Bus 3D model project, help request

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by banman

That's more what I expected rather than a mini leaf like Native described.
Wonder how much lighter your 'short' chassis is compared to ours?

I drove over a curb yesterday and I did get a surprising amt of sway...

Of course, my shocks are probably junk...

His is still a torque arm, its just a newer design. It's "better" until you have to replace the big bushings. The old style has standard size bushings available at most truck parts centers. The Hendrickson big bushings are a special item.
My rear air ride is the same as any length Thomas of the same vintage.
I'll go weigh mine next time I'm near the Cat scales. That will be a while though.

[Dummiesman]

Hmm, two tone looks pretty good on a school bus. I'm just having fun painting now


Also is it just me, or does this bus look like it has eyes and teeth once you take off the grille

[Native]

Originally Posted by EastCoastCB

His is still a torque arm, its just a newer design. It's "better" until you have to replace the big bushings. The old style has standard size bushings available at most truck parts centers. The Hendrickson big bushings are a special item.
My rear air ride is the same as any length Thomas of the same vintage.
I'll go weigh mine next time I'm near the Cat scales. That will be a while though.

Yup,I just did not have the correct term. It looks like a single leaf spring cut in length.





You can see the big bushings on the left and right of the picture. The torque arm terminates a few inches past the air springs. You can see the four posts of the U-bolts that hold the air spring lower plate to the end of the torque arm.


I probably have a shot from the rear as well ... somewhere. I can always take one if you wantto see it.

[Native]

Originally Posted by Dummiesman

Hmm, two tone looks pretty good on a school bus. I'm just having fun painting now


Also is it just me, or does this bus look like it has eyes and teeth once you take off the grille

The top picture is so realistic, at first I thought it was a real picture of two buses! Bravo!


Yeah, the red bus does have that "angry tomato" face.

[banman]

Originally Posted by Native

Yup,I just did not have the correct term. It looks like a single leaf spring cut in length.


Attachment 42710


You can see the big bushings on the left and right of the picture. The torque arm terminates a few inches past the air springs. You can see the four posts of the U-bolts that hold the air spring lower plate to the end of the torque arm.


I probably have a shot from the rear as well ... somewhere. I can always take one if you wantto see it.

Marveling at how much room all the air tanks take up. How many air tanks do you have total?

[Native]

Originally Posted by banman

Marveling at how much room all the air tanks take up. How many air tanks do you have total?

Three tanks. They do take up a lot of room. That is yet another consideration for/against a compressor.

[banman]

Originally Posted by Native

Three tanks. They do take up a lot of room. That is yet another consideration for/against a compressor.

Well, yours also supply the brakes, so I'm sure a level of redundancy is desired.
I could happily get by with one tank, and a small one at that.

And then I thought -- Ooh! Water pressure systems could be nice. On board fire suppression, as well as pressure washer systems to dream the whiles away...

[EastCoastCB]

The compressor on the 3126 is a total PITA. I'd not add one if I didn't have one.

[Dummiesman]

OMG! I've come up with a brilliant solution to being stuck in traffic.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q42e1FOvvjc

... may be slightly illegal to try IRL though
......... may also wreck your bus

[plfking]

....but that cowcatcher might improve your fuel mileage via aerodynamics.

[plfking]

Also is it just me, or does this bus look like it has eyes and teeth once you take off the grille

Looks like one of those cannibalistic Cinnamon Toast Crunchies.

Originally Posted by Dummiesman

Hmm, two tone looks pretty good on a school bus. I'm just having fun painting now

Just curious ( and let me preface by stating I know nothing about software or hardware development, but you are obviously skilled enough to answer)....

Over my years on this site, I've seen lots of people looking for a place to 'virtually' paint their bus. Is that something that can be created with a minimum of time and bother?

[EastCoastCB]

would love to see some paint ideas on a mockup of my bus.

[Native]

Originally Posted by plfking

Looks like one of those cannibalistic Cinnamon Toast Crunchies.



Just curious ( and let me preface by stating I know nothing about software or hardware development, but you are obviously skilled enough to answer)....

Over my years on this site, I've seen lots of people looking for a place to 'virtually' paint their bus. Is that something that can be created with a minimum of time and bother?

We also stuggled through the "how would it look if we ..." scenarios. I even purchased a model school bus at a model train store near us. I added the roof hatches and painted the roof white so it looks like our bus when we purchased it. It even has the same number of windows!







The plan was to paint it as needed to come up with a color scheme. Well, that never did happen and it is still painted like a normal school bus.



So, a program that lets you paint your bus on the computer would be a wonderful thing!

[Dummiesman]

I do have lots of experience programming in the Unity game engine. I looked around for integrations that would allow painting on to a model, but the best looking one is somewhere around $40!! Not much around in the realm of free integrations for that.

[banman]

Originally Posted by Dummiesman

I do have lots of experience programming in the Unity game engine. I looked around for integrations that would allow painting on to a model, but the best looking one is somewhere around $40!! Not much around in the realm of free integrations for that.

Since you've already built the model -- how easy is it for you to change color schemes on your Beam NG bus?

I'm sure folks would be happy to make a donation in exchange for a mock-up of their bus...

[Dummiesman]

Originally Posted by banman

Since you've already built the model -- how easy is it for you to change color schemes on your Beam NG bus?

I'm sure folks would be happy to make a donation in exchange for a mock-up of their bus...

In BeamNG you need to have some knowledge of photo editing programs, and edit some syntax with the materials / 'game definition' files




For two tone paintjobs it gets a bit more complex but that's the gist of it for simple paintjobs like that.

[Dummiesman]

I've been working some more on options


I wonder, has anyone seen white wheels on a bus before? I swear I've seen it before.
Also added body colored, and chrome wheels as options too.

Going to add a derby bumper in the future
Though I don't really have an idea for a derby paintjob. Maybe I can steal banmans ;)

[banman]

Originally Posted by Dummiesman

I wonder, has anyone seen white wheels on a bus before? I swear I've seen it before.
Also added body colored, and chrome wheels as options too.

Going to add a derby bumper in the future
Though I don't really have an idea for a derby paintjob. Maybe I can steal banmans ;)

For sure I've seen white wheels before.

I'd be amused and honored if you wanna use the Murder Bus pix as a derby template (or anything else...)

If you'd like the before pix of 50 shades of neon penis' I'll see if I can't get them sent to me -- the flat black was to cover the "crime scene"

No clear idea yet what I'll do if/when I get around to painting it beyond the boring but necessary white top to help deflect the heat...

[Dummiesman]

Are the batteries in the side battery box just standard car batteries?

& What are the dimensions of them?

[banman]

Originally Posted by Dummiesman

Are the batteries in the side battery box just standard car batteries?

& What are the dimensions of them?

Mine are a pair of group 31 batteries. Standard truck batteries...
"Physical dimensions of BCI Group 31 batteries are approximately 13 x 6 13/16 x 9 7/16 inches (~13 x 6.8 x 9.44 inches, 330 x 173 x 240 mm), and they weigh anywhere from just under 30 pounds (lithium batteries) to almost 80 pounds (lead-acid batteries)."

There's easily room for 3 of these batteries. I think 2 was the usual configuration.