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MZee1960
November 8th, 2017, 13:49
Gordon's recent comments about re-visiting this beauty in his A-20 Havoc post finally convinced me to download it and play with it a bit. Following a few hours of 'research' here at SOH, I finally had the most updated version, with all the 'fixes'. I must admit that she even looks better in sim than the pictures here will do justice. Needless to say, after several minutes, no ....actually, several hours of flying this beauty, I am tinkering with a few mods for my personal use. Thank-you, again, Milton, John, Gordon and co. for providing this outstanding model to the sim community.

http://www.fsfiles.org/flightsimshotsv2/images/2017/11/09/Dwm2017-11-0816-15-40-96.th.jpg (http://www.fsfiles.org/flightsimshotsv2/image/GH7J) http://www.fsfiles.org/flightsimshotsv2/images/2017/11/09/Dwm2017-11-0816-15-44-44.th.jpg (http://www.fsfiles.org/flightsimshotsv2/image/GH7S) http://www.fsfiles.org/flightsimshotsv2/images/2017/11/09/Dwm2017-11-0816-15-48-15.th.jpg (http://www.fsfiles.org/flightsimshotsv2/image/GH7m) http://www.fsfiles.org/flightsimshotsv2/images/2017/11/09/Dwm2017-11-0816-15-51-20.th.jpg (http://www.fsfiles.org/flightsimshotsv2/image/GH7y)

roger-wilco-66
November 8th, 2017, 21:54
Thanks for looking into this and sharing it. I also have the SOH Invader, but I'm probably not at the same mod level as you are. You indicated that you had to go through several threads to achieve this, and I must have missed one or even a few. I think it would be great if all this information could be condensed. Do you know or can trace back the mods you applied to achieve your current level you are at?


Cheers,
Mark

expat
November 9th, 2017, 01:18
Lost track whether a native model conversion was ever done for this one.

DaveQ
November 9th, 2017, 01:41
Lost track whether a native model conversion was ever done for this one.

Yes it was. John Terrell (Bomber_12th) converted the B and C versions some while ago. JensOle and I are currently playing with them. I've converted the K for my own use and added a payload.


http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/attachment.php?attachmentid=55561&stc=1



http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/attachment.php?attachmentid=55562&stc=1

DaveQ

MZee1960
November 9th, 2017, 10:10
Thanks for looking into this and sharing it. I also have the SOH Invader, but I'm probably not at the same mod level as you are. You indicated that you had to go through several threads to achieve this, and I must have missed one or even a few. I think it would be great if all this information could be condensed. Do you know or can trace back the mods you applied to achieve your current level you are at?


Cheers,
Mark

Yes, certainly. As I said, it took me several hours to do this looking-up, but in a nutshell, here's what I remember :
1) Go to: http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/local_links_search.php?action=show&sort=N&beforeafter=1&desc=1&ents=1&keys=1&literal=1&search=a-26&childcats=1 and install the third entry for the A-26 (manual install).
2) For FSX, go to: http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/local_links_search.php?action=show&sort=N&beforeafter=1&desc=1&ents=1&keys=1&literal=1&search=a-26&childcats=1&page=2 and install the A-26 conversion with fix.
3) I then read thru this entire thread, but remember page 7 : http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/showthread.php/66516-SOH-A-26-Invader-FSX-Converted-Files-Download/page7 where in post #168, John has a mediafire link to fix glass issue. Download and install as per directions these files.
4) Go to : http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/local_links_search.php , search username ******** and install Gordon's new A-26 texture sets (third from bottom).
5) Go to Avsim and install Richard Wisman's 'beech 18 auto-smoke xml gauge' found here : https://library.avsim.net/search.php?SearchTerm=smoke+effect&CatID=fsx&Sort=Name&ScanMode=0&Page=2 , (second entry on page).
6) Wing lite reflections I commented out as although I found them very nice, they were a bit too bright for my taste.
In the aircraft config under [LIGHTS]:
//light.11 = 5, 4.5, -18, -3.9, Newll //wing lite reflections
//light.12 = 5, 4.5, 18, -3.9, Newll //wing
7) I slightly darkened the VC lighting.

As I mentioned, these mods I made for my own personal use according to my taste and not everyone may like these, but IMHO, they just add to the realism of this wonderful creation by the developers here at SOH.
Thank-you, Gordon for the texture sets and for pointing me to the smoke gauge, and, of course, Milton and co. , for the wonderful aircraft model.

Hopefully this helps sort things out a bit.

Still, a WOP .... as I understand.

MZee1960
November 9th, 2017, 13:07
I just tried the tire tread change to 'plus' or 'diamond' from this download for this FSX A-26 conversion : http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/showthread.php/88767-A26-SOH-More-New-Models-Updated


Got a psychedelic picture of what the BMP file looks like pasted over where the tire textures appear in the simulator. Must have done something wrong. :dizzy:

Roger
November 9th, 2017, 13:43
Not sure what you mean by "psychadelic" but if you're using Dx10 then you need to change the 8 bit textures using Steve's fixer, because the tyres look like mirrors.

MZee1960
November 9th, 2017, 16:45
Not sure what you mean by "psychadelic" but if you're using Dx10 then you need to change the 8 bit textures using Steve's fixer, because the tyres look like mirrors.

Hi Roger,

Here's some pics -

http://www.fsfiles.org/flightsimshotsv2/images/2017/11/10/Dwm2017-11-0919-06-15-28.jpg
http://www.fsfiles.org/flightsimshotsv2/images/2017/11/10/Dwm2017-11-0919-06-18-51.jpg

I'm not using Dx10. Using the original Dx9. Here's what I mean by 'psychedelic' . The first pic is default tire texture labelled as 'tiretred' BMP file. The second is the 'tiretreadnew' diamond pattern BMP file.
I have 6 models of the a26 ( -b, -bearly, -bearlyng, -bng, -c, -cng )
I installed into my FSX conversion model as per Milton's instructions here - doing only what's in red as all I wanted are the tire tread textures :
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FS9 A-26B and A-26C Model Additions with Textures for the FS9 A26-SOH
(Works as Port overs for FSX as well with normal prop and glass updates)

Included are:

1) two new models - One A-26B with guns; one A-26C with Guns

2) two new models - One A-26B No Guns; one A-26C No Guns

3) Two new optional tire tread textures for these models


These models are in addition to your current FS9 A26-SOH model folders.

The new models can be used with any B or C textures you currently have.

For that to work you must do 3 things:

1) Copy the four new model folders to your A26-SOH aircraft folder.

2) Copy the two textures to all your texture folders. (Do not replace your current tiretread.bmp. That is required for the original models)

a) the new textures are named tiretreadnew-diamond.bmp and tiretreadnew-Plus.bmp (To activate one of the tire treads, rename it to "tiretreadnew.bmp" )

3) Change your aircraft.cfg [fltsim] "model=" parameter to call out one of the four new models. (examples: model =a26bw or model=a26cwg )


There are two tread patterns-Diamond and Plus. In order to switch between the Diamond or Plus tire textures, you must rename to "tiretreadnew.bmp" to activate it for the new models to recognize the active tread.

These new tread patterns were done by Steve "Duckie" Bryant for the Harpoon and Lodestar series and look good on weathered and faded paint schemes.

Enjoy :-)

Milton Shupe
July 2014

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I am sure the 'fix' is easy but right now, I just can't put my finger on it ??? :banghead:

Thank-you for any additional input,

Cheers,
Milan.

roger-wilco-66
November 9th, 2017, 20:38
Hi Milan,

thanks for taking your time to share all that information!

I'm going to revisit the A-26 tonight :-)



Cheers,
Mark

MZee1960
November 9th, 2017, 21:01
Hi Mark,

Also, I have now updated all of my repaints with Gordon's updated texture bump maps using the 'texture.metalb' and 'texture.metalc' folders (copy and paste and allow overwrite -except for thumbnail and texture CFG files, of course) found in the file download I referred to in step 4) above. Now all repaints look even nicer than ever and more 'crisp' as well with these bumps.

BTW, if you find an answer to my 'tire tread dilemma' I mentioned above, pls let me know.

Cheers, and have fun !
Milan.

JensOle
November 9th, 2017, 22:23
The issue with the textures are that they are by todays standard rather low res (the originals are a ), specially for getting crisp decals. I have slowly started with a new paintkit in HD, but it will be an big undertaking to get all textures done.
I have a 6 gun B-26B in the Farm Gate program scheme with VNAF roundels as a test subject and it is a big improvements for the decals to get a HD threatment.

roger-wilco-66
November 9th, 2017, 23:00
Hi Mark,

Also, I have now updated all of my repaints with Gordon's updated texture bump maps using the 'texture.metalb' and 'texture.metalc' folders (copy and paste and allow overwrite -except for thumbnail and texture CFG files, of course) found in the file download I referred to in step 4) above. Now all repaints look even nicer than ever and more 'crisp' as well with these bumps.

BTW, if you find an answer to my 'tire tread dilemma' I mentioned above, pls let me know.

Cheers, and have fun !
Milan.

I'm going to look into the tire problem tonight. The image above suggests that the UV coordinates of the mapping do not correspond to the bitmap of the texture. From the pure looks it's totally off, and not merely a flipping problem. But as I said, I'm going to have an "in situ" look at it later.


Cheers,
Mark

Milton Shupe
November 10th, 2017, 05:01
Hi Roger,

Here's some pics -

http://www.fsfiles.org/flightsimshotsv2/images/2017/11/10/Dwm2017-11-0919-06-15-28.jpg
http://www.fsfiles.org/flightsimshotsv2/images/2017/11/10/Dwm2017-11-0919-06-18-51.jpg

I'm not using Dx10. Using the original Dx9. Here's what I mean by 'psychedelic' . The first pic is default tire texture labelled as 'tiretred' BMP file. The second is the 'tiretreadnew' diamond pattern BMP file.
I have 6 models of the a26 ( -b, -bearly, -bearlyng, -bng, -c, -cng )
I installed into my FSX conversion model as per Milton's instructions here - doing only what's in red as all I wanted are the tire tread textures :
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FS9 A-26B and A-26C Model Additions with Textures for the FS9 A26-SOH
(Works as Port overs for FSX as well with normal prop and glass updates)

Included are:

1) two new models - One A-26B with guns; one A-26C with Guns

2) two new models - One A-26B No Guns; one A-26C No Guns

3) Two new optional tire tread textures for these models


These models are in addition to your current FS9 A26-SOH model folders.

The new models can be used with any B or C textures you currently have.

For that to work you must do 3 things:

1) Copy the four new model folders to your A26-SOH aircraft folder.

2) Copy the two textures to all your texture folders. (Do not replace your current tiretread.bmp. That is required for the original models)

a) the new textures are named tiretreadnew-diamond.bmp and tiretreadnew-Plus.bmp (To activate one of the tire treads, rename it to "tiretreadnew.bmp" )

3) Change your aircraft.cfg [fltsim] "model=" parameter to call out one of the four new models. (examples: model =a26bw or model=a26cwg )


There are two tread patterns-Diamond and Plus. In order to switch between the Diamond or Plus tire textures, you must rename to "tiretreadnew.bmp" to activate it for the new models to recognize the active tread.

These new tread patterns were done by Steve "Duckie" Bryant for the Harpoon and Lodestar series and look good on weathered and faded paint schemes.

Enjoy :-)

Milton Shupe
July 2014

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I am sure the 'fix' is easy but right now, I just can't put my finger on it ??? :banghead:

Thank-you for any additional input,

Cheers,
Milan.

It looks like you have renamed one of the new tire textures to the old name.

That will not work because the tires are mapped differently as you can see.

Restore the original tiretread.bmp and you should be fine.

The old models call for the old mapping pf tiretread.bmp.

The added models call for the tiretreadnew.bmp mapping.

If you want to change the old, you can copy and paste some other textures in the tread space of that original mapped texture.

alain0568
November 10th, 2017, 05:17
Hello,

DaveQ, could you share your converted B-26K FSX, or at least the model?

Thank you.


Alain-

JensOle
November 10th, 2017, 07:51
Dave will probably answer himself, but I think there will be some more work before it is ready for release!

JensOle
November 10th, 2017, 08:07
A few questions for John T and all the other warbird encylopedias here at the SoH:

-Information about the store pylons (and their position) and drop tanks introduced on the B-26B/Cs in the late 50's/early 60's as used on many of the CIA covert operations of the period and the USAF Farm gate invaders in Vietnam (Flickr has some good pics of them).
->The Droptank looks similar to the Mustang 165 gal tank.
->The drop tank pylon, which also could be used for stores, looks a bit different than the outer ones. Pictures of the Farm Gate invaders shows different types of pylons. Some of them are heavily supported by rods (supports anchored in the old rocket rail mounts/gun packs?

-Right side escape/entry door to the back compartment. I have never found good pictures to tell if this was a later mod or if the door as seen on the On mark/ invaders was build as such from the factory. I have pictures of the door on the RB-26Cs used in the Farm Gate program in 1963.

Any help is much appreciated!

DaveQ
November 10th, 2017, 08:57
Hello,

DaveQ, could you share your converted B-26K FSX, or at least the model?

Thank you.


Alain-

I have a working K already but I want to try a few things like taking the pilots out on the ground. I've added weapons but grabbed from payware so cannot share. If anyone has a source of Vietnam-era freeware ordnance I'd be really grateful! Will share soonest.

DaveQ

roger-wilco-66
November 10th, 2017, 09:07
Dave, if we can't manage to get them you can give me the types of ordinance you need I can make some custom ones for this project! That's really not too complex, and I think the A-26 is worth it.


Cheers,
Mark

Milton Shupe
November 10th, 2017, 10:06
Sorry I can not help you guys out on this venture. I just do not have any of the FSX native code.

Seems you are making out just fine without the help though, so go forth and have fun. :-)

ian elliot
November 10th, 2017, 10:22
If anyone has a source of Vietnam-era freeware ordnance I'd be really grateful!

Maybe someone over on the CFS2 forums could help out, ive got it in the back of my mind, someone did release some Vietnam weapons pack, just cant remember where.

cheers ian

alain0568
November 10th, 2017, 10:47
--DaveQ and JensOle, thanks for your answers!
Regards.


Alain
-

MrZippy
November 10th, 2017, 10:49
I have a working K already but I want to try a few things like taking the pilots out on the ground. I've added weapons but grabbed from payware so cannot share. If anyone has a source of Vietnam-era freeware ordnance I'd be really grateful! Will share soonest.

DaveQ

Don't know how much of this will be helpful but at least it's free/donationware.

http://www.taskforcefsx.com/wood.html

MZee1960
November 10th, 2017, 13:56
The issue with the textures are that they are by todays standard rather low res (the originals are a ), specially for getting crisp decals. I have slowly started with a new paintkit in HD, but it will be an big undertaking to get all textures done.
I have a 6 gun B-26B in the Farm Gate program scheme with VNAF roundels as a test subject and it is a big improvements for the decals to get a HD threatment.

