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VonBeerhofen

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Everything posted by VonBeerhofen

  1. Harvest, an UHR terrainset

    Naaah, unless you're talking about an earlier version then the one I have. I've thought about using those screens but they're too detailed for EAW. I'd say their graphics level is about 10 times higher then EAW's. Nice compliment though, and in a way it was those screens which got me into creating these. VBH
  2. New Tri-Engined planetypes

    Having found a good way to get this new planetype working it is now fully activated. The plane is programmed with one nose engine and one engine on each wing. I'm aware that there may be pusher variants which have one engine in the tail and if so I'll try to add this variant too. It's AI behaviour is a hybrid of multiple plane AI and all possible AI choices can be used, i.e. Fighter, Bomber, Fighterbomber, Strikefighter, Divebomber, Waterplane etc. This is NOT just a modified Quad or Twin plane, which used to have just one less/extra engine nacelle in the 3D model but would behave like a Twin or Quad with perhaps an optional flightmodel for 3 engines (not sure if that's been done really). It's an entirely new planetype with it's own (damage) charactaristics and flightmodel. It is available for all sides and all available PLANES.DAT switches can be activated on it, like multi crewed, slats, armour, defensive guns and gear type. This isn't really new in comparison with the older versions, new is their specific AI behaviour and apropiate damage routines, which are different in comparison with other versions of this plane. A plane with NOT 4 or 2 engine controls and engine damage locations, but 3! Hope to show some proper Tri engined pics soon, sofar the testing was only done on a modified Quad and pics from that wouldn't be very representative as it only shows a B17 with one engine off. A new 3D model has to be build or an existing one needs to be properly modified in order to fully test functionallity but I can't see any problems surfacing with the choosen method. VonBeerhofen
  3. New 3D smoke file

    Yeah that's what I gathered. In fact the smoke isn't disipating at all, a calculation diminishes transparency the longer the trail gets, currently the highest transparency sits at the start. Perhaps it helps when tranparency increases towards the tail end of the trail. There's a lot of options really and prior to this version dozens of drawings were tested and like cloudlayers each one had it's own charme, sadly I can't put them all in at the same time, lol. Experiments will continue but I realise that some may like the older versions better. Therefore EAWPRO allows each effect to be changed individually and all previous created versions can be used at will. It won't look the same in my other addons as I feel a different effect will only add to the atmosphere of the addon and the use of other smokesets gives people a large option to experiment themselves. Even the transparency files are interchangeable, so the same drawing can be used with various transparency depths, however when used in combination hundreds of possibillities become available and it can become quite timeconsuming to find the best combination of files. VonBeerhofen
  4. New 3D smoke file

    Wasn't very happy with the dual purpose dual smoketrail I created long ago so I created a more substantial one with 3D effect which works better in all situations when active. OK, that's perhaps a little biassed observation but I hope you guys agree with me after seeing these pictures. Hope you guys can see which one and that the effects detail setting is working again in high mode, :) BTW , have you noticed the EAWPRO club recently expanded by 25%! Not bad in such a short time for EAW standards eh? VonBeerhofen And here's the Super Smoke Trail
  5. An old project unshelved

    The Suez theatre, dragged from a dusty corner of my harddrive, where it sat unfinished since 2004 due to Moggy's work on a simmilar theatre. I don't think he ever finished it so I pulled it out again to see what else I could do with it. The map isn't the same scale anyway and lends itself more for the battle of El Alamein which is just on the map. It covers a pretty large area and I created a new desert terrain set for it already. New though is a true elevationmap, which it never had because I had no idea how to convert such maps into EAW, but I've learned since then. With it the Suez region becomes a fully flyable theatre and is a step closer to turning it into an interesting new addon. Work continues! VonBeerhofen
  6. New 3D smoke file

    Mark, the thinned out bit at the end is actually what remains of the contrail. There are a few options to truely thin out the end but I haven't decided yet on which one is best. One option is to remove smoke from the last frames in the drawing animation and another is to extend the inner smoke trail so it trails the main smoke. That animation is already more open due to it's dual purpose to function as a trail or a smoke. Perhaps there's another possibillity to draw less smoke frames at the end which should also help and change transparency depth, a combination of all is probably best and I'll see what I can do to thin it out when I've got some spare time. Getting it right is very timeconsuming though, I mean you can only see the effects of what you've done in battle but I'll keep trying! VBH
  7. First Bomber Stream encounter

