The SketchUp Plymouth DL

[finescalerr]

Marc sent me the complete loco image last night and it completely blows me away. He says (if we ever can trust anything Marc says) he just rendered my original drawing but he turned around one loco so a single image shows both front and back views. He reworked the frame sides and ends for kit production and is responsible for the clever and beautiful engineering we see in the other two renderings.

I can't tell you guys how impressed I am with what you can do in SketchUp. This is amazing.

Marty -- Marc is creating the actual model so it will work for 1:32. That means it will be twice as durable and look just as good in 1:16.

Gil -- Of course you can have a copy of the model. So can anyone else (except maybe Nick who still should be standing in the corner ... but I might even make an exception for him and offer a 1:35 version).

Remember, though: MARC is the kit engineer. I could never figure out how to do that by myself.

Russ

[Mr Potato Head]

Thanks Unc
I appreciate it, as of Today I'm in good standing with Marc, but as you know it's a day to day, I'll keep my fingers crossed
MPH

[marc_reusser]

Thanks for the kind words guys. I honestly did not do a lot here; for the rendering of the two locos, I just used Russ' SU model right out of the box, so to speak (yes I did "flip" one of the locos so you could see the rear. I actually later discovered that "flipping" the model was incorrect, as there was a difference in each side with the bonnet support brackets, and should have rotated it instead....this was corrected after the rendering)....other than that everything you see is the result of Russ' wonderful 3D build.

The renders were all done using the Maxwell Render plug-in for SU....There are others that SU recommends/pushes, as well as free/open source ones like Kerkythea, which can do the same...and more, and are probably easier to use...but for me with what I need, and the way I like to work (and the way my mind works ) I like Maxwell.

For the ground surface I used/applied a "diffuse " color surface (RAL 9011 Diffuse Graphite Black) [in Maxwell there is a wide color range of these available as .MXM files...the colors can also be tweeked/adjusted once inserted into the render].

For the "environment" I used a free downloaded .HDR file; in this case it was a "3-panel light standard height" set-up. This basically mimics the lighting a professional photographer would be able to do in a studio (remember, this file/drawing is life size...so the HDR set up is like in a large studio space)....the three lights/panels can then be rotated and elevated by adjustments in the render set-up. (NOTE...this is not like setting up/placing lights into the actual model. This is an external HDR file that functions and adjusts as a whole..it is completely separate from, and has nothing to do with the model itself. Think of drawing three rectangles on the inside of a paper cylinder/shape...placing it over your plastic model....and then rotating and elevating this shape over and around your model). The intensities and colors of the lights can all be a adjusted...but it is basically only an extrapolation of the HDR file as a whole. The overall intensity  of the whole scene can also be adjusted (sim to camera exposure).  There are also many other camera ajdustments , f-stop, DOF, tilt shift, bokeh, aperture, etc, etc.

For the model itself, I applied another .MXM file to the "material" (what the surfaces are composed of)....in this case I used "Grey Lego Plastic" and adjusted the color and the smoothness to suit my needs.

The render times vary depending on the complexity of the model, the environment, the materials, lighting, SL (I ran these to about 17.5), etc, etc.....though your biggest determining factor is going to be your machine/computer. For me, these renders run fairly quickly...the overall loco render took about 60 min. (I am running Dell T-3600 workstation with dual quad-core XEON E5-1650 (3.2GHz) processors, 32GB RAM, STS drive, and 64-bit OS.)

I really didn't do much on the frame pieces...I was not trying to engineer anything special, just see how the most basic parts fit/assembly could be done. It took about 45 mins of work to hollow them out and separate out the parts etc. The biggest slow-down in this was that I had to manually erase, clean and build a lot of little areas....not due to Russ' modeling...but due to the way the model was set-up/built. So many of the parts seem to have been carefully and individually modeled, rather than being done as groups and components. (That would be my only critique looking at/working with, the model.)

The frame pieces as drawn should be ready for printing (though I do need to talk to Russ and go through some ideas/questions/clarifications...since I have no Plymouth knowledge whatsoever). I want to make sure that this will accommodate a motor (a model motor....not one to make it run), and if so how did the braces, mounts look, etc..etc.

