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Gmax Locomotive Tutorial

Chapter 3. Raised cab steps and kick plate

In this tutorial you will learn how to create the raised cab steps of a locomotive and texture them. The methods used to create the steps can be adapted to any Trainz item.

To complete these tutorials with the dimensions listed herein you will need the following setup
1. Open the "Preference Settings" from the "Customize" menu. Under the "General" tab set the system unit scale to 1.0 units = 1m
2 Open the "Units Setup.." form the "Customize" menu and set the units setup to Metric Meters.

The "Select and Move" tool will be referred to as the "Move" tool

The "Select and Rotate" tool will be referred to as the "Rotate" tool

1. Create and resize 4 boxes.

The first thing you need to do is create a box for each of the kick plates and steps of the locomtotive and resize them to the following dimensions.

Parameter	Box1(Kick Plate Right Front)	Box2(Kick Plate Right Rear)	Box3(Lower Step)	Box4(Top Step)
Length	0.7	0.7	3.0	2.5
Width	0.025	0.025	2.95	2.95
Height	0.5	0.5	0.025	0.025
Length Segments	1	1	1	1
Width Segments	1	1	1	1
Height Segments	1	1	1	1

2. Relocate the boxes

Once you have created the boxes we need to move them into location. Select each box and type in the following co-ordinates.

	X	Y	Z
Kick Plate Right Front	-1.487	-5.3	1.65
Kick Plate Right Rear	-1.487	-2.5	1.65
Lower Step	0.0	-3.9	1.85
Upper Step	0.0	-3.9	2.075

Figure 1 Results after resizing and moving box

3. Hiding unneeded parts

As we are finished working on the Main Body and the Main Base and to make it easier to work on the steps we need to hide them. Select the Main Base and Body and then click on the "Display" tab. Expand the "Hide" settings if it is not already expanded and click on the "Hide Selected" button. Alternatively you could select the objects that you want to keep visible and click on the "Hide Unselected". This is usefull when you have many objects in a scene.

Figure 2 Display tab icon

Figure 3 Hide options

4. Bevelling the kick plate ends

Now that we only have the four new resized and relocated boxes we need to start editing them and the first object to be edited is the kick plates. Select the Front Kick Plate Right and convert it to editable mesh. Then click on the "Edge" select icon and select the front upright edge and chamfer the edge 0.3m. Do the same for the rear kick plate except bevel the upper rear edge and you should end up with a result similar to figure 4.

Figure 3 Edge to be chamfered

Figure 4 Edge chamfer results

5. Polygon removal

As there are unseen polygons on the kickplates and the steps we need to remove them. Use the "Arc Rotate" to move the viewport so that you can see the underside of the kickplate and the steps and use the "Polygon" sub-object to select the bottom polygons and delete them. On the steps you can also remove the polygons that are hidded behind the kick plates and on the kick plates you can remove the polygons on the unchamfered end.

6. Kickplate duplication

Now that we have the right side kickplates created we need to copy them over to the other side. This can be done in two ways.The first method is to mirror the kick plates across and the other method is to simply copy the kick plates. To use the mirror tool click on the icon as shown in figure 5 and type 3 into the offset box, check the X "Mirror Axis" and select "Copy" from the "Clone Selection" and click on "OK"
For the second method select the kick plates and while holding down the "Shift" button move the objects. 3ds will present you with the dialog box shown in figure 7. Leave the setting at the default and click on "OK". You now have the second set of kick plates. Move the new kick plates to the following locations

	X	Y	Z
Kick Plate Left Front	1.487	-5.3	1.65
Kick Plate Left Rear	1.487	-2.5	1.65

Figure 5 Mirror tool

Figure 6 Mirror tool settings

Figure 7 Clone options

7. Texturing

Now that we have everything resized and in location we can now texture the steps. Firstly unhide the Main Base by going to the "Display" tab and selecting either the "Unhide" by name or the "Unhide All" option. Once you have done that open the material editor and apply the CheckerPlate texture to both the steps. Do not apply a texture to the four kickplates yet. Add an "Unwrap UVW" modifier to the stack and adjust the textures to match the Main Base as shown in figure 8. They do not have to be exact. Once you have the texture done you can rehide the Main Base.

Figure 8 Matching textures

You have now successfully created the cab steps and kick plates and textured the cab steps for the locomotive.

Chapter 4

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