Bloch 210

[+LloydNB 212]

I know, I should finish one project before I start a new one but.........

 

Plenty of tweaking to do but its not looking too shabby so far. With top and bottom wing surfaces mapped to the same part of the bmp file, there are limited things you can do with this aircraft. This skin is from late 1939 and could, at a pinch, be used for the Battle of France.

Edited November 11, 2008 by LloydNB

[Lexx_Luthor 57]

That is smooth, wow. Really classical.

[+whiteknight06604 934]

Awesome.My only thing is I wish there was more WW2 French aircraft.

[+LloydNB 212]

I had a thought at 2 o'clock this morning. I can't paint the lower wing surfaces a different colour, so could I use a single decal to do it?

 

I've used decals to colour the cowlings before (Vichy Boston) but I don't think an entire wing has been done before. In theory it would work but there are a lot of practical problems, not the least of which is the size of the decal. 128x128 wont work.

 

Any thoughts?

 

If its a goer then a few other skinning options open up - Battle of France/Vichy/Romanian

 

LloydNB

[Wrench 9,831]

If you use a decal, you'll loose all the detail on the wing. It'll cover everything.

 

Out of curisosity, why can't the lower wing be painted? Mapping issue? Shouldn't be a problem, Capun usually splilts the upper/lower sections on the t bmp. I look at it when I can find some time (and after d/ling it)

 

Wrench

kevin stein

[+Dave 2,322]

That is a nice skin but that plane is ugly....man....whew....

 

"Sir can I fly something else?"

[+LloydNB 212]

Wrench

 

All the wing surface detail is painted on anyway. All I would have to do is paint the same detail onto the decal. It might have to be about 500x500 though. I'm not looking forward to trying.

 

LloydNB

[Wrench 9,831]

Yah, I just d/led and looked at it. (shakes head) That REALLLY is a butt-ugly burd!!!

 

You could, theoretically, copy the wing section of the bmp, repaint it, redraw the panel/fabric lines, and then create a decal out of that. Size-wise, I'd have to guess it would need to be at LEAST as large as that section on the skin map, in a 1:1 ratio. It'll be one hell of large decal, that for sure -- probably in the 3-4 meg range with the alpha.

 

Don't have a clue as to what you could do with the horizontal stab or lower fueslage...minimal re-painting of skin maybe?

 

Wrench

kevin stein

[+p10ppy 2]

Using decals works fairly well for this

the main problem is the pseudo projection mapping used in decals, so they don't wrap so well

It was pretty funny reading very old posts at TW about decals, describing them as a high rez solution to insignia,

skins seem to have left them way behind these days on the rez front

I try to make my decals at atleast the same rez as the underlying skin...(can get unmanageable if you have a lot)

 

while I haven't done quite what you are talking about I do use the skin bmp under all my airframe specific decals now at full skin rez

 

registration skin for the fuse decals above

 

the hard part is lining them up with the skin (trial and error)

I usually make a "line up" skin with some registration marks / squares on it where the decal is to go

and a line up decal of the same skin cropped (but not scaled) to the decals size with corresponding line up marks then spend a couple of hours playing with scale and position in the decal.ini... and testing in game...

its usually possible to make them match to within a pixel...(persistence) and that's the only hard work

 

then its just a matter of using the cropped decal,removing the line up marks (layers) and blending your decal over the top...full size decal template matching the underlying skin

 

clear as mud

 

Ps 520x520 32bit TGA = ~1 meg

[+LloydNB 212]

The limitations of this model have nearly defeated me. No matter how I try, I can't get the decals to show up properly.

 

This is the port number also showing up on the starboard side. I might have to release this without all the proper serial numbers and codes. I hope no-one minds.

 

LloydNB

[Wrench 9,831]

It seems to be a model and mapping issue, as it's all one sided for the fueselage map

 

HOWEVER...I'm assuming you have the SCW mod? There's a "France" skin in there that call out right/left fues decals for the squadron badge

 

// Fuselage squadron badge

[Decal003]

MeshName=Fuselage

DecalLevel=0

DecalFacing=RIGHT

FilenameFormat=MB210/France/D/SqBadge

Position=-3.5,0.6

Rotation=0.0

Scale=1.0

Reverse=True

 

[Decal004]

MeshName=Fuselage

DecalLevel=0

DecalFacing=LEFT

FilenameFormat=MB210/France/D/SqBadge

Position=-3.5,0.6

Rotation=0.0

Scale=1.0

 

It getting really frustrating trying to do mods and skins and updates for some of our stuff. I have a beautiful, 98.6% ™ Historical skin, decal set (accurate BuNum, modex numbers, etc) and ini upgrades for the Skyknight, creating the F3D-2 for Korea; 99.9999999% complete that I'm about to give up on due to mapping and model issues. To say nothing of cockpit....basically, an entire new LOD is required.

