Tuesday, September 23, 2008, 02:33 PM
wow, the more I think about releasing the models and textures digitally on DVD the better the idea looks. I'm truly excited about it. It will represent a big savings to you our customers and I've always wanted to make the kits a better and better deal. I think these DVD collections will become must haves for anyone who enjoys scratch building and kit bashing. There's just so much material that we haven't been able to release. things i haven't even hinted at because i didn't have a clear way of packaging them.
I have a master file structure that I work from. Two folders in particular, One is "Raw textures" and the other is "Raw models". These contain all of the projects that are in the works but not ready to be moved over to the textures and Models folders. together there is ten gigabytes of art. Everything from low reliefe background flats to new textures that just need to be refined into seemless texture sheets. Dozens of things. narrow gauge rail cars, water towers,as i go through the libraries I find new ways of combining kits and where i need to develope new parts to refresh olde kits. I just recently re did the small forge. It looks great but it probably wont see the light of day till i get these diske out and the disks will have the old and new versions. One of the thoughts on that kit is that I always wanted it to be twice as wide but If I made the kit that size it would be too expensive and not fit in a bag. Now you will be able to print out enough parts to make it three times as wide and it will really be what I always wanted it to be.
Just last night as i was going throught the latest Narrow gauge gazette. I saw a section house that looks a lot like another new kit I've been working on, a cannery. well in only a few hours of fevered work that I probrbly should not have done, the section house on pg's 28 thru 31 is almost complete. It will go in the "raw models" folder to be completed some time in the future. thats how i work. I get inspired. I knock out most of a kit and then file it to be completed when time allows.
I recently completed the Cream city tool works which was initially built by John Kosma. he sent us all of his art some time ago and i worked on it here and there. His kit already looked great but we had to re format it as a kit and i did a bit of retouching along the way. (there are pictures alsware in the blog) All I need to do now is test build it. I guess the whole point of this rant is to say. we are not sitting on our wide buts. we are neck deep in new kits and textures and the best way to get them to you is on disk, Coming soon.
Thom
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Thursday, September 18, 2008, 02:19 PM
Just thought you might enjoy this
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Thursday, September 18, 2008, 01:13 PM
The initial responce to our proposed changes are very possitive.
We ahd hoped to have all ouw changes done by now but we have far to go. I'm still working on the two Cream city buildings and have made major improvements on one of our oldest models the small forge. initially the changes will be only on the HO kit but eventually it will be on all scales. perhaps ona disk version we can offer both.
Thom
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Tuesday, September 16, 2008, 01:52 PM
Please DO give us your feedback. We got great feedback from our last request, please share your thoughts again.
here's what we are thinking. actually it's already decided but we want your thoughts.
First of all. we are expanding our line. All the stuff I've been talking about and lots of new kits. the problem is manufacturing is kicking our buts. the cost of printing and paqckaging (especially packaging is paralizing. What we really want to do is design models and build models. we have resisted selling kits as downloads for lots of reasons. Piracy is a big one but quality control is bigger.
BUT we have to move with the times. as we enter our fifth year we are going for big change.
we will be offering our models and textures on DVD. there will be 2 or 3 volumes to start with new volumes coming out perhapps twice a year or we may go with a subscription where if you buy the disk you will get a code number that will give you access to download any kit developed that year. you could re subscribe every year if you wanted to keep getting the latest materials. why do this? we can develope new kits much faster than we can manufacture them. I have already created a half dozen new industrial buildings that we havent even hinted at. We are rehabbing textures and looking to get into new products. Kits that are now only available in HO would be scalable to any scale (thats real cool)
Imagin having a veritable library of hundreds of super high resolution parts that you could print at will to create huge buildings of super high quality mush better that what is currently available. If you have been bitten by the craftsman paper bug this will be a huge event for you.
A typical disk will have at least 10 full kits and 20 hires textures in all scales (even G would be possible)There will be tutorials as well as instructions and other modeling tips
You already know our commitment to quality. This will allow us to keep our library growing instead of making it smaller as we had planned. We will still have pre printed kits available as strict limited editions, 100 max
We would be able to put out kits of unimaginable detail because we would not have to limit the number of pages (currently 16 fit in a bag).
personally I'm excited. I can't wait to get the first set out to market. I know some old timers will grouse because they don't have computers or printers but lets face it computers are commom as dirt and everyone knows some one who has a computer and printer. And I promiss there will be a flood of cool things to come.
Let me know what you think. what should be on a disk for say $49.50. A disk at that price would have well over $150 worth of material.
So wadaya think.
Thom
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Monday, September 15, 2008, 02:00 AM
It's always somthing. recently, for no reason we can identify, Paypal has stoped charging any postage on international orders. as it was we were not really charging enough for shipping to the rest of the world. what makes it worse is they are not making it easy...or possible to fix. At this time all we can do is write to people in other parts of the world who have made purchases and either tell them we can't honor the sale (and return their money)or as them to send more. this sucks. Here we are asking for patience from our customers again.
Thom
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