hgbn

Natural metal finishes is perhaps the thing I love most doing while skinning. After TK introduced specular and normal maps for SF2x, the possibilities to create realistic looking metal surfaces has increased. I love to experiment with new painting techniques. And I have discovered a fairly easy way to make a credible finish. You need a High res template to get the wanted detail and color dept. I usual work in 4096x4096 for single maps and 2048x2048 for multiple maps. If none is available for the wanted aircraft you have to create a set on your own. Its time consuming but not as hard as it sounds. The secret is having a good set of reference drawings of the given project. Normally I cut and paste the reference drawings into a new layer on top of the background layer, of the soon to be high res template. I set the opacity to 50% so I can see through the layer and be able to align the drawings to the parts. Free transform tool is a true gift for this task. When all the parts is covered with reference drawings, and their positions have been checked in game. The fun part begins. First all panel lines have to be drawn in a new layer on top of all previous layers. I usual use the pencil tool for all straight vertical and horizontal lines size 2 round hard. For all other curved and diagonal lines I use the brush tool, again with same settings as the pencil. I always use pure black for the lines and rivets. Later you can always tone them down to the wanted contrast using the opacity slider in the layer properties. To get the rivets effect on the above screen shot. You need to paint them with a ring shape brush size 4. with a 300% spacing. When all structural details is done you are now ready to get that metal surface done. You need to think in 3 different maps to get that effect you want. First the ordinary map, which be used for the visual appearance under all lighting conditions i game. For this map you need a base color layer of the parts. For example the base color of the skin shown above is a solid layer of 3x190 RGB. Then I duplicate this layer in 3 three copies all on top of the base grey layer. Now set the opacity to 65-70% of each of the copied layers. Select filter and add noise to each. Monochromatic and uniform 12,5%. On the top layer select filter. add motion blur 12,5 pixel length in the desired angle of direction. Now you have the brushed metal look. The next layer. Select artistic/ palette knife adjust the 3 sliders to your liking. Last layer select filter/blur/Gaussian. If you want multicolored panels darker and lighter than the base color. Simply make 2 new separate layers on top of the base colored layers one for pure white and one for pure black. Select individual panels by using the magic wand on the panel line layer. Press shift while clicking on the wanted panels. Select lasso tool when done activate the wanted layer and fill with either black or white. Adjust the opacity to your liking. The specular map. Use this map for defining what to be shiny or dull. The darker the color lesser shine you'll get. I usual convert the specular map to gray scale. Now I duplicate the rivet layer into the specular map I already had saved using the template and converted to gray scale. select this layer and use the magic wand tool to select all rivets. Simples way is to point the wand at a empty area. select inverse and now all rivets are selected marked on the outside of the rings. select fill 100% pure black. The normal map or more popular known as bump map Use this map to produce all the small dents and imperfections. The default color of a bump map is a light purple color. To paint this map use only contrast. Pure black and white layers with an absolute minimum of opacity. 3-30% subtle is the keyword of these maps. Think 3D for this map the darker the contrast the deeper recession you'll make and vise versa for lighter. I usual duplicate the structural detail layers from my template to this map. Air scoops, panel lines and rivets. Duplicate the lines and rivets once more. Select filter Gaussian blur 1,5% for these extra two layers. Use the properties opacity sliders to adjust. Now make a new layer fill it with pure black. Select filter add noise monochromatic and uniform. Select filter artistic/ plastic wrap and adjust the three sliders. turn the opacity down to 3-5% and you have a very subtle uneven layer. That is all for now. Happy skinning

