I have a number of models that were port overs to FSX, so they were basically designed pre FSX and even though updated for FSX remain essentially FS9 or MS 2004 constructions. I am doing a number of repaints but areas of the aircraft in all the original flying ones were a shiny aluminium, the best I have seen so far is a sort of bluish-grey shine that is sort of metallic but not really. (For example The Milton Schupe Havoc and the marvellous aluminium textures done by Roger)
In most older aircraft all over paints were rare and shiny aluminium was generally the go. As I am no expert this is what I worked out so far.
1. Unless specular and bump maps were included when the model was originally constructed you cannot add them later on. This seems to be the main and only way to get those great shiny aluminium textures one sees on a lot of models.
2. Fresnell Ramp cannot be applied to non FSX models to help with reflectivity on curves.
therefore
3. The primary means of producing an aluminium look was a base grey texture and then changing the alpha channel.
4. The additional shine or metal look was provided by the GlobalEnv_AC_Chrome.bmp or dds texture in the main sim texture folder.
There is a view that:
5. You can add the GlobalEnv_AC_Chrome Texture to the relevant aircraft folder and it may or may not help with metal shine - jury seems out on this one.
AND/OR
6. It may be possible to rework the base texture using layers but use a bitmap that already is a good replication of aluminium for the base textures, then work up from that with alpha.
I have been researching this for weeks and it seems to me that is where it is at for non FSX models.
Anybody able to confirm I have it right and this is basically the issue with non FSX models?
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