+Geezer 3,569 Posted February 19, 2014 As I started to dust off my old files for Storm Over The Sahara, I realized I had forgotten a great deal about mapping complex shapes. So, I thought I would start with something a bit easier, with few compound curves and then apply lessons learned to the desert war stuff. Shots show mapping and texture progress for the fuselage - wings and wing struts will be done on a second bmp. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
+quack74 329 Posted February 19, 2014 (edited) Awsome Geezer! High rez? 1024x1024 or 2048x2048? Great detail. Edited February 19, 2014 by quack74 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
+Geezer 3,569 Posted February 19, 2014 The finished model will use two 2028 x 2048 bitmaps, plus a couple of small ones for wires, spinning prop, etc. I'll also make a couple of LODs - hopefully, that will reduce impact to frame rates. Two more shots below: cockpit and "Evil Hun" pilot figure (still a WIP). 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
+Stephen1918 1,474 Posted February 19, 2014 Wonderful work! I admire the level of detail you're putting into the model and the skins. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
+whiteknight06604 935 Posted February 19, 2014 beautiful. I can't wait. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
33LIMA 972 Posted February 19, 2014 Wow! Lovely model and textures Geezer. all those polys...some LODs definitely indicated! As for the pilot, he must be an instant victor in the prize for the most intimidating sim pilot ever, makes BA look positively cuddly, nice touch! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
+Geezer 3,569 Posted February 20, 2014 Wow! Lovely model and textures Geezer. all those polys...some LODs definitely indicated! As for the pilot, he must be an instant victor in the prize for the most intimidating sim pilot ever, makes BA look positively cuddly, nice touch! Thanks. While I honestly don't know how far I can push the FE envelope, I intend to find out. I suspect that high-res graphics will be the problem, rather than polycount. When finished, the Halberstadt's polycount should be 12K-15K, while the standard game's RE8 model is somewhere in the mid 20s. TK once wrote that FE uses mip-mapping, so I hope that the impact of hi-res graphics will be confined to aircraft close to the gamer. If any of the old-timers here have experimented with BIG artwork, I'd love to hear about the results. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
33LIMA 972 Posted February 22, 2014 Good to hear Geezer Those fuselage texture are really superb, can't wait to see this one in flight! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
+quack74 329 Posted February 23, 2014 Make sure you include all of those pilots you have layin around too! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hansa 12 Posted March 12, 2014 I was going to ask for this plane! Capun's Halberstadt is very low poly and it doesn't have a cockpit. I will fly this one for sure! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
+Geezer 3,569 Posted May 2, 2014 The 1930s ground objects have been sent to Wrench for test, so I am back working on the Halberstadt. Shots below show start of wing textures. Make sure you include all of those pilots you have layin around too! You mean these guys? I've got two of them running ingame - I'll test the remaining two and release them soon. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
+quack74 329 Posted May 3, 2014 Fancy neck wear! J-Crew? Gap perhaps? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
+Geezer 3,569 Posted May 7, 2014 More progress shots. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
+whiteknight06604 935 Posted May 7, 2014 that is looking damn beautiful. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
+Geezer 3,569 Posted May 7, 2014 that is looking damn beautiful. Thanks. It ain't done yet - still gotta add the scratches, stains, broken pencils, cigarette butts, etc. 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
+Geezer 3,569 Posted May 11, 2014 Predator and prey. Took a break from the Halberstadt and started new textures for the BE.2c 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
+whiteknight06604 935 Posted May 11, 2014 Wow! both are stunning. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
+quack74 329 Posted May 12, 2014 (edited) Are these flyable or are they ground objects? We really could use some airplane ground objects to go along with your new objects packs. Since the "Parked" aircraft are all random it's hard to place your objects around them. If there were planes that could be placed as ground objects it would be easier to utilize all of you maintenance objects. Maybe some wingless fuselages or even damaged airframes would be cool. Ideas, ideas. I'll never finish the Verdun terrain with all this stuff Edited May 12, 2014 by quack74 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FrankTB 14 Posted May 12, 2014 Just incredible Geezer and quack74 really brings those airfields to life, good to see you used the hound. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
+Geezer 3,569 Posted May 12, 2014 Yes, the BE.2c is flyable - it is available from CA downloads and I should finish the new textures soon-ish. The Halberstadt will be flyable when I finally finish it. Making some aircraft that are parked or undergoing maintenance is an interesting idea. No way can I make over a hundred different types, but I could probably make roughly a dozen generic machines that could be placed around an airfield. Photos show that older aircraft were still used in 1918 for second line duties, so 1916/1917 looks like it might be the "sweet spot" for stage props? Does anyone know if decals can be applied to ground and terrain objects? I doubt it, but it doesn't hurt to ask. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
+ojcar 157 Posted May 12, 2014 These airfield looks damn good!. I hope you are using as starting point the Terrain targets and types files from Armchair Aces. There are lots of Field guns and machine gun nests all over the map that are targetable for the planes (very good for a Schlasta campaign). If you aren't, you'll lose a lot of targets...... Are you planning to do the same thing in Cambrai and Vogesen? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
+quack74 329 Posted May 12, 2014 The Tanks used decals in FEG. But I think they don't work anymore with FE2. I've tried. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
+quack74 329 Posted May 12, 2014 I will rework Cambrai too. But it takes a long, long time to do it. I have 180 tiles to work with now. Half of them I made using Jan Tuma's base tiles. I've been adding many new towns and they are all connected by new roads zig-Zagging all over. I've made a few new airfields. A medium size airfield that uses two tiles and a large airfield (Zeppelin base size) for bombers that uses 17 new tiles. So for every tile I made I had to repaint each one for each season. So I painted each new tile about 6 times! BBandy remade some city tiles and TOD's awhile back but didn't finish all the seasons. So I did that as well. He's not around anymore to help out with anything else. Now that Geezer made so many awesome ground objects I'll be busy for months refitting all the airfields. Well not months, I'm almost done. But it would be cool to have a stationary ground object Albatros D type or a Nieuport type to place around the airfields. I guess it would be wise to choose a plane that has stuck around for a long time if one was to make only a few examples. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
+Geezer 3,569 Posted May 12, 2014 I will rework Cambrai too. But it takes a long, long time to do it. I have 180 tiles to work with now. Half of them I made using Jan Tuma's base tiles. I've been adding many new towns and they are all connected by new roads zig-Zagging all over. I've made a few new airfields. A medium size airfield that uses two tiles and a large airfield (Zeppelin base size) for bombers that uses 17 new tiles. So for every tile I made I had to repaint each one for each season. So I painted each new tile about 6 times! BBandy remade some city tiles and TOD's awhile back but didn't finish all the seasons. So I did that as well. He's not around anymore to help out with anything else. Now that Geezer made so many awesome ground objects I'll be busy for months refitting all the airfields. Well not months, I'm almost done. But it would be cool to have a stationary ground object Albatros D type or a Nieuport type to place around the airfields. I guess it would be wise to choose a plane that has stuck around for a long time if one was to make only a few examples. The smart/fast way to make stationary aircraft would be to start with a complex 3D model of a flyable aircraft and then simplify it. I'll contact Steven1918 and see what he has laying around - maybe I use some of his 3D models as a starting point for some simplified models? No promises, but this is a good idea so I will look into it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
+ojcar 157 Posted May 12, 2014 I think it's better to use some two-seater model. Some very early two seaters (Aviatiks, BEs, planes like that...) were flying at the end of the war as training planes 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
