help with cut/weld/optimize

Real-time 3D programs (generally) will only correctly render flat, convex faces. So if you can combine faces to make a (mostly) flat, convex face then you can do that if you want. If you have a face that is not convex or not (mostly) flat you may end up with a andquot;darkandquot; face or a face that just looks odd. You will need to andquot;splitandquot; this face by adding edges between points until you get a flat/convex face. The easiest way to do this is to andquot;triangulateandquot; the non-flat non-convex face.

Richard

Please take a look at the front of my engine and advise as to why the front faces divided strangely, and more importantly, is it OK like that or is the face with the red arrow missing/distorted. I was reading a help function on removing unnecessary faces and it stated that a dark face means there is an extra point somewhere. Is that what I have?

One more… Since dark faces mean extra points… do white faces mean something else?

OK, I agree with what you said about using transparencies. I will probably use that for some things, but that doesn’t really answer my question about the missing/distorted faces. andnbsp;

I would really like to UNDERSTAND the program I am using. andnbsp;Not just work around the things I don’t understand.

When the model goes into Train Sim, it is all triangles anyway, because that is all Train Sim understands (triangles = polys). Switch to wire-frame mode and you will see all the triangles in 3DC.

Your wonderfully modelled smokebox end will create a hundred or more, plus all the ends of the cylinders you have used for lights, etc. Can I suggest you delete the ends of any cylindrical objects and replace them with a single overlapping square face. Then use the transparency alpha channel in your texture file to to make a round lamp lens, or whatever to apply to it. It will actually end up rounder than 10 or 12 face cylinders too.

One more thing… andnbsp;right below the red arrow, near the 9 and 10 o’clock position are 2 andquot;4-sidedandquot; faces with a diagonal line through them. andnbsp;No others have this andquot;diagonal.andquot; andnbsp;Is there a reason for this. andnbsp;Would it be proper to andquot;cutandquot; the andquot;diagonalsandquot; out? andnbsp;Would it hurt anything?

Thanks