Hi guys, Been reading a lot of the OFF forum. And I think that Dead Is Dead standard those guys use could be transferred to the ThirdWire Series with ease. Anyone interested in creating such a group here??? Okay it sounds like there is a wish for this. Anyone who wish to join this can join in this thread. The following rules has been agreed on: Rule No.1 when a pilot dies he is gone for good. You will have to create a new one starting from square one again Rule No.2 You have to start at the runway manual and fly the whole mission without using Alt+N and land again manual. Landing at the nearest friendly airbase is allowed when low on fuel or damaged. No refly of a failed mission is allowed. Rule No.3 Time compression is allowed (Alt+T) Rule No.4 Settings in gameplay options on Hard except the following settings which can be set at normal: Enemy skill, Flight model, Visual targeting, HUD display and Landing. Rule No.5 A pilot ending a campaign as POW can be used again in a later war. Rule No.6 The player decides which campaign he/her wants to play. All games and mods are free game. Campaign settings on normal Rule No.7 At the end of each month every member of the Dead is Dead group has to describe the best pilot in the inventory. preferally with a screen shots of the pilot record. this is optional. Rule No.8 No Nukes The startgun goes of January 1.st 2010 Happy Hunting Ladies and Gentlemen

File Name: Seahawks by Bunyap for SP2x File Submitter: hgbn File Submitted: 12 July 2009 File Category: Sea Hawk Bunyaps Seahawk's converted to SP2x series by hgbn included is all Seahawks by Bunyap plus weapons and tanks.. Just drag and drop the Objects folder into your SP2x folder and play. Click here to download this file

Or he/her is misunderstood. it should be possible to obtain images of the "back" side of the moon since all you got to do is placing a satelite in orbit around the Moon. Waiting for the next Solar eclipse then there should be plenty of light to capture all the images you'll need

Aaah the dredded cross eyed syndrome from eccess skinning

Sounds like invalid filenames or you maybe put them in a wrong folder, Check you put them in the right F-100D folder the different versions all have their own uniqe skin map name, like a 65_ prefix on the given maps. Sometimes one cant see the forrest for threes.

I haven't seen any templates for the A-4's anywhere. I agree with spinners on the tank templates... Try it. The tricky part starts when you are trying to add specular and bump maps. Then its suddenly 3 different maps on top of each other you'll have to work together. Which remind me. The F-100 templates I did have never recieved my special 3 map rivet treatment....Hmmmmmmmmmm

Welcome to a grand new world Remember only practice can make one a master. http://www.simmerspaintshop.com/ You might find this useful. They have quite a lot of tutorials and tons of goodie stuff

No Kaboom?? How disapoiniting. Must be a major bummer for all those naive folks who donated all their cash to charity yesterday.

http://combatace.com/files/file/5474-f-104g-photoshop-template/

http://combatace.com/files/file/9440-hunter-template-1-of-5/ http://combatace.com/files/file/9441-hunter-template-2-out-of-5/ http://combatace.com/files/file/9442-hunter-template-3-out-of-5/ http://combatace.com/files/file/9443-hunter-template-4-out-of-5/ http://combatace.com/files/file/9444-hunter-template-5-out-of-5/

http://combatace.com/files/file/11661-f-100c-high-res-templates/ http://combatace.com/files/file/11668-f-100d-high-res-templates/ http://combatace.com/files/file/11615-sf2-f-4-templates/

Take a look at the download section for SF2x.under aircraft skins. There should be high res templates for the F-100A/C and F-100D, Hunter and F4. The F-104 is using the templates Bobrock did for the 1.st gen series

The last couple of months have been a weird experience for me. No phone, no web and no TV. effectively cutting the access to the outside world. I can't say that I missed it a lot except for this place. The time off the web revived one of the other hobbies I have. Scale aircraft modelling a hobby I have neglected for the last past 5 years or so. It also revielled what a time robber the web actually is So I have decided not to fall back to the old habit of turning on the PC the first thing to do, when comming home from work.

The short version.... low tide in the money bag. and riding of the storm cutting whatever expence which was not needed eccensial to life.

played a little with the filter

Got invaded

Some natural metal porn

The drill of the crew... NO COMMENTS

I'm lost for words. Hope he's going to fry

Well I better have it then Thanks Otto