Seaboard Central 2.0

[davefoxx]

Sweet!  Thanks!

DFF

[wm3798]

https://www.google.com/search?q=Roofing+Diamond+Pattern&biw=1920&bih=971&tbm=isch&imgil=2dLCwJe-4lxv8M%253A%253BwEU71KQqAgRcvM%253Bhttps%25253A%25252F%25252Fwww.pinterest.com%25252Fpin%25252F14073817557455960%25252F&source=iu&pf=m&fir=2dLCwJe-4lxv8M%253A%252CwEU71KQqAgRcvM%252C_&usg=__HritFs7ZqBfd6d6ZPiYy5dmQ8zk%3D&ved=0ahUKEwiPttOmq-LPAhUEOD4KHUg5AE4QyjcIQw&ei=6wYFWM-UFoTw-AHI8oDwBA#imgrc=EuBTRSNuoZfCXM%3A

[wm3798]

Unfortunately I don't have a good diamond pattern readily available in the program.  However, you can take that image, copy it into Paint or photo shop and sample it.  Do a little slicing and dicing to avoid getting too much repetition in the pattern, then print out sheets big enough to do the job, in as close to scale size as you can manage.  Looks like about 12" slate.

[wm3798]

Printed card stock will be easier to work with than styrene... and if you mess it up, you can print out more!

[Lemosteam]

@davefoxx , If you can stretch this image in the vertical, you will have a much larger pattern to start from:
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/0b/a9/6c/0ba96cdd321880088c6fcfdd80f52ce7.jpg

I stretched this till the tiles were visually square as if one were looking perpendicular to the roof surface.

I have been toying around creating decals of images like this so they have virtually no thickness.  Not sure if white or black styrene backing would be best.

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[davefoxx]

Thanks, guys.  I'll guess I'm going to have to learn how to use PhotoShop.    Or, I could be lazy and just use standard slate shingles from N Scale Architect.  Tempting.

@Lemosteam, that looks really nice.  I would probably try that decal over primed styrene, which might allow the decal to stick better.

DFF

[chicken45]

@davefoxx , If you can stretch this image in the vertical, you will have a much larger pattern to start from:
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/0b/a9/6c/0ba96cdd321880088c6fcfdd80f52ce7.jpg

I stretched this till the tiles were visually square as if one were looking perpendicular to the roof surface.

I have been toying around creating decals of images like this so they have virtually no thickness.  Not sure if white or black styrene backing would be best.

(Attachment Link)

I know you guys are just doing some high level spitballing here, but I have some reservations on this regarding the size of the sample. The pattern of dark spots will be super obvious when it's printed to scale. It would be better if it was a blank, unweathered, and free from discolored shingles.
Is it something you can work with, though? Maybe. The roof on your model is broken up enough that it may not be an issues. You'll need to add additional weathering to blend  that pattern away, and that may have to involve overweathering it.

I'm at an impasse with my Gallitzin station because of this. The pattern was super obvious on the printout that I had after it was scaled down. I know it's poorly alighned, but you can clearly see a repeating pattern.
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[wcfn100]

I'm at an impasse with my Gallitzin station because of this. The pattern was super obvious on the printout that I had after it was scaled down. I know it's poorly alighned, but you can clearly see a repeating pattern.
(Attachment Link)

Can you post the original file.  Maybe I can do something with it.


Jason

[C62-2]

When I made the decals I used for the blocks in this streetcar track, I started with a small sample of block texture I found on the internet, but ended up rearranging blocks using Gimp to get the pattern I wanted and to avoid obvious repetitions. I also weathered everything after applying the decals, to further provide some variety.

[txronharris]

Very nice, quality, work, Dave and it's a neat example of close quarters modeling providing a great out and back operation. At 10" radius, what's the maxium length of equipment do you figure can go around it comfortably? I really like where you positioned the loop switch to make the transition to reverse curves smooth. As information, in the past, I have used a light piece of spring wire, bent and spiked, in a slight arc from the middle of the points toward the frog to handle movement of the loop switch as a spring switch without having to make it a manual one and allowing true automatic operation.

Thanks, for sharing your progress.

Barry

This is a GREAT idea. I've been thinking about ways to do something like this and been stuck in the "removable loop of track around the switching module" train of thought. This could be done on both ends of a switching layout and give you some operational capacity to just watch trains go in circles and drink beer. Thanks for posting this.

[wm3798]

Josh, you're looking at it as a full sheet.  Once you start cutting up the various sections of the roof planes, you can mix them up so you can't see the repetition.

It's just like laying Pergo flooring... they only give you about 8 different prints on the planks, but if you mix them up enough, you don't notice it.

Lee

[wcfn100]

I'm at an impasse with my Gallitzin station because of this. The pattern was super obvious on the printout that I had after it was scaled down. I know it's poorly alighned, but you can clearly see a repeating pattern.
(Attachment Link)

@chicken45, you're almost always going to see a pattern if you're tiling an image, but  I was able to clean up the edges and straighten things out.  The next step would be to alter this image to try and minimize any obvious patterns.



If you're interested I can take out some of the obvious dark tiles, I just ran out of time today.


Jason

[davefoxx]

Thanks for working on those roof tiles, guys.  I'd say there's just those four dark tiles that cause the repetition to be most obvious.

DFF

[davefoxx]

I took the day off today to meet the HVAC guy to service our oil furnace.  Around other chores that I completed today, I managed to apply more styrene brick veneer to the station walls and cut the window and door openings.  Every facade that you can see in the following picture (in case it's not obvious in the cell phone photo) now has brick veneer.  There's still three separate wall sections to do on the other sides, but it really takes me a long time to cut those window and door openings with as much accuracy as I can do.



I'm doing the best that I can to have as completed a station as possible for when the Mike McGrattan Memorial Train rolls through Aberdeen.

DFF

[chicken45]

@chicken45, you're almost always going to see a pattern if you're tiling an image, but  I was able to clean up the edges and straighten things out.  The next step would be to alter this image to try and minimize any obvious patterns.



If you're interested I can take out some of the obvious dark tiles, I just ran out of time today.


Jason

I'm not saying it can't be done, I'm just sharing my own experience.  My point was to make it known you need a larger "sample size" than you think.