tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88672311925843422092024-03-05T16:57:40.248-08:00Virtual Rail CreationsPapaXpresshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13312287219215038949noreply@blogger.comBlogger39125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8867231192584342209.post-40075356824858027062014-09-01T00:21:00.002-07:002014-09-01T00:22:09.327-07:00We are moving!Not too far really. Its time to have our own domain. Please redirect your bookmarks to:<br />
<a href="http://vrailcreations.net/">http://vrailcreations.net/</a><br />
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<br />PapaXpresshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13312287219215038949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8867231192584342209.post-33495960579228609542014-08-14T22:20:00.001-07:002014-08-14T22:20:45.169-07:00May the Face be with youWe are now posting updates and photos on our Facebook page - Virtual Rail Creations. Tell your friends, tell your family, and come join the conversation on Farcebook!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8867231192584342209.post-1713628177993021892014-08-13T01:54:00.001-07:002014-08-18T06:30:06.901-07:00A Little NewsI originally wasn't going to do this, but I think we have strung you guys along long enough. It's time to give you the low-down on what has been going on with the GP40-2.
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We have been finished with the model since around the first of June. Since that time we have been making small updates to it here and there. So what is the hold-up now? Well, I cannot say much without violating an NDA, but yes, we have tried to make this model "official" by going through Dovetail Games - or RSC or whateverl they are marketing themselves as currently. We've been diligent in trying to make this happen, staying in constant communication and making whatever changes to the model that are requested. But after all this time, it's just not moving along the way we that we think it should be. We have finally decided to try and market the locomotive package on our own and through several other intermediaries.<br />
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Now this decision is still dependent on a few things to happen, so the release date listed on <a href="http://www.vrailcreations.net/dwonlaods/gp402.html"> this webpage </a> is fluid.
But hopefully sometime before the end of this month, you will have a nice "new" old-school locomotive to play with.
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8867231192584342209.post-17661744488733615552014-07-25T20:33:00.000-07:002014-07-25T20:33:07.353-07:00ConnectionsTwiddling our thumbs, waiting for the Englishman, we are still coming up with new ideas and hashing out old ones. Here is a recent video from an MU connection test.
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/ojhVE6S5xE8" width="560"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8867231192584342209.post-18494434502117355932014-06-06T22:26:00.000-07:002014-06-06T22:26:24.344-07:00State of the CodeWe are currently at 2646 lines of code for the locomotive. This is after two major refactorings which ended up allowing me to do even more simulation!<br />
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And we are almost there...
almost.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAcrJL9Q1jXEQnU9LryNWMXanOnWixpYNb6vGy07hLjlv4B_D48Pv-x6I-AS-8dbbBUmcgl9rCBsVGqWR2fWfP9zyOQI6qDOVqTLS3dytOO9PEp8Rya6txm3NNHcC6Io27vyayEcgTjTx2/s1600/SotC20140606.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAcrJL9Q1jXEQnU9LryNWMXanOnWixpYNb6vGy07hLjlv4B_D48Pv-x6I-AS-8dbbBUmcgl9rCBsVGqWR2fWfP9zyOQI6qDOVqTLS3dytOO9PEp8Rya6txm3NNHcC6Io27vyayEcgTjTx2/s1600/SotC20140606.jpg" height="264" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />PapaXpresshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13312287219215038949noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8867231192584342209.post-86025156981592286322014-06-05T16:35:00.001-07:002014-06-05T16:35:36.159-07:00Scenario Testing<iframe width="660" height="415" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/y4lnApQ0l6Q" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8867231192584342209.post-66608803741613976932014-05-04T20:41:00.000-07:002014-05-04T20:41:51.181-07:00The Reason They Call It Fishin', Not Catchin'."You think this is real? Like any computer program, the rules can be bent, even broken." - Morpheus<br />
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Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's been eight weeks since we submitted the GP40 package for Beta testing. Of course, Murphy has taken his part, and the Beta Tester had a six week delay before even taking a look at the model. Oh well, stuff happens. We used the downtime to work on the next project locomotive. But once the outside review did commence, it opened the floodgates of busy. So many recommendations and changes were made that it has kept us busy twenty-four-seven trying to keep up. There were a few things that were actually broken, but most of the recommendations had to do with improving what was already present. And that involved pushing the game to it's limits and beyond.<br />
