What is the Home Nostruktor?

The Home-Nostruktor

The EEP model railway simulation uses a format for its models that is incompatible with other 3D simulations. One of the reasons for this is the copy protection of the models. Each model can either be operated only on the PC environment of the respective builder or it is signed by the right owner, the Trend Verlag, for the general use. Only the Trend Verlag offers chargeable models in its online shop. When purchasing chargeable models, the signature is generated for the end user, so that the model can only be used on the PC environment of the acquirer.

The copy protection is designed in such way that the user can transfer his once purchased models to any subsequent EEP version on his computer in a single action. No further signing is required for this.

The Home-Nostruktor was created for the construction of these models. All model types (real estate, rolling stock, track objects etc.) can be built with it, spline definitions must be constructed in the Home Nonstructor (except for 3D objects contained therein). It can also be used to add the special functions of EEP to the models and then export the entire model in the format suitable for EEP (*.3dm). But also models built with external construction software ^[1] can be imported into the Home-Nostruktor and technically upgraded. The Home-Nostruktor then converts and exports them. The result is a *.3dm file with the model properties matching EEP.

Home Edition and DEV Edition

The Home Edition of the Nostruktor is tailored to the needs of hobby designers. The 3D models exported with it are intended exclusively for private use in the user's facilities and cannot be passed on. Designers accredited by Trend-Verlag receive a developer version with special functions that are necessary for later publication.

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User interface

Like EEP itself, the Home-Nostruktor is ideally used with two screens. Although this method of working is not a prerequisite for building models, it allows comfortable drawing in 2D mode and simultaneous visual inspection of the results in 3D view. The use of the program and its execution in the Wiki require the user to have the usual knowledge of Windows. To be able to create textures yourself, you should also be familiar with an image processing program ^[2].

The Home-Nostruktor was developed over a decade ago and is now a powerful tool. However, the user interface did not keep pace with the functional enhancements and corresponds to that of the first 3D CAD programs.

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Construct in Home-Nostruktor

The functional principle of the Normal projection seems unusual in comparison to today's usual 3D modelling programs: The Home-Nostruktor collects all information required for the construction of a single part or an assembly in a two-dimensional drawing view, similar to a technical drawing on graph paper. In order to be able to represent the entire model geometry in three-dimensional space, several (sometimes well over one hundred) construction drawings from different - but clearly defined - perspectives are usually required.

First, the different views are created in the Home-Nostruktor using construction drawings. For the color design these views are assigned the textures previously prepared with a graphics program ^[2].

Since this method of working is unusual for many users, a large number of designers use external design programs ^[1], import the finished objects into the Home-Nostruktor and use it only for the last steps of model building.

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Notes

The lists below contain only a small selection of the many programs available on the market.

List of 3D design programs

1. free programs

• Blender - Blender is the most widely used program among designers
• Art of Illusion
• FreeCAD
• Make Human - Special Program for Human Figures

2. paid programs

• AC3D
• AutoCAD - leading 3D program for professional use, very expensive
• Cinema 4D
• CorelCAD
• Sketch
• TurboCAD - last year's low priced versions are available at Pearl

List of image processing programs

1. free image processing programs

• gimp - very popular among designers
• paint.net
• Fotoworks XL
• Photoeditor Polarr

2. professional (fee required) image editing programs

• Adobe Photoshop
• Affinity
• Corel Photo-PAINT and CorelDRAW
• INPIXIO PHOTO CLIP 9 PROFESSIONAL

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Navigation

↑ Index ← 1.1 A Wiki for the Home Nostruktor?		1.2 What is the Home-Nostruktor?		1.3 Quick Start for Advanced Users →