Panama Red

File Name: Realistic Sky Mod First Eagles File Submitter: Panama Red File Submitted: 3 Aug 2009 File Category: First Eagles Terrain and Environmental Mods Realistic Sky Mod First Eagles The reason that I got started modding the First Eagles Environemntalsystem.ini file was to: 1. Eliminate/reduce the lower horizon purple band in Clear weather, 2. Eliminate/reduce the lower horizon band in Overcast weather and 3. Eliminate/reduce the lower horizon band and overhead triangles in Inclement weather. Modifying the clouds to make them more realistic was a byproduct of all the time spent "fixing" the first three items. I have tried to make the clouds as realistic looking as possible and at the proper altitude for each type. In modifying the first Eagles Environmentalsystem.ini file, I used the same theme as TK used for the horizonclouds and broke out all 5 overhead clouds (versus the default Cloud1 for all weathers) into: 1. Cloud1 = Clear 2. Cloud2 = Scattered 3. Cloud3 = Broken 4. Cloud4 = Overcast 5. Cloud5 = Inclement First Eagles default horizon clouds use the same method as the included horizonclouds included in this mod: 1. Horizonclouds 11-18 = Clear 2. Horizonclouds 21-28 = Scattered 3. Horizonclouds 31-38 = Broker 4. Horizonclouds 41-48 = Overcast 5. Horizonclouds 51-58 = Inclement This way people can mix and match their particular horizon & overhead clouds (that other people have made) to their hearts desire and still have the original 3 fixes I did for the Clear, Overcast & Inclement weather. Unfortunately due to internal FE game engine restrictions, I am not able to completely eliminate the Clear lower horizon band and can only transfer the lower horizon bands for Overcast and Inclement weather to above the clouds where you can still see the triangles above the Inclement clouds if you chose to fly above these clouds. From what I have read, without an artificial horizon in WW1 planes, not many pilots flew into/above thick Overcast or Inclement clouds because they could lose their orientation very quickly and did not want to subject their wood and canvas planes to all the turbulence within these clouds either. I would like to give Marcel "Cellinsky" Aerni the biggest credit for starting me on this path of modding the sky, I have always admired all his great work in his “Widesky” mods. I have also included his Clear, Scattered, Overcast and Inclement Horizonclouds since they are very realistic and blend well with the FE’s horizon fog, as well as give credit to Polak for his Broken Horizonclouds; they really look like a front is coming through. I also give credit to Cellinsky and ShrikeHawk for their Cloud.tgas, they definitely improved the overhead clouds look. Installation: The easiest way to install this mod (other than using the great JoneSoftGenericModEnabler tool http://www.users.on.net/~jscones/software/...ucts-jsgme.html ), is to copy your “Flight” folder and rename it “Flight1”, then unzip all the included files into your original “Flight” folder. Inclement weather will rain 100% of the time with the standard “particlesystem.ini”, but I can give no guarantees if you are using a modified “particlesystem.ini” file. TallyHo; Panama Red Click here to download this file

Fantastic, will completey change the look of First Eagles.

I got rid of the DH2 windscreen by deleting "windscreen.tga" in the DH-4 cockpit folder. It still shows the two windscreen frames left over from the DH2, but at least there is no double glass. Capun said to use the "delete mesh system", but I have not fixured out what the DH2 windscreen frames meshs are called or I would have done that first. As for plane not responding to high speed manuvers, remember that this is a bomber, not a fighter, so it does not respond as fast as a fighter. The second problem is by reducing the "drag" on the DH4 to get it up to the correct speeds (still using the correct engine HP and empty weight), it unfortunately allows the DH4 to gain speed faster than it should on a dive (everything is a compromise in this world). I did increase the up elevator response from "20" to "30" (down elevator is still at "35") so the problem is your excess speed and the limits for the controls responding to this speed. I'm glad that at least the take off explosions are fixed, I never had that problem on my version 2, so I was not quite sure what I needed to fix.

quack74 & OlPaint01: You need to check these flight models to see if they work on your game. The reason that I say that is that I do not have any of the problems that you two are experiencing with the DH-4 and as a result, it is hard to fix something that you can not see. What I have done in this version (v3) is adjust the prop a little smaller and adjust the landing gear so hopefully you will no longer have the problems you describe above. Please check them and let me know. Thanks; Panama Red P.S. Laton, thanks for the tips and I hope they work.

I will take a look and see what might be the problem, because I have not noticed that happening to me.

quack74: I just installed the FAST and SLOW props in all the skins and that corrected the NO PROP showing problem, it is not a DH-4_data.ini problem. After checking, I found out that the ailerons did not have all the commands necessary for them to show correctly. Here is a updated DH-4 set of Flight Models that correct the ailerons.

