There has been discussion on other groups to the effect that while figures in active poses look good in photos, they are unnatural when seen in person. One response is to model all the figures on the layout in sedentary poses; sitting, leaning or standing still rather than digging, waving lifting boxes or walking. Cars too, would be placed as if parked or waiting at a stop rather than in traffic lane in the middle of the street.
This works better in small town settings rather than cities - image such a static scene in New York, Chicago or L.A.? While animated vehicles are possible, like the Faller vehicle system in HO or Hamburg's "Miniture Welt" display, most animated figures are generally less convincing because the animation usually involves one appendage moving while people generally shift balance and include a number of movements throughout the body in any motion. Some years ago modeler Don Ledger suggested using the fine "down" of feathers sold in craft stores as weeds. They are so soft and light the the air movement of a passing train or actual operator in the aisle would cause them to move, providing a subtle bit of realistic "wind" animation to the scene. A screen door that swung gently in the breeze, maybe with a creaking or banging sound accompanying the motion, would be another cool effect. Pieter E. Roos --- On Wed, 3/2/11, gsc3 <[email protected]> wrote: > Date: Wednesday, March 2, 2011, 7:58 AM > I recall visiting a layout > back in the 1980's on tour. It had been featured > in The Narrow Gauge & Short Line Gazette. It > was very well done with great weathering and detail and > lights in the buildings and appeared very realistic while a > train was moving through it. > But when I looked at one small town scene after the > train had left it appeared strange. It was a literal > ghost town. No wind movement, no vehicle movement, no > human movement, no noise, all creating a unrealistic effect > after a few moments. Out in the countryside the effect > of no movement was far more realistic unless you were > looking at water. I feel I like animation that is almost > unnoticed best, but still there and non-repetitive like much > of real life. > > George Courtney ------------------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/S-Scale/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/S-Scale/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: [email protected] [email protected] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [email protected] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
