UPDATE JANUARY 2023 - THIS MOD IS CURRENTLY ON INDEFINITE HOLD - PLEASE SEE BELOW Unfortunately, I had to sell my PC last fall to help fund the purchase of a new daily driver because I started a new job halfway across town where transit service is poor, and my new work schedule makes it difficult for me to share a car with my mom. The only computer I have left at the moment is an M1 MacBook Pro. I will resume work on this project as soon as I pay off some debt and have the funds to get another PC. Two things I can guarantee are: 1. Progress on this mod will be slow as it is just something I'm working on in my free time and 2. I have no intention to give up, even if it means I'll only finish and release it years from now. I do not have any intentions to cancel the mod. Furthermore, I am still fairly new to modding and this is my first project of this calibre so I am learning on the fly and any help will be greatly appreciated. Suggestions are also welcome. I decided to make a high-end shuttle bus upfit for the H-Series as a personal exercise in comprehensive modding. This upfit will turn the H45 cutaway chassis into a stylish, modern 28-foot high-end shuttle bus with various configurations. It is primarily based on the Grech Motors GM28 and its predecessor, the Krystal Koach K28, but I will be taking some liberties to make it just different enough to be unique. Since someone else has already made and published a bus upfit for the H-Series, albeit a lot more basic in nature and evidently based on a school bus, I've decided to reposition this take on the concept as a high-end shuttle upfit. I just started modelling the bus body today and this is what I have so far: Again, I will post in here every time I make new progress so there is no need to bump for attention or constantly ask for updates.
This is what I've been thinking even before the H-Series was remastered! I know there are a couple school bus mods for the H-Series that were being made but their authors haven't posted any progress updates for quite a while (I hope they haven't given up) and also, they're not regular minibuses by the North American definition anyway (unlike what I'm working on here). Today I completed the left side of the aluminium roof and exterior wall. While I figure out how to mirror it and make the other side independently manipulable so I can make the necessary changes to accommodate the passenger door, I have begun work on one of three fibreglass front caps I have planned: Eagle-eyed readers may have noticed that 1. I have swapped out the old van cab for the remastered version with some parts added for a better idea of the final product and 2. I have fixed the weirdness at the bottom of the exterior wall panel that should not be there (any styling in that area will be achieved using a separate side moulding piece). The front cap I am currently working on is the standard solid fibreglass aero cap. I will later add a windowed aero cap as seen on the real-life Grech GM28 and an info cap that can be equipped with a light box or destination sign, similar to that of the Krystal K28. I have also come up with a preliminary list of configs: Accessible (off-the-lot with front-facing seating, side wheelchair lift, front aero cap and windowed rear cap) Airport (perimeter seating with floor mounted luggage rack, front info cap and windowed rear cap) Commuter (coach-style seating with overhead luggage racks, front aero cap and windowed rear cap) Executive (luxury seating with special interior fixtures, windowed front aero cap and windowed rear cap) Hotel (front-facing seating with rear luggage compartment, front aero cap and doored rear cap) Nightlife (party bus with sofa-style perimeter seating, limo partition, special interior fixtures, windowed front aero cap and doored rear cap) Paratransit (front-facing seating with rear wheelchair lift, front info cap and doored rear cap) Perimeter Seating (self explanatory, with front aero cap windowed rear cap) Standard (off-the-lot with front-facing seating, front aero cap and windowed rear cap) Tour (coach-style seating with overhead luggage racks, rear luggage compartment, windowed front aero cap and doored rear cap) Transit (front-facing seating with side wheelchair lift, front info cap, destination signs and windowed rear cap) Please note: all parts and configs will be included in the final release of the mod but early (alpha/beta) releases will only include some. New parts and configs will be added with every early release up to the final version.
I'm back in my weekday grind so not much progress will be made over the course of the new week. However, I decided to separate the roof and wall panels and started work on rear caps.
Made a bit of progress today despite being caught up in school projects. My previous attempt at modelling the front cap from the top down wasn't working out too well so I decided to redo it working from the bottom up. I'll be rounding off the transition from the side to the front later.
Got the basic shape of the aero cap done today. Just working on shaping it to the roof of the cab now so it doesn't clip as much. The solid and windowed versions of this cap will both be using the same basic shape; the solid version will just have the cutout filled in and bear a silhouette of the window.
Base mesh for windowed aero cap is done. Time to move onto other front caps and rear caps before I figure out how to do the other wall.
Right wall and side door base meshes done: I'm very surprised this is the first attempt at such a mod/vehicle for the game. I would have thought there'd at least be a meshslap of the GTA 5 shuttle on the Russian sites but nope.
honestly, im surprised as well. i thought someone else would have started on something similar to this after the H series remaster, but it seems you're the first
I wanted to do this before the remaster but I didn't even know how to use Blender. After I finish the model, I still have to learn how to make it work.
I am very fast for now... can't guarantee I'll be able to keep this up going forward. Again, don't be surprised if this takes years to complete. Update 3:13 PM (PST): rounded off wheel arches a bit more and solidified the outer walls, metal side door panel, front cap and roof Update 3:53 PM (PST): cleaned up front cap a bit Next steps: Finish base mesh for one rear cap
Rear cap started Update 7:09 PM (PDT): current progress on the rear cap Next steps: Finish rear cap Start rear bumper Start side mouldings Start shuttle exterior lighting Create meshes for super extended frame, driveline and exhausts by editing vanilla meshes (will likely accomplish by stretching frame and driveshaft in the straight section right behind the cab) Start working on steel body structure which will require the chassis frame to be in place
