Gavino200's Layout phase II - Modeling

[cteno4]

Yeah something simple in diagram can be a lot in words!

 

I cant remember what program i used at the time (like 10+ years ago) and i went looking a while back for them and only found pdfs i had saved out as at the time my color laser printer driver was acting up with graphic programs at times but happy with pdfs. the ones i did were just tests to work out rough ideas and my first pass to just gets something going for ttrak.

 

any simple drawing program would do, something like inkscape. 2D drawing programs are pretty fast to pick up, just lines and shapes to move around and easy to change them. word or powerpoint could even do it, although i lothe to do graphics with office as its burned me so many times in the past dealing with what others have done in word especially and trying to get it out well. these can easily put in road line marks easily and most let you import texture files to make textured looks. print on white paper and you can then get white lines and writing. getting japanese characters for road markings can be a little work but not horrible to do.

 

second is then putting in the weathering stuff. this is better done in a bit map paint program with airbrush or you can just do these by hand like cracks with gray fine drawing pens, stains tire marks with weathering powers, airbrush and such.

 

you can get a bit of 3d texture if you mess around with art papers that have a tad of texture. some take inkjet well onto and the paper texture, some dont, but it can give interesting effects. 

 

if your streets curve then work out the curve with structures on top of a piece of paper and draw the curves needed and scan the paper. you can then fit a bezier curve to it in the drawing program and smooth it out as needed. print to test, revise, repeat as needed...

 

the computer stuff is pretty easy to do 2d roads like this compared to doing 3D work. also rapid to test out and see the results very fast and pretty cheap. to save ink you print out just lines or do just a small bit at a time to get the basics down. really is fast compared to trying to paint out a street and lay things in by hand!

 

I finally replaced the old color laser printer after its drum started having issues and replacing it was more than the cost of a new printer (most printers now are not built to repair sadly, its mostly a disposable market) and i got an epson 7720 for like $169 on sale and its an all in one as well aa prints and scans 11x17 which is super handy for stuff like this! off brand inks have been working well and pretty cheap.

 

Even if you eventually want to do your roads by hand painting lines and such doing the printed roads can be a great way to figure out what you want to do. get the mockup done and taped down to see how they look and plan what lines you need to do where, etc.

 

cheers

 

jeff

[DanielMackay]

Gavin, and all commentators - thanks for a most fascinating and informative thread fir me, still in the imagining and planning stages. 

 

Daniel

[gavino200]

2 hours ago, DanielMackay said:

Gavin, and all commentators - thanks for a most fascinating and informative thread fir me, still in the imagining and planning stages. 

 

Daniel

 

 

Start a thread. There's nothing like crowdsourcing a layout. People here are a fantastic source of knowledge and experience.

[gavino200]

I've decided to set up this segment of my old layout as a kind of permanent modelling workbench. I'm going to use it to make making some modular some modular scenes that I can lift out and place on my layout. I'm excited to get back to working on the tiny houses and lighting them. I've found I like this almost as much as actually running the trains. 

 

I bought this foamboard a long time ago with a view to making streets and town scenes. I think it's time to begin. ☺️

 

[cteno4]

Excellent gavin! Great solution to your layout evolution!
 

You might look at palight as a base for modules. It’s basically like syntra or a foam core board that’s pvc on the face and the foamed core. Very tough, light, flat, and water impermeable. You can get generic stuff at the local plastics supplier in lime 2mm thickness in 4x8 sheet for under $25. You can cut it with matte knife and ruler well. Nice material for stuff like scene bases.

 

jeff

[gavino200]

Thanks Jeff. I'll try it out. 

 

https://www.homedepot.com/b/Building-Materials-Glass-Plastic-Sheets/Palight-ProjectPVC/N-5yc1vZbrdgZeyq

[cteno4]

Yes but check out the local plastic supplier. We have a big one like 45 min drive from us and a friend and I go over once a year to pick up 4x8 sheets of styrene, palight, ultra board, etc as it’s a fraction of the cost from Home Depot (They are charging like 8x). I think our 4x8 sheets of 2mm palight were $17! And they chopped them into 2x4 sheets for us. Fran then discovered a plastics supplier in Baltimore (an hour drive away) that delivers to a bunch of sign shops and such in the dc area and delivers to the house for free! Woo hooo! 
 

the 2mm palight has become a favorite of many miniaturists as it’s stiff and easy to cut and glue. You can thermo form it some as wll with hot air gun or even hot water. It’s a nice material bit easier to work with than styrene sheet for larger stuff and about the same price from a plastic shop.

 

wish you were nearer, I have a good supply now from our last run! I can send you a 12x16” hunk if you want to play with it.
 

jeff

[gavino200]

4 hours ago, cteno4 said:

 

the 2mm palight has become a favorite of many miniaturists as it’s stiff and easy to cut and glue. You can thermo form it some as wll with hot air gun or even hot water. It’s a nice material bit easier to work with than styrene sheet for larger stuff and about the same price from a plastic shop.

 

 

I'm excited to play with it. I'm delighted that you can thermoform it. I've never tried that, but I've been envious of the occupational for years. They thermoform all the time. It looks like a lot of fun. 

[cteno4]

I wouldn’t be surprised the stuff they use is foamed pvc board like palight.

 

jeff

[gavino200]

And so it begins...

 

 

 

[cteno4]

Wooo hooo!

 

jeff