Geezer

Been slowly working my way through the model and upgrading it to current standards. Stephen1918 taught me his way to make a new aircraft. You "borrow" files from an already existing model of similar size and configuration, and then slowly modify the INIs to reflect the characteristics of the new aircraft. I'll probably use SkippyBing's Baffin files for a starting point, get it roughly working ingame, then pass it on to Quack74 to finish the artwork. Perhaps it can then be passed on to Ojcar to tweak the FM and other stuff?

OK, got an initial test version. Two .INI files are found below for DL. The ENVIRONMENT.ini increases the amount of sunshine to roughly high noon on a summer day. The resulting appearance of the game map varies - some maps are brighter than others. The increased sunshine also makes aircraft more shiny, as if they had been waxed and polished. A sample fix to reduce aircraft shine - for Stephen1918's Brequet - is included in the DL. Note this is not a one size fits all situation. Modders will have to fiddle with .INI settings to get the appearance they desire. EDIT: In case you want to preserve unique settings in your ENVIRONMENT.ini, the only changes needed are shown below - just paste them into your already existing .ini. [Day] SunHeight=0.240 //SunBrightness=1.00 SunBrightness=3.50 //SunLightLevel=1.0 SunLightLevel=9.50 //SunLightLevel=6.50 //SunLightLevel=2.50 SunRadiance=0.00 TwilightLensFlare=0.0 SunColor=0.680,0.694,0.641 AmbientColor=0.340,0.340,0.375 SkyColor=0.200,0.506,0.804 HorizonColor=0.839,0.89,0.945 FogColor=0.839,0.89,0.945 SunSpecularColor=0.310,0.262,0.340 //SunSpecularColor=0.810,0.762,0.740 HDRSunColor=1.000,1.000,1.000 LightSrcModifier=1.0 [Day1] SunHeight=0.150 SunBrightness=3.50 //SunBrightness=1.50 SunLightLevel=9.50 //SunLightLevel=1.5 SunRadiance=0.00 TwilightLensFlare=0.0 SunColor=0.555,0.560,0.538 AmbientColor=0.330,0.330,0.365 SkyColor=0.216,0.447,0.745 HorizonColor=0.839,0.89,0.945 FogColor=0.839,0.89,0.945 SunSpecularColor=0.810,0.762,0.740 HDRSunColor=1.000,1.000,0.900 LightSrcModifier=1.1 Lighting Tweaks.rar

Your question got me experimenting a bit. It quickly became obvious that the lighting levels needed adjustment before I could fool around with color adjustments in SweetFX/ENB. Shots below show Steven1918's Brequets being massacred by Monty CZ's Avia B534s. First shot shows unmodified environment lighting, while second shot shows first experiment. When I get the lighting levels tweaked to my satisfaction, I'll post them here and then move on to Sweet FX.

Fooled around with the 1938 concept and put together a composite shot of French, German, British, and Italian aircraft that were in operational use in mid-1938. Nearly all of them will be developed for the SCW, and will only need new skins for use over Gterl's Vosges map.

Agreed.

The ShadowBrokers, an entity previously confirmed by The Intercept to have leaked authentic malware used by the NSA to attack computers around the world, today released another cache of what appears to be extremely potent (and previously unknown) software capable of breaking into systems running Windows. The software could give nearly anyone with sufficient technical knowledge the ability to wreak havoc on millions of Microsoft users. The leak includes a litany of typically codenamed software “implants” with names like ODDJOB, ZIPPYBEER, and ESTEEMAUDIT, capable of breaking into — and in some cases seizing control of — computers running version of the Windows operating system earlier than the most recent Windows 10. The vulnerable Windows versions ran more than 65 percent of desktop computers surfing the web last month, according to estimates from the tracking firm Net Market Share. The crown jewel of the implant collection appears to be a program named FUZZBUNCH, which essentially automates the deployment of NSA malware, and would allow a member of agency’s Tailored Access Operations group to more easily infect a target from their desk. via Matthew Hickey According to security researcher and hacker Matthew Hickey, co-founder of Hacker House, the significance of what’s now publicly available, including “zero day” attacks on previously undisclosed vulnerabilities, cannot be overstated: “I don’t think I have ever seen so much exploits and 0day [exploits] released at one time in my entire life,” he told The Intercept via Twitter DM, “and I have been involved in computer hacking and security for 20 years.” Affected computers will remain vulnerable until Microsoft releases patches for the zero-day vulnerabilities and, more crucially, until their owners then apply those patches. “This is as big as it gets,” Hickey said. “Nation-state attack tools are now in the hands of anyone who cares to download them…it’s literally a cyberweapon for hacking into computers…people will be using these attacks for years to come.” Hickey provided The Intercept with a video of FUZZBUNCH being used to compromise a virtual computer running Windows Server 2008–an industry survey from 2016 cited this operating system as the most widely used of its kind. Susan Hennessey, an editor at Lawfare and former NSA attorney, wrote on Twitter that the leak will cause “immense harm to both U.S. intel interests and public security simultaneously.” A Microsoft spokesperson told The Intercept “We are reviewing the report and will take the necessary actions to protect our customers.” We asked Microsoft if the NSA at any point offered to provide information that would help protect Windows users from these attacks, given that the leak has been threatened since August 2016, to which they replied “our focus at this time is reviewing the current report.” Asked again, the spokesperson replied that Microsoft has “nothing further to share.” https://theintercept.com/2017/04/14/leaked-nsa-malware-threatens-windows-users-around-the-world/

If the skins are made with .bmp art, it should work in all editions of FE.