I'm really looking forward to this one, Jens ! :jump:

I also have the A-20 Havoc. Just downloaded Gordon's new bumps yesterday and installed. All Havoc paints looking very sharp now - crisp and neat ! Up until your comment here re the res with respect to the A-26, I have not noticed that much of a difference with the exception of the 'nose art' on a few, but now I see exactly what you mean. I have lots of Orbx scenery, REX textures, and HD addon aircraft, but still never feel the need to set the 'texture max load' any higher than 2048 as most textures are well within that parameter, plus I think going past this will just affect fps and bring on more oom's (yes, ...can't wait to move to P3D in the new year for that very reason) .

DaveQ
November 10th, 2017, 13:56
Dave, if we can't manage to get them you can give me the types of ordinance you need I can make some custom ones for this project! That's really not too complex, and I think the A-26 is worth it.


Cheers,
Mark


Thanks a lot Mark. I'll send you a pm in the morning (UK)

MZee1960
November 10th, 2017, 14:01
I'm going to look into the tire problem tonight. The image above suggests that the UV coordinates of the mapping do not correspond to the bitmap of the texture. From the pure looks it's totally off, and not merely a flipping problem. But as I said, I'm going to have an "in situ" look at it later.


Cheers,
Mark

Hi Mark,

I appreciate this very much. The A-20 Havoc has the 'plus' variant of the tire texture and I never thought something as small as this could make such a big difference in aircraft appearance, but it does.

DaveQ
November 10th, 2017, 14:03
Thanks everyone - I'll get together a list. Some are available with Tim Conrad's Sandy and I maybe could ask for permission to use them. The Task Force FSX bunch look very interesting also MrZippy. The main weapons were Mk 82's and napalm though the National Museum of the USAF example has two different rocket pods and a drop tank (I think).

DaveQ

roger-wilco-66
November 10th, 2017, 14:08
No problem, Dave. I can do these in no time. I just need a definite go! And the definite types, but you already gave them.

Cheers,
Mark

MZee1960
November 10th, 2017, 16:04
The A-20C Havoc has a common texture folder to which all the added textures fall back on. It has a 'tiredtreadnew' BMP file in it which I gather corresponds to the 'plus' tire tread pattern seen on the model in sim.

Since the A-26 seems not to have a common texture folder, rather all textures are repeated for each repaint in the individual repaint folders, I chose the repaint 'Hard to Get' for the experiment below..

I copied this Havoc BMP file to the A-26 Avenger texture folder 'Hard to Get' ,which already had a 'tiretread' BMP file. Results are as follows :

1) With both 'tiretread' and the copied 'tiretreadnew' BMP files in the folder ---> get the original A-26 tire tread showing in sim.
2) With only the copied 'tiretreadnew' BMP file in the folder -------> get the original A-26 tire tread showing in sim.
3) Re-naming the copied 'tiretreadnew' BMP file to 'tiretread' ------> get the odd looking 'psychedelic' tire tread showing in sim (as the 2nd picture in my post #8 shows).
4) Deleting the 'tiretread' / 'tiretreadnew' BMP files altogether (so no such files in the folder whatsoever) --> get the original A-26 tire tread showing in sim, once again.

It now seems to me as if the original tire tread texture may be baked into another folder ( a model folder, or ?) as it does not seem to matter whether or not a 'tiretread' / 'tiretreadnew' BMP file is even present inside the repaint texture folder in

order for the original A-26 tire tread to show up in sim. The only thing is why in point 3) above, the 'psychedelic' tire tread shows up in sim ? Perhaps there is another 'tiretread' entry elsewhere which was not changed/renamed and hence some confusion re what texture to display in the sim occurred ? :dizzy:

JensOle
November 10th, 2017, 22:36
Dave,

The loadout on the bird in the USAF museum is as follows:

-BLU-27 (finned and painted black underside)
-MK-82 snake
-CBU-14 (cluster bomb dispenser)
-LAU-3 (rocket pod)

Symmetrical on both sides, LAU nose fairing has been removed on the right side LAU-3.

A bit like the Skyraider loads from the time, gives you something for all types of targets..

roger-wilco-66
November 11th, 2017, 03:02
Would the cbu-14 dispenser then be the SUU-14/A unit?

JensOle
November 11th, 2017, 04:39
That is absolutely correct, my bad. Cbu-14 in the suu-14 dispenser  kind of a very strange system compared to the other cluster Bombs!

roger-wilco-66
November 11th, 2017, 05:03
Yeah, the CBUs were ejected out of the end of the tubes.

gman5250
November 11th, 2017, 06:22
Thought I'd add a bit of clarity on the tire tread conversation. The attached photo shows the A-26 Invader tiretread.bmp (left) and A-20 Havoc tiretreadnew.bmp (right) side by side.

The UVW mapping for each airplane is different as shown in the comparison. Changing out and re-naming the tiretreadnew bitmap and putting it in the A-26 texture files will result in the psychedelic tire because the tread is not aligned to the UVW map. To display correctly, the tread needs to be located vertically and to the left, exactly as in the tiretread.bmp that comes with the original A-26.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4544/26559681309_b3ca1a1cb1_o.jpg

gman5250
November 11th, 2017, 06:48
I did a quick modification on the tiretread.bmp file, superimposing the Havoc tread pattern onto the Invader file. It's not the same as real world, but could be used as an alternate just for artistic whimsy.

I should also note that my skins were arranged to take advantage of a common texture file on airplanes that qualified. The structure is more complex than the original model and can cause some confusion when trying to exchange files. The file structure is designed to work with the original set of files without conflict, but modifications to my files need to be approached with an understanding of the structure.

Also, going back and looking, the PK I used was 1024 x 1024, and the panel and bump details were fairly vague. This airplane would benefit greatly from a 4K paint kit. I think I'll go have a look at that. My texture sets were compiled at 2048 x 2048 and are a bit higher resolution, but the bump maps were originally 1K, so that limits the bump resolution. I guess I'll go look at that too. lol

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4584/38280722266_eceba6ea3f_o.jpg

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4567/38335557591_a11103a796_o.jpg

roger-wilco-66
November 11th, 2017, 08:42
Does anyone know that website where all those mil color codes were listed? I seemed to have lost the link...


Anyway, here's the first weapon for the A-26k, a MK-82 bomb, but I'm not sure the colors are right:


https://www.dropbox.com/s/rj3kg66ost43gnt/mk82-bomb.jpg?dl=1

gray eagle
November 11th, 2017, 08:48
Does anyone know that website where all those mil color codes were listed? I seemed to have lost the link...


Anyway, here's the first weapon for the A-26k, a MK-82 bomb, but I'm not sure the colors are right:


https://www.dropbox.com/s/rj3kg66ost43gnt/mk82-bomb.jpg?dl=1


The colors are spot on, I've loaded many of them long ago during many viet-nam west-pac cruises. The nose fuse was usually a MK 904E2 fuse, I've armed and dearmed them too. An arming wire goes through where the fuse prop is and is secured with two fanstock clips.
http://www.ordtech-industries.com/2products/fuzes_bombs/ZF/M904_Mk82.jpg

http://a4skyhawk.info/sites/default/files/images-general/va93-904e2-fuze-mk82-mylar.jpg

roger-wilco-66
November 11th, 2017, 08:50
The colors are spot on, I've loaded many of them long ago during many viet-nam west-pac cruises. The nose fuse was usually a MK 904E2 fuse, I've armed and dearmed them too.
http://www.ordtech-industries.com/2products/fuzes_bombs/ZF/M904_Mk82.jpg

Always good to have someone around who's been there :-) I think I need to add the propeller to the tip of the fuse...


Cheers,
Mark

gray eagle
November 11th, 2017, 08:54
Here is a pic with a fully armed MK 82

https://img1.cgtrader.com/items/305819/6aec24400f/bomb-mk-82-3d-model-max-obj-3ds-fbx.jpg

roger-wilco-66
November 11th, 2017, 08:58
Ahh great, now I can stop wondering about the stencils :-) Thank a lot!!

Cheers,
Mark

gray eagle
November 11th, 2017, 10:07
Not to ask a dumb question, I was wondering if the A26 is ready for us peons to fly? I would use it in P3D V3.4. I've notice many paint variations on it and just wondering if it still in testing stage and not
ready for release. If it is avail, where can I get it?
Thanks.

JensOle
November 11th, 2017, 10:41
A lot to do before it is ready, new hd textures and I think the vc needs some work as well. At least the gauges need to be in highter res.

Wings of Gold
November 11th, 2017, 13:26
Need some help please guys,

All my A-26's work perfectly EXCEPT for a beautiful French Indochina version "b26gb119" that I found here on SOH. The model called out in the aircraft.cfg entry is "A26bnsgns". I have been unable to find a model with that name. Looks like it should work with model "A26bng" - but it doesn't. Advise please. Really glad to see that this great project is back again!

Bill

DaveQ
November 11th, 2017, 14:01
Need some help please guys,

All my A-26's work perfectly EXCEPT for a beautiful French Indochina version "b26gb119" that I found here on SOH. The model called out in the aircraft.cfg entry is "A26bnsgns". I have been unable to find a model with that name. Looks like it should work with model "A26bng" - but it doesn't. Advise please. Really glad to see that this great project is back again!

Bill

I have a French Air Force 'Queen of Hearts' paint that may require the 6-gun version of the A-26B. If so I don't have an FSX conversion of that model in my collection and will convert it when I can. Meantime mine is tied to the a26b model with 8 guns. If you have a texture problem you could try copying the contents of a texture folder that works then paste them into your French Air Force texture folder but DON'T overwrite the principle external texture files. I've found there are several different versions of the contents of these repaint folders and one job on the 'to do' list is to make up a single 'texture.shared' folder so that each individual paint folder will then only contain the main external textures - hopefully in 2048 .dds format.

DaveQ

PS - I should add that the material properties of the models are often quite different and another job is to bring them all into line. The current legacy FS9 paints use only the alpha channel for reflectivity and these need to be remade with dedicated spec files which better reflect (excuse pun...) the appearance of dull metal finishes.

Wings of Gold
November 11th, 2017, 14:49
Hi Dave,

Thanks for the fast reply. What I really need is a model that has nose guns - but no upper or lower turret. I don't know how to achieve that (but the thumbnail shows that configuration). Thoughts?

Best,

Bill

MrZippy
November 11th, 2017, 15:19
Need some help please guys,

All my A-26's work perfectly EXCEPT for a beautiful French Indochina version "b26gb119" that I found here on SOH. The model called out in the aircraft.cfg entry is "A26bnsgns". I have been unable to find a model with that name. Looks like it should work with model "A26bng" - but it doesn't. Advise please. Really glad to see that this great project is back again!

Bill

Don't know how helpful this will be, but I did find a download over at AVSIM a26modelupdts.zip that contained the model "A26bnsgns"

Wings of Gold
November 11th, 2017, 15:42
MrZippy - you win my thanks. It's exactly the correct model!

Dave (if you are reading this). There is still a problem with the nose guns - which are transparent. Do you know how to fix this?

Bill

DaveQ
November 12th, 2017, 00:02
The problem is that the model is for FS9 and would need conversion. The only thing to do for now is to use a converted one until we can get round to it. I'll download John's pack in readiness...!


DaveQ

ian elliot
November 12th, 2017, 03:52
Concerning French Indo Chine Invader's, both 6 and 8 gun versions were used at the same time, often in the same unit, so any French indo repaint would be authentic with either model. :wavey:

stansdds
November 12th, 2017, 04:45
A lot to do before it is ready, new hd textures and I think the vc needs some work as well. At least the gauges need to be in highter res.

I agree on the VC gauges. They looked ok back when the A-26 was in FS9 and I flew it using a 17 inch CRT monitor, but with a higher resolution and much larger LCD monitor, the gauges appear to be low resolution and the needles on the RPM and MP gauges are almost impossible to clearly read.

awstub
November 12th, 2017, 07:03
According to Joe Baugher's site it was capable of carrying:

SUU-025 flare dispenser
LAU-3A rocket pod
CBU-14 cluster bomb unit
BLU-23, BLU-37 finned napalm
M31, M32 incendiary cluster bomb
M34, M35 incendiary bombs
M1A4 fragmentation cluster bomb
M47 white phosphorus bomb
CBU-24, -25, -29, and -49 cluster bombs
MK-81 250 lb GP
MK-82 500 lb GP
M117 750 lb GP

In the not so distant future, we are going to have a pretty high quality, historically accurate, freeware, Laotian theater of operations with moving convoys.
Hopefully the Counter Invader will receive a Tacpack treatment so that people can hunt the trucks, etc...




Dave,

The loadout on the bird in the USAF museum is as follows:

-BLU-27 (finned and painted black underside)
-MK-82 snake
-CBU-14 (cluster bomb dispenser)
-LAU-3 (rocket pod)

Symmetrical on both sides, LAU nose fairing has been removed on the right side LAU-3.

A bit like the Skyraider loads from the time, gives you something for all types of targets..

DaveQ
November 12th, 2017, 07:48
According to one source the 609th operated mainly with BLU-27's and Mk82's on the HCM trail. They will be the first load-out.

DaveQ

roger-wilco-66
November 12th, 2017, 08:45
I'll make the MK-82 (maybe a version with the daisy cutter), the suu 14/a and the BLU unit.

The rest might have to wait a little because I have to feed other work in between :-)


https://www.dropbox.com/s/4sydvqk3ua6qee2/suu-14a.jpg?dl=1

roger-wilco-66
November 12th, 2017, 09:39
A ton of very good A-26K fotos can be found here, by the way:


https://www.facebook.com/a26specialkay


Cheers,
Mark

DaveQ
November 12th, 2017, 13:55
The external K models are OK and there is a simple conversion of the K cockpit now working. Better still, I've got Blender working and cut the nose off the 8-gun fuselage and grafted on the C clear nose to create a realistic reconnaissance version.

http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/attachment.php?attachmentid=55659&stc=1

Will post a beta without munitions soon.

DaveQ

Switchblade408
November 12th, 2017, 14:34
Special Kay was flying yesterday. Saw her in the landing pattern in Fort Worth while I was out biking.

JensOle
November 13th, 2017, 04:29
Do anyone know about a nice mark 20 Mod 4 gunsight Dave would use? It is the sight used in (among many) B-26K, Skyraider, Bearcat and Tigercat.

Was this sight made for the SoH Tigercat project? I have not yet downloaded the Tiger, but have seen some very nice wip screenshots posted by ********. If so, maybe we can ask if we can borrow it :-)

MrZippy
November 13th, 2017, 04:56
Do anyone know about a nice mark 20 Mod 4 gunsight Dave would use? It is the sight used in (among many) B-26K, Skyraider, Bearcat and Tigercat.

Was this sight made for the SoH Tigercat project? I have not yet downloaded the Tiger, but have seen some very nice wip screenshots posted by ********. If so, maybe we can ask if we can borrow it :-)

http://sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/showthread.php/91426-Razbam-Skyraiders-Acceleration-mods?p=986310&viewfull=1#post986310

Will this one work?

JensOle
November 13th, 2017, 05:09
The Razbam skyraider is a payware model, so it is a nogo.

