The Principles of RailClone

First of all, RailClone doesn’t construct an object from thin air, it works using a path to assemble and repeat existing modular pieces of geometry. To do this it needs a couple of things which we call base objects - a spline for the path and of course, some geometry. 

Secondly, this geometry is assembled along a path using a set of rules defined using a Generator. Imagine you’re explaining to a manufacturer how to build this bus shelter, you might say: “Put a glass panel at the start and the end, add struts at 2m intervals, then fill in between with the roof and glazing. Oh and don’t forget to add regularly spaced chairs the full length of the shelter” 

If you understand this, you understand RailClone. 

Thirdly and finally, just like Max, RailClone has its own modifiers called Operators that are used to manipulate geometry.  You can do things like switch between items, mirror geometry so you can reuse it, manipulate UVWs, randomise materials IDs or even create sequences, randomise geometry, create patterns along the spline and much much more.

To illustrate these basic principles and help new users get started with RailClone, our latest tutorial explains how to turn a stock bus station asset into a flexible and reusable parametric model.