Luke's Garage & Gas Station

[Rail and Tie]

I've recently been playing around with AI and seeing what I could come up with by adding photos of my incomplete gas station and asking AI to place a background, landscape and even a figure representing Luke, the gas station owner.  Here's the result.

I have always envisioned the location of my gas station model to be in Southern California, near the orange groves of Redlands where I raised my family.  I think this image does a pretty fair job of suggesting that. 

The AI photo thing is moving quickly for sure. I am still amazed how AI has so much problem with text as well as human fingers. The text on the pump logos has a Russian tint to them. IT is always my first hint in pictures to see if it is an AI fake.

Anyways, Luke would make a great 3D figure to go along with your diorama for sure!  Fun stuff.

[finescalerr]

I had no idea AI could be of so much use to modelers. Thanks for that lesson and the photos. -- Russ

[Lawrence@NZFinescale]

I had no idea AI could be of so much use to modelers. Thanks for that lesson and the photos. -- Russ

It's advancing fast.  Last month it wasn't.

Of course you still have to paint the things, which is frustrating. The detail level is high, but painting to bring that out is a whole new problem.

Maybe we need to start a new thread and stop hijacking Stuart's?

[Stuart]

Having some more fun with ChatGPT.  This is giving me some great ideas as to how to go about landscaping when I get to that point.



Stuart

[lab-dad]

That's a GREAT scene!
What did the AI start with?
MJinTN

[Stuart]

What did the AI start with?

This is the photo I gave to ChatGPT and then asked for the scenic elements.





Stuart

[Barney]

Very Nice work
Barney

[finescalerr]

The model is more convincing than the AI background. On the other hand, if AI were a lot better, we might become irrelevant. -- Russ

[Stuart]

Thought I would add a couple recent photos.



This is an interior view of the gas station.  I still have more to add such as fan belts, radiator hoses, and battery cables to the pegged wall rack. Then there will be various cans of oil and grease arranged under and on the window shelves.
Under the Orange Crush cooler I plan on a few beverage crates with empty soda bottles. At that point I think I will be satisfied with the final appearance.



Here's a new sign I've added to the exterior clutter around the gas pumps.  It's made of square brass tubing, brass strip material and small brass nails to represent rivets and soldered together.  And yes, a $10.00 auto battery in the 1930's was a real thing. 
The radiator water can on the pump island is also a new addition.  The major portion of the watering can is 3D printed but the eyelets for the bail handle and the ring at the end of the spout are photo etched brass pieces of my own making.

Stuart

[Bill Gill]

That's super all around, in & out, Stuart!

[finescalerr]

Most satisfactory (even though the sign, but not its stand, looks a little pristine). -- Russ

[Stuart]

Most satisfactory (even though the sign, but not its stand, looks a little pristine). -- Russ

I wondered if someone might say something about that.  Yes, just a little too clean for a countryside setting amongst the citris groves. I'll have to dirty it up a bit - a little dust ought to do it.

Stuart

[lab-dad]

Loving all of it!
I always add a little dust to things.
Sometimes if I wait long enough it happens naturally.
MJinTN

[Barney]

Yes I agree just a "little" bit of dust and muck will make an exquisite superb model even better
I know its not finished and we all know the finished model will just be one on its own
The sign needs a bit of life to
Barney

[Barney]

In My first years as an apprentice "Motor Mechanic"  Thats what they called us back in the 60s
if they had a sale of Tyres /battery's or services I was told to hand paint a sign on the back of what ever was laying around often an enamel sign - the big problem was I could not spell very well ( and still not very good at it )
Barney
Your model garage just gets better by the day an exceptional model of our times -
Barney