It depends on your monitor. If you have a widescreen monitor they come in two different sizes 16:9 or 16:10. Mine is 16:10 so I have a little bit more viewing area vertically than a 16:9 monitor. You need to find out what your monitor screen size is and set your resolution to that. Older/more expensive/larger monitors are 16:10, and newer/less expensive/smaller monitors are 16:9.

I still think it is a high poly model because when I reduced the skin size, to 1024x1024 it only added 2 FPS. Since I have ATI 3780 Crossfires GPUs and a AMD 6400+ CPU, the GPUs should handle the skins problem, but it's the CPU that has to handle the high poly model. With only 2 FPS increase, that leads me to beleive that the high poly model is a bigger bottle neck than the skins (at least on my system).

Here is a new zip, I forgot to update one small item. Edit: Corrected version 2 located further down the thread.

Here are the new Fligth Models as promised. I have included three models: 1. 250hp Eagle III RFC (default DH-4_data.ini) 2. 375hp Eagle VIII RAF (DH-4_data_375.ini) 3. 400hp Liberty USAS (DH-4_data_400.ini) Now I have a question. how do you eliminate the second windscreen in the DH-4 cockpit view ??? Since the plane uses the original DH2 cockpit/LOD, the original DH2 windscreen shows up in the cockpit even though a new windscreen was added to the final model by capun in this release, and I'm not an expert on removing this sort of thing. Thanks; Panama Red

Tailspin: Making good progress. After removing ALL the "lift/drag" from the DH-4, I have the Eagle VIII 375hp up to 131 mph @SL (the best we are going to get and ties in to SB's mph @ 10,000 ft), now I am working back down. Panama Red

The same RB3D Panama Red (which is why I like "tinkering" with FM's ). The drag that I'm talking about is the "lift/drag" coefficient that each part of the wings and fuselage has in the formulas. I'm having to reduce it to allow the plane to achieve it's true rated speed (without tinkering with the hp/empty weight numbers)

Tailspin: It never hurts to remind, especially as we all get "older". Panama Red

I always set then when I adjust the hp, but that had no effect last night till I reduced the drag.

Tailspin: That is a good idea to start with the fastest and work down. It was sort of frustrating last night when I upped the hp and there was ZERO increase in speed. I then knew that I was going to have to do it the hard way and dig into why it was resisting me ("ah, but ve hav 'our vays to make you comply"). I was able to get a true 106 mph and 117 mph version, but with too high a hp number . Once I reduce the drag, I can then put the real hp numbers back into the DH4_data.ini file. In case you did not know, the provided DH4_data.ini only had 98 mph max, so it is no wonder you were run down by those fighters. Panama Red

quack74/Tailspin: I upped the response to the "up" elevators per your comments. I found out that it is going to take a little longer than I first anticipated to make all the different planes because upping the engine hp did not do the trick, I am having to adjust the 12 "drag" numbers to get the DH4 to fly the speed it was designed. It's not any harder, just takes longer having to adjust 12 numbers versus 1 number. Panama Red

Tailspin: Looking at my "British Aeroplanes 1914-1918", it gives the following info: 230hp Puma - 106 mph @ 6,500 ft 230 RAF IIIa - 122 mph @ SL 250hp Eagle III - 119 mph @ 3,000 ft 375hp Eagle VIII - 143 mph @ SL 400hp Liberty - 125 mph @ SL

quack74: And what in particular do you see is wrong with the elevators (other than the plane climbs very slowly with the up elevator) ??? Panama Red

Tailspin: A quick check of the internet says that the USAS version was 400hp, max speed 125 mph, empty weight of 2732 lbs and first entered combat August 12, 1918. Do you have any further info ??? Panama Red

Making the three different FM's is not hard, just a couple of days to test everything Besides the three Camels, did you know there three SPAD XIII in FE ??? They are SPAD13_200, SPAD13 (which is the standard 220hp) and SPAD13_235 !!! As for frame rate drop, it may well be a high poly model.

The only reason that I said 115 mph is it is more of an average for all the early/mid DH4's, unless you think I need to make 3 different DH4's ini (DH4, DH4_255, DH4_375) ???

quack74: Thanks for the great skins. Panama Red

Tailspin: I am checking my Crowood "AIRCO The Aircraft Manufacturing Company" book and it says that the Max Speed for the Puma (230hp) was 120 mph, the Eagle I-IV (255hp) was 117 mph, and Eagle VIII (375hp) was 126 mph. Sound like the easiest way to fix the DH4_data.ini is up the speed to at least 115 mph (using Peter01 & TW's formula of -5 mph off top speed per plane due to "wear & tear"). I can post a DH4_data.ini fix tonight after I test fly it to make sure the numbers match up. As for the different engines, it said that the Eagle III (250hp) engines were replaced by Eagle VII (275hp) starting in Winter 1917-18 at unit level and Eagle VIII (375hp) were installed in late war DH4's. Panama Red