Gmans Mark 20 as shown in this thread would fit the bill I think if he allows us to borrow it.

http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/showthread.php/100757-F7F-Tigercat-New-VC-for-FSX-amp-P3D/page3

gman5250
November 13th, 2017, 05:31
The Razbam skyraider is a payware model, so it is a nogo.

Gmans Mark 20 as shown in this thread would fit the bill I think if he allows us to borrow it.

http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/showthread.php/100757-F7F-Tigercat-New-VC-for-FSX-amp-P3D/page3


I think I might be persuaded to contribute the Mark 20 to the project. :untroubled:

https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8418/29891520611_a24bb3b0c2_o.jpg

JensOle
November 13th, 2017, 07:24
That is great news! Thank you!

DaveQ
November 13th, 2017, 08:28
I think I might be persuaded to contribute the Mark 20 to the project. :untroubled:

https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8418/29891520611_a24bb3b0c2_o.jpg

Many thanks ********, that brilliant! If you send me a pm with a link I'll attempt to add it to the K cockpit.

DaveQ

gman5250
November 13th, 2017, 09:32
Let me package it up with the support textures and I'll zip that up for you. The A-26 is one of those projects I would love to tackle like I did the F7F Tigercat, but I don't have any open space in my work flow. I'm more than happy to share a bit here and there if it helps you with your project Dave.:encouragement:

JensOle
November 13th, 2017, 21:51
I have been riveting the fuselage and tail last evening.. Boring, but important part of the textures. I temp new spec texture for these parts as well and Dave will help out with the bump file. Quite a jobb left with the wings and engine nacelles. For the wing the K model will need to have the special strengthening straps running for the entire wing length painted on. This was special for the K and important to get right with both the texture itself and maybe more importantly the bump texture.

A question for the SoH crowd:
-The K had a white pointed antenna on top of the fusealge which I think was for the VHF-101 radio, it was commonly seen on many aircraft from the Vietnam war era. It has a blue symbol with text, anyone which can help me with what kind of logo this was? The first which comes to my mind is a Bendix king logo, but from what I can find does it not match.

DaveQ
November 14th, 2017, 08:10
We're getting there slowly.... Jens-Ole's new textures are coming through and this is the first draft of the fuselage map. I have the gunsight ready to install though my skill set doesn't stretch to more than mounting it in the currently rather simple vc.

http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/attachment.php?attachmentid=55704&stc=1

The crew can now be removed. One thing that doesn't seem to go well is nose-wheel steering. Rudder authority is gained and the nose can be steered after about 50kts which is not a lot of good for taxying you'll agree! Am I missing something (nose-wheel lock??) or can this be fixed?

DaveQ

DaveQ
November 14th, 2017, 08:17
Let me package it up with the support textures and I'll zip that up for you. The A-26 is one of those projects I would love to tackle like I did the F7F Tigercat, but I don't have any open space in my work flow. I'm more than happy to share a bit here and there if it helps you with your project Dave.:encouragement:

Got it and a thousand thanks again! It looks glorious!

DaveQ

Milton Shupe
November 14th, 2017, 08:42
The nose wheel was modeled as c_wheel and set to castoring in the original aircraft.cfg.

You can change that if you wish with contact point.0 by changing the 180 degrees to 40~ or what ever your preference is.

point.0 = 1, 10.85, 0, -8.033, 1600, 0, 1.504, 180, 0.248, 2.5, 0.9, 3, 3, 0, 140.8, 235.84

to

point.0 = 1, 10.85, 0, -8.033, 1600, 0, 1.504, 40, 0.248, 2.5, 0.9, 3, 3, 0, 140.8, 235.84

DaveQ
November 14th, 2017, 12:45
Thanks Milton. Gotcha and done - working now.

Gunsight installed too.

DaveQ

JensOle
November 14th, 2017, 23:42
Regardring the decal on the VHF antenna. Bellow is a link for a picture of what I think is a simiarl decal on an UH-1 (blue decal on white antenna):
https://www.enaer.cl/images/fondos_pantalla/uh1h_8.jpg

Anybody with info about the decal itself?

roger-wilco-66
November 15th, 2017, 00:30
That looks a bit like the inverted version of a Dallas Avionics logo, a company that manufactures these antennas.

55715

On most photos I saw they had that antenna painted over though, black or OD.



HTH,
Mark

JensOle
November 15th, 2017, 00:44
I'll do some more searching with that input and see if we can find the original logo.

On the K as delivered from On mark it seems judging from photos that the antenna was in white with the logo. This is seen on A-1s, UH-1 and Bird dogs from the same time period too. But as you say, the antenna was often painted later on.
I have search with all kind of inputs and it is very strange to not find any close ups showing the antenna.

JensOle
November 15th, 2017, 00:46
Dallas avionics was founded in 1973, so it must be another company which made the VHF antenna used on western aircraft of the time period.

sp762
November 15th, 2017, 01:34
Really interested in this. I love the B-26K. If I can help at all, I’d be happy to. I even bough5 the pilots manual...

roger-wilco-66
November 15th, 2017, 02:02
Here you go, Jens:


https://www.dropbox.com/s/dqvysah6r8g87al/090220-F-1234P-007.jpg?dl=1

JensOle
November 15th, 2017, 02:13
Thanks, I believe there is a small text logo inside the chevron, any idea of the text?

roger-wilco-66
November 15th, 2017, 02:25
No idea. But I think this thing is depicted wrong on many plastic model decals or paintings. On some the blue logo is solid, on some it is split in the middle. None has the emblem in the middle.
I think this could be the logo of the antenna manufacturer.

Cheers,
Mark

JensOle
November 15th, 2017, 02:50
This is the kind of time consuming research I get into with HD textures.. It was simpler back in the 512x days..lol

JensOle
November 24th, 2017, 11:32
On Mark Engineering has been busy at their hangars at Van Nuys.. Riveting and putting on the wing straps..

I hope we don’t step on any’s toes with trying to update this marvelous old model. A big thank to Milton and the others involved for the Invader family models!

Here is the first production K, 64-17640, as it looked in 1964 in the rather smart green/grey On Mark scheme. The black rear section which housed a light on 640 was not a feature seen on the rest of the production batch. The USAF used the scheme for the first years of K service before they got the SEA camo. We also have a RB-27K with camera bay and glass nose coming.

The BLU-27 is just there for load testing.., Mark is helping us out with some freeware weapons to go with the release.


https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4576/38590346042_8a0cf52a24_o.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/21N6BpQ)Scrshot640 (https://flic.kr/p/21N6BpQ) by Jens-Ole Kjølberg (https://www.flickr.com/photos/146460074@N07/), on Flickr
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4574/38590345182_546ed40d49_o.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/21N6Ba1)Scrshot645 (https://flic.kr/p/21N6Ba1) by Jens-Ole Kjølberg (https://www.flickr.com/photos/146460074@N07/), on Flickr
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4559/37905342334_737da3de34_o.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/ZKyMF5)Scrshot649 (https://flic.kr/p/ZKyMF5) by Jens-Ole Kjølberg (https://www.flickr.com/photos/146460074@N07/), on Flickr
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4549/38590344732_5c00bd379a_o.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/21N6B2f)Scrshot655 (https://flic.kr/p/21N6B2f) by Jens-Ole Kjølberg (https://www.flickr.com/photos/146460074@N07/), on Flickr

Milton Shupe
November 24th, 2017, 12:36
That looks great JensOle :applause: Keep up the great work!

gman5250
November 24th, 2017, 12:50
+1 on what Milton said.

That looks fantabulous. :encouragement::encouragement:

sp762
November 24th, 2017, 13:17
I agree - this is looking spectacular.

Sundog
November 24th, 2017, 13:58
They are looking really smart in that green and gray camo. Nice work on all of the updates you guys have done so far.

sp762
November 24th, 2017, 15:16
Is the cockpit getting a redux as well? Really hoping that this will all translate into P3d-64bit

roger-wilco-66
November 24th, 2017, 23:45
At it. The MK-82 is ready, SUU-14 is almost done (stenceling to do), and the BLU-27 is next.


https://www.dropbox.com/s/25xb838ddcjovad/suu-14a-4.jpg?dl=1

DaveQ
November 25th, 2017, 02:22
Is the cockpit getting a redux as well? Really hoping that this will all translate into P3d-64bit

Sadly not, apart from the addition of a Mk 20 gunsight, courtesy of ******** (a great big Thank you of course!). I've converted the interior as best I can and we could refine the gauges a bit I guess. Apart from that, if you want a better cockpit I suggest you could use the much better A-26 cockpit from Bomber_12th's excellent conversion of the model. But if anyone wants a project....:wiggle:

Here's my rendition of 64-17657 as it was in civilian hands till 1978 when it crashed on landing. The nose section is restored as an A-26C and resides in the UK.

http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/attachment.php?attachmentid=55897&stc=1

Prior to that it served with the Virginia ANG as 44-35869. I've made a start on upgrading the A-26 with Jens-Ole's masters and some mods to the models - this one requires the guns and ventral barbette removed, for instance.

http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/attachment.php?attachmentid=55898&stc=1

http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/attachment.php?attachmentid=55899&stc=1

DaveQ

blanston12
November 25th, 2017, 08:09
Sadly not, apart from the addition of a Mk 20 gunsight, courtesy of ******** (a great big Thank you of course!). I've converted the interior as best I can and we could refine the gauges a bit I guess. Apart from that, if you want a better cockpit I suggest you could use the much better A-26 cockpit from Bomber_12th's excellent conversion of the model.
DaveQ

I had forgotten about Bomber_12th's conversion. I just installed it into P3D V4 and it works great, I have an A-26 again to use while we wait for your update to become available.

docjohnson
November 25th, 2017, 15:46
Is this released? It works in V4!?

JensOle
November 26th, 2017, 00:08
No, as we have said many many times so is it wip. We hope to release a beta at some point.

JensOle
November 26th, 2017, 04:01
Any ideas on how we can get the gauges to appear in higher resolution?

Changing the size_mm and pixel_size has not made any defference.

JensOle
November 26th, 2017, 12:18
The B-26K was build with a recce capability which was used particular in the early years when several airframes were flying with the glass nose and both nose and bomb bay mounted cameras. These are known to have been flying out of Howard AB for ops over Center/South America. Of interest is that all the K airframes were build to take the camera pallets and that they all had bombdoors with cut outs for the camera ports (faired over when not used, as flown in SEA).

Pictures shows 669 at Sembach AB in Germany in 1965, a rather strange place to find a recon K!

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4528/38630710092_1c42220ea1_o.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/21REueJ)Scrshot663 (https://flic.kr/p/21REueJ) by Jens-Ole Kjølberg (https://www.flickr.com/photos/146460074@N07/), on Flickr

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4543/37775260815_1b098d1021_o.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/Zy55Yg)Scrshot667 (https://flic.kr/p/Zy55Yg) by Jens-Ole Kjølberg (https://www.flickr.com/photos/146460074@N07/), on Flickr

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4538/38630709942_d1bc569364_o.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/21REuc9)Scrshot674 (https://flic.kr/p/21REuc9) by Jens-Ole Kjølberg (https://www.flickr.com/photos/146460074@N07/), on Flickr

Switchblade408
November 26th, 2017, 12:55
If I were to take pictures of the model of Special Kay that we have at the Vintage Flying Museum, would you be able to have a repaint done for it? It would be in the SEA camo with a black underside.

JensOle
November 26th, 2017, 13:32
Special Kay will most definitely be painted up at some stage. Has she been painted in the SEA scheme yet?

Do you have any connection with the Special K team? Any straight ahead HD pics of the main and side panels would be most welcome. The VC is currently the most pressing issue with this update, it is very low res and Dave will take a look at reworking it. Milton has said that he can help out as well, so I hope we can find a solution. Externally the K is looking good now, ready for Marks weapons :-)

Switchblade408
November 26th, 2017, 14:30
I volunteer at the museum on weekends, so I have done some work with the Kay crew. She has not been painted as of now. But, we do have a model of what she will look like when the camo is applied, which will be at some point in the next 3-6 months, we are all hoping.

gman5250
November 27th, 2017, 17:49
You gentlemen have inspired me to go back and dust off my original A-26 metal skins.
I used some of my new techniques on the aluminum and took the art up to 4K for the makeover. :redfire:

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4570/38659048592_11852bb238_o.jpg

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4532/38659048982_7d9475784c_o.jpg

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4533/38659049202_98107d2a60_o.jpg

MZee1960
November 27th, 2017, 19:57
These shinies are simply stunning and sharp, Gordon ! :applause:

Hopefully these maps will be able to be used with 'Sugarland Express' as well as the other fine paints for this bird.

PeteHam
November 27th, 2017, 19:58
Oh yesssssss :applause: :applause:

I love these highly polished metal skins :jump: :jump:

Pete.

strykerpsg
November 27th, 2017, 20:16
Outstanding work by all.....this is indeed a beauty! While I no longer use FSX, it's seeing art and work such as this, that makes me consider putting her on my HDD again. Looking forward to a future porting over to P3Dv4 indeed......

JensOle
November 28th, 2017, 01:36
Superb work Gordon! Are you interested in our new 2048x panel lines and rivets? We have panel lines and rivets for both the solid and glass nose. The Extra K details are in separate layers and can be removed easily.

gman5250
November 28th, 2017, 02:06
Superb work Gordon! Are you interested in our new 2048x panel lines and rivets? We have panel lines and rivets for both the solid and glass nose. The Extra K details are in separate layers and can be removed easily.

Absolutely interested in your rivets, bumps, PK and the K model. I'll have my basic art updated and on deck when you are ready for release. :jump:

jankees
November 28th, 2017, 07:54
Gordon, I see antiglare panels on the engines, but not on the nose? Is this intentional?
Other than that, marvelous job (again)!

JensOle
November 28th, 2017, 08:16
I believe it is more of a proof of concept than a finished repaint

gman5250
November 28th, 2017, 09:56
Gordon, I see antiglare panels on the engines, but not on the nose? Is this intentional?
Other than that, marvelous job (again)!

Just a check ride for the fuse, wing, engine and tail maps. The cowls were borrowed from Sugarland Express. Still lots of work to do to integrate my skins with the new bumps, lines and rivets from JensOle and Dave.

gman5250
November 28th, 2017, 13:05
Updated: 4K Metal Skins for FSX, FSX SE and P3Dv3/P3Dv4

I'll be updating my bumps and skins to synch with JensOle and Dave's work. That'll take some time, but should be ready as they release their work. Spinners and collars need some attention yet, but I'll get to it. WIP :encouragement:

I'm glad to see this airplane getting renewed interest. I originally did these skins in 2012, and things have come a long way since then with technology, hardware and skill sets. The airplane is updating beautifully and is really looking/flying spek-tack-u-lar.

Latest polished aluminum B model with antiglare. This is a very clean, flying restoration appearance.


Prepar3Dv4
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4574/24836421058_d09e87ffbc_o.jpg

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4549/24836421218_2dd5fa8207_o.jpg

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4567/24836421448_1275802991_o.jpg

DaveQ
November 28th, 2017, 22:55
This just gets better by the day!!:very_drunk: Can I suggest a new dedicated texture file for the hub alone? Chromehub_t or some such?

