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Orient Express community collab

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  • soocoolsimsoocoolsim Posts: 6,260 Member
    edited December 2019
    Good morning all. Oopsie, I forgot to remove that window from the back. I put it there to remind me to try Sandy’s option, it’s too large for the pattern I currently have so we’ll see. To be realistic, there should be a door at the back and front for multi carriage access. I will likely use a tall window instead. Re the layout... I also forgot to add the 5th compartment door in option A so that offset would bother you Ciane. In option C, yes the window offset bothered me too. I was thinking I could make the carriage 1 tile longer and butt the train links right up against the wall to give me that space but was too tired to do more last night. Actually will likely butt the links for the final version which will add 1 or 2 tiles to the length. The base car will be an empty shell so folks can create the layout as they choose. I’m thinking probably best we keep the windows as consistent as we can.

    If we wanted the train to appear a bit more to scale, I could make Option C into 5-wide. Lol, that would become Option D. Up to you designers 😀
    Post edited by soocoolsim on
  • cianeciane Posts: 16,996 Member
    The Spanish colonial balcony window, which is a double window, would be perfect if you are going with a six-wide option C. And, making the train car one tile longer would be awesome as well. As long as I have a symmetrical look to the windows, I'm a happy camper with whatever version we go with. (I was actually surprised to see kitchen and dining in the sleeping cars as they will have the dining cars for that.)

    You do rock! You know that, right? Staying up late and getting up early! Your train cars are awesome!
  • SandraelleSandraelle Posts: 6,146 Member
    edited December 2019
    Good morning. Yes, awesome job on the different train options Paula!! Can't wait to see what the exterior color schemes will be.

    I like "B" or "D" best, but I think I'd prefer D just because of the length, as it seems more to scale, so it will still be functional for sims but yet look more train car realistic. But I'm ok with whatever the consensus is, as I like option B as well.

    Great input @ciane! I liked your window suggestions for the C picture, as it bugs me too when windows don't space out right. When I was looking at the layouts, that's what I thought of too was to make the wall diagonal on the 1st and last compartment so that the entrance to the hallway was more open.

    Ciane, I think she just put in the kitchen to show how the pieces could fit if it were a restaurant. Is that correct Paula? As I'm assuming we are not making the sleeping cars like a house they could live in, right?

    @romagi1, so glad to see you here and so sorry that you've been sick, especially with everything you've got going on. Hoping you can get over it soon and that your hubby doesn't get it too bad. So will you be able to participate in this community train? lol :)

    P.S. @soocoolsim , I hope you're not pulling your hair out from all of our input, it's probably making you crazy about now, lol. :D

    Edit: Oh yes, I just remembered that you would upload an empty shell and that we could do the layout how we wanted, so our comments about angling that wall doesn't pertain.
  • cianeciane Posts: 16,996 Member
    edited December 2019
    Woot! I so happy we all share a similar vision. Though I really like the B lot size, I do agree that the D lot would look more realistic and play better. I am super excited to start playing with these.

    Edit: Would Granger Panes from Pets EP work as the tall window that looks like a door?
  • romagi1romagi1 Posts: 6,988 Member
    I do like C as it is longer but I also noticed the windows and would prefer them to match. Whether it is 5 or 6 tiles wide doesn't matter to me but I do believe that the cars need a clear 2 wide walk way and agree with ciane about not needing a kitchen in the sleeper cars. I like the baths in B which would still allow for the front and back door for more realism.

    Yes, I am hoping to participate tho I may still disappear on occasion with trying to get everything done.
  • cianeciane Posts: 16,996 Member
    edited December 2019
    So glad you plan to participate @romagi1 as your work is always so beautiful! I think the all-in-one baths could be easily placed on the corner diagonal walls, fitting them easily between all the doors front and rear in both versions C and D.

    So, it looks like D - a longer, five-tile version of C, with symmetrical windows - is what we'd all love to work with.

    Maybe we should tag some world builders like @Rflong7 to see if anyone would like to build a world for the Orient Express.
  • JessabeansJessabeans Posts: 3,714 Member
    edited December 2019
    I'm interested in the project for sure. I really enjoyed reading about the inspiration train!

    What scope of playable world at each destination are you considering? I've got a several french style buildings I made when I was editing monte vista into a french city. I'm sure with sight lines they could be arranged to look like the train was leaving the city for story telling, but I haven't built enough for a full fledged playable world. If you are thinking just a street or two on either/one side and some landscaping then I think I would be able to help with that.

