Friday, October 31, 2008, 12:46 AM
Master modeler Jim Gore is prepairing an article about building card models in the February 2009 issue of O Gauge railroading. We understand it’s a long article. We can't show you those pix till after the article runs, however he also built a test model from files that will be on the new DVDs. These are from files he printed on a consumer printer, presumably at home. The images here are about a quarter the resolution that he sent us and they still look stunning.I wish you could see the detail in the rust in the gutters.
Also he is going to give a clinic on building cardstock craftsman kits at the Florida O Scale meet in Orlando next week. Go see him if you can.
Thom
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Monday, October 27, 2008, 02:48 PM
Here's a little peek at whats coming. Your comments are invited.These are not final but it's what we are thinking/ We might take the engine house and depo and put them on a disk of their own along with some other new kits and call it the "Master craftsman collection"
Thom
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Thursday, October 16, 2008, 01:23 PM
As I go through all our files to reorganize our kits in preporation for the dvd release I'm finding lots of almost ready kits.
A new engine house, a freight station a teamtrack platform, a section house, a square gate tower and I'm sure I'll find more.
As I try to dec ide what to put on each disk I'm finding that i have more then enough to put a dozen kits on eash without any overlap. So far we are planning 3 disks.
A textures disk that will have all of the textures in all scales plus lots of extras like individual shingle strips and tons of windows and doors.
an Industrial buildings disk that will feature all of the steel sided buildings including several steelmill related structures plus all kinds ov ducts, vents and the sheetmetal textures plus our unreleased but finishes large factory low releaf flats and all of the texture flats
A clasics disk that will have the mercantile, plant #2 t6he warehouse etc. All the kits from our web page
And guess what. I still have kits left over that i cant catagorize. so perhapps there will be a forth disk if i can think of a catagory. Perhapps it will be a master craftsman disk with the G&D enginehouse, the depot and a few others.
with the exception of the texture disk that will have all the scales, the initial disks will be HO only
For the dedicated modeler out there this will be a huge bonanza.
The first set will be ready withing a couple of weeks.
Thom
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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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