Tag: Add-on

IN THE WORKS #1

Posted on by steamlococollection in Lord Nelson

LORD NELSON RESEARCH

Hello everyone, and welcome to the first ‘In The Works’.

Work on the ‘Lord Nelson’ add-on is well underway and I look forward to sharing some renders with you soon. However, long before I sit down to set up the drawings and start the actual modelling, research needs to be completed.

Research can often be overlooked; a bar on a progress chart, a passing comment. But research provides the foundation on which the add-on is built. But how do I go about doing research?

The first step is acquiring research material, this takes the form of books, photographs, drawings and magazines. Of course, obtaining a copy of every photograph and every book to mention a particular class can be a) expensive and b) not every item will contribute significantly to my research so a balanced view is required.

The next step is to start transferring all of that data and observations into a Spec Sheet and a Data Sheet

The Spec Sheet lists all the variations and livery changes I’ve identified across an entire class. The Data Sheet is where I dive down into the details and list all the variations for each individual engine, when they took place and any other observations.

Going through the books I have often reveals small discrepancies with information; dates might be different, engines might have a change listed in one book that isn’t mentioned in another. I have to work out which is the accurate narrative, not an easy task!

This whole process, of course, takes time and concentration. For the ‘Lord Nelson’ add-on, I estimate the process took about 3 months, but that doesn’t mean that I stop looking for further photographs and details, I’m always on the lookout for more information just not with the same intensity!

So how many variations have I identified? Discounting any livery-related changes, I have so far identified over 170 different modifications, some small and some large. This will mean that the ‘Lord Nelson’s will be the most detailed add-on I have produced, and that’s not including trying to create 3 different sound sets, different simulation setups, as well as trying to convey all this information in a easy to read manual!

Still, it’s all part of the fun.😀

In the next ‘In The Works’ I’ll share the first WIP renders of the add-on.

Until next time …

SLC Update 27 December 2024

Posted on by steamlococollection in Add-on Releases, SR Z Class

Last update: 13 April 2023. Whoops!

Hi everyone, I hope you’re all well. It certainly has been a while since the last update. I’m pleased to say that the ‘Z’ class add-on is now finished and is available to purchase from this link. https://steamlococollection.co.uk/sr-maunsell-z-0-8-0t/

It’s fair to say that the ‘Z’ has been a challenging add-on. I’ve hit several issues along the way which has slowed my progress, I’ve also been taking my time to improve on the texturing. I’m aware that texturing has been a weak point on SLC models, and I hope that in the ‘Z’ class I’ve made some big steps forward. This is why your feedback is so important.

One of the main reasons for the lack of updates is that I’ve had a major change in my circumstances which means that I’m not spending as much time on SLC as I have done in the past. Now to be clear, this isn’t a preamble to me saying that SLC will be closing down, far from it. I have some exciting projects lined up, it just might take me a bit longer to get to them and get them finished. So from this point onward, if I’ve not announced that I’m actively working on something assume that it’s not an active project.

So what is next? Well that would be telling, see you in 2025.