Secondly here is a first pass at replacement wheels... you just don't see the details, sadly. The closeup shot is withe the wheel moved to see the details hidden by the FB truck.