The K is pretty much finished as far as I'm concerned; it just needs Mark's weapons. Will be moving on to the B/C soon and I reckon there's a great deal more mileage there for painters! Fortunately Bomber_12th did most of the hard work for us some years back so a big thank you, John, for that.

DaveQ

Josh Patterson
November 29th, 2017, 15:52
WOW! Now that is absolutely GLEAMING!!

roger-wilco-66
December 1st, 2017, 07:59
This just gets better by the day!!:very_drunk: Can I suggest a new dedicated texture file for the hub alone? Chromehub_t or some such?

The K is pretty much finished as far as I'm concerned; it just needs Mark's weapons. [...]



I'm at it. I got myself utterly confused with the translation from PBR to the diff-alpha and spec maps. Sorry. That's why it's taking a bit longer. The 3d modeling is almost a no-brainer, but to get that aluminum to look right....

But we'll get there....

(Screenshot is already in sim... no render image...)

https://www.dropbox.com/s/7soic1fiey57rnv/suu-14a-5.jpg?dl=1

DaveQ
December 1st, 2017, 08:47
I'm at it. I got myself utterly confused with the translation from PBR to the diff-alpha and spec maps. Sorry. That's why it's taking a bit longer. The 3d modeling is almost a no-brainer, but to get that aluminum to look right....

But we'll get there....



No pressure honestly Mark. We so grateful for all the help we've had with this project, patience we can do in spades..!:wavey:

DaveQ

gman5250
December 1st, 2017, 08:49
Not sure how you set up your weapons models Mark, but the airplane model as it is set up won't display any global reflection. I checked it with my aluminum skins and got a lovely gray service skin, but no "shine".

One thing I noted with the model is that the reflection scale is set to zero, with global envelope maps enabled. This makes sense because the K model was primarily a full camo variant. I haven't seen any metal variants, except for restoration projects.

With reflection scale set to zero, your diffuse/alpha channels won't produce any reflected image. The bump and specs will still throw light, and the ambient light from the model is high enough to get good light reflection from any skin, but the global envelope map won't produce the metal shine.

For certain model parts i.e. oleos and other metal parts to reflect, the reflection scale should be bumped up to 64 (default) on all metal and glass surfaces, fuse, wings, etc. The soft surfaces like pilots etc. can be left at zero.
The A-26 B/C model reflection scale is set to 100 or full reflectivity, controlled by diffuse/alpha. The K model would be fine at 100, rather than 64 if texture compatibility between all models is a goal.

I went through the entire list of materials for the exterior K model and all textures are consistent at zero, so the weapons will behave according to the model syntax, unless they are compiled separately from the exterior model.

Milton Shupe
December 1st, 2017, 09:10
I'm at it. I got myself utterly confused with the translation from PBR to the diff-alpha and spec maps. Sorry. That's why it's taking a bit longer. The 3d modeling is almost a no-brainer, but to get that aluminum to look right....

But we'll get there....

(Screenshot is already in sim... no render image...)



Mark, those are the best munitions models I have ever seen. Great work! :applause:

roger-wilco-66
December 1st, 2017, 09:31
Thanks guys, that's a relief. Gordon, I'm so locked up in my translation issue that I didn't think about the fact that the whole setup is under the parent model. Thanks for the reminder. Maybe I'll make the weapon models just grey and forget about the "metalness" of certain parts.
But on the other hand, the addon parts do have their own textures anf therefore their own reflection regime? Now I'm even more confused. I'll go drink a beer now, which won't help for the process but it'll help keep my sanity :-)


Cheers,
Mark

gman5250
December 1st, 2017, 11:28
Thanks guys, that's a relief. Gordon, I'm so locked up in my translation issue that I didn't think about the fact that the whole setup is under the parent model. Thanks for the reminder. Maybe I'll make the weapon models just grey and forget about the "metalness" of certain parts.
But on the other hand, the addon parts do have their own textures anf therefore their own reflection regime? Now I'm even more confused. I'll go drink a beer now, which won't help for the process but it'll help keep my sanity :-)


Cheers,
Mark

Merging PBR to P3D will drive anyone to drink. lol
With all of the new options in the 64 bit SDK it is becoming more like alchemy. When LM releases the something "akin to" PBR proprietary engine...I'm going to find a good therapist. :biggrin-new:

BTW...your work in 3DStudio/CS6/Quixel is inspirational Mark.

mal998
December 1st, 2017, 11:38
Therapist? I worked in the field for many years...I'm here for you. :biggrin-new:

gman5250
December 1st, 2017, 11:49
Therapist? I worked in the field for many years...I'm here for you. :biggrin-new:

What's your rate? :biggrin-new:

roger-wilco-66
December 1st, 2017, 12:57
Gordon,

the Quixel team definitely has the PBR translation of the texture mapping to FSX / P3D (or DirectX) wrong. This is causing the struggle. I'm close to figuring out why this is so and will - as announced - open a thread in the P3D forum for a discussion about the matter. The creation of the weapons is a good test bed for this because the 3d modeling and simple mapping is easy and not part of the problem. I just need to find a successful manual workflow to uncover where the culprits are and document it, so we can pass a sound and proven suggestion to the Quixel developers on where to make the changes to the exporter. I am dedicating the upcoming weekend for this and hope to get the weapons done in that process.

Sorry that I hijacked the A26 weapons (not intended, I hasten to add) for this endeavor, but I think it's for a greater good :-)


Cheers,
Mark

sp762
December 1st, 2017, 13:30
Those weapons look truly awesome. I can only imagine how good the end product will be.

Mach3DS
December 1st, 2017, 14:41
I'm at it. I got myself utterly confused with the translation from PBR to the diff-alpha and spec maps. Sorry. That's why it's taking a bit longer. The 3d modeling is almost a no-brainer, but to get that aluminum to look right....

But we'll get there....

(Screenshot is already in sim... no render image...)

https://www.dropbox.com/s/7soic1fiey57rnv/suu-14a-5.jpg?dl=1

Wow...this is what I'm talking about....Those textures are incredible!

gman5250
December 1st, 2017, 18:09
You learn something new every day.

I spent the day re-mapping my rivet patterns for diffuse and bumps on the B and C models to match the new K model. I used my existing "shiny" alpha skins for the new K bird, which is not set up to reflect global envelope maps.

Here's the interesting bit. In P3Dv4 I enabled Dynamic Reflections, and the skin reflected the live environment at a level appropriate to the diffuse/alpha channels. This opens up a new area to explore DR without using GlobalEnvMap.

Didn't know the sim would do that. lol :dizzy:

So...Mark...check you weapons reflections with the existing K model, DR enabled and see if you get shiny metal bits. You may need to adjust alpha.

Milton Shupe
December 1st, 2017, 19:05
You learn something new every day.

I spent the day re-mapping my rivet patterns for diffuse and bumps on the B and C models to match the new K model. I used my existing "shiny" alpha skins for the new K bird, which is not set up to reflect global envelope maps.

Here's the interesting bit. In P3Dv4 I enabled Dynamic Reflections, and the skin reflected the live environment at a level appropriate to the diffuse/alpha channels. This opens up a new area to explore DR without using GlobalEnvMap.

Didn't know the sim would do that. lol :dizzy:

So...Mark...check you weapons reflections with the existing K model, DR enabled and see if you get shiny metal bits. You may need to adjust alpha.


You would think that when turning on DR, it would automatically disable the GlobalEnvMap. ???

gman5250
December 1st, 2017, 20:26
You would think that when turning on DR, it would automatically disable the GlobalEnvMap. ???

That would seem logical Milton, but in many models with GlobalEnvMap enabled and the reflection scale between 64 and 100, the models tend to be very contrasty and washed out with DR enabled. I overcame that in the F7F and Abrams P-1 using an entirely different curve.

This K model has GlobalEnvMap enabled, but a reflection scale of zero. I re-set the reflection scale in MCX to 0.60000002384185791. In the sim, with DR enabled there is a perfect reflection of environment, ground, clouds, terrain...all live, which is exactly what you would expect. With this setup, the contrast/wash out is non existent. It is a perfect, natural looking reflection.

That seems to tell me that DR, with GlobalEnvMap and reflection scale both enabled has an anomalous, cumulative effect of certain attributes of the GlobalEnvMap. What those attributes are, I don't know, but I've never experimented with this setup.

Screen Cap
This is a direct copy and paste of the polished metal skin from the C model, into the K. I reworked my rivet patterns and bumps to match Jens Ole and Dave's new work.
This diffuse/alpha skin is very shiny on the C, as shown in the pics I posted above. The same skin on the K, with reflection scale at zero, DR enabled yields this natural looking service skin. Interesting...indeed.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4540/37891752415_0ac72d1faf_o.jpg

roger-wilco-66
December 2nd, 2017, 01:28
[...]

So...Mark...check you weapons reflections with the existing K model, DR enabled and see if you get shiny metal bits. You may need to adjust alpha.


Been there, done it. I have two versions now, one shiny and one flat. The reflective one is not accurate, IMHO. The suu14 was not polished, to me it looks like natural aluminum which has flat look, the only thing that might shine there are fresh scratches. The mapping also interferes somehow with the bump map, which is a bit too softened for my taste and intention.

The dull version looks good, but it does not feel like aluminum, it looks painted. Also, the mapping puts a deep shadow on it, too much. I think I'll make a third version that is in between those two, maybe I hit a sweet spot there. I also have to fix the stenceling, since it is only on the diffuse map and gets overlayed by the diff-alpha and the spec map.

I don't bother with globelenv or cube mapping at this stage, since I don't go for a mirror like reflection on the assets.

Thanks for the input, Gordon! If anything is inspiring, it is your work!


Cheers,
Mark

https://www.dropbox.com/s/oiu5t0oge7la6aq/suu-14a-6.jpg?dl=1

Dull:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/kc82nvd7lkx5nsy/suu-14a-7.jpg?dl=1

DaveQ
December 2nd, 2017, 04:37
Thank you guys so much for the time and energy you're putting in to making this such a worthwhile project. The results look stunning!

DaveQ

Daveroo
December 2nd, 2017, 09:12
ave any of you watched Kermit weeks 2 part youtube video of his A-26 from October 2017?..its been at aero trader for 25 years he said,carl schull told him it will be running in about 4 months and be totally done for Oshkosh 2018.i learned alot about the plane from those two short vids.little things like how the rear turrets work,and he climbs into the gunner position and shows it all on cam.and they give a full but short discussion on how the bomb racks work,weeks usually sounds as though he is a total aircraft authority,but when he was talking to tony and carl ( nope i dont know them,but seems i cant spell their last names soooo) he almost seemed to be an amiture...meaning those two men know what theyre doing..truly..

mal998
December 2nd, 2017, 11:58
What's your rate? :biggrin-new:

ah, a couple of beers, maybe? :ernaehrung004:

roger-wilco-66
December 2nd, 2017, 13:10
I'll be your first customer under these cirumstances, Mal :-)


Cheers (I always write this, but here it's truly literally),

Mark :ernaehrung004:

DaveQ
December 5th, 2017, 03:38
I now have the Mk. 82 model from Mark and this is the initial loadout - as common for the Nimrods, three finned BLU-27's on the inners plus a Mk 82 on the outers. The BLU's are for demo purposes only; they will be replaced by Mark's when ready.

http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/attachment.php?attachmentid=56120&stc=1

Lots of progress with the K though the VC still requires attention.

DaveQ

MZee1960
December 11th, 2017, 09:07
Looking very nice, Dave ! Can't wait !

DaveQ
December 14th, 2017, 05:40
I've made a start on the A/B-26's while the K's VC and other bits are being worked on, and I've redone A-26C 44-35710 'Hard to Get' currently at Cavanaugh Museum in Addison TX. What I can't seem to find out is if this scheme is an invention or whether this aircraft (or any other) carried it. The aircraft was taken on charge in May '45 and the scheme appears to be from the 10th TRS, 69th Reconnaissance Group, Nancy, France 1945. But if it ever served with that unit it didn't do 13 missions and destroy three aircraft and one train in eight days max!! Anybody any ideas what the serial actually was??


http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/attachment.php?attachmentid=56324&stc=1
http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/attachment.php?attachmentid=56325&stc=1
http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/attachment.php?attachmentid=56326&stc=1

DaveQ

jankees
December 14th, 2017, 07:15
according to the Osprey book on Invader units by Jim Roeder, aircraft #58 was 44-34486, and not this aircraft, so I am assuming that this is an imaginary paint scheme. I did discover that this aircraft, 44-35710, was based in the Netherlands for a few years, and the owners tried to register it in Belgium as OO-INV, but when that failed it went back to the states.
Nice paint scheme though!

DaveQ
December 14th, 2017, 08:23
according to the Osprey book on Invader units by Jim Roeder, aircraft #58 was 44-34486, and not this aircraft, so I am assuming that this is an imaginary paint scheme. I did discover that this aircraft, 44-35710, was based in the Netherlands for a few years, and the owners tried to register it in Belgium as OO-INV, but when that failed it went back to the states.
Nice paint scheme though!

Many thanks for your time Jankees. Yes this aircraft was in the Netherlands for a time but subsequently went to Addison. It was flying at Duxford in 2001 I believe but now is de-registered and on static display. Wings Palette, the Russian archive, also gives '58' the serial 44-34486 but on an A-26B with a 6-gun nose and no nose-art. Since I don't know the 69th RG's coding system I don't know whether the '58' is the individual aircraft number or a unit designation. Certainly none of the 69th's squadrons was 58 (10th, 102nd, 111th.). Currently operates Q-4 Global Hawks.

DaveQ

roger-wilco-66
December 22nd, 2017, 04:20
Finishing up the last weapon, a LAU-3 pod for the 2.75 inch rockets.

I'm basically done with the weapon pack, just some material adjustments and translation is left to be done.
So the A26 weapons pack will be out, hopefully during the next week.


Cheers,
Mark

https://www.dropbox.com/s/leqsx3z7gzal21j/lau3a-7.jpg?dl=1

https://www.dropbox.com/s/teqvjb1ick2e8sb/lau3a-8.jpg?dl=1

stovall
December 22nd, 2017, 05:24
Looking really good Mark, can't wait to fly the Invader with your weapons added. Great job!!!!

Roger
December 22nd, 2017, 05:49
Mark, those look amazingly real!:applause:

roger-wilco-66
December 22nd, 2017, 06:00
Thanks, and thanks to the wonders of modern design techniques. I just wish the sims would catch up with these materials and a common lighting standard would be defined, so that texture translation work would be minimal. I'm afraid that some of that glamour you can see above will be lost, but we'll see.


Cheers,
Mark

MZee1960
January 2nd, 2018, 11:35
Looking forward to the K release ! :jump:

DennyA
January 3rd, 2018, 19:10
Yes, certainly. As I said, it took me several hours to do this looking-up:

(GREAT INFO SNIPPED)

Hopefully this helps sort things out a bit.

Thank you sooo much for saving me those hours, @MZee1960!