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As the "Building a Locomotive" tutorial has shown, anyone can make a box, paint it with some color, make a Blueprint for it, and make it go down the tracks (or actually make the tracks move under it) in the game. But, to really make it a realistic experience, you have to go the extra mile and use every resource that the game makes available to developers. The Blueprint provides the basic "make-it-go" controls. But the LUA script is where you add the things that take the locomotive to the next level. PapaXpress has done more than a thousand lines of code, and probably as many hours, to tie in all of those pretty switches, controls, and levers. In at least one case though, making the locomotive run as it does in real life has exposed the limits of the game. All-in-all though, anyone who says the TS 2014 cannot be made to simulate railroad operations is talking nonsense and probably repeating what they have heard from others. And from what we have learned, it's going to be even more capable in the future.<br />
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So what is going on now? More testing. We submit, fix, submit, and then fix. We may not be affiliated with Dovetail Games, but we are trying our best to stay within their expectations of what an in-house DLC would be. One major change is that the package has been broken up, and the primary focus will be on the CSX paint schemes. All locomotives that we have shown on the CSX page will be released, but they will be done as separate entities. Don't worry about your wallets though, as they will not cost any more separately than they would have as a whole.<br />
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So what would be the reason for breaking up the package? One of the problems that has been encountered in past testing is that<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>PEOPLE DON'T READ THE MANUAL</b>.</span></div>
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Duh. And the problem that stems from<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"> <b>PEOPLE NOT READING THE MANUAL</b></span></div>
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,and this came hard to believe at first, was that players don't realize that there are more locomotives in the pack than just the ones featured in the scenarios. So when you ask a tester what they thought of the CSX YN3 locomotive, you get the goofy answer, "What? I didn't know that was in the pack".<br />
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Another change is support for game pad controllers. Let it be known that I personally <b>DO NOT</b> agree that anyone should play TS 2014 with a game pad controller. I don't even think that type of controller should be supported in a railroad simulation game. The prototype railroads do have remote switching locomotives, even SD40's, that can be controlled from the ground. But their controls are nothing like a game pad, so I don't care anything for it. It has been shown in testing though that to appeal to the broadest audience, if we are going to make the simulation enthusiast happy, then we need to make the kid-in-the-living-room-who-just-wants-to-see-it-crash happy too. Bleh.<br />
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Some of the other issues that we have addressed include a few minor control issues across all platforms (keyboard, HUD, cab camera, game pad), rain effects (oops, the Alpha Channels were backwards), and shadowing. The really big one that you asked for (and has caused a lot of angst) is also present now - the easy start up key command for those days when you want to be an Expert but just don't feel like playing a real train simulator.<br />
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So in summary, despite all of the constant work going into it, the pack is still not ready. But, the more we work, the closer it gets. This may turn out to be the longest build ever for a simulated locomotive; twenty-one months and counting. But as has been said before, when we are satisfied, you will be satisfied. And in keeping with Blog tradition, let's us throw you another photo to whet (yes it's a real spelling, look it up!) your appetite until next time!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwq9Uaobkx75XGsyfk4woW_8JDu09H6UT9KKdZVoTjU1lztGNichkq23jgSLayBuQFSenKfR2ee5wAmZLNHsYbl4XhMueIwyOeUrTurPIRqFgGiVXDxjQLwtz1kyO0s5QRxkBZqgEv3Hg/s1600/Screenshot_Norfolk+Southern+Atlanta+North+District_35.08039--85.14709_09-05-38.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwq9Uaobkx75XGsyfk4woW_8JDu09H6UT9KKdZVoTjU1lztGNichkq23jgSLayBuQFSenKfR2ee5wAmZLNHsYbl4XhMueIwyOeUrTurPIRqFgGiVXDxjQLwtz1kyO0s5QRxkBZqgEv3Hg/s1600/Screenshot_Norfolk+Southern+Atlanta+North+District_35.08039--85.14709_09-05-38.jpg" height="371" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Newb pulls auto racks on the Atlanta North District route.