Help with Pro and povray

I have just upgraded to 3DCpro as I am trying to learn how to do items with povray.I did the tutorial from this site with the light shining thru the window. What I am trying to do is make a street light similiar to one a Les Patterson did and posted a pic of it back in feb/17/2004. Also I want to be able to export it to my train sim route.Will it show up at nite in train sim the way it looks in Povray. Any help would be appreciated as my 72 year old brain is getting slower and slower these days…

Hi Retired,

I dont think POV can be used in train sim.. not really sure.. I only use POV to render photorealistic images modeled in 3DC. Sounds like you want a light map to transfer into train sim…. Giles is a great tool… Bazza is the expert, I thiunk he uses it for his Train sims.. Bazza??
If your just looking for help getting POV renders, I’ll be glad to help you out. But what I think your looking for is a light mapper. Bazza?? <!– s:) –><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_e_smile.gif" alt="" title="Smile" /><!– s:) –>

AS far as I am aware Pov is for rendering stills from within your 3D scene.

If you just want the street light to appeare as though it is shinning I would have thought you could do this.
If you want the street light to actually cast shadows within your train sim you may have a problem.

I don’t think you will be able to get the scene to appeare in your train sim as it does in Pov.
Your train sim would need to support Multi texturing and 32 bit colour.
I don’t think MSTS does this, not sure about TrainZ. Although I think TrainZ does have a ‘cast shadow’ feature

The only way I know of to re-create the effects you get in Pov into a 3D scene is to use a lightmapper. This allows you to adjust the scene and model textures as required, create all the lights etc.
You would then render the scene and export it.The texture/material settings are exported with the model,as is the lightmap.
Next you would load the scene into something like Blitz3D and write the code required for the scene.
Hope this makes sense. <!– s:) –><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_e_smile.gif" alt="" title="Smile" /><!– s:) –>

I don’t use MSTS or TrainZ, I ended up writing my own sim because the commercial sims didn’t seem to support the features I required.
So maybe Paul,Vulcan Foundry or Deanville can help you with how to achieve the effect in your Train sim.

Bazza

I seem to remember something about this a long time ago.

I think you have to make a translucent cone around the light (with the material translucent value set to 2), which will make the cone a sub-object in the S file.

I will have to do a bit of searching.

I don’t think I will have much success trying to put lighting in MSTS.I posted a query at the train sim forum. Didn’t get any encouraging info.I guess I will just have to work with the different textures modifying them in 3DC either to glow in the dark or not..I have been looking at the Giles demo trying to figure it out. It may take me awhile to see if I can do anything with that..

I wouldn’t waste any time trying to get Giles to work with MSTS.
As you say try using a very bright texture for the lamp glass and see how it looks.

Bazza

Hi Bazza. I think I will quit spinning my wheels on this one with Giles.I have been trying different texture settings within 3DC and I think I have come up with a pretty good result.Going to try and post a picture of my results

Great, pleased your getting somewhere at last. <!– s:) –><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_e_smile.gif" alt="" title="Smile" /><!– s:) –>
If you ever want to try and get some of your models into Blitz using Giles let me know. You would need the full version of both programs.
It would make your eyes pop after using MSTS. <!– s:) –><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_e_smile.gif" alt="" title="Smile" /><!– s:) –>

Bazzza

Hi Bazza. Thanks for your offer but I took a look at the Blitz demo and i don’t think I coul master that one and Giles as well..As you say the models are excellent but I think I will stick with 3DC and MSTS..