MSTS ‘solid’ wheel generator plugin source code

Looks tremendous, I will have to find time to try it out andnbsp;

Cool plug-in. I actually had been comtemplating an andquot;engine generatorandquot; plug-in that would do something similar based on the specifications provided. But, I don’t really have the time. Nice to see someone else with a similar idea.

Richard

ok – DLL added to the zip now. Just copy into the plugins directory to give it a try if you don’t have VB6.

I was contemplating adding cab, boiler, bunker parameters etc so you could build a steam engine in a matter of minutes – maybe later…

Hi,

I’ve uploaded the source code for anyone interested in this plugin which builds low polygon count spoked wheels (using square wheel and flange faces)

At the same time it also generates a bitmap mask (on the clipboard) that can be used to texture all the square faces.

It just prompts for a few parameters (radius, no or spokes etc) and will optionally add animation.

Unfortunately I forgot to add the DLL itself into the ZIP so you’ll need to have VB6 to compile it – I’ll add it in when I get back tonight.

[img:13g0cal5]http://www.highworth.freeuk.com/Wheelz.zip[/img:13g0cal5]
<!– m –><a class="postlink" href="http://www.highworth.freeuk.com/Wheelz.zip">http://www.highworth.freeuk.com/Wheelz.zip</a>&lt;!– m –>

any comments, new suggestions welcome…

Regards

Paul

One small addition
– when you run it you will not see the spokes as they are andquot;insideandquot; the wheel – if you create a TGA from the wheel mask and add it to the andnbsp;square faces it will make the wheels look better.

This plugin duplicates the process I used to create the wheels on the GWR class 517 loco uploaded in the models section on this site.

It would have stopped working with version 5.7. Existing plug-ins need to be recompiled for version 5.7.

Richard

Hi Paul

I downloaded and unzipped the .dll file to my plugins
folder for 3DC, but it doesn’t showup in the plugins….

Patrick

Hi Patrick,

I won’t have 5.7 installed till friday – I’ll update the DLL then .
(unless you have a copy of VB6 in which case all you need to do is re-compile the DLL)

Regards

Paul

BTW very cool plug-in andnbsp;

Richard

Paul,

I could compile it if you send me the source (<!– e –><a href="mailto:submissions@amabilis.com">submissions@amabilis.com</a><!– e –>).

Richard

Hi Richard,

The source code is included in the link in the first post of this thread…

Regards

Paul

Can I post the plug-in on the amabilis web site?

Richard

thanks Richard – no problem at all with posting it on your site.
I should probably do one or two updates to it at some point

For all of my plugins just assume they are completely free and publicly available to be posted anywhere, I’m not interested in copyright/credit etc, it’s just a hobby for me.

I’ve got a couple more in the pipeline which may be ready in a few weeks, one for piston and valve animation (using the slerp animation just doesn’t seem as smooth as the tcb ones used by the scotsman ? – the end of the rod always seems to bounce)

Another is for handrails and pipes – select one or more edges on an object and generate an n-sided pipe of known radius around the edges selected – still have to work out a few andquot;normalandquot; problems with this one, but it would be incredibly useful.

Thanks Paul. I’ll post it today.

Those do sound good.

The piping plug-in seems particularly neat (and clever). Version 5.7’s extrude object builder works much better for piping than 5.6’s. But, it produces lots of faces that would have to be merged in order to achieve andquot;low polyandquot;.

Richard

Hi Paul,

I love the new plug-in and wonder if you have an idea how to get this to work in a multiple bogie situation?

I have tried to create the wheelsets and when done add them to a bogie sturcture, but I get errors or the wheels wont turn….If I leave them as the creator made them and just import the wheels into the sim they all roll but act as if on one bogie…..any suggestions.

Thanks in advance

Rick (Controll)

Hey Paul,

I will try that idea…..are you possibly going to improve this plug-in to be able to do the multiple bogie option for us? andnbsp;Just asking?

Thanks

Rick