As an exhibit installation, the project will use a large scale physical construction to represent the historic streetcars that operated in Nelson. The project will also be accessible for private / personal explorations via direct download to a home computer (planned from STEAM web portal, for PC / Mac) - in which case the streetcar will be represented as a digital model.
The current design for the streetcar is inspired by / based upon Car 23, which arrived in Nelson 100 years ago (more information about Nelson's small streetcar fleet is on the Streetcars page). However, it is important to note that the project approach leans more toward artistic interpretation than historical accuracy.
Car 23 is still operating in the community, now part of the local streetcar museum, which greatly assists research and model development (both physical and digital). In addition, many historical photographs are also available to consult. The digital model is being developed as a portfolio of individual parts, using the Blender software program. The parts are then imported into the Unity3D software program where they can be assembled, manipulated, and controlled individually as required.
The digital model is currently at a preliminary level of development, to allow forms, textures, and other interactive elements to be evaluated in-step with the streetscape elements, and will be upgraded as the project progresses.
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