Steam Locomotive Animation?
Posted: 24 Dec 2021 22:51
Hello all,
I have started dabbling in creating mods for Locomotion (I know, it's over 15 years since the game was released, but I also know I'm not the only one out there who still enjoys using the game some...). Lately, I've beenlearning how to make mods with MSTS2Loco and Vehicle Creator. However, I have found one of the limitations that the former of the two has: it is unable to create animated steam locomotives, or at least animate them in-program.
Being aware of many steam locomotive mods that were released years ago, with full side-rod animation, one can see that it's able to be done one way or another. But, the question is, how is it done, then? I have searched far across this forum and the rest of the internet, but my search so far has turned up empty (with one former creator hinting at the idea that there are ways to work around some of the previously-mentioned programs' limiations).
One way I see animation *possibly* happening is by taking a given MSTS loco, somehow modifying the file into four different versions that each have the rods in a different position (0, 90, 180, 270), and then creating sprites from there. Of course, this depends on whether or not an MSTS file could be modified in such a way...
Does anyone out there know more about steam loco animation? Can anyone give me some hints or ideas about how it might be done?
I have started dabbling in creating mods for Locomotion (I know, it's over 15 years since the game was released, but I also know I'm not the only one out there who still enjoys using the game some...). Lately, I've beenlearning how to make mods with MSTS2Loco and Vehicle Creator. However, I have found one of the limitations that the former of the two has: it is unable to create animated steam locomotives, or at least animate them in-program.
Being aware of many steam locomotive mods that were released years ago, with full side-rod animation, one can see that it's able to be done one way or another. But, the question is, how is it done, then? I have searched far across this forum and the rest of the internet, but my search so far has turned up empty (with one former creator hinting at the idea that there are ways to work around some of the previously-mentioned programs' limiations).
One way I see animation *possibly* happening is by taking a given MSTS loco, somehow modifying the file into four different versions that each have the rods in a different position (0, 90, 180, 270), and then creating sprites from there. Of course, this depends on whether or not an MSTS file could be modified in such a way...
Does anyone out there know more about steam loco animation? Can anyone give me some hints or ideas about how it might be done?