Shrike (Milviz) F-86 Sabre Now Available!

[Hollister56]

Thanks Keith, and do you do repaints too? If so, Joe McConnell's F-86 Beautious Butch would be totally cool. He spelled it with an "I".
A great movie the McConnell Story. 1955 vintage.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_McConnell_Story

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x8ncjzp

[Fnerg]

Ok thanks, maybe it's my provider. Might have lost connection during the 20 min download. Trying again.

[Skyhawk18]

Curious, the download is over 4.7 gigs for the paintkit, which is understandable, but I get an error from Dropbox saying the content is too large to load, although downloading is still an option.

Attachment 93912

Clicking download anyway, when the download completes, the first F86_01-PK file is a 700mb single layer blank image. That 1st layered ps file should be the left fuselage detail, but it's blank. Can you check into this for us Dimus make sure everything is working right?




Thanks

I suppose that you're using Photoshop. The reason for seeing a blank image, is that none of the layers are checked for visibility (see attached image)

[Fnerg]

No, it was a single layer image as I described. Call it a download glitch. Re-downloaded, all is good!

[Tom Clayton]

Just merged a few other threads into this one for the sake of keeping a (moderately) clean board...

[Hollister56]

Hello Skyhawk18,

That repaint is looking really good, are you planning on doing more?

Where will you be uploading your repaints?

Ed

[Skyhawk18]

Hello Skyhawk18,

That repaint is looking really good, are you planning on doing more?

Where will you be uploading your repaints?

Ed

Yes I will make some more liveries. Right now, I am working on the RNoAF MU-U, and a livery for the "Wolfhounds". Next will be another RNoAF livery (AH-D). After that I'll see....
I am waiting for someone to upload a livery, as I need to see how to edit a couple of files (manifest.json and aircraft.cfg). I have to make independent liveries that works outside the main F-86 package

[Fnerg]

There are warps in the mesh caused by non-uniform polygons running down both sides of the fuselage making straight lines and lettering impossible. I just spent hours trying to correct with transform tools, and could not. I had to give up on correcting the errors in the Golden Hawks livery. I've sent a pm and requested they look into this. We'll see.



Edit:

Oh my...this is bad. I don't think I'll be doing any liveries for this one. I ran into this problem when I made a Gmax model years ago. Milton Shupe straightened me out. This is caused by shaping the fuselage by hand, one node at a time. Yikes! Guess I'll just enjoy it for what it is.

[Dimus]

There are warps in the mesh caused by non-uniform polygons running down both sides of the fuselage making straight lines and lettering impossible. I just spent hours trying to correct with transform tools, and could not. I had to give up on correcting the errors in the Golden Hawks livery. I've sent a pm and requested they look into this. We'll see.



Edit:

Oh my...this is bad. I don't think I'll be doing any liveries for this one. I ran into this problem when I made a Gmax model years ago. Milton Shupe straightened me out. This is caused by shaping the fuselage by hand, one node at a time. Yikes! Guess I'll just enjoy it for what it is.

Just out of curiosity, what did you wish to correct in the Golden Hawks livery? This is how it looks after the patch:

[Hollister56]

Hello Dimus,
Quick question, the paintkit has been out for almost a week and I have only seen one or two repaints from all the skilled painters out there, and I was wondering why? Maybe I don't know where to look? Do you know where I can find new repaints of this awesome F-86? I am trying to learn how to use the released paintkit, but it's a steep learning curve. I did figure out how to make the radar nose black on aircraft 165, but that's about it. I uploaded the file to flightsim.to
Thanks,
Ed

[Hollister56]

Yes I will make some more liveries. Right now, I am working on the RNoAF MU-U, and a livery for the "Wolfhounds". Next will be another RNoAF livery (AH-D). After that I'll see....
I am waiting for someone to upload a livery, as I need to see how to edit a couple of files (manifest.json and aircraft.cfg). I have to make independent liveries that works outside the main F-86 package

https://flightsim.to/file/72757/shri...h-hikotai-8-wg

I am not sure how he did this beautiful paint, but it's amazing. Good Luck Skyhawk18, hope you figure it out soon and looking forward to downloading your work.

Ed

[Fnerg]

I would like to drop in my own RCAF silver leaf roundel instead, mine is made with love.

I would like to try and do something about the hawk banner. The beak and head, are too wide which causes the taper to be thick. If you get the taper right, the top white line should run even with the top of the spoiler door frame. In the images, you can see the comparisons between the model, and real photos.

I would change the font to the correct stenciled font, resize correctly, and line up the letters in a straight line, if possible.
After that, correct the proportions of the tail markings, add a nice white letter stencil on the side of the antiglare perhaps, and tweak the COMP for more gloss, and chrome on the leading edge of the wings.