    I also don't have any London style buildings myself. I did some research and planning for london flats for a historical story a while back. I'm sure I could help with some of those depending on the timeframe of the project.

    I don't have any venetian style lots built either, but I think it would be a fun project to build some especially with the store gondola and venetian build set. I started Venice in CAW, this is a really early version (it was created last night after reading this) so keep that in mind. I have the canals roughly laid out (they look a little messy around the edges still, but you should be able to get the idea), and only lots for the train approaching venice in the world. I have the CAW files here if anyone would like them. Venice Alpha version.
    This is the view from the Engine lot approaching Venice. It's an estimation of where the train would approach from looking at a map. I promise the first thing I will do when I go back into caw is fix the wobbly tracks.

    94f95c443e0a15be5aff92b68af41222f055a157.jpg
    366e772c2b927318d0da0c6218105fe005e61ab6.jpg
    Canals viewed in CAW

    If you want to take a peek and see if it's what you had in mind I could work on it as time allows. I put as much of the area as would fit, with a section that approaches the main island for the train car lots. If you want the main island to be bigger I can get rid of some of the minor islands and details. Just want to get the size/scale right before I do any painting or sculpting.


    @HollownessDevour might be interested in this, she's made some really beautiful Venetian style buildings.

    Post edited by Jessabeans on
  • soocoolsimsoocoolsim Posts: 6,260 Member

    Yay, so happy we have a winner! Ok, I’ve got house guests from today for a few days. Aiming to provide you the shell tonight but wouldn’t have time before then to work on it so it might be pretty late.

    Mini project...
    While I did create a pattern, for any of you wanted to play with the exterior patterns and window options, please feel free to do so using the references as your guide. We’re doing the dark blue train which has 2 carriage versions... you can google. 1 has cream on the top half... the other is blue. Both have highlight colours. just use a wall to show us how it would look 🤗
  • SandraelleSandraelle Posts: 6,146 Member
    edited December 2019
    Oh yay, a mini project!

    Here's my first one so far having the full dark blue . . . it's the "Wall with dado, border, chair rail and baseboard molding" in the wall paper category.

    1M7dIjr.jpg

    And here's the walls with the cream on top. (It bugs me that we can't get a true half section, as I would like the blue and cream to be half.)

    0OipVN9.jpg
  • cianeciane Posts: 16,996 Member
    @Sandraelle - I like the layering as it frames the windows perfectly in your version. The gold color looks a little off. Did you use paint, metal, wood, or misc.? Gold is a real finicky color, but different textures can often give the same color a different look.
  • SandraelleSandraelle Posts: 6,146 Member
    ciane wrote: »
    @Sandraelle - I like the layering as it frames the windows perfectly in your version. The gold color looks a little off. Did you use paint, metal, wood, or misc.? Gold is a real finicky color, but different textures can often give the same color a different look.

    Thanks Ciane, just a start. But you're right, gold is really hard to get right and I didn't mess with that color too much. I just used the black speckled pattern, 4th on top row of "plastics and rubbers", and I used the 3rd on top row for the blue. So the gold needs to be toned down some, right?

    Are you working on a pattern?
  • cianeciane Posts: 16,996 Member
    I've put the Christmas trains in a new sims 3 folder and am using sim game selector to uncheck everything on the right side - SPs and ITF.
    I'm going in game now to play around, but I also have to fix lunch, so it could be a bit.

    I tend to avoid the plastics texture, so I'll see if there's a good alternative and post some pics when I do get in and play around.
  • romagi1romagi1 Posts: 6,988 Member
    This is the only other pattern I could come up with. On the blue side I used game windows and on the cream side I used store windows. I made it 22 tiles long so the windows would match up.

    nKZpRSI.jpg
  • cianeciane Posts: 16,996 Member
    Nice @romagi1! I like that extra bit of trim on the top. The store windows do look better, I think; and as long as they aren't tied to a world, I think they'd make a great option.

    Lunch is over and the dogs are eating now. I've got the little Elf Express added to Sunset Valley next to the Crumplebottom place thinking that is where sims would come into or go out of town on the train. The three 20x25s worked well there, though I did have to turn a couple trains to face the opposite direction. I'll practice colors and windows on them.

    screenshot-120.jpg

    Will these train cars work either direction as well?
  • SandraelleSandraelle Posts: 6,146 Member
    edited December 2019
    @romagi1, nice Rox. I also like that extra decorative part in the top trim. What window do you have in the middle?

