I have been studying various articles and information about using photos in model railroading to create backdrops, buildings, and other things. While Adobe Photoshop is a fairly common software for photo manipulation, it is also quite expensive. I discovered a free software called GIMP that does many of the same functions as other software that you have to purchase. I downloaded GIMP tonight and started playing around with it. I know nothing about this software yet, so I literally dropped some photos in and began trying some functions. There are a lot of helpful resources online and I hope to begin learning some of the capabilities soon. In about 30 minutes, I was able to stitch together a few shots that I took a couple of months ago. The idea at the time was to see if I could create a panoramic image that might be suitable to print as a backdrop. So far, I feel like I have the tools needed to do some really cool stuff. Of course, I have a lot to learn.
If anyone has any experience with this type of stuff, I would love to hear more about how you apply these techniques to your own model railroading.
This is what I created tonight in about 30 minutes. Not bad for never using the software before. I simply rotated the photos a bit since I have a bad habit of not holding my camera level. Obviously there is some color work that needs to happen, but it sure looks promising. Yet another application of technology in N scale. That is why I love this hobby.
Good start. I'm no graphics wizz, and I tried GIMP a couple of years ago and couldn't figure out how to do anything. I'll have to give it another whack.
ReplyDeletethat is good to know. The current version is 2.8 so it may be easier to use now. There are good tutorials on the internet too, so like anything new, it is going to take some time to learn. I am also finding some other great free software available for stitching, etc. This is definitely a new skill that I am just starting to explore.
DeleteGIMP has been my go-to graphics app for about 10 years. Primarily because I couldn't afford Photoshop. I use it to make my own lumber loads, paper buildings, and even containers. It is similar to photoshop in that it has a steep learning curve, but worth it! Also, take a look at Inkscape, which is a vector drawing program. Also free.
ReplyDeleteThanks Mike. Glad to hear you are having success with GIMP. I had the same ideas when I started snooping for software. There have been some recent articles in various publications about using photos to create buildings and other details. A great concept, and one worth becoming proficient in our scale no doubt. I would love to see some of your work if you would be willing to share. Thanks for your comments.
DeleteAs soon as I have something worthy, I'll be happy to share! As it is, after seeing your centerbeam loads, I went back to the drawing board (Gimp) to redo all of mine. I've (re) started from scratch and have 5 or 6 done. All my previous loads had too low resolution, and were not to scale.
ReplyDeleteMy first attempts at buildings didn't fare very well either. While it looked OK as a flat from a distance, I wanted some "3-D 'ness" to them. Mind you, I was trying to model an actual row of town houses that were on the side of a hill! Not a good idea when you don't know what you're doing.
Look forward to the new layout and another article!
Thanks Mike. I think I will find GIMP very useful for creating buildings as well. At least that is what I am hoping for.
DeleteJohn