Followed your instructions and I have the A-26 up and running in P3D V4.1 while I wait on the fantastic enhancements I see above. Everything seems great, with one minor issue: The tires have a mirror-level reflectivity. (I can ignore this from inside the plane. ;))

*EDIT: @Roger, you mention the tire/mirror issue and "Steve's fixer" to fix that. Is that "Steve's DX10 Scenery Fixer?" Alas, that's no longer available for sale as far as I can find. Is there another tool/solution? Is this something you have to run the model through?

DaveQ
January 4th, 2018, 07:33
Work continues on the K. The cockpit interior is being completely rebuilt by ******** at the moment (and 'rushes' look stunning!), and Mark is nearing completion of his awesome weapons. Gman has also 'refurbished' the external model to fix a couple of snags - the prop rotation and the castoring of the nosewheel. This has had to be done from scratch because the source files have sadly been lost in a crash... Here is a Nimrod as a taster. Forget the yellow gunsight - will be fixed!!

http://fsfiles.org/flightsimshotsv2/images/2018/01/05/B-26KAerials.jpg

DaveQ

strykerpsg
January 4th, 2018, 16:34
Work continues on the K. The cockpit interior is being completely rebuilt by ******** at the moment (and 'rushes' look stunning!), and Mark is nearing completion of his awesome weapons. Gman has also 'refurbished' the external model to fix a couple of snags - the prop rotation and the castoring of the nosewheel. This has had to be done from scratch because the source files have sadly been lost in a crash... Here is a Nimrod as a taster. Forget the yellow gunsight - will be fixed!!

http://fsfiles.org/flightsimshotsv2/images/2018/01/05/B-26KAerials.jpg

DaveQ

Beautiful update Dave. I was fortunate to see one of these as a kid growing up. They just look so menacing and powerful with the SEA camo, black and HMG armed noses. Definitely going to wear this one out on Gman's SEA scenery.

gman5250
January 5th, 2018, 20:55
Dave and JensOle invited me in on the K conversion to fix a few anomalies in the model.

As it turned out, it was necessary to revive a lost model from the remaining pieces. I checked with Milton Shupe and confirmed that John Terrell's original K conversion was lost in a computer crash, but I had enough pieces to completely rebuild the model in Gmax, and as it turns out a complete 3DSMax model. In doing the work, the team permitted me to make some major modifications on the interior. This is not a complete VC, like the Tigercat, but it is comprehensive.

At this stage, I am completely rebuilding the panel and adding some knobs, switches and boxes. I'll probably be rebuilding the console, as it is quite different in the K, versus the A-26 single pilot model. I also animated the pilots and added modeled radials.

My mods are being tested as of this writing, so we decided to preview the new model here as a bit of a teaser while the work is being finalized. Still a WIP, but coming into focus.


https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4596/24609223417_a32dd475e4_o.jpg

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4587/27525087789_14cd2d1998_o.jpg

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4646/38385641355_7a5c468005_o.jpg

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4636/39500742472_899485f3fc_o.jpg

gman5250
January 5th, 2018, 20:59
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4635/39500743972_1907613032_o.jpg

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4640/27525090139_b69e8a2704_o.jpg

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4725/38821788854_32aec70299_o.jpg

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4680/27525085119_2d3930a9f1_o.jpg

Sundog
January 5th, 2018, 22:11
Wow, that is looking amazing! Thanks guys for doing all of these updates.

Milton Shupe
January 6th, 2018, 05:44
Now that really needed to be done Gordon; thanks for going the extra mile. :applause:

gman5250
January 6th, 2018, 06:15
Now that really needed to be done Gordon; thanks for going the extra mile. :applause:

Thank you sir.

I've said it before, but I'll say it again.

Aside from the new VC/Panel modeling, this bird is still running on the original coding. Animations, Gauges, effects, UVW mapping, mesh...all have translated into FSX and now P3Dv4 64-bit seamlessly.
I'm really happy that we could revive this model, and subsequently add it back into the archive.

BTW...I just signed the agreement with TFDi Design to implement TrueGlass into my freeware work. I'm sure I'll be adding the rain/glass effects to the K.

Milton Shupe
January 6th, 2018, 06:33
Thank you sir.

I've said it before, but I'll say it again.

Aside from the new VC/Panel modeling, this bird is still running on the original coding. Animations, Gauges, effects, UVW mapping, mesh...all have translated into FSX and now P3Dv4 64-bit seamlessly.
I'm really happy that we could revive this model, and subsequently add it back into the archive.

BTW...I just signed the agreement with TFDi Design to implement TrueGlass into my freeware work. I'm sure I'll be adding the rain/glass effects to the K.


I am really pleased that JensOle, DaveQ, and now you have invested the time to bring this to a new level. It will be great to have a newer, more up-to-date version.

Happy to hear about the rain/glass effects. The monsoon seasons in Vietnam were ... really wet, LOL and that should add some realism to the seasonal deluges we had to contend with.

jamminjames
January 6th, 2018, 06:38
Very impressive guys. ( mouth watering)......

DaveQ
January 6th, 2018, 07:22
[QUOTE=Milton Shupe;1120005]I am really pleased that JensOle, DaveQ, and now you have invested the time to bring this to a new level. It will be great to have a newer, more up-to-date version.

QUOTE]

... not forgetting roger-wilco-66 (Mark), our weaponeer!! Thanks Milton, for you help and support; hope we manage to do this great model justice.

DaveQ

PS: Hopefully we'll be able to get the A-26B and C up to a similar standard in due course; we shouldn't forget where this thread started.

Milton Shupe
January 6th, 2018, 07:25
[QUOTE=Milton Shupe;1120005]I am really pleased that JensOle, DaveQ, and now you have invested the time to bring this to a new level. It will be great to have a newer, more up-to-date version.

QUOTE]

... not forgetting roger-wilco-66 (Mark), our weaponeer!! Thanks Milton, for you help and support; hope we manage to do this great model justice.

DaveQ

PS: Hopefully we'll be able to get the A-26B and C up to a similar standard in due course; we shouldn't forget where this thread started.


Thank you DaveQ; my apologies to Mark with his awesome weapons work I have been admiring. I was on my first cup of coffee in the morning so not fully coherent! :-)

roger-wilco-66
January 6th, 2018, 08:43
[QUOTE=DaveQ;1120012]


Thank you DaveQ; my apologies to Mark with his awesome weapons work I have been admiring. I was on my first cup of coffee in the morning so not fully coherent! :-)

LOL, no problem.
Actually, I've been a bit quiet in the past weeks or so. Actually, that was what I was doing on Christmas eve. Designing weapons. No comment on that.
I was trying to worm my way through the texture translations and it's turning out pretty good lately.
Anyway, I'm sure my work on the weapons will be finished tomorrow, hopefully.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/fi9to2lbfz7x23c/lau3-ls22-2.jpg?dl=1

Cheers,
Mark

gman5250
January 6th, 2018, 08:49
Just to get everyone up to date on the timeline.

Dave Q, Jens Ole and roger-wilco-66 have been in a holding pattern while I revived the physical model. That work took a bit of time due to the limitations of Gmax in Windows 10. That being said, I'm uploading the mods to the team now, and they can resume their work with the re-booted model.

While they are working with their mods, I'll do some continued work on the mesh, animations and enhancements. :encouragement:

Milton Shupe
January 6th, 2018, 09:05
[QUOTE=Milton Shupe;1120014]

LOL, no problem.
Actually, I've been a bit quiet in the past weeks or so. Actually, that was what I was doing on Christmas eve. Designing weapons. No comment on that.
I was trying to worm my way through the texture translations and it's turning out pretty good lately.
Anyway, I'm sure my work on the weapons will be finished tomorrow, hopefully.


Cheers,
Mark

Amazing scenery there Mark, and weapons. :applause:

Saw lots of PSP in VN in '67-68

roger-wilco-66
January 6th, 2018, 09:14
[QUOTE=roger-wilco-66;1120026]

Amazing scenery there Mark, and weapons. :applause:

Saw lots of PSP in VN in '67-68

On the PSP, I'm also at that - again. That is extremely difficult to depict in the sim because of horrible Moiré patterns that pop up resulting from the starkly repetetive patterns. But I think I solved that finally by using bump maps and a dirt layer on top, which interrupt the patterns so much that you have virtually no flickering or Moiré. Way to go, I've been chasing that problem for at least three years!


Cheers,
Mark

IanP
January 6th, 2018, 09:50
Mark,

I've just created a PSP (Marston Sheet type) runway for my East Wretham scenery, which I created by modelling the PSP and rendering it, then applying that texture to a ground poly. It works. Not perfect, but it works. Because it's now a texture, not a model per se, I've been able to minimise the moire effect. When it was a MDL, the moire was horrendous!

If you want any of my files, I can get them to you within a few minutes. :)

Cheers,

ian P.

roger-wilco-66
January 6th, 2018, 09:57
Mark,

I've just created a PSP (Marston Sheet type) runway for my East Wretham scenery, which I created by modelling the PSP and rendering it, then applying that texture to a ground poly. It works. Not perfect, but it works. Because it's now a texture, not a model per se, I've been able to minimise the moire effect. When it was a MDL, the moire was horrendous!

If you want any of my files, I can get them to you within a few minutes. :)

Cheers,

ian P.


Thanks for the offer, Ian. I think I'm pretty far with the project - here's the last rendition:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/7z6c7tdfe3lm0kw/ls-22-3.jpg?dl=1

IanP
January 6th, 2018, 10:24
Looking good, Mark!

Cheers,

Ian P.

bob407
January 6th, 2018, 13:26
Just want to say thank you to all involved here. Really appreciate your awesome work. Please take your time and enjoy what you do. Things always seem to work out better that way in the end. :encouragement:

gman5250
January 6th, 2018, 18:52
Jens-Ole sent me his hand painted art for the fire panel today. I built the part and added it to the VC. The weapons strip will also be integrated. I'm refining the LM gauge lighting for brightness and color. The night shot here is using my custom VC lighting effect from the Tigercat.

Each addition develops the personality of this plane. That fire panel really brings that forward view to life.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4726/39518717002_001ed049b3_o.jpg

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4738/39548337701_cff9fb0e68_o.jpg

strykerpsg
January 6th, 2018, 19:12
Very nice indeed Gman. Superb artwork each shot delivered.

DennyA
January 6th, 2018, 23:14
Quick question... While I await the awesome K, I've been flying the existing version in P3D V4. Works and looks great, except the mirror reflective wheels.

So I have a couple of total newbie questions on converting the textures:
1) Should convert them all, or just the gear?
2) Assuming I should convert them to DDS 32-bit?
3) Is DXTBmp or Photoshop (I have CC) the way to go, or is there a batch program if I should convert them all?
4) If there's a newbie's guide to doing this that I've missed somewhere, can someone point me to it? ;-)

Thanks for answering my "didn't everyone figure this stuff out in 2006?" questions. ;-)

JensOle
January 7th, 2018, 00:28
My advice would be to wait a few weeks and you will have a much more refined and complete replication of the b-26k. The old K has no K vc, but the generic original invader cockpit and it has the issue with very low resolution on the gauges. Pluss we are putting a lot of effort into other parts of the model to make it as close to the K model as we can manage. This includes all new HD textures and weapon loadout.

DaveQ
January 7th, 2018, 01:16
Quick question... While I await the awesome K, I've been flying the existing version in P3D V4. Works and looks great, except the mirror reflective wheels.

So I have a couple of total newbie questions on converting the textures:
1) Should convert them all, or just the gear?
2) Assuming I should convert them to DDS 32-bit?
3) Is DXTBmp or Photoshop (I have CC) the way to go, or is there a batch program if I should convert them all?
4) If there's a newbie's guide to doing this that I've missed somewhere, can someone point me to it? ;-)

Thanks for answering my "didn't everyone figure this stuff out in 2006?" questions. ;-)

You can get an Nvidia plug-in for Photoshop that saves files as .dds. Alternatively you could try saving as .dds with no alpha with DXTbmp. There is also a little routine I could send you to batch convert if you want - very useful for portovers. However, I have a faint memory of the tyre problem being related to the use of the FS9 model in FSX so it may not work. As JensOle said, we are working on a complete rebuild with tyre treads even bump mapped...!

DaveQ

DennyA
January 7th, 2018, 11:32
Thanks, guys! I appreciate the responses.

If we're weeks away from the B-26K, I can just patiently wait and fly more boring planes in the meantime. (Or just not switch to external views until I've retracted the goofy tired. Or pretend I'm in that episode of Amazing Stories. :-)

The work you're doing on the update is stunning!

gribouil
January 8th, 2018, 08:35
Jens-Ole sent me his hand painted art for the fire panel today. I built the part and added it to the VC. The weapons strip will also be integrated. I'm refining the LM gauge lighting for brightness and color. The night shot here is using my custom VC lighting effect from the Tigercat.

Each addition develops the personality of this plane. That fire panel really brings that forward view to life.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4726/39518717002_001ed049b3_o.jpg

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4738/39548337701_cff9fb0e68_o.jpg

Wonderful job ********!!! :ernaehrung004:
Cheers,

Stéph.

Switchblade408
January 8th, 2018, 10:10
This is looking absolutely AWESOME! Thanks to all involved with this project! The suspense waiting for this is almost killing me!

sp762
January 8th, 2018, 14:41
Yes. There’s so much excitement right now. I can’t pick between the B-26, C123 or C119 project to be most enthusiastic about.

gman5250
January 10th, 2018, 19:33
I think the basic improvements on the VC are at an acceptable level to hand it over to the team to do their final work.

I did some detailed modeling on the radios, TACAN and VHF, made some changes on the quadrant base and cut the Boolean cuts for the levers. I added a full cage with ribs and formers, and some other bits here and there. One thing to add is the overhead switch panel for the battery and other electronics switches.

The exterior and interior models are now mated and everything on the restored model seems to check out. The new model is current for FSX, FSX SE, P3D2/3 and P3D4. DaveQ and JensOle are going to take the model with the fixes and updates and finalize the package.

The interior re-model.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4677/38728610585_5191a27f7b_o.jpg

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4707/38728611495_4890a95800_o.jpg

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4742/38728612545_42c863c7ac_o.jpg

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4615/38728613765_954655c04e_o.jpg

gman5250
January 10th, 2018, 19:34
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4696/38916460114_74a849549e_o.jpg

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4610/38916461104_90e71815d7_o.jpg

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4745/38916463734_9d52487fa5_o.jpg

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4614/38728311005_ea97fcff0b_o.jpg

strykerpsg
January 10th, 2018, 20:03
Just simply beautiful representation of a fantastic warbird Gman. I have to ask though, will it be possible to TacPack it?

gman5250
January 11th, 2018, 07:37
Just simply beautiful representation of a fantastic warbird Gman. I have to ask though, will it be possible to TacPack it?

That will be up to DaveQ and Jens-Ole. I still need to model the armament strip at the top of the panel, so I can code the switches as needed. :encouragement:

awstub
January 11th, 2018, 18:13
I sure hope it does get tacpacked....there is going to be a historically accurate Laotian theater for it to prowl around.



That will be up to DaveQ and Jens-Ole. I still need to model the armament strip at the top of the panel, so I can code the switches as needed. :encouragement:

JensOle
January 13th, 2018, 07:01
As of now dont think we have the skills or experience to make it Tac pack compatible (Gordon and Mark might have experience with this). As you know, the K is a rather weapon hungry lady and to bring new weapons into Tac Pack is not something I have experience with.