    My bad Russ, I shouldn't put two different topics into one thread. Yep, I have some cool ideas for the comms, hope I can make them work more then what I have at the mo. VBH
  8. Since this formation was created app. a year ago. This misssion was set in 1943 which was giiven a very small chance of this formation appearing as opposed to 1940. One encounter a year sounds about right eh? And I fly the game multiple times dayly, just because I need to check my latest creations. BTW, talking about latest creations, a new routine was implemented so AI can communicate amongst eachother like human players can. 24 such commands have been implemented but communications are still rudimentary. However there's plenty room for expansion and eventually this could evolve to a whole subset of specific AI commands, so more cooperative attack and defense become possible. VonBeerhofen
  9. First Bomber Stream encounter

    Hey Russ, It's fully working as intended. The line abreast formation regularly appears in 1940 but not so often in 1943. Pretty chuffed to have seen it in action, :) VBH
  10. BLIMPFIX

    And here's the 12 sided version as it is for now. The model's shape was further refined and a new texture was created. I'll try to inflate the stabiliser wings too but those can be pita, so I don't know when that'll be ready. We'll see, :) VonBeerhofen
  11. BLIMPFIX

    for Flyright's V1 conversion. As you can see in this picture the model was constructed the oldfashioned way from the V1 , which shape is still visible because back then it was the only way to create something new. All the old polygons and nodes had to be left as is to keep the rendering sequence intact. Essentially it's still a V1 with all it's parts still present but set to invisible except for the parts which were needed for the blimp. The result is that in the editor and in the game the model uses space for 145 polygons and 147 nodes and it's filesize is not much smaller then the actual V1, 4.73 Kilobytes. Due to the changes to the V1 model and not being able to recalculate a new Rendering Sequence this model never worked very well in the game, as sides and tailsurfaces disappeared depending on the viewing angle, a valliant effort for those days nonetheless This next picture shows the fixed model with a newly calculated rendering sequence, all unwanted nodes and polygons were removed, an anchor line attached, the stabiliser wings were straightened, the messy tail was remodeled to give it a more accurate shape and the model was prepared for further improvements, i.e. a 12 sided version with appropiate 3D stabiliser wings instead of just flat polygons. As shown it consists of just 73 polygons and 71 nodes resulting in a filesize of only 2.96 kilobytes. This new model is stable as a rock, takes up less memory and renders almost twice as fast, where ofcourse framerate is always an important asset in any flightsimulator as AI intelligence and reaction times are directly linked with it. The next two pictures show the model in action. Notice that the difference with the old version isn't very big, the difference mainly lies in the stability of rendering the model and viewing it from all angles and ofcourse 2 kilobytes removed from one model will hardly impact framerates. It does however become more significant when dozens are visible in the same frame and taking into account that in a single screenshot a few hundred 3D models will be visible, some very complex, the overal cleanup will have a dramatic influence on framerates, loading times, CPU and GPU use and frees up memory for more complicated models, like the upcoming 12 sided version currently being develloped, a shape which can NEVER be derived from ANY model created for EAW in the past! VonBeerhofen
  12. Yesterday I started on a new theatre to be incorporated into PTIV as an addon. Rather then posting a lot of pictures I've set up a folder on my FTP with the test flight screenshots I made to check the new tilemap and pilotmap of the Philippines theatre. Still have to figure out how to use this new club so my excuses for not following normal procedure. Hope I'm not breaking any rules. It won't be the usual way I'll post screenshots. This map picture shows the app. route I flew and the tile and pilotmap I cobbled together to not get lost. Obviously this addon is about ships and carriers but also about driving the Japs out of the Philippines. The white targetdots are from PTIV, no targets have thusfar been assigned to the new map, I just had a look to see if there were any tile errors and wether the pilotmap was accurate. You can have a look here: https://rabartel.home.xs4all.nl/Philippines/ VonBeerhofen
  13. Visit the Philippines in a day

    Added 10 more screenshots to aforementioned folder at my FTP. The higher numbers starting from 20 show the fully activated tileset and the beaches are now at sea level to prevent what I'd call the waterfall effect on missaligned coastal tiles, its where water could be seen going up a slope. Fine if we'd have waves hitting land but we don't. VBH
  14. Visit the Philippines in a day