</td></tr>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8867231192584342209.post-67896005053887380892014-03-16T04:09:00.000-07:002014-03-16T04:09:27.226-07:00The Saga Continues...Creating DLC for any video game is not an easy endeavor. Most of the time, it's like trying to out run a Pit Bull while walking on a treadmill, or walking a mile through knee-deep mud in flip-flops. After all the trouble, you would think that while waiting for the BT's to do their thing, we would be kicking back on a beach somewhere with a cold one and some blue-water scenery. The truth is though, we would probably be bored to tears with that.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH4Q5ixNZgxii0QjXKGfdO92SlN0rUCCwVaBjBqR9t0FYTqsSh2Ta-QM5sZJJlqKIHkyu-Zu_HIJ9NImRcuoKPG6IQS3hIYYeKgaccUnOuNh4Xm8brH2npWe2PCGTxrzgUGYHtEX52jec/s1600/BNSF+Capture.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH4Q5ixNZgxii0QjXKGfdO92SlN0rUCCwVaBjBqR9t0FYTqsSh2Ta-QM5sZJJlqKIHkyu-Zu_HIJ9NImRcuoKPG6IQS3hIYYeKgaccUnOuNh4Xm8brH2npWe2PCGTxrzgUGYHtEX52jec/s1600/BNSF+Capture.PNG" height="344" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click to get a larger view of my desktop.</td></tr>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8867231192584342209.post-20017595019963695572014-03-05T13:16:00.001-08:002014-03-05T13:16:45.059-08:00Ladies and Gentlemen, I Present You... Beta Testing.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIZQ9lhq4n1GwvyhFz6WjCpKNc1Xeg07yEzgjCWt-07JrRBVP2lLAJmqJy1GzaS8T1mkUsTqGZ-cCttzKI3ff3IdJ9bxU-_aKa6NSnCtJL4NM3thoXvvZyslrppTkxWuEgP2bFl341y4M/s1600/Promo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIZQ9lhq4n1GwvyhFz6WjCpKNc1Xeg07yEzgjCWt-07JrRBVP2lLAJmqJy1GzaS8T1mkUsTqGZ-cCttzKI3ff3IdJ9bxU-_aKa6NSnCtJL4NM3thoXvvZyslrppTkxWuEgP2bFl341y4M/s1600/Promo.JPG" height="369" width="640" /></a></div>
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It can now officially be said that testing for the EMD GP40 CSX Pack is under way. The locomotives, freight cars, Quick Drive, and Standard Scenarios have been turned over for QA inspection and comment. How long this will take, we don't know. The team has done everything in their power to ensure quality in the package, even before alpha testing. But, sometimes when you are so close to a project for so long, you can suffer from "trees in the forest" syndrome. This testing will allow us to address unseen issues before the pack gets out in the wild.<br />
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Take heart! It shant be too long.<br />
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We hope.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8867231192584342209.post-17426798890942845542014-01-10T17:56:00.001-08:002014-01-10T17:56:10.656-08:00Detours: Cryin' Skies<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/z-JxpYCPJZg" width="600"></iframe><span id="goog_1773039721"></span><span id="goog_1773039722"></span>
PapaXpresshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13312287219215038949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8867231192584342209.post-37502658719716625252014-01-04T20:47:00.002-08:002014-01-04T20:47:59.496-08:00State of the Code@2446 lines of LUA code.<br />
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There is still room for optimization, but we still need to add a few more small functions.
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And just to tease...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga6glqnQqwGu0Yp6lis2mTgGQSpmew_mE_DqrhsHjetdcu_hWjiSWs9_9iWWh0SyRQnfM0TML_zxpCPRe3gLiKq9qygOYC3bwZaRcP-qAwK6DWYTKXrtgE79S7njgU_3tIpWShgCekozk9/s1600/20140104-LOC.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga6glqnQqwGu0Yp6lis2mTgGQSpmew_mE_DqrhsHjetdcu_hWjiSWs9_9iWWh0SyRQnfM0TML_zxpCPRe3gLiKq9qygOYC3bwZaRcP-qAwK6DWYTKXrtgE79S7njgU_3tIpWShgCekozk9/s640/20140104-LOC.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
PapaXpresshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13312287219215038949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8867231192584342209.post-65030322630644398452013-12-01T07:59:00.000-08:002013-12-01T07:59:56.916-08:00Stay, Just a Little Bit Longer.The GP40 project that you have heard and read so much about has actually been around for much longer than you might think. It was originally started in August 2012 as a follow-up to the SMMD C39-8 locomotive. In that humble iteration it was a freeware project, and was intended to carry the NS flag as a companion to the already-released RPE4D slug. But, things happen, and after the initial build and unwraps were finished, the project was shelved.<br />
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Thanks to PapaXpress, the NS GP40-2 didn't completely die, although for a while it was in a holding pattern. By April, the project had been revived by the group of railroad simulator enthusiasts that came to be known as VRC. But soon after the resurrection of the project, it became clear that the model was inadequate for the more sophisticated tastes of Train Simulator users. Many new parts were added, and new paint wraps had to be done. By May, the idea of being the first model in Railworks to carry the officially licensed CSX logo had came about. After licensing was acquired, it was decided that instead of one logo, five would be done. Then freight cars were added. By the time it is all done, this locomotive package will little resemble the humble slug-mother that it was to be.</div>
