[Mixy]

Hi Anthony,

Is the old version 0.8.8 able to run on your computer? If you are installing SCARM for the first time, please uninstall it, download the old version from http://www.scarm.info/SCARMsetup_0_8_8.exe and try it. I was tested 0.9.0 on Win 7 last week and it was working fine.

Mixy

 

[Anthony566]

Thanks for the fast reply Mixy, This is the first time i have installed SCARM so I had not used v 0.8.8 however i have uninstalled V 0.9.0 and installed V 0.8.8 and this version works perfect...

Thanks.

 

[Mixy]

Hi Anthony,

It is possible something with the 0.9.0 download package to be wrong. Please try to download the new version again, then install it, run and tell me is the error remaining or is gone.

Mixy

 

[Anthony566]

Mixy I have removed V 0.8.8 and re-downloaded and installed V 0.9.0 and it is working

Thanks again for taking the time to sort this out with me.

Regards

 

[Sarge427]

Really excellent, Mixy, well done! A few years back I started writing a similar program for slot car track design and visualisation - also using GLScene with Delphi 7. Twins and work got in the way, and I never finished it - so I know how much effort you have put into this!

A few ideas for you to chew on:

1. Create a series of paths using the centrelines of all the track-pieces. Then you can traverse the tracks with an engine view camera, looking ahead a number of points up the spline. Make random decisions to change direction, or use the keyboard to throw the points (and flip the signal). If the splines are nicely spaced you can use the basic equations of motion to approximate smooth acceleration. There is no need for a full physics engine with collision detection and all that - it is remarkable what a few well chosen equations can do.

2. If you do follow the tracks, make your tunnels as extruded meshobjects with the texture/normals on the inside. Then, as you go through the tunnel you could use a light!

3. Allow cameras to be placed as objects on your 2D board and define the FOV of each. Then, in 3D you can toggle between the camera views.

4. Use GLShaders to blend textures on your terrain mesh - a rock texture where it is steep with a grass texture for the rest.

Anyway, just some thoughts, and I'd be more than happy to expand on them or share code or algorithms if you want. Well done again!

 

[Mixy]

Thank you, Sarge

Your ideas are good and I will try to realize them in the near future. For now only the trackbed is textured and there will be more possibilities in the next versions, including user defined texturing of the scenery and objects. But now I am concentrated in some interface improvements, bug-fixing and fulfilling of the libraries with all new tracks, accessories and so on. The programming of SCARM is taking a lot of my free time, but I am enjoying doing it. If you have more ideas about new features or improvements of existing functionality, share them with me and I will add them to the list

Mixy

 

[Sarge427]

Well, good luck with the development, I'll certainly help where I can.

Make sure you have robust error checking for the user defined textures, and you should be prepared to do some cropping as well. In order to test texture coordinates I found the use of a very geometrically defined pattern useful - test it everywhere to ensure correct orientation.

For thin objects, such as fences, you can apply a texture onto both sides of a plane with black transparency set. That can look quite good and saves having to define the objects. On the other hand, you cannot beat the realism of true 3D, and modern graphics cards can handle a lot.

Keep well, and remember to sleep!

Sarge

 

[Anthony566]

Mixy just wanted to give some feedback after my first hour of messing around and I have to say VERY WELL DONE this is just what i have been looking for it is so easy to use.

Thank you.

 

[Mixy]

Thank you, Anthony

I am glad that my program is useful to you.

Mixy

 

[Mixy]

Hello again,

I have prepared 2 example diagrams about using of new baseboard creation tools in the Toolbox of SCARM 0.9.x. They are showing the input sequence of the coordinates, when creating some complex baseboards. I hope that these diagrams will be useful in understanding of how baseboard creation tools are working in SCARM.

Diagram 1 - Baseboard (absolute coordinates) - for entering of the baseboard by absolute coordinates of corner points.

Diagram 2 - Baseboard (displacements) - for entering of the baseboard by offsets from each last point.

Also, the last update 0.9.3 of SCARM includes new tool in the Toolbox for simplified creation of rectangular baseboards.

Mixy

 

[Anthony566]

Hmmm double post.

 

[Anthony566]

Hi Mixy, this may be a stupid question but is it possible to add text to my layout plan ?

Keep up the good work.