    Good to see you in Russ, small bunch of nice people is all we need to keep going. VBH
  15. Visit the Philippines in a day

    Welcome RiBob, you're member No.2, wehey we're growing! VBH
  16. OHKA prototype

    Derived from my Reichenberg and still carrying some of it's details but with a fully working Rendering Sequence. There is a pilot inside too but I couldn't use the Reichenberg's tranparency file but he's in there. The skin is largely from the Reichenberg with a white overlay and all colors removed from the plane and a quick Nippon dot replacing the German insignia. Later a proper skin with proper shading will be added but first the model needs to be tweaked so all V1 details are properly adapted to get the model as it should be. Notice that the model has 8 sides, like my Reichenberg, giving it a rounder shape then the stock V1. Couldn't squeeze more out of it due to the model's small size which limits the circumference of a circle polygon. However large planes can use this technique too and may be able to use 10 or 12 sides. VonBeerhofen
  17. OHKA prototype

    Yes, I've become VERY carefull in picking my friends and handing out my creations, I think the reasons for that are pretty obvious. Hope you don't mind me keeping control over my own work, it's all too easy for others to pretend that they were it's creators. Think this thread will be locked soon too, hope the moderators understand that I'm just defending my work. I'm done with this guy anyway. VonBeerhofen
  18. OHKA prototype

    Brag? I think you mistake the word with dedication and strive for improvement. And where did you get the notice from that my group of followers is shrinking? EAW's following is definately shrinking but my group is fine, taken into account I have little aspirations. I wouldn't worry much about my perfect models, I know who my followers are and they will get them. VonBeerhofen
  19. OHKA prototype

    I forgot this, I hope you don't mind when I keep pointing out R/S issues on 3D models, I mean it's not like pointing out "buggy" 3D shadows in EAWPRO for not liking them but a real bug. It's not an attack on anyone in particular either but merely intended to maintain a high standard, and I for one do care about it. I don't feel it's particularly attractive to new players to see such porblems in screenshots. Any progress with the cunningtower? VonBeerhofen
  20. OHKA prototype

    Well in that case there's no reason not to fix your other planes which have R/S issues. I think players do care, after all modding has always been about trying to improve EAW, especially it's plane models. It's why Col. Gibbon's planes caught everyone's attention in the first place, perhaps it's just you who doesn't care anymore. VonBeerhofen
  21. OHKA prototype

    You can not break down an entire plane to only a nose and concatenate it with an existing model within the time I need to add 8 or 10 polygons on an existing model with a proper working R/S. Fact is that 99% of the models out there have issues. just inspect the tail on your Ohka. Importing parts from it merely increases the risk of importing R/S issues as well and setting yourself up with having to fix none matching parts which are an additional risk for more R/S issues. If you start out with models which already have such issues and try to stretch and twirl them to get a viable shape then things will only get worse. Further more, adding your shape to mine isn't necessarily going to work for that same reason. You should know, you and Col, Gibbon have tried that for an eternity. VonBeerhofen
  22. OHKA prototype

    Forgot to mention that that blimp was one of the first 100% models ever created back in 2010 and turned into one of the most memorable moments in my life :) All in all it turned out very well for me in the end, no hard feelings to the people involved, they never had any idea what it was all about, still don't. It's all sorted RiBob, don't worry. Thx for the input! VBH
  23. OHKA prototype

    Doesn't sound as if it needs adapting. Roundest nosecone I've build is my 16 sided white blimp, which was called a fake. I'm sure you rember that one, :( Anyway there's no need to use the described method with the 100% models even though the method is available. You can do anything with them, provided you have knowledge about how the rendering sequence works. As I said previously they can be turned into multipart models without the need to copy it's R/S and unused nodes and polygons into every part and tweak your heart out. The result are fast rendering clean objects which can use the F.3DZ as intended and every node and polygon each 3DZ can provide. VonBeerhofen
  24. From carrier to battleship

    Told ya it can be any shape. This is what the 100% 3D models are all about. Call it a super tweak, but one that's really working. It's about fixing other 3D models which have R/S issues, which is about 99% of what's out there. You have to take my word for it that it's 100 working and when finished I'll proof it too. But I guess those who're working with 3D models don't really need that proof, right? VonBeerhofen
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