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So the question of the day is, "where is it"? Well, operationally, all five locomotives, four sub-liveries, and nine CSX and predecessor liveried freight cars are locked, cocked, and ready to rock. You can start them up, couple up, and pull on any route you desire. They have sound, they have power, and they have all of the comforts that a spartan-cab 1970's era locomotive can afford. But, there are still a few things we need to add - mostly electrical work for the Expert mode, and a few bits of animation here and there. Then we have to give it a thorough going over to be sure it performs to our own standards (we are quite picky).</div>
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So be patient just a little longer. Freight trains don't run on schedule, but this train is still a-comin!</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8867231192584342209.post-91364658315796668022013-11-05T09:20:00.001-08:002013-11-05T09:22:19.389-08:00Its like getting the key to Dad's car... <iframe width="640" height="480" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/dROttHJ8MfE?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>PapaXpresshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13312287219215038949noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8867231192584342209.post-91474513122413510302013-11-03T22:10:00.002-08:002013-11-03T22:11:04.781-08:00So thats what it looks like from here...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzPSXHXSuvmxxJIj3NIDxEsJjwEYT_8nQY36W8VpzJO8bbnXpz2IsR4_2IiCAhvHmlir08DjB16BbDoyt9vkVmLcgfg-O-5C5TggYrI77t7rMQltTcDp11ru-b_IMYFqoXb4O2d6OIJUrw/s1600/2013-11-03_00005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzPSXHXSuvmxxJIj3NIDxEsJjwEYT_8nQY36W8VpzJO8bbnXpz2IsR4_2IiCAhvHmlir08DjB16BbDoyt9vkVmLcgfg-O-5C5TggYrI77t7rMQltTcDp11ru-b_IMYFqoXb4O2d6OIJUrw/s640/2013-11-03_00005.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />PapaXpresshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13312287219215038949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8867231192584342209.post-69360632251117008252013-10-29T15:34:00.000-07:002013-10-29T15:34:02.164-07:00Are We There Yet?After a slight delay to add more features to the cab views, primary construction on the first GP40/-2 pack is complete! No more hickey-doogers or thing-a-ma-jigs to add. Now it's on to dialing in the locomotive functions and sounds.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8867231192584342209.post-5342933047785158432013-10-20T13:20:00.003-07:002013-10-20T13:20:13.166-07:00"Well that's a switch!"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjoe82pCjrq0ci1y0oXbBDLSGumNgk-9IMFfyOnjDSlomQrKtEJnYkcasDNLjmje9L6i9Au9AF33ynwOQGQyHIQpOZLzPc-pbpCXzSgJWa-_pasyp-mD5tdoU2wYS_VOMrMLonrKln9aA/s1600/StartMeUp.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjoe82pCjrq0ci1y0oXbBDLSGumNgk-9IMFfyOnjDSlomQrKtEJnYkcasDNLjmje9L6i9Au9AF33ynwOQGQyHIQpOZLzPc-pbpCXzSgJWa-_pasyp-mD5tdoU2wYS_VOMrMLonrKln9aA/s1600/StartMeUp.JPG" height="328" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8867231192584342209.post-20520400132247525112013-10-03T10:53:00.000-07:002013-10-03T10:53:23.052-07:00Slogging it out.Again, I apologize for the lack of updates, but everyone has been very busy trying to move this project forward. I'm happy to report that we are nearing the end of the primary building cycle and the locomotives are very close to being feature complete - that is two steps shy of Beta testing. We have also decided on a possible release date, and while I will say it's closer than Christmas ( :) ), I won't say exactly when that release will be.<br />
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In the mean time, have a look at this photo, taken at Wauhatchie yard of the Seaboard GP40-2 and the L&N GP40. They are finished shapewise, but awaiting Yard Foreman Dan's final inspection.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjglbEkWmk865Qewzzaa_VtjjTdXHNO0pio9Y7utJ5_qNf9jN9dJxBEkWPonsDfjtqUxR78YENwsWMjdf2cI-3PCf5KthuG45qrMY0Qh8Xh34_IEGIjlqDU1C-pByOr2CO5i3dmLzwqhmw/s1600/SBDLN1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjglbEkWmk865Qewzzaa_VtjjTdXHNO0pio9Y7utJ5_qNf9jN9dJxBEkWPonsDfjtqUxR78YENwsWMjdf2cI-3PCf5KthuG45qrMY0Qh8Xh34_IEGIjlqDU1C-pByOr2CO5i3dmLzwqhmw/s1600/SBDLN1.jpg" height="358" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click on the photo to view a larger image.</td></tr>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8867231192584342209.post-20044788816706699382013-09-14T01:17:00.000-07:002013-09-14T01:17:17.643-07:00Update ... or teasing?Approximately 1658 lines of LUA per locomotive model... currently.PapaXpresshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13312287219215038949noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8867231192584342209.post-69288317408270432812013-09-09T04:42:00.000-07:002013-09-09T04:42:22.900-07:00Wild HorsesWhen this project first started, the goal was simple; create a GP40-2 and a slug locomotive in NS livery for Railworks. However, as time passed, things got a little more complicated, and due to circumstances beyond our control, we had to table the locomotive due to licensing issues. Rather than stop the project completely though, we went after other licensing opportunities that became available.<br />
