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In this 3D rendering by MRVP’s Ben Lake, he tackles a little-known former Pennsy line originally drafted by MR contributor Bob Sprague. Take a virtual tour of the 11 x 27-foot walk-in track plan that features 60 feet of mainline run and a maximum grade of 2.5 percent in a modern-era mountain setting.
Thank you Ben, Rick and anyone else who worked on this video. I was wondering what was happening in the 3D Track Plan department. These are so helpful because it also shows the lastest ideas and how well they work in layout design. A case would be (though not really a new concept) the illustration of how view blocks help make the layout look bigger It makes it feel like you're miles away from what's only a few inches over the view block wall. The video really show this off.
Nicely done! Thinking of doing some similar work for an interurban layout. Thanks!
Thanks for the questions. I use Blender (www.blender.org) for almost all of my 3D work, including 3D printing. It's free, open-source software that I have been using for a number of years. There is a great support community out there if you're looking for tips, tutorials and inspiration. I should also mention that much of the preliminary work is done in Adobe Illustrator by Kalmbach lead illustrator, Rick Johnson.
What software was used to do the trackplan and the 3D rendering?
That is some cool software! I know it is complex and takes time, but that would be nice to have with some of the MR layout visits.