    If we kept the same size as Paula had in the "C" pictures, we could go with something like this (no store windows):

    xfNMFLe.jpg


    Or we could add in a 3-tiled window (which is store, but I don't know where it's from, "straight laced window"):

    bgeyCE5.jpg
  • romagi1romagi1 Posts: 6,988 Member
    edited December 2019
    @ciane, I had checked the larger window and it can be bought by itself. But the small round window comes with RH. I just liked it as it has the smaller frame but may be able to recolor a game window to look thinner.

    Linear Lunette
    55 SimPoints

    https://store.thesims3.com/productDetail.html?productId=OFB-SIM3:34087&scategoryId=11573

    @Sandy, I like how you have the windows in the top pic so 21 or 22 would work.

  • SandraelleSandraelle Posts: 6,146 Member
    romagi1 wrote: »
    @ciane, I had checked the larger window and it can be bought by itself. But the small round window comes with RH. I just liked it as it has the smaller frame but may be able to recolor a game window to look thinner.

    Linear Lunette
    55 SimPoints

    https://store.thesims3.com/productDetail.html?productId=OFB-SIM3:34087&scategoryId=11573

    @Sandy, I like how you have the windows in the top pic so 21 or 22 would work.

    LOL, we posted at the exact same time. Yeah I like that little round window from RH too, but I'm sure we can work with the game one.

    Of course, I'm sure the windows on the opposite side where the sleeping compartments would be will have to be spaced out differently. :)
  • cianeciane Posts: 16,996 Member
    edited December 2019
    I think we'll want the windows spaced the same on both sides, so making the spacing work for the sleeping compartments is probably essential.

    WA's garden window might be an option. It has a unique shape. Also pictured are a Bauhaus one and Viva Las Vegas one.
    screenshot-5-15.jpg
  • soocoolsimsoocoolsim Posts: 6,260 Member
    Jessabeans wrote: »
    I'm interested in the project for sure. I really enjoyed reading about the inspiration train!

    What scope of playable world at each destination are you considering? I've got a several french style buildings I made when I was editing monte vista into a french city. I'm sure with sight lines they could be arranged to look like the train was leaving the city for story telling, but I haven't built enough for a full fledged playable world. If you are thinking just a street or two on either/one side and some landscaping then I think I would be able to help with that.

    I also don't have any London style buildings myself. I did some research and planning for london flats for a historical story a while back. I'm sure I could help with some of those depending on the timeframe of the project.

    I don't have any venetian style lots built either, but I think it would be a fun project to build some especially with the store gondola and venetian build set. I started Venice in CAW, this is a really early version (it was created last night after reading this) so keep that in mind. I have the canals roughly laid out (they look a little messy around the edges still, but you should be able to get the idea), and only lots for the train approaching venice in the world. If you want to take a peek and see if it's what you had in mind I could work on it as time allows. I have the CAW files here if anyone would like them. Venice Alpha version.
    This is the view from the Engine lot approaching Venice. It's an estimation of where the train would approach from looking at a map. I promise the first thing I will do when I go back into caw is fix the wobbly tracks.

    94f95c443e0a15be5aff92b68af41222f055a157.jpg
    366e772c2b927318d0da0c6218105fe005e61ab6.jpg
    Canals viewed in CAW


    @HollownessDevour might be interested in this, she's made some really beautiful Venetian style buildings.

    O dear I totally missed your post @Jessabeans . Fantastic you’re keen on creating a world for this project and offer some of your your builds. Yes, I was thinking enough streets at each station to get a flavour for the three cities - mix of residential and community lots. I would like to include a few functional tourist landmarks at each destination as well and think the community can have great fun creating these and other lots needed. I know I would lol. So basically if you create world, we’ll create the lots for inclusion with the upload.

    The train from London to Paris crosses the channel tunnel so it would be nice to incorporate that aspect into the world as well. Your screenshot of it going over the water looks so cool. I had drafted a rough sketch of the world but a seasoned world builder would have more creative vision. I am definitely going to check your WIP out tonight and am very curious how the world tracks would line up with the lot tracks. Will they show through the train lots when placed? If so, hopefully they match the scale of our trains.