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Now, we have come full circle, and yesterday we were able to sign off on a preliminary licensing agreement with Norfolk Southern Corporation. After the final approval, this licensing will allow us to produce content for railroad simulators and games bearing the marks of Norfolk Southern and all of the predecessor railroads to which it owns the marks.<br />
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We have already chosen the road names that will be featured in the first NS GP40 pack: Norfolk Southern, NS Operation Lifesaver, Conrail, Norfolk and Western, Southern Railway, and Reading. However, sometimes things don't go as planned and certain liveries may not be practical to produce, so we need an alternate choice out of the available road names. Along with an NS Product page, we will be posting a poll that will allow you, the railfans, to vote on which road name you would like to see as an alternate when the package finally resumes production.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8867231192584342209.post-40446705966857472242013-09-05T13:36:00.000-07:002013-09-23T14:51:33.936-07:00You just may want a lump of coal in your stocking....<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIepVoYa7sM1lDdsbQPW65zCb0BDQo4G1SWs5PvZLRAysFMeyWQUn-2fiwfCfXxjiTDSc5HSZmS7bitgouzTau8mui4gK8llRrIyUQQ3Es9JsFIPWiLAoPhfs7IAxvbjIpPP5fIcNcDnHd/s1600/24010_screenshots_2013-09-05_00003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIepVoYa7sM1lDdsbQPW65zCb0BDQo4G1SWs5PvZLRAysFMeyWQUn-2fiwfCfXxjiTDSc5HSZmS7bitgouzTau8mui4gK8llRrIyUQQ3Es9JsFIPWiLAoPhfs7IAxvbjIpPP5fIcNcDnHd/s640/24010_screenshots_2013-09-05_00003.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br />PapaXpresshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13312287219215038949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8867231192584342209.post-10661069070224861112013-08-25T10:42:00.002-07:002013-08-25T10:48:38.178-07:00Follow the Sultry Sounds.Being part of Geekdome, in a addition to trains, i'm also a big fan of Sci-Fi, especially the Star Wars movies. But if you ask me who my favorite character from those movies would be, you would get an odd answer: Ben Burtt. Though he never appears on the screen in the movies, Burtt is just as important as any of the visible actors. He's the sound design guy, the one who makes all of those odd and unusual noises that populate the Star Wars universe. For example, Burtt came up with Darth Vader's labored breathing (a microphone inside of a scuba regulator), R2D2's beeps and whistles (baby gurgling and Ben's own voice played at super speed), and the engine noise of the hero's spaceship, the Millenium Falcon (a soon-to-be broken down air-conditioning unit).<br />
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I've always been more enthralled with the sound fx in the movies and the behind-the-scenes work of the music industry than I have been with the finished products. So for me, trying to come up with the various sounds that a locomotive makes is just as much fun - and just as much work - as the other aspects of putting a locomotive into a simulator or game. For the GP40, there are still enough of them and their six axle brothers around to be able to get most of the sounds we need. However, just like I found with the locomotive shape, there is no such thing as "generic" GP40 sound. A rebuilt CSX 645 prime mover doesn't sound the same as an NS 645. The NS unit actually idles lower and Notch 1 sounds like Idle on the CSX unit. Another thing that is quite noticeable is the difference in sound between coupling to a loaded car and coupling to an empty car.<br />
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So, after many hours of pointing an HD video camera at various GP and SD40-2's, and more hours spent behind a computer desk cutting, pasting, and mixing sounds, we've come up with a few that may be acceptable for our locomotive. Here is the first test after a recent complete sound file replacement.<br />
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Pretty neat, huh? In the next few weeks we will be adding other sounds such as bells, dynamic brakes, brake squeals, cab noise, and of course, the horn. </div>
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Check back with us here, and on our YouTube channel (<a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/VirtualRailCreations">www.youtube.com/user/VirtualRailCreations</a>) for more updates and we move the project into the final stages of the build, and then on to testing.</div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8867231192584342209.post-84510266655456932372013-08-19T07:07:00.000-07:002013-08-19T07:07:09.521-07:00Did Someone Call A Cab? More pics from progress on our locomotive. We've added new cab furnishings and additional accoutrements to customize the cab for each particular locomotive paint scheme. The cab view can also be dated according to the optional equipment it carries. This one is the most modern cab, built for the CSX YN3 scheme. Note the Wabtec Trainline HOT box, which is the most current in the company catalog, as well as the modern speedo and the Auto-Start warning sticker on the back wall.<br />