There are currently no plan to make it Tac pack compatible, but all stores will be selectable from the load out menu so that you can get the visual you want in the regard to weapons.

JensOle
January 15th, 2018, 11:32
I wanted to share a few previews of the outstanding work roger wilco 66 is doing for the K project, bellow are a few shots of the LAU-3a pod (with and without fairings)



http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/attachment.php?attachmentid=57086&stc=1

http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/attachment.php?attachmentid=57087&stc=1
http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/attachment.php?attachmentid=57088&stc=1
http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/attachment.php?attachmentid=57089&stc=1

roger-wilco-66
January 15th, 2018, 12:33
I'm eager to see these things on the aircraft! :-)

Gordon did an exceptional job on it, if I may add. This is one of the top highlights for me. A true american hot rod of the skies, the Counter Invader.



Cheers,
Mark

Alky
January 15th, 2018, 13:28
That will be up to DaveQ and Jens-Ole. I still need to model the armament strip at the top of the panel, so I can code the switches as needed. :encouragement:

I just came across this thread and became curious. Is this a rework of the A-26 VC along the lines of the C-47 and is pending release some time in the near future? :)

gman5250
January 15th, 2018, 18:49
I just came across this thread and became curious. Is this a rework of the A-26 VC along the lines of the C-47 and is pending release some time in the near future? :)

This is a rework of the B-26K Counter Invader. I don't have the time available to create something that would compliment Jan Visser's C-47, but the remodel is a big step forward from the original. I came in to the project to straighten out some animation glitches and ended up restoring the entire Gmax model. The focal point of the VC is the panel, which has all new 3D modeling for the gauges and radios. I made quite a few changes on the quadrant, the cockpit frame and I upgraded the art to 4K.

I just handed the model off to the team to do their magic. They will keep everyone updated on a release date. Should be close now that the model is up to date.

Alky
January 15th, 2018, 19:05
Should be close now that the model is up to date.

I'm looking forward to it. Thanks for all the work you contribute to this sim! :encouragement:

DaveQ
January 20th, 2018, 05:19
We are still working through a number of issues with FSX in particular, and this week has been quite difficult. As always it all looks nearly done and you think it can go out in a few days, then beta testing starts throwing up the unexpected (this is why we do it...!). But we now have RW66's weapons pack to play with so here are a few shots.

http://fsfiles.org/flightsimshotsv2/images/2018/01/21/2LAU.jpg

http://fsfiles.org/flightsimshotsv2/images/2018/01/21/SUULAU.jpg


http://fsfiles.org/flightsimshotsv2/images/2018/01/21/282s.jpg



http://fsfiles.org/flightsimshotsv2/images/2018/01/21/2ODs.jpg

DaveQ

stovall
January 20th, 2018, 06:06
Very nice work to everyone involved. Looking forward to flying her.

jamminjames
January 20th, 2018, 06:53
Really looking good guys! I have a friend who has a ranch in Paris TX. Back in 78 or 79 he told me there was a man who had several old airplanes on his cattle ranch. We drove from Longview to go see them. He had two K's, a wildcat, bearcat and a TBM. He got in trouble with the IRS and had to sell em. Don't know where they wound up>

jmfabio
January 20th, 2018, 06:57
To quote George Takei, "Oh My!".

You guys will have to slow down or I will have to get off my butt. I can't keep up with all the progress on this beautiful bird.

I am busy with my meager project, and I find I am missing out on all the gorgeous rides that have been put out or are about to take flight.

Kudos to everyone working on the Invader. It is truly a work of art.

Joe

gman5250
January 20th, 2018, 07:33
The office, nearly ready to go. Just wiring up some switches and getting it optimized for FSX. It's fine in P3D and P3Dv4. :very_drunk:

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4714/39088869254_23c1dcec19_o.jpg

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4614/39088866474_779fde56dc_o.jpg

JensOle
January 20th, 2018, 12:19
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4605/24932671417_d4f28c3cd7_o.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/DZdsz8)Scrshot727 (https://flic.kr/p/DZdsz8) by Jens-Ole Kjølberg (https://www.flickr.com/photos/146460074@N07/), on Flickr

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4756/28024609539_dcb5593c2e_o.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/JGrs46)Scrshot729 (https://flic.kr/p/JGrs46) by Jens-Ole Kjølberg (https://www.flickr.com/photos/146460074@N07/), on Flickr

docjohnson
January 20th, 2018, 18:27
Great work! All of you! Can't wait to fly this one again!

Milton Shupe
January 20th, 2018, 18:55
Great work! All of you! Can't wait to fly this one again!

I agree Doc; DaveQ, JensOle, Roger-Wilco-66, and ******** have all done outstanding work here. Kudos to all! :applause:

gribouil
January 27th, 2018, 08:35
The office, nearly ready to go. Just wiring up some switches and getting it optimized for FSX. It's fine in P3D and P3Dv4. :very_drunk:

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4714/39088869254_23c1dcec19_o.jpg

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4614/39088866474_779fde56dc_o.jpg

Hi ********,
any news on this wonderful beast?
Cheers,

Stéph.

JensOle
January 28th, 2018, 04:27
It is coming along nicely! But to get all the details right it takes time. Adding stores brought our attention to the flaps and how they deploy. Some remapping of smaller details as well, but in general the VC and textures are more or less finished. Some model work to do before the initial release. I must confess that the team sometimes get side tracked with flying the K..lol Thanks to the effort of the entire team it is starting to look really good I think :-)

gribouil
January 29th, 2018, 08:32
It is coming along nicely! But to get all the details right it takes time. Adding stores brought our attention to the flaps and how they deploy. Some remapping of smaller details as well, but in general the VC and textures are more or less finished. Some model work to do before the initial release. I must confess that the team sometimes get side tracked with flying the K..lol Thanks to the effort of the entire team it is starting to look really good I think :-)

Hello JensOle,
many thanks for your reply!
I must say I'm very impressed by the work that has been already done by the Team!!!
Cheers,

Stéph.

fliger747
February 4th, 2018, 08:59
Nice indeed, a real Pilots plane!

awstub
February 4th, 2018, 15:48
I have been experimenting with adding Tacpack to some freeware models using Corrado's WWII TMAP method.

If nobody else it taking a crack at it, I think I found a way to add it to the B-26K that would be pretty decent.

Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find anything that tells me much about what ordinance the K model could carry.

From what I can tell from pictures, it looks like each of the under-wing pylons could carry MK-82's....could they also carry MK- 83 and 84's?

How many bombs could it carry internally and could it carry the same number of MK-82"s internally as it could the shorter AN-M64's?

Vietnam era Tacpack ordinance is a little limited, but I should be able to include the following.




AN/M3
MK-82
MK-82SE
MK-82FE
MK-83
MK-84
AN-M64-A1
M117
LAU-10
LAU-68
HVAR
MAC-370 (as a dropable substitute for the BLU-10 since Tacpack doesn't support napalm canisters)


Once I know what piece of ordinance can be carried where, I should be able to configure Tacpack to work with the model by setting the token weights to match what whatever is used for visibility on the model.
I'll also need to know the coordinates from where each piece of ordinance gets released.

Users would control it all via the Fuel & Payload Management window....unless someone wants to code a payload manager for it.

Stu

docjohnson
February 4th, 2018, 16:43
Tacpacking this bird would be great! I did some digging around, here's some images from the internet:

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/394557617324666488/

http://www.warbirdinformationexchange.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=34145&start=2340

http://www.aero-news.net/index.cfm?do=main.textpost&id=e6e44865-ffa0-469c-b62d-0a987d0f57e9

http://warbirdinformationexchange.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=34145&start=75

http://vintageflyingmuseum.org/on-display/on-displaydouglas-b-26k-counter-invader-2/

I'll look to see if I have an electronic copy of the flight manual...and I'm pretty sure the A-26 could deliver napalm canisters...

awstub
February 4th, 2018, 17:34
I have the flight manual....T.O. 1A-26A-1 (formerly T.O. 1B-26K-1) dated 1 September 1969.... but it's only the flight manual.
The weapons delivery manual that would have the info we need.

Stu




Tacpacking this bird would be great! I did some digging around, here's some images from the internet:

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/394557617324666488/

http://www.warbirdinformationexchange.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=34145&start=2340

http://www.aero-news.net/index.cfm?do=main.textpost&id=e6e44865-ffa0-469c-b62d-0a987d0f57e9

http://warbirdinformationexchange.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=34145&start=75

http://vintageflyingmuseum.org/on-display/on-displaydouglas-b-26k-counter-invader-2/

I'll look to see if I have an electronic copy of the flight manual...and I'm pretty sure the A-26 could deliver napalm canisters...

Milton Shupe
February 4th, 2018, 18:52
Yes to napalm.

Attached is some backup for that.

Signal Squadron 037 and 134 has more.

roger-wilco-66
February 4th, 2018, 22:11
The A-26K delivered fire bombs for sure.
I made the BLU-27 napalm unit for it, in a version with fins and one without! As shown in the image above, posted by Jens-Ole.


Cheers,
Mark

DaveQ
February 4th, 2018, 23:50
The main weapons used appear to be BLU's with or without fins, Mk82's (with or without fuse extenders), Lau-3's and SUU-14's and these will be what's mounted. Typically they carried BLU's on the inner stations and Mk 82's on the outer, together with an internal load of up to 4000lbs. of M-117's (I think). Currently we don't have plans to mount an internal load.

Apparently, from reading accounts of Nimrod operations, the A-26K was the most effective weapon against troop movements along the Ho-Chi-Min trail, much to the annoyance of the top brass, who believed in the absolute superiority of jets for everything! As a result they were largely forbidden from using much else, especially cluster bombs, as these would almost certainly have improved their kill rate against trucks. As we all know, Vietnam was about as politically conducted as any war in history.:untroubled:!!

DaveQ

strykerpsg
February 5th, 2018, 00:17
The main weapons used appear to be BLU's with or without fins, Mk82's (with or without fuse extenders), Lau-3's and SUU-14's and these will be what's mounted. Typically they carried BLU's on the inner stations and Mk 82's on the outer, together with an internal load of up to 4000lbs. of M-117's (I think). Currently we don't have plans to mount an internal load.

Apparently, from reading accounts of Nimrod operations, the A-26K was the most effective weapon against troop movements along the Ho-Chi-Min trail, much to the annoyance of the top brass, who believed in the absolute superiority of jets for everything! As a result they were largely forbidden from using much else, especially cluster bombs, as these would almost certainly have improved their kill rate against trucks. As we all know, Vietnam was about as politically conducted as any war in history.:untroubled:!!

DaveQ
Sounds typical of the AF highers....same train of thought regarding the A-10...not fast enough, not sexy enough, etc....

Really looking forward to this one. I don't get much excitement over too many propeller war birds, but this one I have always liked as a kid and now.

stansdds
February 5th, 2018, 02:16
Apparently, from reading accounts of Nimrod operations, the A-26K was the most effective weapon against troop movements along the Ho-Chi-Min trail, much to the annoyance of the top brass, who believed in the absolute superiority of jets for everything! As a result they were largely forbidden from using much else, especially cluster bombs, as these would almost certainly have improved their kill rate against trucks. As we all know, Vietnam was about as politically conducted as any war in history.:untroubled:!!

DaveQ


Sounds typical of the AF highers....same train of thought regarding the A-10...not fast enough, not sexy enough, etc....




And the newly formed USAF was quick to rid itself of the P-47 Thunderbolt, then tried to use the P-51 for ground attack in Korea. Some things never change and the desire of the USAF brass to field only fast and sexy looking aircraft are among those things.

warchild
February 5th, 2018, 02:58
I agree Doc; DaveQ, JensOle, Roger-Wilco-66, and ******** have all done outstanding work here. Kudos to all! :applause:


I'll second that emotion.. I was privileged to see Roger-wilco's progress on his section of the texturing, and my jaw never left the floor.. Incredible work.. Major Kudo's to the entire team.

awstub
February 5th, 2018, 13:24
I just found an interesting video showing B-26K's being loaded with ordinance in SEA, circa 1962 It also has some shots from inside the bomb bay:

https://archive.org/details/USAF-38581#

The best description on the B-26K loadout I have found so far is from Joe Baugher's site:


A typical underwing load was a pair of SUU-025 flare dispensers, two LAU-3A rocket pods, and four CBU-14 cluster bomb units. Later, the rockets and flares were often replaced by 500 lb BLU-23 or 750 lb BLU-37 finned napalm bombs. The M31 and M32 incendiary clusters could also be carried, as well as M34 and M35 incendiary bombs, M1A4 fragmentation clusters, M47 white phosphorus bombs, and CBU-24, -25, -29, and -49 cluster bomb units. General-purpose bombs such as the 250-lb MK-81, the 500-lb MK-82, and 750-lb M117 could also be carried.


It would be super cool if the model visibility conditions allowed the option of MK-82's, M117's, and Mark's LAU-3A and BLU napalm canisters on the wing pylons.

With Tacpack, when a store is released from the model, it disappears and Tacpack replaces it with one of it's own models.
The MK-82 and M117 are both already included with Tacpack and until such time as they are added to the Tacpack inventory, we can substitute the LAU-68 in place of the LAU-3A and either the MAC-370 or MAC-600 for the napalm canisters (this way they would at least drop but not explode).

docjohnson
February 5th, 2018, 18:02
I won't speak for VRS, but I'm pretty sure (notice the ambiguity there) they are going to be adding more weapons in the near future. Some have been requested already that I know of. However, the list is VRSs. As people have provided them the files to add to list of munitions, etc., there is some work that needs to be done. The SDK usually catches up with each release...one option comes to mind if the modelers of these other weapons pertaining to the Nimrod that is not currently on the list wouldn't mind offering them up to VRS per the SDK:

https://forums.vrsimulations.com/support/index.php/TacPack_SDK#Model_Submissions

It would be a much better integration. The biggest drawback is someone developing the effects specific to the weapons effects in the real world. FPS is a huge factor, both for the number of weapons and the sims ability to handle it in a scenario. VRS can never guarantee they will add them (as per the SDK), life gets in the way of hobbies and means of livelihood sometimes, but now would be the time. And I'm asking already for another project so there might be something suitable already submitted. The A-37 dragonfly uses some ordnance that is common to both aircraft. I'll stop back in here once I know something one way or the other.

JensOle
February 6th, 2018, 05:51
Hi


Thank you for the offers regarding tac pack. The «problem» is that we want historically correct loadouts for the K, and that means if we go the tac pack route we need to make all new tac pack stores and get them approved by vrs. As store wise it is really just the mk82 which can be used. The blu, suu-14 and lau3a are not in tac pack as far as I know. Right now we have more than enough with otter issues and to get the base pack released.

DaveQ
February 6th, 2018, 06:44
It would be super cool if the model visibility conditions allowed the option of MK-82's, M117's, and Mark's LAU-3A and BLU napalm canisters on the wing pylons.




