Geezer

Interesting. Now that I have thought about it, I recall someone requesting 63% vehicles to place next to buildings so the vehicles did not look too large. Perhaps there was a mixture of 100% and 63% objects in the early releases? Gterl has the most experience with placing buildings on an FE map - perhaps he could comment? I no longer have those building LODs on my computer. Perhaps someone could sweet talk Baffmeister into sharing the stuff I sent him, so some comparative testing could be done?

From another thread that MUE chose to ignore: As I have said before, the 63% figure is per Wrench. I suggest you ask him. Wrench Known As Bob. Wrench ADMINISTRATOR 4,164 23,709 posts https://combatace.com/forums/topic/90118-european-ground-objects/?page=3&tab=comments#comment-752863 Gender:Male Location:Los Angeles, California Report post Posted September 11, 2016 now, with the visuals, its MUCH more clear. the 63% object just seem to "look right" against the ground. There's always been a scaling problem in the 3w games. But, there always seems to be a work around! Like Quote Terraformer Extraordinaire Making the Game Look Like the Real World Since 2007 "We are the Princes of the Ini-verse" "A little bit of something, is better than a whole lot of nothing" Wrench also said : "also, not to be forgetting that map is "3rd wire world size", 63% of reality" http://combatace.com/topic/84865-first-eagles-ww2/page-2 ** the stock terrains. Also, most the the add-ons, unless specified in their read-mes are also 63%, due to how the TE handles converting DEMs to HFDs. This topic was discussed some time ago, but MUE ignores facts and keeps coming back. To summarize from before, in the original game most trucks etc are 100% so they won't look odd placed next to 100% size aircraft on an airfield. But stuff like buildings were smaller - roughly half size so the 63% looks possible. That would explain MUE's tank measurements. Also, several photos of Stephen1918's vehicles in front of a stock building and next to a tree showed the vehicle appeared too large. Again, the buildings and tree seemed roughly half size compared to the vehicle. Another argument is Gterl's problems matching 63% objects with 100% objects. Finally, using SF buildings to measure dimensions invalidates the entire exercise because the issue is NOT SF buildings, but FE buildings. You guys are dragging a lot of SF assumptions into this FE thread without first verifying they are valid. Laughable fanboy BS.

A very good test, but it may not be representative? Gterl, the FE map maestro, has said that he has a problem with FE ground objects because they vary in size. Some are 100% and some are smaller, probably 63%. Consequently, he has to carefully control his object placement so large objects are not placed beside small objects, causing a visual mismatch. I do not know how this size mixture happened. I'm guessing that many original FE objects were 63% but many modders were unaware of this and made new objects at 100%. One thing is certain: SF map tiles are 2Km x 2Km, while FE map tiles are 500m x 500m and it appears that TK altered SOME ground object sizes to match the smaller tiles.

Close up shot of WIP Italian vehicles and guns.

Been working with Baffmeister on a series of ground objects for Battle of the Bulge (SF2) and a 1938 Vosges (FE2) "what if." There is a fair amount of commonality to the 3D models, but they often need revised skins.

As TK reduced the First Eagles ground tile size in an effort to improve map appearance at low altitude, the ground objects appear to have been reduced in size also. Guuruu, myself, and LloydNB have been discussing stuff for a 1940 desert war theme. Progress hots below show Italian vehicle development. The first two shots are 100% sized vehicles on an SF sized tile. Second two shots show 63% vehicles on an FE sized tile.

As I have said before, the 63% figure is per Wrench. I suggest you ask him. Wrench Known As Bob. Wrench ADMINISTRATOR 4,164 23,709 posts Gender:Male Location:Los Angeles, California Report post Posted September 11, 2016 now, with the visuals, its MUCH more clear. the 63% object just seem to "look right" against the ground. There's always been a scaling problem in the 3w games. But, there always seems to be a work around! Like Quote Terraformer Extraordinaire Making the Game Look Like the Real World Since 2007 "We are the Princes of the Ini-verse" "A little bit of something, is better than a whole lot of nothing" https://combatace.com/forums/topic/89548-1938/?tab=comments#comment-724314

Just found a good photo of the wing spar attachments so now I have to alter the 3D model. Looks like the front wing spar was a rotating tube so the incidence angle could be adjusted by raising/lowering the rear spar. Back to the drawing board...

Got more work done on the Bleriot. Usually, WW1 cockpit openings are so small when compared to the rest of the aircraft, I just make a simple tub and reserve the details for the separate cockpit model. The Bleriot presents some unique problems so I'm going slow trying to figure out which details should be in which model.

Thanks to Baffmeister for posting some of the stuff above. I just kinda forgot about releasing this stuff - comes with old age! What specifically are you looking for? 63% for First Eagles, or 100% for Strike Fighters?

Maybe. Good idea. I'll keep it in mind when I fool around with the concept in the future.

Been toying with an interesting mod concept that would enable me to use many of the aircraft and ground objects I have already made. In an alternate world, Britain and France honor their treaty obligations and declare war on Nazi Germany over the Munich crisis. Had that occurred, a lot of the action would have taken place over the French-German border, and First Eagles has two Vogesen maps that cover that region. I've been in touch with Gepard about a second generation upgrade to his game map, and he has graciously sent me his height map to fool around with. Meanwhile, I keep tinkering with 1930s aircraft and airfield objects suitable for the concept. Lots of possibilities.

Below are a few shots that may prove to be good patterns for future models of factory complexes and rail road yards.

Conversations with Gterl revealed a problem he has to deal with when making his excellent maps - the building models vary in size. He uses a combination of 100% actual size models and 63% size models - the size intended by TK for FE/FE2 - and has to make numerous adjustments to prevent visual clash between the different sizes. So I have been experimenting with building entire villages and small towns in 63%. Shots below show first effort. The concept is to develop big models of towns and then paint a corresponding street grid base for them. Dunno if this will work, but it's worth looking into if there is a possibility of improving future game maps.

Glad you like it. It was the best looking squadron marking of the S.79 units in Spain. I have only been able to find small, low res versions of the graphic. Would you happen to have a larger, higher res version?

Been making good progress on some SCW aircraft.

Been working with LloydNB and Guuruu on research for Spain and the 1940 desert war. Progress shots of the Spanish CR32 and SM79;

Really nice work!

LOL! Been doing some detail work and just started painting the fuselage.

Welcome back!

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Got the pilot's windshield nearly finished.

Back to the Bleriot! Best I can tell, the Italian Bleriots did not have cockades on the wing upper surfaces. If someone can show me research to the contrary, I would greatly appreciate it.

Been having a good time with 1930's stuff - haven't played with them for nearly a year. Got a small selection flying in Gterl's new Caporetto map. Still need to tweak the pilots a bit, but they work pretty well in FE2.

Got snowed in, so I worked on some SCW stuff. These 1930's aircraft are a long term project, and I will return to WW1 stuff shortly.