I'll keep that in mind when I get to SCW ground objects. Every dashing ace needs a white scarf and a fast sports car! EDIT: Perhaps a Delahaye for the French aces?

When nano-cars look like an Alfa-Romeo, I'll get excited. :o) Nanocars will compete for the first time ever during an international molecule-car race on April 28-29, 2017 in Toulouse (south-western France). The vehicles, which consist of a few hundred atoms, will be powered by minute electrical pulses during the 36 hours of the race, in which they must navigate a racecourse made of gold atoms, and measuring a maximum of a 100 nanometers in length. They will square off beneath the four tips of a unique microscope located at the CNRS's Centre d'élaboration de matériaux et d'études structurales (CEMES) in Toulouse. The race, which was organized by the CNRS, is first and foremost a scientific and technological challenge, and will be broadcast live on the YouTube Nanocar Race channel. Beyond the competition, the overarching objective is to advance research in the observation and control of molecule-machines. More than just a competition, the Nanocar Race is an international scientific experiment that will be conducted in real time, with the aim of testing the performance of molecule-machines and the scientific instruments used to control them. The years ahead will probably see the use of such molecular machinery—activated individually or in synchronized fashion—in the manufacture of common machines: atom-by-atom construction of electronic circuits, atom-by-atom deconstruction of industrial waste, capture of energy...The Nanocar Race is therefore a unique opportunity for researchers to implement cutting-edge techniques for the simultaneous observation and independent maneuvering of such nano-machines. The experiment began in 2013 as part of an overview of nano-machine research for a scientific journal, when the idea for a car race took shape in the minds of CNRS senior researcher Christian Joachim (now the director of the race) and Gwénaël Rapenne, a Professor of chemistry at Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier. Three years later, the nanocars are operational and ready to face off on the circuit's gold surface. There were numerous challenges in organizing this race, from selecting the racecourse, which must accommodate all types of molecule-cars, to adapting the scanning tunneling microscope. The participating teams also had to overcome a series of difficult tasks (depositing and visualizing the molecules beneath the microscope), as well as meet numerous criteria (the molecules' structure and form of propulsion) in order to participate in this race. Of the nine teams that applied before the end of May 2016, six were selected, and four will take their place at the 4-tip microscope's starting line on April 28, 2017 for the 36-hour race in Toulouse. The challenges facing researchers in the race will be so many steps forward in novel fields in chemistry and physics. In the process, each team will build up new skills, data, and know-how that will one day contribute to the development of surface chemistry (which enables chemical synthesis directly on a particular surface), or in the new science of surfaces known as membrane science, which makes it possible to deposit a molecule-machine on the surface of a cell, or to control the movement of a single molecule in a liquid. The CEMES-CNRS microscope is the only one in the world allowing four different experimenters to work on the same surface. The development of such multi-tip microscopes will enable synchronizing a great number of molecule-machines in order to increase capacity, for instance for storing energy or capturing it from a hot metallic surface. A genuine "atom technology" is dawning. http://www2.cnrs.fr/en/2895.htm

Quack74 and I have found a way to break the aircraft production bottleneck - we hope. I'm currently revising my old model of the Junkers J.1. When I get it mapped and roughly working ingame, I'll turn it over to him and let him finish it while I continue working on other stuff.

Agreed - but the gradual process that led us to our current situation started decades ago. Mark Twain once wrote that history does not repeat itself, but it DOES rhyme. For those who enjoy thinking about the lessons of history, this recent video about Julius Caesar is food for thought. Rome began as a small, vigorous republic with robust laws and conscientious citizens. It succeeded beyond anyone's expectations and grew into a mighty empire. Rome outgrew the institutions designed for a small republic, and was gradually paralyzed by governmental gridlock. In particular, the Senate had become hopelessly corrupt and no longer served its purpose. Sound familiar? Caesar was not the first Roman to realize the system need overhaul, but he was one of the first to implement changes - but few Romans liked them. Hence, he was assassinated.

Progress shot of 1938 Munich Crisis camo.