...and no, no, no.....I am not the engineer ...I was merely goofing around and looking at this, as to how I would set it up, were I to print and build this, based on my feelings for, and experiences with, 3D printing. My approach is one of a stripped down basic form/shell where all the small surface details (NBW's) and possibly even some of the metal banding are not printed...but applied afterwards. I also am looking at it from the point that some items would be better done as laser cut and/or as PE......this is all based largely upon my feelings about surface and edge printing in 3D..and the idea/concept of appropriate material for the purpose intended....though this latter will probably not be something that can be addressed too much as I know people expect/want as much of a shake the box approach as possible when paying for 3D.

[marc_reusser]

Gill, your standing with me has no bearing...it's Russ' model/project. I am just goofing with it and sending whatever Russ wants back to him to use/do with, as he sees fit.
(Though I might just keep a copy and modify it to print in 1/24, so that I can thoroughly annoy a certain person )

[marc_reusser]

Marty, The frame should work for 1/16....and be ridged enough. what I drew was based on Russ' comment about a 1/32 static model shell, as I know NOTHING about doing a running engine, and what specialty mount and fitting locations would be needed...especially so at a large scale. I actually think that the shell/wall thickness could be further reduced for 1/16" scale....as it is, it will print close to .030 thick in 1/32...so in 1/16" that would be around .060...and that is a LOT of resin to print.  

...and I have absolutely no idea what the real interior of the side and end frames looks like.   I am wondering if there needs to be a flat sheet part/insert designed/printed that flushes them out on the inside.

[Ray Dunakin]

Wow, that looks fantastic!

[Franck Tavernier]

Marc, Russ amazing work!

Could you print it in 1:35 scale?

I'm working on freelance model, but inspired by the Plymouth RLD...3.3 ton / 4 ton...and Katoworks...



















7The last one is the model from the Sandy River and Rangeley Lakes Railroad, but probably a 7 or 8 ton...

[marc_reusser]

Yes, it should be printable in 1/35...the differences in scale are not so great to affect the side frame tolerances. Other areas should be printable in either scale as well.

Cool project you have planned there btw. If I recall you have been wanting to get one of those built for a while now.

[lab-dad]

Kool stuff Marc!

As far as the inside i think what you and I have done is pretty darn close.
in some of the shots in one of my Plymouth ads you can see that the frame is basically a "C" channel. I think the chords at 1" thick are about right.

I have never seen any frame drawings or dimensions, may be Russ can chime in since he has Bobs drawings.

As far as the motor or engine mounting I think the frame is good to go.
I agree about adding the NBW's in any scale.
Engine mounts would have been attached to the frame. Straps and cross-members.

For me I expect to do much of the sheet metal and strapping out of brass (if I can).
All I "need" is the frame, bearing thingies and the radiator.

It would be great if a couple guys in several scales were to order the parts from shapeways.

-Marty

[lab-dad]

Here are some line drawings i found of the buda engines.
I also have a couple photos.
The cylinder bore is 5" so we should be able to scale these drawings and get close.

[finescalerr]

Marty, I am very unfamiliar with engines of any kind and couldn't turn those plans into a 3-D drawing. One thing is clear: Drawing that motor would be three or four times more difficult and time consuming than drawing the entire Plymouth! Maybe two or three of us could break it into components, work together, and combine the parts into a finished design. -- Russ

[marc_reusser]

Thanks for the info and pics Marty!
Yeah....I know about as much about engines, as Russ...and unfortunately (or maybe in my case fortunately) I don't really have the time to do a 3D of the engine.....I will wait til Gordon scratchbuilds one then whine till he makes, and sends me, a resin casting.

For a static model there is always the stripped bay covered with blue tarp option

I don't know about in 1/16...but I don't think the engine printed in 1/32 would be clean/crisp/detailed enough....and all those nooks and crannies would require a crazy amount of surface clean-up. I would say one is better if scratching it out of styrene.

[marc_reusser]

Russ...I think the cab would be better if done out ol thin resin inpregnated board as a laser cut assembly. It's all flat panels and straps. Maybe drop Dave at Vector cut a line and see what he feels about it....and what the cost would be (pretty sure it would be a good bit less than 3D printed.

[finescalerr]

Good idea, and one I'd never have thought of. Thanks. -- Russ

[Franck Tavernier]

A new one..