An update from LHWfoundries.com

[lnghairedwizard]

Hiya folks, longtime no see!!!

As some of you may know, I was onboard with TMTS for a while there until the home version was put "on Hold"..unfortuanately. With that, I took a hiatus to get back into playing in live Rockbands so my presence here had been reduced to occasionally browsing the forums as opposed to actively contributing.

Fortuanately, I've gotten back into it recently despite some comp problems slowing things down..(looking forward to getting a new system in the near future whenever possible).

It's been quite awhile for a freeware release so I've decided to release a smaller, freeware version of a commercial project I completed sometime ago.

The Scenery objects file library is sorely in need of a really good Electrical power substation so I will release a smaller (but still large and detailed) version of the substation pictured below.

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a56/Longhairedwizard/New%20minimill/Sub1.jpg

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a56/Longhairedwizard/New%20minimill/Sub2.jpg

These can be used at powerplants to step-up the voltage to high-voltage transmission towers and conversely, to use as step-down transformers at large industries such as refineries, cement plants, steelmills, etc, as well as on the outskirts of suburbs to step the power down for transmission via traditional "telephone" poles.


The file will also contain an industrial tranformer(with trusswork and switching-gear) to be used at smaller industries either singly or in multiples.

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a56/Longhairedwizard/New%20minimill/Transformer1.jpg
(early example without switchgear and trusswork)

I am also continuing on with the Steel "mini"mill I started sometime ago as well. (Commercial project)

Here's a few pix...

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a56/Longhairedwizard/New%20minimill/18.jpg

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a56/Longhairedwizard/New%20minimill/1.jpg

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a56/Longhairedwizard/New%20minimill/11.jpg

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a56/Longhairedwizard/New%20minimill/5.jpg

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a56/Longhairedwizard/New%20minimill/16.jpg

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a56/Longhairedwizard/New%20minimill/17.jpg

I also am planning on making all my upcoming projects (updateable) for use in KRS....by this I mean creating my textures in 2048x2048 resolution and resizing down to 512 or smaller for use in MSTS. Later for KRS, large sizes can be swapped for increased detail and resolution.

IMPROVED TEXTURING TECHNIQUES:

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a56/Longhairedwizard/Powerplant/14.jpg

Dayview of Coal-storage/handling bunker...the silos use a 512x512 highdetail texture that has been "tiled" to allow extremelty fine detail when viewed up close but also uses alpha-texture overlays to create the black streaks from coal dust as well as the Cones of light from the light-fixtures at the bottom of each silo. THis combination of techniques solves the problem of "repetition in tiled textures" while NOT requiring an extremely large texture of 1024x1024 or even larger to create high-detail on trackside structures and industries

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a56/Longhairedwizard/Powerplant/9.jpg

Nightview showing use of "bright" material setting on windows, light fixtures and light-reflection-cones to achieve a nice "night-texturing". This is much preferable to actual night textures on which the dark portions of a building will not illuminate when struck by the locomotives headlight (not a problem with my technique). IMO, actual night-textures should only be used on more distant buildings that will not come under the shine of a loco headlight.

Well, more to come later...

Cheers!!!

Bill Bzak aka Longhairedwizard

www.lhwfoundries.com

[commec61]

As always Bill, you da man. That is some great work and welcome back.

Steve 'Lil Hop' Hopkins

[NickF]

WQelcome back, Bill. Does this mean we might see the steem mill expansion for Canton at some point?

Rock on!

Nick

[lnghairedwizard]

RE:"Does this mean we might see the steem mill expansion for Canton at some point?"

Thats the plan at this time.....hope to have some update shots in a few weeks.

Bill Bzak

www.lhwfoundries.com

[westerngy]

Dam fine work Bill and good to see you back forever how long.Any plans Bill for doing any sawmills

Just Rollin Down The Tracks

http://www.notch-8.com/
http://www.railroadradio.net
http://www.RFCHosting.com/

Dale

[NickF]

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

[Noisemaker]

Welcome back Kotter...er, LHW :lol: Really nice stuff you got in the works, and am looking forward to putting that substation into some much needed areas. Also any support and additions for Canton are also well anticipated by me. :)

Keep up the great work! :D

[TVRRMAN]

Bill,

First off, welcome back. Glad to see yet another familiar face show back up. Second off, Those models look really awesome. I especially like that Steel Mill... Hmmm. Maybe there'll be a way to increase Canton's revenue in the near future?

Keep up the great work, and again, welcome back.

[lnghairedwizard]

Well, the steelmill is moving along very quickly now. Had more textures to do still than first realized, but they're about 90% done so I've been able to make really good progress on the interior for the first time.

It's gonna be "the sh*t" when its done folks..hehe ;)

I'm shooting for thankgiving for completion.


Ps-Post some progress pix before the weekend is out!


Bill Bzak

[lnghairedwizard]

RE:"Ps-Post some progress pix before the weekend is out!"

Sorry for the delay folks...I had hoped to do a preliminary setup of some of the "work-in-progress" interior objects, but I had to do a redesign on the main furnace assembly so give me a day or two and I'll have some progress shots (they will still be far from complete in detail).

Also, kinda took a break last night as I recieved my birthday (the 20th) present in the mail(did'nt check the mail saturday..lol) which turned out to be 3 DVDs from Pennsylvania Cable Network (PCN) which has several hundred factory and museum tours on VHS and DVD available to the public. I got tours on J&L steel, Koppel steel and Sunoco refinery...all in PA. If your looking for research material or are otherwise interested in this sort of thing...check out their website!!! They have tours of Steel mills, Oil refinery, Cement plants, powerplant, glass plant, Coalmine, tire & rubber plant, Conrail railroad cars, Norfolk southern Conway freight yard, Pennsylvania RR museum, Altoona RR museum and many other smaller RR's.

Main link: https://web33.web.ptd.net/cgi-bin/pcntv.com/pcn_store.cgi?cart_id=4720555_19463&action=search_pcn_tours&pass_letter=all&reqpage=1

Bill Bzak