    I’m so excited we’re going to do the world as well. I’ll circle back with the landmarks I think will be good to include so we can figure out lot sizes. Would be great to get input on the list of community lots that should be included for a nicely playable world. Hope this isn’t sounding like too much of a challenge so far 😊

  • soocoolsimsoocoolsim Posts: 6,260 Member

    Wonderful to see you all having fun with the patterns and windows. It’s going to be so difficult picking the final. Maybe another vote. Great choices everyone. I can’t wait to get in game tonight 😃
  • JessabeansJessabeans Posts: 3,714 Member
    edited December 2019
    @soocoolsim I ended the train track before the lots but I can draw them over the track to test it out. It should be easy enough to make a train tunnel for the London to Paris area. There is this train tunnel decor, I think it's from WA/Champs les Sims it matches the train track from there.
    e131eab8df0075818e141fb7c027a287ffecfe0c.jpg
    That's the train tunnel

    Okay so for the world you would want 3 little mini world areas with stations and train lots, and a few flavor lots surrounding them. Yeah I could do something like that. The Venice world I roughed out is only Venice and its surrounding islands. I made it thinking you would want to do 3 seperate worlds, but I think it's a cool idea to have it all in one world. I could easily shrink it down and add little london and paris areas that are hidden. I guess we could use late night subways or dive wells if sims were trying to travel between the areas. I'll think on it. If I have lot dimensions for the train station lot I can place empty lots to see how big each area should be.


    Oh I wonder if I could make the Venice grand canal thing snake around and be part of the thames & seine rivers.
    soocoolsim wrote: »
    Would be great to get input on the list of community lots that should be included for a nicely playable world. Hope this isn’t sounding like too much of a challenge so far 😊

    Here's a list for reference. https://sims.fandom.com/wiki/Lot_assignment I think @ciane would be super helpful in knowing which community lots are important as I think she plays the most of all of us.

    If we are not trying to include the career rabbit holes, or several types of bars/showtime venues it drastically cuts down the amount needed for a playable world. Also, with there being 3 'districts' we wouldn't need to duplicate any. I think the Monte Vista rabbit holes would look okay in the Venice area, so that could be the part that has rabbit holes, maybe on a street behind homes and built community lots.

    Paris or London could be the 'shopping' area maybe... I have a bunch of French style shops already, so maybe london could be the entertainment area, with bars? Just thinking out loud.

    I'd love to see your sketch of the world, even if it's rough it would be helpful to see what you had in mind.
    Post edited by Jessabeans on
  • SandraelleSandraelle Posts: 6,146 Member
    @Jessabeans , oh such awesome ideas, and I'm in awe of people who can do CAW!!!

    @ciane, now that you've brought up that point, I too agree that the windows should be the same on both sides of the train (in case the train cars need to be turned a different direction). So I've done yet another option (lol), as the spacing on those double-grid ones won't work as they will interfere with walls on the other side.

    So what if we use a single grid window and use 2 together, like the Taintless Bauhaus one (100 sim pts)? There's also the transcendental one but it's taller and goes almost to the bottom of the trim on top.

    And my game doesn't always flag store items correctly, so are the round windows in my picture base game windows?

    izXy0C7.jpg
  • cianeciane Posts: 16,996 Member
    edited December 2019
    I played with lots of windows and I do love bauhaus windows as they offer so many configurations, colorization, and single and double options. However, the windows I really liked best were these:
    screenshot-9-11.jpg
    See how all the windows center on the same spot horizontally? They could be mixed and matched together.
    Unfortunately, I couldn't find the greek window in the store by itself or in the muse luxury set, which is where I would expect it to be.
  • cianeciane Posts: 16,996 Member
    Jessabeans wrote: »
    soocoolsim wrote: »
    Would be great to get input on the list of community lots that should be included for a nicely playable world. Hope this isn’t sounding like too much of a challenge so far 😊

    Here's a list for reference. https://sims.fandom.com/wiki/Lot_assignment I think @ciane would be super helpful in knowing which community lots are important as I think she plays the most of all of us.

    If we are not trying to include the career rabbit holes, or several types of bars/showtime venues it drastically cuts down the amount needed for a playable world. Also, with there being 3 'districts' we wouldn't need to duplicate any. I think the Monte Vista rabbit holes would look okay in the Venice area, so that could be the part that has rabbit holes, maybe on a street behind homes and built community lots.

    Paris or London could be the 'shopping' area maybe... I have a bunch of French style shops already, so maybe london could be the entertainment area, with bars? Just thinking out loud.

    I'd love to see your sketch of the world, even if it's rough it would be helpful to see what you had in mind.

    I love a festival big park with some work out options and harvestable crops and an indoor area with some book cases and a snack bar. You might want some of the combined lots like a grocery/book/consignment store and a combined city hall/police station (to catch burglars). You might also want a hospital (for allergy shots and births) and a school (if you plan to live there rather than just visit.

    Also, I love your idea of Paris for shopping and London pubs with maybe a nice Venice pizza place/restaurant.

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