Currently we have plans to mount BLU's, Mk82's, Lau-3's and SUU14 rocket launchers in different loadout configurations. We don't have an M117 available at the moment and I would be reluctant to trouble Roger-Wilco-66 to make one at this stage. As Jens-Ole says, we are currently experiencing a number of 'technical challenges' with the project. But I'm sure, as the project progresses, more options could be added.

DaveQ

awstub
February 6th, 2018, 06:44
Nothing would need to be submitted to VRS.....unless you want them to add it to the Tacpack weapons suite.

If a store is included on a model that is not currently included with Tacpack. It just means that it won't drop. It would just disappear instead.
Once the store IS available in Tacpack, it can be added to the tacpack.ini file and then it will work...with no need to modify the model.

TMAP allows Tacpack to be added to any airplane, whether it has visible ordinance on the model or not.

I added Tacpack functionality to the Alpha F-105D using TMAP to give it bombs on the center-line MER and outer wing pylons:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zg2Cfn-RO6Y
The bombs and missiles are controlled by setting the station weights in the fuel & payload screen.
If there were bombs on the MER that were visible based on payload weights, then it would have looked like a bomb on the plane fell instead of magically appearing.

awstub
February 6th, 2018, 06:47
Well, it's a shame....but I understand your decision.




Currently we have plans to mount BLU's, Mk82's, Lau-3's and SUU14 rocket launchers in different loadout configurations. We don't have an M117 available at the moment and I would be reluctant to trouble Roger-Wilco-66 to make one at this stage. As Jens-Ole says, we are currently experiencing a number of 'technical challenges' with the project. But I'm sure, as the project progresses, more options could be added.

DaveQ

roger-wilco-66
February 6th, 2018, 08:23
I can make a M-117, but I'm a bit distracted by some serious real world issues here, sorry for any delays.

As far as TacPack goes, where's the problem? It would just take a version that has just the hard points, if I understood right. A version with no weapons attached.
TacPacking it would be done by the TacPack guys.

Or do I have a misconception?


Cheers,
Mark

docjohnson
February 6th, 2018, 19:29
Tacpacking the aircraft is easy enough if you have the model of both the aircraft and the weapons. The Tacpack already has a Mk-82 and an M117. Milviz has already modeled a firebomb, so getting that in there is very possible. The SUU-14 is one of the weapons common to both aircraft for another project I'm on, so that would be available. so as for the LAU-3, it shouldn't be that big of a deal. The A-37 historical loadout probably covers the one's missing but needed. But I don't want to burden a project with requirements when I'm not working on it. I have enough trouble keeping up with the ones I'm working on. <laughing>

JensOle
February 7th, 2018, 03:11
If I understand correctly so are all weapons hard modelled into the aircraft (they are not stand alone objects added to the model by the software)+ they need to be stand alone weapon models which takes over after weapon release. All new weapons need to be approved by VRS and need to be added to the main TP software in an official update (by VRS). And there is coding of the weapon behavior etc. It is far from load and play I'm afraid as it is in other sims. But could be done.

VRS has a wiki page with all the information.

Anyonw with experience with making a weapon 3D model into a working weapon in TP (with knowledge of the coding of the weapon and interaction with VRS)?

awstub
February 7th, 2018, 05:00
You are correct.

So, on the model, if for example station weight set to 0 = empty (nothing visible) and station weight set to 100 = a visible M117 will show up on the model for anyone...even if they do no have tacpack. Each type of store has it's own value...which allows you to change the loads.

Up to this point Tacpack has not even been part of the picture and anyone flying the model with a station payload set to 100 will be showing a M117 on it.

I'm simplifying a little bit here....but when you then add the tacpack files, you put the station weight values that the model uses into the ini file.
So based on the example above, in the tacpack ini file, you would add the M117 to the list of weapons for that station and give it a token weight of 100 (since that is what the model uses to display the M117).

Now, since we have added the store weight to the tacpack ini, when we release that M117 it vanishes from the model (because the store weight has now changed from 100 to 0)...
and Tacpack then immediately adds its own M117 model in place of the vanished one...which then falls away from the airplane.

You need to think of Tacpack as something separate from the model...since it can work with any aircraft, whether the aircraft model has weapons attached to it or not.
I have successfully added Tacpack to the Piglet OV-10A, Aerosoft OV-10A, Virtavia A-4E/F, Alpha B-57B and Alpha F-105D.....all without modifying the model.

If, for example, someone were to re-compile the Alpha F-105D that I added tacpack to so that if the payload value for each station on the MER was set to 50 (the value can actually be anything the modeler wants) so that it would show M117's on the MER.... then I could modify the tacpack.ini file I made with the same value (50) and it would then work seamlessly.

The VRS Wiki is a bit daunting and is geared more towards developers creating stuff like the SWS and Milviz Phantoms.

What just about everyone else is using is Corrado's freeware TMAP method. Here is the link to the TMAP files and tutorials.
https://onedrive.live.com/?authkey=%21AP4nEtqTWxvSE_0&id=4B4745D8612A4C3%21827&cid=04B4745D8612A4C3
With it, you can literally add Tacpack to any airplane (or boat) you want.



If I understand correctly so are all weapons hard modelled into the aircraft (they are not stand alone objects added to the model by the software)+ they need to be stand alone weapon models which takes over after weapon release. All new weapons need to be approved by VRS and need to be added to the main TP software in an official update (by VRS). And there is coding of the weapon behavior etc. It is far from load and play I'm afraid as it is in other sims. But could be done.

VRS has a wiki page with all the information.

Anyonw with experience with making a weapon 3D model into a working weapon in TP (with knowledge of the coding of the weapon and interaction with VRS)?

docjohnson
February 7th, 2018, 10:06
I agree, but if your building (or rebuilding) an aircraft, and you have both models of the aircraft and weapons, why not have the weapons added to the Tacpack so there is a consistent look and feel? I understand that VRS has to bake them per the SDK to keep them consistent, but that shouldn't be a show stopper.

Sorry if I sound like an advocate of VRS, I'm not, but from a solution standpoint, it seems a lot easier to share the weapons and let everyone benefit from the exceptional quality of the weapon models. This is such a small community compared to the commercial airliner, GA, etc, side of things. It just makes sense to me at least. Single quality control point, consistency of textures, etc. A bomb is a bomb, a rocket is a rocket, a projectile is a projectile; they don't vary much from the drab colors and finish that is characteristic of Western ordnance. One of the things that bothers me (probably because I'm a fanatic when it comes to realism) is when the ordnance hung on a SimObject doesn't look like what I remember being on my aircraft during combat...or hauled around in the bomb dump before I was on an aircrew.

http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/attachment.php?attachmentid=57803&stc=1

Besides, I can't imagine a Nimrod without the proper loadout to go along with the aircraft! Ok, off soapbox, back to coding.

fliger747
February 7th, 2018, 10:16
Before the Tac Pac days I worked on the flight dynamics of a wide variety of weapons for another project. Yes they all need flight dynamics to control the flight of the guided ones and especially the powered ones.

Yes some centralization of the process has advantages.

Cheers: T

warchild
February 7th, 2018, 10:23
Damn its good to see you :) :) .. Missed you Fliger747.. Glad to see your still here..

JensOle
February 7th, 2018, 11:50
Some have said that they are afraid that the weapons will not be shared. Of course they will, historically accurate weapons will be included in the model to be controlled by the weight menu. So it will be weapons on the K. the future will show if the can be fired.. Not on the initial release as it looks now.

docjohnson
February 9th, 2018, 06:42
JensOle, and others,

I'm not afraid of them not being shared, just trying to help. And since it appears (I use that word very very cautiously) that there may be other issues of just getting the basic aircraft model ready, I asked my modeler if he could help you. He said he would be glad to help, but we would need the model source file(s) and need to understand what issues your having.

He also said we could create the weapons listed above:

SUU-25 flare dispensers
LAU-3A rocket pods
CBU-14 cluster bomb units
500 lb BLU-23 or 750 lb BLU-37 finned napalm bombs
M31 and M32 incendiary clusters
M34 and M35 incendiary bombs
M1A4 fragmentation clusters
M47 white phosphorus bombs
CBU-24, -25, -29, and -49 cluster bomb units


General-purpose bombs such as the 250-lb MK-81, the 500-lb MK-82, and 750-lb M117 we already have either in the Tacpack or in our model repository. Getting them added to the Tacpack is really where (for my project anyway) the work stalls or stops related to the weapons loadout, either VRS doesn't have the bandwidth or has other project work that takes priority, and of course, life gets in the way at times. I'll keep working with them to see what we can do to help on that front.


Also, In a corny kind of way, it would be us payware folks participating/helping in a freeware project to repay you all for all the hard work you have done for us in this community and the enjoyment of flying aircraft like the B-26 and other aircraft you guys have so graciously given us.

roger-wilco-66
February 9th, 2018, 07:23
Jim, if it helps, you can use the weapons I made for the A-26K !


Cheers,
Mark

gman5250
February 9th, 2018, 07:38
Model Information and update;

I was down with that gnarly bug, and it went into pneumonia for a short while...wasn't able to work as much as I would have liked to. That said.....


The model that I contributed is the updated K variant exterior and new VC. There are two models...one with only hard points, which should be perfect for further weapons applications. The second model has weapons hard coded in. I assume that the primary interest is in the hard point only model from what I am following on the thread.

I think that the model, at its current stage of development will be suitable for Dave and JensOle to start getting ready for their initial beta and release.

:encouragement::encouragement::encouragement:

awstub
February 9th, 2018, 08:57
I'm just trying to make sure I am correct in understanding everything correctly.....
when you say "hard coded", do you mean that the weapons visibility cannot be controlled by payload station weight?

If this is the case, then the pylons only model will work, but someone will need to be able to modify it so that weapons show up before they are dropped.

For Tacpack purposes, a model needs to be configured so that a given station weight will display a particular payload. This can be any value, as it does not need to be the real weight of the object. The tacpack.ini then uses those values to match its object to the models object.

I can handle configuring the tacpack.ini and aircraft.cfg and also the 2d stations selection panel (it's very similar to the B-57B I'm already working on), but I haven't figured out how to merge weapons to the models yet, so someone will have to take the pylons only model and merge the appropriate weapons to it. There are a couple of tutorials that explain how to do this, but my understanding of MCX is too basic right now for me to be able to do it.






Model Information and update;

I was down with that gnarly bug, and it went into pneumonia for a short while...wasn't able to work as much as I would have liked to. That said.....


The model that I contributed is the updated K variant exterior and new VC. There are two models...one with only hard points, which should be perfect for further weapons applications. The second model has weapons hard coded in. I assume that the primary interest is in the hard point only model from what I am following on the thread.

I think that the model, at its current stage of development will be suitable for Dave and JensOle to start getting ready for their initial beta and release.

:encouragement::encouragement::encouragement:

gman5250
February 9th, 2018, 11:43
I'm just trying to make sure I am correct in understanding everything correctly.....
when you say "hard coded", do you mean that the weapons visibility cannot be controlled by payload station weight?

If this is the case, then the pylons only model will work, but someone will need to be able to modify it so that weapons show up before they are dropped.

For Tacpack purposes, a model needs to be configured so that a given station weight will display a particular payload. This can be any value, as it does not need to be the real weight of the object. The tacpack.ini then uses those values to match its object to the models object.

I can handle configuring the tacpack.ini and aircraft.cfg and also the 2d stations selection panel (it's very similar to the B-57B I'm already working on), but I haven't figured out how to merge weapons to the models yet, so someone will have to take the pylons only model and merge the appropriate weapons to it. There are a couple of tutorials that explain how to do this, but my understanding of MCX is too basic right now for me to be able to do it.

You got it correct.

The K model with hard points will be suitable for Tacpack purposes.
The K model with the baked in weapons is for people who want weapons to display, but don't necessarily want "live" payloads.

docjohnson
February 10th, 2018, 03:37
@Mark, thanks! If you can PM me we can get those added to my request to VRS.

@awstub, if you can't find someone to mate the weapon models to the B-26, I'm pretty sure the modeler on my team can do it. He does his work in 3DSmax and has tools to convert to and from gmax if that is the tool the current development team is using. I would be glad to do it, but for now, I'm just learning the modeling while I contribute to the T/A-37 project with C/C++ and XML coding of the systems. And a B-57B! Sweet! Another one of my favorites! I was reading an Osprey publication of B-57 units in the Vietnam war and was severely impressed with the guts those guys had to do the work on the Ho Chi Minh trail, at night, taking out trucks. I have the ALPHA B-57B which is tacpacked and I tried to do that in the FSXA and P3D V3 without a gunsight ... after scraping myself off the side of hills and off the ground in Laos, I finally was able to take out a few trucks!

@********, I had that damn gnarly bug during Christmas last year and got it again in late January. Yesterday the doctor said my lungs were "clearing up nicely." Pneumonia is tough to get over!

JensOle
February 10th, 2018, 05:24
With hard coded/modelled weapons I meant that the weapons are part of the aircraft model (visibility are controlled with the weight menu. My point was that Tac pack does not add weapons to a model, all the available weapons needs to be allready part of the model. Tac pack does just remove the visibility (weight) of the weapon and show a separate model of the store moving away from the aircraft. TP does not work as most combat sims where the akrcraft model is clean and pylon and stores are separate models added to the aircraft.

awstub
February 10th, 2018, 11:03
That's great news, since I am, at best, in the "baby steps" stages of modeling.

The B-57 has always been a passion of mine, since By dad flew it during his first SEA tour.
I have been able to attend a few 13th Bomb Squadron reunions with him and the stories I have heard about what they did are just amazing.
The 13th flew B-26's during the Korean war and also in Japan before moving to the B-57B and they are very proud of that heritage.
So much so, that their association magazine is called "The Invader". Formed in 1917, the 13th now flies the B-2.



@Mark, thanks! If you can PM me we can get those added to my request to VRS.

@awstub, if you can't find someone to mate the weapon models to the B-26, I'm pretty sure the modeler on my team can do it. He does his work in 3DSmax and has tools to convert to and from gmax if that is the tool the current development team is using. I would be glad to do it, but for now, I'm just learning the modeling while I contribute to the T/A-37 project with C/C++ and XML coding of the systems. And a B-57B! Sweet! Another one of my favorites! I was reading an Osprey publication of B-57 units in the Vietnam war and was severely impressed with the guts those guys had to do the work on the Ho Chi Minh trail, at night, taking out trucks. I have the ALPHA B-57B which is tacpacked and I tried to do that in the FSXA and P3D V3 without a gunsight ... after scraping myself off the side of hills and off the ground in Laos, I finally was able to take out a few trucks!

@********, I had that damn gnarly bug during Christmas last year and got it again in late January. Yesterday the doctor said my lungs were "clearing up nicely." Pneumonia is tough to get over!

JensOle
February 11th, 2018, 03:20
Do any of you have any ideas if it is possible to replicate the LAU-3a with the frangible nose cone with TP? It means the pod has the frangible nose cone until first rocket fired will splinter (remove) it.

awstub
February 11th, 2018, 07:46
I need to check, but I'm thinking there might be a way to do it by using the Tacpack "RocketPodPseudoSingle" store name.





