Goofing around and practicing...

[pwillard]

Checking out the latest version of Blender (2.93LTS)

It's always getting better... worth sticking with it.

[amtrak115]

Pete,

is this possible or am I just up a tree???. I want a fuel truck...doesn't run on roads or anything but I want it as a rolling stock item.. (a wagon). From what I understand, the object (in this case the truck) basically sits in a box that defines where the object shapes are or something like that. Can the Object box be much wider than the object itself and the object itself is offset to one side of the box... my example....a fuel truck to refuel Locomotives, placed as a "loose consist" if you will in an activity. when you place the object on the "track" because it is offset, it basically sits on the side of the track.

is this just one of my crazy ideas or possible??

Barry aka Amtrak115

[pwillard]

An object is placed based on its origin point (world Origin). If you offset the shape's coordinates from that world origin point, it will be shifted... however, it's really unclear what you are trying to do. An OFFSET rolling stock item can even be a plane in the sky if you do it right.

[eric]

Sounds like he wants to create an activity with a static consist made up of the fuel truck, i.e. inserting a unique object into the world that wasn't defined in the W file.

That's a really interesting idea when you think about it.... if you have a wreck or MOW activity, being able to place stacks of ties, rails, and a Hulcher side-boom or two.... Sort of combines the "scene" aspect that Rolling Line seems to do with the worlds we've created as routes.

[baldwin]

That concept was used in some activities on the old NERR route. Problem is though, it will not work in Open Rails because it is seen as a normal wagon and collected by the passing train.

[amtrak115]

that was one of my concerns with my crazy idea....the example I was thinking of...Amtrak #3 gets refueled in Albuquerque by a fuel truck. If I could place the truck next to the track where the engine stops then it would appear as I'm refueling the loco's. one concern I had was that player train would not go through the bounding box without pushing the offset truck along.....anyway..it's was just an idea.....

[pwillard]

There is nothing wrong with treating a Fuel Truck model the same way you would a telephone pole or small bush. Granted... you can't interactively move it but there might be some animation options available.

[amtrak115]

I was trying to avoid "modifying" the route...if I could add "objects" during activity editing, then I wouldn't have to worry about world files or such things....that's why I thought about "wagons"... another thought... and I may add this to my own wish list of things to add to an activity editor...it could be placed as a "location object" as part of a Location event in the activity editor....hmmmm....I'll have to think about that some more.....

[vline45]

On a sort of related note, this is similar to a situation of commuters on a platform, I want them there during the day, but passing through at 1am in a freighter and... seeing them is odd. Is there a way we define when objects appear?

[ebnertra000]

On a sort of related note, this is similar to a situation of commuters on a platform, I want them there during the day, but passing through at 1am in a freighter and... seeing them is odd. Is there a way we define when objects appear?

Night textures might work for your case, assuming you can alpha out your commuters