 

[Mixy]

QUOTE (Anthony566 @ 27 Sep 2011, 01:36) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Hi Mixy, this may be a stupid question but is it possible to add text to my layout plan ?

Actually, it is very reasonable question - I am working over this and texts in the layout will appear in some of the next versions of SCARM, hope soon

Mixy

 

[Sarge427]

Mixy,

I know you have started your own built-in 3D editing tools to make buildings, but how about considering importing Google SketchUp files? It's free, easy to use, and, most importantly, there is the warehouse where objects can be stored on the 'net. If you set some basic guidelines, I bet there are quite a number of computer savvy modellers who would all be able to contribute to a library of buildings. You could even have a few on your website.

 

[Anthony566]

QUOTE (Mixy @ 27 Sep 2011, 18:11) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Actually, it is very reasonable question - I am working over this and texts in the layout will appear in some of the next versions of SCARM, hope soon

Mixy

Thanks Mixy...

 

[Mixy]

QUOTE (Sarge427 @ 27 Sep 2011, 22:03) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Mixy,

I know you have started your own built-in 3D editing tools to make buildings, but how about considering importing Google SketchUp files? It's free, easy to use, and, most importantly, there is the warehouse where objects can be stored on the 'net. If you set some basic guidelines, I bet there are quite a number of computer savvy modellers who would all be able to contribute to a library of buildings. You could even have a few on your website.
You're right that built-in 3D tools for creating figures and shapes in SCARM are very simple, but that is the purpose of them for now. Google SketchUp is very cool program and may be I will consider some import from it or other 3D editors in SCARM in the near future, because this will give more rich and realistic looking of layout and scenes in 3D Viewing mode. I need to play more with SketchUp in order to learn more about it

Mixy

 

[Mixy]

The new version SCARM 0.9.5 is ready and published on www.scarm.info

The most important new features are the ability to set track colors and 1:1 zoom factor for exact printouts of particular track pieces.

To set the track colors, use the color menu, displayed by dedicated new button in the toolbar (next to Tunnel button). If there is selection, all tracks in it will be colored with the chosen color and newly added tracks will be colored with last selected color (visible on the button). There is a small bug - tracks, repeated by pressing of Spacebar are not automatically colored, but I will fix it in the next update.

To print in 1:1, select "View" > "Scale" > "1 to 1" from the menu - the Print Preview page will be displayed and adjusted exactly at 1:1 zoom factor. You can print in 1:1 even whole layouts, but for now this can be done only manually (page by page) and is not convenient for large layouts. In the next days, I will try to create an example about 1:1 printing for those of you, who want to use this feature

Mixy

 

[Anthony566]

Installed and working fine...Thanks Mixy

 

[upnick]

Noticed a new update 0.9.11 of SCARM is out

It has 2 new Peco track libraries and some updated language translations.

 

[Mixy]

After some delay I am happy to announce that the last version SCARM 0.9.16 is ready and can be downloaded as usual from http://www.scarm.info

The most important new feature is the ability to work with texts on the drawing plot - a huge lack for many of you until now

To place some text, first select "Edit" > "Place Text" from the menu and then click with the mouse at desired location on the plot - a text box for editing will appear. You can select font type and relative font size form the controls, appeared in the right part of the Toolbar, next to "3D" button. When ready with the editing, press Enter or click outside of the text box. You can move the text or group it with other figures on the layout and also rotate and align it to other texts and figures. You can change the text color from the Properties window. For now it is not possible to enter formatted (bold, italic, justified, etc.) or multi-line texts, but this will be changed in the future versions. The texts are visible only in 2D mode and are not displayed in 3D Viewer.

Note that not all fonts are suitable for scaling and rotating. Some fonts may not be presented on other computers and texts might be looking different when layout, saved on one computer is opened on another. Try to use the most common system fonts, available on all Windows-based machines to ensure proper text look of your layout on all computers. My experiments show that "Trebuchet MS" and "Verdana" are good fonts for using in SCARM. "Arial", "Times New Roman", "Courier New" and "Tahoma" are well scaled, but are rendered with some offset when rotated. This is due to reasons outside SCARM, but I will search how to make it better will all possible fonts.

There are also some new and updated libraries and many small improvements and bugfixes. I hope that you will like the new version of SCARM

Mixy