 

But I keep plugging away...either out of stubborness or stupidity, I've yet to determine!!!

 

Although, I must admit, I DO like how my Tony skins turned out!!!

 

Wrench

kevin stein

[+LloydNB 212]

Hi Kevin

 

The only way to do it is to paint one side and then decal over the other side. This is the best I could do. One day there might be an update to the model that maps it properly. I just spotted that that the decals show up on the bottom of the fuselage but I don't know how to cover those up. Sigh!!!

 

Lloyd

[Guest Fire Fox]

Can you make the Romanian version too?

[+LloydNB 212]

Fire Fox

 

I'll give it a go. Something like this?

 

LloydNB

[+EricJ 4,222]

For a WWII plane, cool, but didn't Dassault say that for a plane to be aerodynamic, it has to be good looking? Obviously Dassault saw this thing and the first thought was "mon dieu!"

[Guest Fire Fox]

No. 6 is OK, but you can make the no. 5 too

And - as a suggestion - you can make a Spanish version too.

[Wrench 9,831]

Spanish Civil War version already exists...

It's part of the Dev A-Team and Edward's "SCW Total Conversion Mod". Which has a VERY cool map by Edward

 

Wrench

kevin stein

[Emp_Palpatine 501]

That is a nice skin but that plane is ugly....man....whew....

 

"Sir can I fly something else?"

If you're seeking ugly planes, I mean... very UGLY planes... So much ugly that your eyes might burn... just have a look at french 1930's bombers.

Or "how one took busses and put wings and fixed wheels and machines guns and send them in the air".

 

http://www.fortunecity.com/tattooine/farmer/120/amiot.jpg

 

By the way, some flew combat missions, by day, during the 1940 battle of France with the ones still in service. Courageous indeed...

[Emp_Palpatine 501]

For a WWII plane, cool, but didn't Dassault say that for a plane to be aerodynamic, it has to be good looking? Obviously Dassault saw this thing and the first thought was "mon dieu!"

"Quand un avion est beau, il vole bien".

 

Loosely: "When a plane is beautiful, he fly well".

 

But he said it in the 60's or 70's, didn't he? After the Mirage, it had the right to say such things.

Edited November 14, 2008 by Emp_Palpatine

[+LloydNB 212]

Well here's what the Romanian skin looks like. Still the individual aircraft numbers (1 to 10) to do and some weathering and shading around the engines and ailerons to do.

 

LloydNB

Edited November 25, 2008 by LloydNB

[+Geezer 3,569]

But he said it in the 60's or 70's, didn't he? After the Mirage, it had the right to say such things.

 

During most of the 1930s, French designers seemed to compete to see who could produce the ugliest bomber. In the late 1930s, French designers gradually came to their senses and produced a number of bombers that were "less ugly" than previous designs - a few were downright good looking. During the German occupation, Marcel Bloch secretly joined the resistance and took the codename d' assault - when he formed a new aviation company post-war, he used used his codename. Hence, Dassault Mirage.

 

The Farman 221/222 defined ugly:

 

 

 

Edited November 25, 2008 by Geezer

[Guest Fire Fox]

The Romanian version looks good.

Lloyd, can I help you with the texture mapping? I can make different texture for the upper/bottom side of the wings and left/right side of the fuselage also.

Btw, did you know that this model is made by me?

[+LloydNB 212]

Fire Fox

 

You're god sent. I'd really appreciate it if you could re-map the MB210 - it would resolve so many of the skinning and decal issues.

 

Great model by the way. Don't listen to the others - I love those quirky 1930s aircraft.

 

The only problem I have is that, if you fix it, I'll feel duty bound to produce more skins.

 

LloydNB

[Guest Fire Fox]

Look what I've made

Tomorrow I'll send you the files just send me a PM with your e-mail.

Edited November 25, 2008 by Fire Fox

[+whiteknight06604 934]

Look what I've made

Tomorrow I'll send you the files just send me a PM with your e-mail.

Thanks Fire Fox for the continuing support.Do you have plans for any more French(or other) planes?