Wondering some things about modelling (1 Viewer)

The_Growl

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Can someone help with my issue?

I wanted to create a bus in blender for OMSI, but I can't seem to find any good CAD/2D reference images to work from. So do I just trace from regular images?

Also, does the scale of objects in blender affect the scale of objects in OMSI? How can one measure up to make sure everything is in order?
 

Road-hog123

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1 Blender Unit = 1 Metre.
Finding good reference material can be hard. You're unlikely to find blueprints and such as these documents are kept confidential, but you may be able to source elevation images and diagrams on brochures and specification sheets. Spec sheets are good for main measurements too - check the images against them to ensure they're accurate. :) If you've got sources, you might be able to get info from those who service or drive the buses.
If you're working from photographs, distortions are going to be your enemy. The photograph needs to be taken as perpendicular as possible and with any lens distortions, etc. corrected. Remember to keep straight lines straight and parallel, even if that means deviating from the photo - try to hit that balance of what the camera says is there and what should actually be there.
 

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May 24, 2016
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Can someone help with my issue?

I wanted to create a bus in blender for OMSI, but I can't seem to find any good CAD/2D reference images to work from. So do I just trace from regular images?

Also, does the scale of objects in blender affect the scale of objects in OMSI? How can one measure up to make sure everything is in order?
You can always make your own. And yes, base them off of real images. Put the images into AutoCAD or something and then trace round the object. Use the finished cad as a template. I do believe that using cad templates is a better choice than just the regular images off the bat as they are simpler and it is easier to distinguish different parts during the modelling process. You are better off making mistakes in CAD, allowing you to correct them easily rather than messing up in blender and ruining your mesh up completely.
 
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D

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You can always make your own. And yes, base them off of real images. Put the images into AutoCAD or something and then trace round the object. Use the finished cad as a template. I do believe that using cad templates is a better choice than just the regular images off the bat as they are simpler and it is easier to distinguish different parts during the modelling process. You are better off making mistakes in CAD, allowing you to correct them easily rather than messing up in blender and ruining your mesh up completely.
Id have to disagree with that. There is nothing better to model around than images, so long as the angle is correct.
 
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The_Growl

Masterswitch Studios
Mar 7, 2017
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Tried doing this on my own last night, based off the pics in the ADL brochure. Is this alright?
5vwS54d34pCZHXK6mh9GGkdbN-nw2igt.png


EDIT: AutoCAD looks a wee bit expensive. AutoCAD Subscription | Buy AutoCAD 2017 | Autodesk
 
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Road-hog123

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@The_Growl brochure images should be pretty accurate, but be careful with distortions when using photographs. From what I can tell from other photographs the sides of the bus are essentially vertical (at most inclined at 1°), but that photo shows significantly slanting sides, likely as a result of the slant on the front and how close the camera is to it. Ideally you'd use a photograph taken from further away as that reduces the effects of distance from the camera on lateral movements from the camera's viewpoint.
 

Road-hog123

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Where you need to look will depend entirely on what information about what you're looking for. I've spent quite a lot of time searching for information from all kinds of different sources, there's no one place to look for all you need to know. A few suggestions however:
  • If you're looking for information about particular parts, look for spares sites, manufacturer's spec sheets, etc. as these can sometimes be detailed (and other times infuriatingly vague). ADL Parts Direct has a lot of ADL spares info, from there you can look up part numbers and stuff if you need more info. I've found everything from engine and retarder torque curves, air flow rates through the levelling control valves, the number of teeth on the gears in the gearbox and all sorts of other sometimes useful information this way.
  • If you're looking for photographs of something, I recommend Flickr over Google as I find the search gives better results. Pictures of vehicles being scrapped, having had an accident and such can sometimes be useful, particularly for seeing inside things, can show you cross-sections of parts, thicknesses, etc.
  • One of the best sources of information is from people who drive, service or make the bus. Contacting these people can be difficult sometimes, but contacts can often get you quite a bit of useful information, so it's worth a shot.
  • Most of the research I've done is just simply by Googling. Try variations on what you'd search for to try and find stuff, but try to make sure that the information you're finding is actually correct and for what you want and not something else. :)
Hopefully this is of some help? :D
 

The_Growl

Masterswitch Studios
Mar 7, 2017
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Where you need to look will depend entirely on what information about what you're looking for. I've spent quite a lot of time searching for information from all kinds of different sources, there's no one place to look for all you need to know. A few suggestions however:
  • If you're looking for information about particular parts, look for spares sites, manufacturer's spec sheets, etc. as these can sometimes be detailed (and other times infuriatingly vague). ADL Parts Direct has a lot of ADL spares info, from there you can look up part numbers and stuff if you need more info. I've found everything from engine and retarder torque curves, air flow rates through the levelling control valves, the number of teeth on the gears in the gearbox and all sorts of other sometimes useful information this way.
  • If you're looking for photographs of something, I recommend Flickr over Google as I find the search gives better results. Pictures of vehicles being scrapped, having had an accident and such can sometimes be useful, particularly for seeing inside things, can show you cross-sections of parts, thicknesses, etc.
  • One of the best sources of information is from people who drive, service or make the bus. Contacting these people can be difficult sometimes, but contacts can often get you quite a bit of useful information, so it's worth a shot.
  • Most of the research I've done is just simply by Googling. Try variations on what you'd search for to try and find stuff, but try to make sure that the information you're finding is actually correct and for what you want and not something else. :)
Hopefully this is of some help? :D
Great stuff @Road-hog123 ! I'll certainly find all this stuff helpful!
 

Benjy

The DJ Guy
Oct 24, 2016
171
102
United Kingdom
Could someone help with my new issue. My model seems to be backwards. It's fully lined up and correctly scaled etc, but it seems to just be backwards. Is this just a side effect of using a reference from the left hand side?
Only excited to roast, although Eamons85 seems to do a pretty good job of that on his own
 

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Road-hog123

An Orange Bus
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Could someone help with my new issue. My model seems to be backwards. It's fully lined up and correctly scaled etc, but it seems to just be backwards. Is this just a side effect of using a reference from the left hand side?
+X/-X is right/left respectively. +Y/-Y is front/back respectively and +Z/-Z is up/down respectively. You also want to make sure that when you export the files you choose the Right-Handed coordinate system and Z as being up.
 
D

Deleted member 422

Hmm. So very confusing. But if I did build the model backwards by flipping the y references, would I choose the left hand coordinate system when exporting?

Also, when creating gaps in the bodywork, should I model them in to the vehicle, or should I 'draw' them on using the bake tool somehow?
You can't draw with the 'baking tool'. The baking tool prints a permanent shadow basically, using a light source. You can't create a bodywork gap with it...
 

The_Growl

Masterswitch Studios
Mar 7, 2017
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You can't draw with the 'baking tool'. The baking tool prints a permanent shadow basically, using a light source. You can't create a bodywork gap with it...
I mean put photo realistic type stuff on it etc., hence the ''

You can draw them on using an image editor though. All the panel gaps on the default buses are drawn on with texture rather than being modelled.

So can the baking method OR the photo method be used? Because it would be much more simple to bake by the sound of it.
 

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