Train games, railway games Rule the Rail!

[Chris]

A 'The Milwaukee Road' SD38 submitted for consideration.

[Chris]

A St. Lawrence and Atlantic SD38 submitted for consideration.

[Willi_Leopold]

Hi Chris,

Again, very fine rolling stock - and escpecially great ATSF cars and locos - many thanks!

As for European cars: Many thanks, that you also create some European liveries. If I find some time, I will texture some Swiss cars. Maybe, BrainBombers will then add a Swiss locomotive, too.

Kind regards,

Willi
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Have Fun with Rule The Rail on Leopold's Hobby Page!

[Chris]

Willi,

If you can point me to some graphics of liveries that match the European stock RtR already has I'll try my hand at the textures.

Regards, Chris

[Chris]

A Western Pacific SD38 submitted for consideration.

[Willi_Leopold]

Hi Chris,

Thanks for your offer to create more European rolling stock. I will take a look to give you links/pictures of matching European rolling stock.

One question: Do you paint your textures completely by yourself? I ask because the last days there were many discussions on various forums (including mine) about violation of copyright with another model railroad simulation.

Regards,

Willi
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[peter]

[Willi_Leopold]

Hi Peter

Yes, of course I know that they do their textures themselves. My question was related to the technique, Chris uses.

If you shoot a photo yourself and alter/modify this photo to the needs of the software to create a texture, then it's okay.

If you use a photo or a painting somebody else has made and use it just as a model/draft to draw/paint your texture completely yourself, then ist okay, too.

But if you just modify someone else' pic, then it's not okay because of the copyright.

Btw, for me it looks like Chris paints every little detail himself with a painting program and doesn't use any photos or parts of photos in his textures. And this is really a huge work! Thanks, Chris!

But I wanted to know more about Chris' technique - just to be sure - to know what pictures I can send him.

I hope, I could solve this little missunderstanding.

Kind regards,

Willi
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[Chris]

Hi Willi and Peter,

Your question is justified. I was initially concerned with potential copyright violations. I had exchanged e-mails with the Gov who had previously discussed this issue with the folks at RtR. It was also their opinion that what we're doing does not infringe on the rights of the copyright holder.

As you surmised, I use photos or images simply as a model. I create the textures in Photoshop from scratch or from a previously developed template.

If you choose to make photos available, rest assured that I will honor the copyright by using the same techniques, not simply lifting the image into the texture.

I hope this allays any concerns you may have had.

Best regards, Chris

[Chris]

This might be a good time to share some of my technique.

1. I paint the basic model onto the base layer of the graphic file.



You'll note that I'm using a BNSF SD38 as the starting point. I've only bothered to paint the top and one side of the diesel (other than the cab) as I can save time and copy, flip vertically, and paste one side to the other.

2. The next step is to begin adding detail to the texture. Since I'm using a texture I'd already completed, it's simply a matter of making the 'line detail' layer visible. The 'line detail' layer is where I've placed much of the line 'art.' I can control the opacity of this layer to provide the illusion the lines have been colored a deeper hue of the underlying base level color (on the base layer). Actually, the line 'art' ranges from shades of gray to black.


3. Each texture will have elements unique to itself. The following sequence is an example and depicts adding a Milwaukee Road logo to the side of the cab.

Adding text:
The 'M' is added. I've chosen to add it to the texture in its own text layer so that I can a) change the size and font face easily and b) change its position relative to the trailing text.


Adding and aligning 'the', 'ilwaukee,' and 'road.'


Adding the bounding box:


When completely finished, the texture looks like this:

[austindave]

Thanks for that still looks hard to me. I think i'll let you lads carry on your great job.

Thanks dave

[peter]

Hi chris,
Thanx for your explantation. Willi ! thanx for your question about the copyrights. I sent to chris any pics of russian locos and say it´s not my credit for the photographer. I ask the photograpers before i sent it. This is my art to respect the work and their copyright.
Thanx chris for sharing tech to skin Locos and cars.
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for next time and thanx Peter
如 如 Nothing is impossible if we make it together.

[Chris]

I will definitely work this piece of eye candy, a Lehigh Valley SD38, into my layouts!

[Willi_Leopold]

Hi Chris,

I also want to thank you for letting us take a look at the "secrets of the wizard of RTR textures"

Just joking, I want to seriously thank you.

If somebody works this way and paints every detail by himself, it really doesn't matter of what kind the source for the texture is, a picture in a book, from internet, a real railroad model, a virtual model or even a well-done texture from another simulation.

I will send you images of European rolling stock as soon as possible. And you have really prompted me to create my own RTR textures.

Thanks Chris.

Willi
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Have Fun with Rule The Rail on Leopold's Hobby Page!

[peter]

Hi Willi,
I think this topic will be the longest topic ever(or not??).
Many skins to see many words about this work,and all at first the fast answert from rob(may be a member of brainbombers.com) We will many stuff on tracks and hope fully many stuff left and right side by tracks.
Thanx to all actors will realize the next pack here.
_________________
for next time and thanx Peter
如 如 Nothing is impossible if we make it together.