1 Defining Bogies
A train needs its wheels to roll on. These are grouped, as in real life, in bogies. The configuration for the wheels and bogies is done in the Content Tool, on the left in the section "Rail Vehicles":
With the "+" button you can add a new bogie. Obviously the ordering of the bogies from front to back must be followed, otherwise problems while setting the switch positions will occure. You can use the arrow buttons to change this ordering afterwards. You can also find button to copy or remove a bogie and a button for the setting of the bogie.
When you add a new bogie, you will get fields to enter information: Name for in the list, Axles count (can also be 1 or more than 2), diameter of the tread on the wheels and the distance between the axles.
The result based on your input is shown in the 3D window as Helper:
By double-clicking on the entry in the list or by using the settings button underneath on the right you can get to the settings of the bogie:
The properties are used as follows:
- Pivot: Position of the connection of the bogie, also the turning point of the bogie.
- Axles: List of all axles with the following properties:
- Y position: Position inside the bogie in longitudinal direction
- Diameter: Diameter in meters
- Frequency vertical oscillation / Damping vertical oscillation: Sway (oscillation) behaviour (Frequency and damping) of this axis in the bogie frame
- Frequency vertical oscillation / Damping vertical oscillation: Sway (oscillation) behaviour of the entire bogie to the car body
2 Defining car bodies
The car bodies are defined on the left in the section "Animations".
First notice that the animations are ordered hierarchically. The root (topmost element) is always the "main car". In the case of the GT6N this is car "C" (the center car). In the GT6N car "A" is placed under car "C" because "A" and "C" are connected (but still rotatable). So car "A" is a "child" of car "C".
This root element is always included automatically and is for trains always of the type "Railcar (normal)". That means that that is a car that is placed on one of two bogies, independent of other cars.
With the "Edit" button you can get into the settings. For this car/animation type these are:
- Name and Mass are self-explanatory
- Barycenter: Position of center of gravity of the train car
- Bogie-Index ~: Here you enter on which bogies this car body is places. For complex cases, like the GT6N there are really a lot of options. For now we will limit ourselves to this: Index of the A bogie for both cases should contain the index of the front bogie and Index of the B bogie for both cases should contain the index of the rear bogie. Check the "Does the B bogie affect the movement around Z?" box.
- Frequency vertical oscillation / Damping vertical oscillation: This influences the Sway (oscillation) of the car body.
- Variable for controlling the rotation around Z: Not relevant at the moment.
If you now want to add an additional independent car, also on two bogies then click the root element and choose "Add". You can now enter the name and type for the new animation. We now choose "Railcar (normal)".
The configuration is done as before using the "Edit" button. It is the same type as the root element so the options are the same.
However, if you want to add a car that is hinged to an already existing car and is placed on a further bogie, then you have to select the "parent" car and click "Add" to choose the type "Railcar (hinged)".
The options of this type are:
- Name, Mass and Barycenter are the same as before
- Pivot: Position of the connection where this car is connected to its "parent" car.
- Index of the A bogie: Index of the bogie that supports this car. Other settings are not relevant at the moment.
3 Assign meshes to the animations
3.1 Adding the car mesh to the car body (animation)
If one would export the vehicle right now, all meshes would follow the "root" car body. We need to assign the meshes to their respective car body animations. This goes as follows:
- Select Animation/Car boy on the left.
- Click on "Add/Remove Mesh". (Button becomes blue).
- Select the mesh of this car body. You can select multiple meshes. As an alternative the mesh list on the right can be used.
- Click again on "Add/Remove Mesh". (Button becomes grey again).
3.2 Animating bogies
- Select the root animation*.
- Click "Add" and then type "Bogie".
- The properties of this animation type are only a name and the index of the bogie to which it belongs.
- Add meshes to the bogie animation like before.
3.3 Animating Axles
- Select the appropriate bogie animation*.
- Click "Add" and then type "Axle (rail vehicle)"
- The only properties you need to fill out are the name and the index of the axis within the bogie.
- Add meshes to the axis as before
---------------------------------
* Note:
For "normal" car bodies, bogies and axles the ordering of the animation doesn't really have any effect. The method described here is mainly a useful convention.
---
Translation kindly provided by jjasloot