Do any of you have any ideas if it is possible to replicate the LAU-3a with the frangible nose cone with TP? It means the pod has the frangible nose cone until first rocket fired will splinter (remove) it.

DaveQ
February 12th, 2018, 00:39
I'm not sure about TacPak, but I have a list of co-ordinates for the pylons I'll use to mount the weapons Mark's made for the final package. All will visualise via the payload menu so if all you need is a specific TacPak model loaded, that can be relatively easily done. However you need to be aware that MCX can corrupt a model quite easily, particularly when adding visibility conditions. Also there are limits to the number of loadout variations I would want to add, which is why I want to keep to two or three commonly used and historically verified ones.

DaveQ

docjohnson
February 12th, 2018, 05:18
Here's an update, if we agree that these listed below are the historically accurate weapons load for an A-26A/B-26K, here's where we stand...

SUU-25 flare dispensers - Needs Development, LUU-2 Flares are possible, as a simple effect [yes the effect has to created as no one has done it as far as I know] anything else the hit on FPS would be prohibitive.

LAU-3A rocket pods - Started development for this yesterday. I believe we have an excellent model that was posted here on this thread, it would speed things up if we didn't have to create it from scratch.

CBU-14 cluster bomb units - it's basically an SUU-14 dispenser and if I remember right someone has already created the model. The difficult part is how much realism can you live with in terms of the weapons effects. There are two payware developers (SWS and Milviz) talking to VRS about how to pull off the bomblets in a way that won't choke the sim in terms of FPS.

500 lb BLU-23 or 750 lb BLU-37 finned napalm bombs - These already exist in the form of a Mk77, finned and unfinned, they just need to be added.

M31 and M32 incendiary clusters - We have basic drawings, no model, and this one would suffer the same problems as most CBUs - FPS hit. And creating a special weapon effect.

M34 and M35 incendiary bombs - We have basic drawings, no model, and this one would suffer the same problems as most CBUs - FPS hit. And creating a special weapon effect.

M1A4 fragmentation clusters - We have basic drawings, no model, and this one would probably not suffer the same FPS problems as most CBUs, they are individual bombs on a rack (think of a smaller basic version of an MER)

M47 white phosphorus bombs - I have the basic drawings, the model. This is just a bomb, but the dissimilar effects are what is needed, a GP bomb explosion now is very simple, this is a 100lb WP bomb, so the effects would need to be white smoke instead of black, and the fire effects.

CBU-24, -25, -29, and -49 cluster bomb units, This is just an SUU-30 dispenser, if I'm not mistaken we already have a model, and again the effects are the issue. There was a Cluster Bomb Effect done for another project I have the effect and its ok as far as effects go. But as you can see, the effects are the main issue here, how to create an effect that is somewhat realistic. This is one of the problems a special effects guru(s) to figure out. otherwise we will just get a standard explosion like we always see in the sim now.

Finally, I read through this article:

http://napoleon130.tripod.com/id386.html

It contains historically accurate A/B-26 weapons information.

I saw that there is interest in appropriate covers for the LAU-3. While those were certainly used, I have seen photo's and loaded aircraft with rocket pods with not canards. That being said, Virtavia did an LAU-3 (I think) for the A-4 Skyhawk, it has canards that can be removed to simulate a fired pod.

So that's it. Like I said before, I have to create most if not all of this for a payware project. And I have talked to people here at SWS and we have no problem "donating" the required weapons for free to a freeware project as long as SWS is credited for the "donation." And we already have the Mk-82 in its various forms in the Tacpack. As well as M117 and Mk-84. These GP Bombs are "assets" VRS provides per the EULA under the Tacpack SDK.

awstub
February 12th, 2018, 05:24
OK. Tacpack needs those coordinates for the ini file....so that when the model object disappears the Tacpack object can appear in it's place correctly.

Limiting the loads makes sense. I suggest the BLU-27, MK-82 and LAU-3/A.


I'm not sure about TacPak, but I have a list of co-ordinates for the pylons I'll use to mount the weapons Mark's made for the final package. All will visualise via the payload menu so if all you need is a specific TacPak model loaded, that can be relatively easily done. However you need to be aware that MCX can corrupt a model quite easily, particularly when adding visibility conditions. Also there are limits to the number of loadout variations I would want to add, which is why I want to keep to two or three commonly used and historically verified ones.

DaveQ

JensOle
February 12th, 2018, 05:55
The lau-3a is to my knowledge not in TP.

awstub
February 12th, 2018, 13:21
Correct....but not a show stopper.
I need to work it out with Doc, but I think we can make it work, since although the pod is not in TP, the rockets are.
If we can't get my idea to work, we can still substitute the LAU-68 for it until we do get the LAU-3/A added to the TP suite.

If we end up having to temporarily substitute, it means that although you will see a LAU-3/A on the store station, it will only fire 7 rockets instead of 19...which is better than nothing IMHO.



The lau-3a is to my knowledge not in TP.

docjohnson
February 12th, 2018, 18:18
@awstub, did you get my email? I tried to PM you again but your mailbox is full?

awstub
February 12th, 2018, 18:31
Interesting, I don't see anything in my mail.....and I didn't realize my PM box was full.
I'll clear it and resend you my e-mail address.


@awstub, did you get my email? I tried to PM you again but your mailbox is full?

docjohnson
February 13th, 2018, 12:27
@JensOle,
You are correct, it isn't currently, once I get it and the other weapons done and submitted to VRS, then hopefully it will be. It's all up to VRS. The good news is you can have almost all of the weapons/effects you need. If I'm not mistaken a visibility condition can hide the B-26 weapon once the tacpack weapon is released/fired via manipulating the station weight.

@awstub
With the correct LAU-3 model on the invader and then in the aircraft.cfg and in the tacpack.ini, specify two LAU-68s and one LAU-10 per station, that would give you 18 rounds per station?

Also, the rocket pod is captive and is usually either not jettisonable or jettisonable only in an emergency. In other words, it stays on the aircraft. The exception is the canards. And as long as the weapon model of the pod is on the aircraft, then you could possibly make up for the lack tacpack LAU series launchers in the aircraft.cfg and tacpack.ini...

awstub
February 13th, 2018, 14:39
I didn't think about doing it that way. it would only give 18 rockets instead of 19.

One issue is that the LAU-3/A often had a frangible nose cone that stayed in place until the first rocket was fired.

I was thinking of trying to do it like a MER but having 19 stores, with each one using the RocketPodPseudoSingle... but I'm not sure how that would be able to effect the station token weight for the pod over all.

If the model has a condition for a pod with nose cone (lets say with a TW of 105) and a pod without (TW of 100) , can the RocketPodPseudoSingle (with a TW of 5 for each one of the 19 rockets) affect the appropriate TW change to the pylon after you fire one rocket? I suspect that it can, with some xml wizardry....

This is getting into the weeds a bit, and I doubt everyone want's to follow it, so I'll hit you up on e-mail to talk about it further.

Stu


@JensOle,
You are correct, it isn't currently, once I get it and the other weapons done and submitted to VRS, then hopefully it will be. It's all up to VRS. The good news is you can have almost all of the weapons/effects you need. If I'm not mistaken a visibility condition can hide the B-26 weapon once the tacpack weapon is released/fired via manipulating the station weight.

@awstub
With the correct LAU-3 model on the invader and then in the aircraft.cfg and in the tacpack.ini, specify two LAU-68s and one LAU-10 per station, that would give you 18 rounds per station?

Also, the rocket pod is captive and is usually either not jettisonable or jettisonable only in an emergency. In other words, it stays on the aircraft. The exception is the canards. And as long as the weapon model of the pod is on the aircraft, then you could possibly make up for the lack tacpack LAU series launchers in the aircraft.cfg and tacpack.ini...

docjohnson
February 13th, 2018, 16:11
Your right, if we go the RocketPodPseudoSingle route, we can adjust the station and station weights accordingly, then it's just a matter of lining up the tubes and the tacpack RocketPodPseudoSingle round in the tacpack.ini so that when the rocket when fired, causes the station weight to change and triggers the visibility condition which removes the canard and makes the tube empty...if that is possible. I got a meeting coming up with my modeler/mentor who is also had experience with payware aircraft tacpack features. I'll run it by him and then test it to see if can be done on another aircraft.

docjohnson
February 13th, 2018, 16:11
Sorry about that. Wilco.

Switchblade408
March 9th, 2018, 12:19
Any updates on this one? It's been almost a month since anyone posted.

docjohnson
March 9th, 2018, 20:03
Not sure about the aircraft status. I'm discussing and working with some folks on here and at VRS to add some needed ordnance for several projects to the Tacpack. Right now I've got a list of weapons that are common to the A-37A/B, B-26K/A-26A, and the B-57B/G that are in various stages of completion. A fellow simmer here shared some weapons, which will make the job of getting them into the Tacpack sooner rather than later a lot easier.

blanston12
March 10th, 2018, 06:59
I understand the weapons for this project are not complete, but I would love to get my hands on the updated A-26, without the weapons.

thefrog
March 10th, 2018, 08:14
I too am very interested in this aircraft, but not in the weapons at all, so I think it would be a shame if the Tacpack unduly delayed the release.

DaveQ
March 10th, 2018, 08:29
I too am very interested in this aircraft, but not in the weapons at all, so I think it would be a shame if the Tacpack unduly delayed the release.

The reason for the delay is that the full working VC that ******** developed for P3D has proved troublesome to compile for FSX. I have a working exterior for FSX with a limited range of ordnance, together with a VC with high quality graphics but not as complete as we would wish. I will ask if the team is willing to release what I have for FSX.

DaveQ

gman5250
March 10th, 2018, 08:29
http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/showthread.php/109766-Broken-Software-Two-Strikes-and-Counting

DaveQ
March 10th, 2018, 13:30
Really sorry to hear this ********. Let us know if there's anything we can do to help.

DaveQ

JensOle
March 10th, 2018, 15:06
Really sorry to hear this Gordon. If it is not possible to recover anything, take your time if you manage to find motivation to try again (hopefully).

gman5250
March 10th, 2018, 15:30
I want to reassure everyone that the work done to date, by the team, is intact. This includes all of the liveries from the team, plus the few that I created, along with the FSX, Prepar3D and Prepar3Dv4 models including the new VC. I lost quite a bit of development time to Flumonia, which took me down for two or three weeks.


Bringing things up to date...

The holdup in production is entirely upon me, as the team has waited patiently for me to finalize my modifications.

Today, I lost the master Photoshop files in the Win10 update. The interesting bit is that the original PS files date back to the my very first attempts at creating textures...dating back quite a few years now. Those files were modified and updated to include new techniques, bump mapping and specular layers for the re-release of the beautiful K variant. The poignant part is that those files survived all these years, until MS decided to grace us with predictive programing, smart AI, bots and the rest of the crap they load into their current OS so that my current overburden of Click Bait accurately reflects my social media profile, future behaviors and shopping habits.

Nuff said....but I think my plans for a comprehensive PK just went down the crapper. Give me a couple of weeks to think about it though.


On the brighter side of things...

As of two days ago, I was able to integrate TFDi Design TrueGlass into the Prepar3Dv4 model. Quite lovely and immersive as REX Sky Force for P3Dv4 or Active Sky P3Dv4 provide appropriate precipitation when weather changes along the flight route. KUDOS to TFDi and staff for their excellent product & tech support.


4K resolution Video showing the B-26K Counter Invader as she currently sits is under way and will be previewed here very shortly.
'Till then...raindrops...


https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4785/40736148641_8f4b730745_o.jpg

Sundog
March 10th, 2018, 17:13
That looks amazing. I can see I'm going to have to give P3D a try soon.

Switchblade408
March 10th, 2018, 18:58
Be still, my beating heart!

stansdds
March 11th, 2018, 05:32
On the brighter side of things...

As of two days ago, I was able to integrate TFDi Design TrueGlass into the Prepar3Dv4 model. Quite lovely and immersive as REX Sky Force for P3Dv4 or Active Sky P3Dv4 provide appropriate precipitation when weather changes along the flight route. KUDOS to TFDi and staff for their excellent product & tech support.


4K resolution Video showing the B-26K Counter Invader as she currently sits is under way and will be previewed here very shortly.
'Till then...raindrops...


https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4785/40736148641_8f4b730745_o.jpg

Holy frickin' wow! I really must work on buying/building a new computer that will be compatible with P3Dv4.

gman5250
March 17th, 2018, 02:02
Update:

Back to work and bringing the K into focus.

Just posted up a short video on the B-26K project.
This is the first video I have done in 4K. The big GPU makes all the difference.

The K project was first on the list for HD video work, so I tried to show the project airplane in all of her glory. She's good in P3D, up to version 4, and I'm working on squeezing polys in the new VC to get her into FSX. Almost there.

Enjoy...


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MsveJyyEx2g

thunderstreak
March 17th, 2018, 02:40
Wow, looks amazing! Can’t wait to get my hands on this one! :applause:

jmfabio
March 17th, 2018, 02:40
Gordon,

I very much appreciated your video. that is one big beautiful beast of an aircraft! I really hate stating the obvious but, all of you involved are in this project are extremely talented. Keep up the fantastic work!

Cheers,

Joe

stansdds
March 17th, 2018, 05:08
Looks great, but I do see a flaw with the engines. The B-26K used the P&W R-2800-52W engine, which was a C-series R-2800 and features a two-piece, bolted reduction gear housing instead of the one-piece cast reduction gear housing of the earlier B-series engines. I don't know if this is something that you want to address or not, but the C-series does look quite a bit different from the B-series engines.

Switchblade408
March 17th, 2018, 05:56
Wait till the guys rebuilding Special Kay see this! :jump:

gman5250
March 17th, 2018, 06:24
Looks great, but I do see a flaw with the engines. The B-26K used the P&W R-2800-52W engine, which was a C-series R-2800 and features a two-piece, bolted reduction gear housing instead of the one-piece cast reduction gear housing of the earlier B-series engines. I don't know if this is something that you want to address or not, but the C-series does look quite a bit different from the B-series engines.

Good eyes Stan,

That housing is a bolt up from Milton's original model. I tacked it in there as a place holder.
Funny thing, I was watching Kermit Weeks' video on his A-26 restoration and thinking that I need to give the radials a serious look. Having a nice model of that engine would go a long way.

gman5250
March 17th, 2018, 10:52
Wait till the guys rebuilding Special Kay see this! :jump:

I did get an email from on of the team down in Texas last week. I was working on the Special Kay skin when I had the PS SNAFU that killed the fuselage master file. It won't feel right unless I do a "Kay" skin for the model, so I'll just have to fix it. :encouragement:

docjohnson
March 17th, 2018, 12:18
All of you guys building this aircraft, my hats off to you. What a great team and great aircraft!

gman5250
March 21st, 2018, 09:49
Looks great, but I do see a flaw with the engines. The B-26K used the P&W R-2800-52W engine, which was a C-series R-2800 and features a two-piece, bolted reduction gear housing instead of the one-piece cast reduction gear housing of the earlier B-series engines. I don't know if this is something that you want to address or not, but the C-series does look quite a bit different from the B-series engines.

Made a few changes...:applause:

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4783/40234236114_eb8975977e_o.jpg