It's a good model, I do love it. Bugger to land, but feels good in the air. Sounds great too. I'll have to search another livery to do that's all. No biggy, and fortunately I've found a couple without to much side detail. A camo would be alright I suspect.

[Skyhawk18]

I would like to drop in my own RCAF silver leaf roundel instead, mine is made with love.

I would like to try and do something about the hawk banner. The beak and head, are too wide which causes the taper to be thick. If you get the taper right, the top white line should run even with the top of the spoiler door frame. In the images, you can see the comparisons between the model, and real photos.

I would change the font to the correct stenciled font, resize correctly, and line up the letters in a straight line, if possible.
After that, correct the proportions of the tail markings, add a nice white letter stencil on the side of the antiglare perhaps, and tweak the COMP for more gloss, and chrome on the leading edge of the wings.

It's a good model, I do love it. Bugger to land, but feels good in the air. Sounds great too. I'll have to search another livery to do that's all. No biggy, and fortunately I've found a couple without to much side detail. A camo would be alright I suspect.

Fnerg: I have the FSX photoshop files for the Golden Hawks livery. This may be helpful, if you want to do corrections to the Shrike model. The Hawk banner was re-drawed in Adobe illustrator. I can make those files available to you if you're interested.
Back in 2012, I made most of the FSX F-86 liveries while working with Milviz. Searching my archieves, I found many of the layered files.

[spatialpro]

I don't own this aircraft (and now I'm starting to question whether I'll even buy it at all) and I'm not attempting to repaint it, but from what little I know about both modelling and UV unwrapping the paint kit shows this to be a relatively poorly made model (no matter how beautiful it may seem to our eyes when viewed in the sim). The projected mesh shows a mix of quads and tris. There appears to have been no attempt to re-topologize to clean this up. It also seems like they could/should be using a different (easier to use) projection when UV unwrapping. I wonder whether they've used the "relax" function in the unwrapping too much?

Even if this is marketed as a relatively simple addon with limited functionality (and sold at ~$20) I'd still expect better of the topology and unwrapping (superior examples of which can be found in many freeware addons, where the authors have got the basics right).

IMO it is little wonder there are so few repaints published since the paint kit was released...

Just my 2c/2p.... Shoot me down like a MiG-15 if you like!

[Hollister56]

Hello Spatialpro,
Those are interesting observations and hopefully it will be looked at in a future update. Keeping fingers crossed.
I would certainly recommend purchasing this and supporting the developer, it does fly very well and it's pretty easy to assign LVARs using AAO, AxisAndOhs, great program. Also. I uploaded a modified system.cfg file to flightsim.to to activate all the radios, NAVCOMs, so you can tune in VORs and ILS signals, it also activates the autopilot. It works great with FSRadiopanel. This F-86 is a really nice cross-country airplane with those improvements.
There's a very cool feature that allows you to remove the canopy glass, just click the rearview mirror, which then removes all the horrible glass reflections. Whoever came up with that idea deserves a bonus.
The paint kit isn't a blank model, but of the Huff and it's missing the black border around the large yellow bands on the wings and fuselage, not sure why? I hope it gets fixed and we start seeing some cool repaints of famous Korean War F-86s, also post-war ANG units and others, like a Korean R.O.K Air Force livery.
Ed

[Fnerg]

Fnerg: I have the FSX photoshop files for the Golden Hawks livery. This may be helpful, if you want to do corrections to the Shrike model. The Hawk banner was re-drawed in Adobe illustrator. I can make those files available to you if you're interested.
Back in 2012, I made most of the FSX F-86 liveries while working with Milviz. Searching my archieves, I found many of the layered files.

Thank you, that's very kind of you to offer. I'm sure they are wonderful to work with however, it's the polygons of this model that are buggered. That means, when I go to draw a straight line down the fuselage, it will have waves and ripples, be stretched up or down in some places, and that is literally impossible to counter effect using any transform tool such as a warp brush, or a unified transform, or perspective transform. So although the Photoshop layers, or I like to use GIMP, may be perfect in dimensions, angles, the artwork is exceptional, they will not sit well on the model because of the non-uniform polygons of the 3D model.

Thank you Spatialpro for reiterating my point further. I hope this doesn't deter you from enjoying an F-86 in MSFS if you'd like. On the outside it's a decent looking model, flies well, interior looks great, worth the $20 I'd say, and priced accordingly. It's just that liveries will be limited. Like all of us at some point in this hobby, they have much to learn about 3D modelling, if this is their first effort, there is promise in their future.
Where is Milton?