Not yet. It takes just as much time to do FMs and files as it does to make models - sometimes more. The China stuff is on hold until somebody makes an appropriate FE map, but the SCW stuff is progressing nicely. The Spanish CR32 has been sent to Baffmeister for FM development, and the Spanish SM79 is inwork. I also plan on making a pack of dedicated SCW ground objects sometime in the future. Stephen1918 also has SCW stuff inwork, with more to come.

Stumbled across some old shots of MontyCZ's excellent 1938 aircraft. In one, I've revised the skins of the Avia B534 fighter. He also made an early Messerschmitt Bf109 and Heinkel He111. Almost the full spectrum of 1930s aviation technology - except jets - is possible in one mod. I've also thrown in test shots of some of my stuff, suitable for both the SCW and 1938.

I just sent it to Baffmeister - he'll develop another of his excellent FMs for it, plus other stuff. Meanwhile, I will complete the artwork with panel lines, weathering, etc. It will be a while before everything is complete and it can be released. Also in the works is the last operational version of the CR32, used in Libya and Italian East Africa as a ground attack machine.

1938 was a transition year for the Armee de l' Air, Luftwaffe, RAF, and Regia Aeronautica - older aircraft were still in service as newer aircraft began to flow from the factories. Many future models planned for the SCW will also work for 1938, such as the Potez 540. Lots of fun with biplanes and early monoplanes.

Sometimes the above happens to me, when the wrong artwork has been assigned to the model in 3dsMax. When the model is exported to the game, the LOD looks for the art assigned to it in 3dsMax - even if it is the wrong art. If this is the case, only the modeler can fix the problem: assigning the correct art to the model and then exporting a new LOD.

Funny you should mention the Heyford. Its on my mental list of aircraft for the 1938 BEF.

Had to make some German bomber crewman for this. I've got a bunch of pilots/gunners made, but it just keeps growing larger. Still gotta make Spanish and French crew.

Been tinkering with a number of things - the CR32 is almost ready for Baffmeister to work his magic on the FM. Needed a break from ground objects, so I worked on the Junkers J.1 and Dornier Do23. The Do23 is inspired by MontyCZ's Munich Crisis stuff that he made for SF. My "what if" will assume Britain and France honor their treaty obligations - they didn't in real life - and declare war on Germany in 1938. I'm going to occasionally work on a 1938 aircraft that can be used with Gterl's excellent new Vosges map which covers the Franco-German border. The Do23 was ordered when the Luftwaffe was created, and was the first bomber used in quantity by Nazi Germany. It was a disappointment - it was under powered, so lacked range and bomb load. Eventually, it was replaced by the German bombers that most enthusiasts are familiar with, but was still in use in 1938 - the Heinkel, Junkers, and Messerschmitt production lines were not yet working at full capacity.

The Snipe compass is - probably - an .ini fix. Dunno what can be done about the Nieuports because the LODs are based on 3D models that appear to lack a compass. Any solution would require revising the original cockpit model, or making a new one. Both would require permission from the guy who made the original model.

Correct - the stock game Aldis sight is wrong. Woodman's Early Aircraft Armament gives a detailed description of the Aldis sight. Early aircraft were plagued by vibration which made aiming with a telescopic sight harder than aiming with the Mark 1 eyeball. The Aldis sight's image was not magnified. Instead, it used the same optic principles as modern, parallax-free reflex sights for rifles. The two engraved rings on an internal lens were always the same size and always appeared in the EXACT CENTER of the eyepiece, even if the pilot's head was off-axis to the sight. I have wrestled with this problem for the CR32 - there are four choices. First shot shows an attempt to copy the Aldis sight with two physical 3D rings placed inside the sight eyepiece. Second shot shows the real world CR32 optical sight offset to one side so the gamer will use the back-up iron sights. A third choice is to delete the optical sight entirely, and just use iron sights - this will improve pilot visibility when tracking a target. The fourth choice is to fiddle with .ini's so glowing rings appear inside the eyepiece, like yubba's experiments. Starting around 5:45 in the old propaganda film, you can see footage of CR32 gunsights: Now is the time for you guys to vote, as I am still working on the cockpit. Yubba - sorry to hijack your thread.

Stephen1918 has already released two SCW aircraft and some ground objects, plus has plans to release more aircraft. Shot below shows what I have in the pipeline. Over the next year or two, the SCW is going to get lots of love.

Two more shots of REAL fighter planes!

Taking a break from ground objects, and fooling around with SCW aircraft. I just love Steve's I-15 and Brequet XIX! Plus, I'm slowly getting the CR32 and Northrop2E ready for Baffmeister. EDIT: use of some Republican aircraft is controversial, as what data survives is contradictory. I have already made models of the Northrop 2E, Dewoitine D510, and Boeing 281 (export version of P-26) for China Skies. As the models are built, mapped, and the skins started for China, only new skins are required for use in the SCW - even though they may not be "accurate" they should be a lot of fun and add plenty of atmosphere to a fascinating period of aviation history.