Paint and Vector Graphics Software

Transcription

1 Paint and Vector Graphics Software There are two parts to creating a Trainz model, creating the 3-dimensional structure, and covering the structure s surface with a material and texture to give it the desired appearance. Creating the 3D structure is done in Blender. Creating the appearance can also be done in Blender, but usually involves using additional software programs. Both vector and raster (paint) programs are used. A vector program can also be used for planning a project, such as laying out a building and its dimensions. Which programs you chose to use will depend on which platform you are using, Mac OSX or Windows, which programs you may all ready be familiar with, and which programs have the features that let you get the job done. Vector Graphics Software Vector graphics are comprised of paths, which are defined by a start and end point. A path can be a line, a square, a triangle, or a curvy shape. These paths can be used to create simple drawings or complex diagrams. A list of potential vector software programs can be found here. Raster (Paint) Graphics Software Raster (paint) graphics are digital images (sometimes called bitmaps) made up of grids of pixels each containing a specific color. A list of potential paint software programs can be found here. Some Examples I work with Mac OSX and am most familiar with this platform and programs compatible with it. Here, I will indicate the programs I use and give some examples of how I use them. More detailed examples will follow in subsequent tutorials. Page 1 of 8.

2 Vector Software for Mac OXS I use: idraw Intagilo GIMP For most of my vector drawing I prefer idraw by Indeeo. idraw by Indeeo. 050 When I start a Trainz asset project, idraw is often the first program I use. If the project is a building, it is helpful to layout the four sides and the roof and to decide on dimensions. Page 2 of 8.

3 Building plans with dimensions laid out in idraw. 052 I add textures using idraw. Here is the picture used for the front and the texture from CG Texture used for the roof. Photo used to model and texture the front of the building. 053 Page 3 of 8.

4 CG Texture used for the roof of the building. 054 But I find that one program usually cannot do it all. For example: Intaglio I use Intaglio by Purgatory Design when I need to stretch a figure in one dimension. Page 4 of 8.

5 Roofing stretched horizontally in Intaglio. 055 GIMP I use GIMP (an open source free program for Mac OSX and Windows) to correct parallax in photos. Here GIMP is being used to make the wall perpendicular to the ground. 056 Page 5 of 8.

6 I also use it to GIMP to make my final texture file square and a power of 2 (e.g., 1024 x 1024 pixels or 2048 x 2048 pixels) and to convert it to.tga format, something idraw can not do. (Power of 2 and either.pg or.tga format are requirements for making Trainz assets.) The final texture.tga file for use as the diffuse texture in Blender. 058 Paint Software for Mac OSX I use: Pixelmator GIMP For painting (raster graphics) I prefer Pixelmator by Lithuanian brothers Saulius and Aidas Dailide. Page 6 of 8.

7 Pixelmator. 051 Pixelmator can be used, for example, to remove background and unwanted objects Background and barrels and box removed (see above). 057 Page 7 of 8.

8 Inkscape Inkscape is another program worth mentioning. It is both a vector and a raster (paint) program and it is available for both Mac OSX and Windows. Like Blender, it is also open source and free. I haven t had much experience with it. For a while it wasn t compatible with newer version of the Mac OSX system software, but it is now (be sure to download the version compatible with your system software). Canvas When I first started using computer graphics programs many years ago, I fell in love with Deneba s Canvas software, a program which combines both vector and raster (paint) graphics capability in one program. Canvas was originally writted for the Mac OSX operating system then ported over to Windows. It used to cost around $100 US. Then Florida based Deneba sold Canvas to ADC Systems in Seattle Washington, a company that sells only Windows software. ADC Systems discontinued development and support for Canvas on the Mac and raised the price for the Windows version to $599 US! However, recently (August 2015) ADC Systems have released Canvas Draw for Mac OSX. According to ADC Systems, Canvas Draw does not have high level of precision or the ability to import and export a large array of technical formats, including AutoCAD, CGM as does Canvas X16 for Windows. However, since this would not likely be needed for making Trainz Assets Canvas Draw for Mac is worth considering. The current introductory price is $79 US (there is no Windows equivalent at this price). I haven t had a chance to try out Canvas Draw but epect it will do pretty much do the same things as idraw $24.99 US plus Pixelmator $24.99 US ($50.00 US total) which together have replaced the capabilities of Canvas on the Mac in recent years. There are a free trial offers for all three programs. ADC Systems is also planning to reintroduce Canvas for the Mac OSX (Canvas X16) in the fall of 2015, probably for the same price as the Windows version ($599 US). This is only a taste of the software and the manipulations that can be done with vector and rastor graphic editors. As we work with Blender more example will be presented. Page 8 of 8.