[alienel]

I really like the look and feel of the new Shrike Sabre. The trim control seems very ineffective. It has to be held for too long resulting in overtrim. Just think it could be a little quicker in response. Is there anyone willing to try some more Canadian liveries. When the livery for the Canadian Sabre was changed they left the Bluenose ship off of the livery for whatever reason , I am not sure. I like the rivet mod available because the rivets are definitely too pronounced. Does anyone like this livery? Thanks to Joco417 for this artwork.

[Fnerg]

In MCX, you can see the problem areas very well. The two half sections do not line up, and so a straight line, or book matched lettering between the two parts of the fuselage is either extremely difficult, or just not possible.

Edit:

Ok, I've been given the official word from Steve McNitt at Shrike. I guess we'll have to let this one go now. Too bad. They just lost a customer and damaged their credibility. Not a good start for a new commercial developer.

"Hi,
I cannot offer support or how to on using the paint kit other than to say it should work. Other people have been putting out liveries including one of our testers. We're probably not going to be changing the model any as that would require a total rework of ALL the paints and liveries.

Best Regards,
Steve"

[Dimus]

I would like to drop in my own RCAF silver leaf roundel instead, mine is made with love.

I would like to try and do something about the hawk banner. The beak and head, are too wide which causes the taper to be thick. If you get the taper right, the top white line should run even with the top of the spoiler door frame. In the images, you can see the comparisons between the model, and real photos.

I would change the font to the correct stenciled font, resize correctly, and line up the letters in a straight line, if possible.
After that, correct the proportions of the tail markings, add a nice white letter stencil on the side of the antiglare perhaps, and tweak the COMP for more gloss, and chrome on the leading edge of the wings.

It's a good model, I do love it. Bugger to land, but feels good in the air. Sounds great too. I'll have to search another livery to do that's all. No biggy, and fortunately I've found a couple without to much side detail. A camo would be alright I suspect.

Thanks for these details. I may have a closer look at some point.

[Dimus]

WIP for a request received on Shrike Discord:





The actual was a slat wing one.

[Hollister56]

I just finished this and uploaded it to flightsim.to. It's WIP as I am trying to learn PS and how to paint. I need to figure out reflections as I think this too bright in the sun. I would like to dial it back a bit if that's possible.

[Fnerg]

Correspondence with Blackbird now. Less turbulent. I've let them know the problems, and provided images. Yet to know if anything will be done to fix the polygons/verticies yet, but being treated now like I know what I'm talking about. We'll see...

Holister56 that looks great!

The reflection is controlled by the COMP texture as it relates to the ALBEDO. If you open the ALBEDO in PS and look under the Layers section on the right, you see that the image is split into 3 layers. Red, Green, Blue. In MSFS, Red is used for Ambient Occlusion ( shadow how it relates to the light direction in the sim) , Green for the smoothness (reflection), Blue is used to control the metallic ( white is pure metal, black is painted surface). So if you want less shine, you would have to lighten the grey value of the Green channel (for the green channel - Black is glossy - White is matt or no shine). Finding the right shade of grey takes a bit of time /trial and error if you are checking in the sim after each adjustment, but start around a value of 200 and try 10 degrees either side of that and see how that looks. Eventually you find a nice tone of grey that looks great in the sim.

There is more to it, like composing the 3 channels into a COMPLETE image in the right format an all, and I use GIMP which is similar to PS maybe less sophisticated, but works well for me. Recently I used Materialize to create the individual red/green/blue channels and compiled them into an COMP image using Gimp which worked well. It's a learned process, not long ago I was new to all this, but now I have a workflow that stays consistent when creating liveries. It just takes a bit of time to wrap your head around it.

[Dimus]

Holister56, exactly what Fnerg said. Also the paintkit contains masks that you can use to isolate areas of the paint that you want to keep non-metallic or less shiny, like the painted yellow black bands in your paint or the insignias. There are separate masks over the blue (metallic) and over the green (roughness) layers. White in the mask hides and black allows what is below to show.

[Hollister56]

Thank you Fnerg and Dimus for taking the time to write out those explanations, and I am going to study that subject, COMP files, over the next few days and see if I can get it figured out.
Great to hear Blackbird is listening to your suggestions Fnerg, it does sound like you have a great deal of knowledge on the subject.
Thanks again,
Ed

[Fnerg]

Cheers Ed, if you get stuck give us a shout, I know it can be a little tough to figure out at first, then it will all make sense. Thanks! I have Milton Shupe to thank as well as Lionheart Bill and the folks over at FSDeveloper.com. It's a great community with a wealth of knowledge.

Doug