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The windows haven't been given their transparency yet - that will come when the cab is "mated" to the body. Yes, it is a real hook-up process, akin to what happens at the prototype factory!<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8867231192584342209.post-83395309439690615812013-08-07T16:38:00.003-07:002013-08-09T18:24:57.113-07:00New VideoWe finally got the GP40 model exteriors done - well, not quite done. As George Lucas once quoted someone else who was talking about movies, works of art are never finished, only abandoned. But we have enough functionality in the models now to put together a demo video of what we have been working on. Take a gander at it over on the <a href="http://vrailcreations.net/csx.html" target="_blank">CSX page</a>!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8867231192584342209.post-28758641688593415452013-07-25T04:27:00.001-07:002013-07-25T04:27:48.468-07:00A Little UpdateI apologize that we have not provided more frequent updates on our current project. You have to realize though that posting updates, pictures, and videos on our Blog or another forum takes time away from building locomotives. Anyway, here is a little update to give you an idea on where we are with this.<br />
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We are working overtime, pretty much all the time, to complete the first locomotive pack release. I've seen updates posted for it in the middle of the day, and I've seen them come in at 3am. Every day is seeing new progress being made on the models. As it stands right now, we are 90% complete on the exterior and cab view models, 80% on animations, and 75% on scripting and controls (some of that is waiting on animations). Still yet to go are sounds, scenarios, and the where-when-and-how's of distribution.<br />
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The decision as to which railroad will be represented in the first release has been made, and it will be CSX. It is only logical that they will be released first, as they were the first company to license our products. Anyway, the planned package will contain five different road liveries and four sub-liveries, all painted on four different GP40 types - the Dash 2 in Phase 1, Phase 2, and Non-Dynamic, and a regular GP40.<br />
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Among the five road liveries that will be released, there is an astounding amount of variability. There is no such thing as a "stock" GP40, and these units are being customized to showcase each road's preferences. For example, some units have snowplows, others preferred a cow-catcher, while still others used a box-like pilot extension to hold the MU cables. Some companies like cab lights, and some of them took it on the nose. All the different options are enough to make you wonder how GMDD ever got any locomotive orders filled!<br />
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The date of release is still unknown. Let me just say that when we are satisfied that the railfans who buy this will be satisfied, then we will release it to the masses. The three of us are railfans, and we are pretty particular about the should's and should nots of this locomotive. Sometimes our e-mails look like a skit from "I Love Lucy" with all of the contradictions, corrections, and backtracking to try to catch the smallest operational detail. We won't let it loose in the wild until we have done the best we can do for it.<br />
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Well, that is about all we can say for now. When we are finished building the last exterior model, we will update our CSX page to give you a better idea of what to expect. In the mean time, have another look at the finished CSX "Bright Futures" exterior as it brightens up the view of downtown Dalton on the Southern Rails route.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8867231192584342209.post-134589330557946672013-07-09T10:00:00.000-07:002013-07-09T10:00:15.573-07:00The Devil in the Details<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Some of you, like me, just don't have much skill when it comes to detail. Instead of worrying about the right buttons to push to start the train, you would rather be muscling ten-thousand tons of Bituminous Black Gold down some butt-crack of a valley in the Alleghenies. For that, we salute you!<br />
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But, if you are one of those people who keep your Christmas decorations up until July because you like to look at all the twinkly lights, or if you are one of those that flips the light switch in the kitchen a hundred times a day just to hear it click, we've got you covered too.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0