Streamlines makes a great SD45 model. Unfortunately it is in Rio Grande livery. Anybody here know how to or know someone who could put together a skinning job for this model?
I too have wondered how to reskin something but could never find a straight forward answer. You'd think it would be out there some were. Ethan
There must be some copyright law against using a payware model for the re-skin or somebody would be doing it. There are some great color matches out there and the font should be easy to come by too
Hi HWB: I am not at all familiar with the Streamlines model you mention. However, I will say that reskinning is usually permissable on a commercial model PROVIDED only the textures are shared and not the actual model shape. This is to increase the odds of the recipient of the reskin having a legally obtained (purchased) version of the original model. This has been done for over a decade in the MSTS hobby. Andre
Just fyi I'm talking about Trains 2012 (or other versions) not MSTS (I have both, but I play Trains, when I do play and it's been a while) Most of the third party sites will have a place on their page, specifying their rules about reskining. Most (not all) allow for you to reskin and post to the trains download center, or some say you can reskin, but can't put up for download on the internet. And some just don't allow it. Ethan
There are three aspects to your question and people have responded to two of them, the legal and technical ones. Your third point is one of availability of a re-skinner or a re-skinned model. This posting will expand on the legal and technical discussion and give you no help on the third aspect. That I am not a lawyer is of little help. However, it would seem the "Doctrine of Fair Use" would allow you to do anything to a purchased model, including re-skinning, for your own use so long as you do not present it (especially the mesh) as your work or offer it for sale. I invite correction on this point. As a Trainz user, I cannot offer specific technical help. However, experience with Trainz has shown me just about anything can be re-skinned. Trainz websites as well as the Trainz forum itself are full of instructions on how to accomplish a re-skin. Searching the websites devoted to MSTS users may yield some instructions or clues towards how to do a re-skin. By way of encouragement, here are two examples. I downloaded a "non-reskinnable" model. Using freely-available utility programs, I was able to convert it into one that was re-skinnable and it now sits, partially finished, on my virtual "work-bench" the way many similar projects accumulate! "Non-reskinnable" may have been a legal rather than a technical description; I intend to keep my project on my virtual layout and not share it. For the second example, dricketts is a more successful practitioner of the art; follow his by-line in this forum for examples of his fine work for Trainz. So far, I have given you little help, but if you are successful finding some instructions, we would be glad to see that SD-45. Just be warned, the task is just like any other modelling task; It requires painstaking attention to detail and can take a long time. George Nelson
To put an to this thread I found what I was looking for. In short it takes a payware version of the SD45 which I had. The skinning file was available at trainsim.com but it was not a simple cut, paste and rename job. It took sound files a decompression program. Needless to say it got much more complicated and technical than I have the knowledge and patience for. I found someone who was helpful and willing to do the work for me. I have yet to install and run one of the three units as it is another complicated renaming process but one I think I can manage. So maybe with some of that patience I lack and luck which I have none of we will see these three beast hustling a pig train across the Avard Sub sometime this weekend.
Are you running MSTS or a version of Trainz? Cause last time I looked there's a payware SD45, SD40-2 and GP15-1 available. There's also some free stuff but not a lot. Ethan
You mentioned you use Trainz so anything from Streamlines will not work in Trainz. It seems to be all content for MSTS. Even if they had a beautiful SLSF model your better off with Trainz. Microsfoft hasn't supported MSTS for years and there are no plans to make a newer version that is up to today's standards. Reskinning is not an easy task. You have to be very proficient with a nice graphic image program like photoshop. I've been dabbling in it for over two years and I still have lots to learn. Some will say it's easy. True if you're a graphic artist and get paid to do it everyday. There's a high level of technical and artistic skills that need to perfected to make good quality reskins. I'm not trying to discourage you by any means but it's not something you can learn in just a couple of weekends. As far as the legal aspect. You can reskin anything without permission for your own use as long as you don't redistribute it. With permission from the original author you can redistribute the model. Most creators I've spoke with are fine giving you permission to redistribute most of their freeware. Keep in mind they will want to know how and where you plan to redistribute their work for free. Most are OK with the Trainz DLS (download station) website or they may wish you only redistribute the reskin on their own website. This gives them more control and they can also make sure it's a quality reskin. RRmods and Jointed Rail both have very high quality SLSF models available (see attachment for the RRmods version). I think RRmods is running a sale on theirs right now. Three with different running numbers for $5. Can't beat that.
Nice models, there dricketts. IMHO, they need to de-saturate the orange quite a bit. Just too bright and "punchy". Something more like the orange in these MSTS pics:
Good point. Viewing the models with in game lighting can make the colors look different too. Time of day, clouds, etc. Those are the best screen shots I've seen of MSTS. Is that your content and route?
My route (modified), another locomotive builder's engines. MSTS has come a thousand miles since its release. To my eyes, it has one of the most natural looking (sun) lighting of any sim I've been exposed to. MSTS has its warts, but is still a good platform for those of us addicted to it. Andre
