Prepar3D v3 Screenshots

**Mach3DS** · March 9th, 2016, 20:52

In case youre not following the FSX forym. Take a quick once over. (Screenshots from a Fresh install of P3Dv3.2)

1. Black upper tail surface added
2. Unit Seal diameter made smaller
3. Engine Double red stripe now surrounds engine completely
4. FW-948 Text not transparent
5. Changed Pilot Helmet to generic modern grey to match photos of pilot I've seen.

Those are the changes I have made from the v1. Available now in DL area.

***Daube*** · March 9th, 2016, 22:44

Superb, as usual !

Since you were in P3Dv3.2, are these shots taken with dynamic reflections on or off ?

**Mach3DS** · March 10th, 2016, 04:30

DR were implemented in v3.1 which happened only a week or so if i remember before the release of the F-100D. It was not implemented by MV. We had discussuons about it. But at the time uncertainty about how DR would impact FPS was too risky with a product that honestly was/is so smooth. So it does not use DR. You can have DR enabled it won't make any difference and won't adversely affect the look of the model or paint for any aircraft that does not use it.

**Mach3DS** · March 10th, 2016, 04:46

A HUGE thing that needs to be publicized better than it already is about P3Dv3.x is that it handles lighting completely differently than FSX. They are NOT the same. I was surprised actually, because this paint looks IMO better in P3Dv2.5 and v3.1 because I made it and tested it only those versions while creating it. So I was surprised how different it looks in v3.2...however, that said. I have not tweaked my lighting to my preference in v3.2 THIS is the issue. Custom lighting conditions. v3 introduced this. and honestly it's a game changer...but it's also not friendly to repainters who don't understand lighting in FSX/P3Dv3. What I mean for example is the classic "Alpha Channel" of the diffuse map. vs. Specular file. From what I've read in this forum and elsewhere very few people actually understand what does what and how they interact. Paramount for P3Dv3. ultra realistic paints will be possible with Dynamic Reflections, and with an understanding of how lighting works. But they won't look the same in FSX/A/SE. unfortunately.

***Daube*** · March 10th, 2016, 05:24

Originally Posted by 000rick000

DR were implemented in v3.1 which happened only a week or so if i remember before the release of the F-100D. It was not implemented by MV. We had discussuons about it. But at the time uncertainty about how DR would impact FPS was too risky with a product that honestly was/is so smooth. So it does not use DR. You can have DR enabled it won't make any difference and won't adversely affect the look of the model or paint for any aircraft that does not use it.

Wait, normally, Milviz doesn't need to do anything to benefit from DR.
DR affects all surfaces which use the standard FSX/P3D envmap texture.
If DR is off, then the sim shows the default envmap texture.
If DR is ON, then the sim automatically draws the surrounding scenery on all the reflective surfaces. This even works with internal mirrors. I tested this in the MilViz F-15 just yesterday, the internal mirrors were showing a simplified representation of the external scenery, including the runways and some scenery objects. That was cool... a bit ugly, but cool. The effect was much more lovely on the canopy, though.

The only plane that can't benefit from the DR are the ones which use a custom texture for the environmental mapping. For example, the A2A warbirds can't benefit from it, because they refer to an internal texture called env.dds instead of the standard one. However, the default FSX planes, which all use the default envmap textures, do benefit from the DR.

So the question is: how about this F-100 ? Does it use the standard envmap texture, or a custom one ?

**Mach3DS** · March 10th, 2016, 05:39

Custom. Meaning it doesn't use the same file name. So you can have DR set to ON, and it will not change the look of the model.

Originally Posted by Daube

Wait, normally, Milviz doesn't need to do anything to benefit from DR.
DR affects all surfaces which use the standard FSX/P3D envmap texture.
If DR is off, then the sim shows the default envmap texture.
If DR is ON, then the sim automatically draws the surrounding scenery on all the reflective surfaces. This even works with internal mirrors. I tested this in the MilViz F-15 just yesterday, the internal mirrors were showing a simplified representation of the external scenery, including the runways and some scenery objects. That was cool... a bit ugly, but cool. The effect was much more lovely on the canopy, though.

The only plane that can't benefit from the DR are the ones which use a custom texture for the environmental mapping. For example, the A2A warbirds can't benefit from it, because they refer to an internal texture called env.dds instead of the standard one. However, the default FSX planes, which all use the default envmap textures, do benefit from the DR.

So the question is: how about this F-100 ? Does it use the standard envmap texture, or a custom one ?

**gman5250** · March 10th, 2016, 06:05

Originally Posted by 000rick000

Custom lighting conditions. v3 introduced this. and honestly it's a game changer...but it's also not friendly to repainters who don't understand lighting in FSX/P3Dv3. What I mean for example is the classic "Alpha Channel" of the diffuse map. vs. Specular file. From what I've read in this forum and elsewhere very few people actually understand what does what and how they interact. Paramount for P3Dv3. ultra realistic paints will be possible with Dynamic Reflections, and with an understanding of how lighting works. But they won't look the same in FSX/A/SE. unfortunately.

Rick is spot on correct. Painting for DR will essentially need to be approached as a separate process from this point forward. It's not only airplanes either, DR will affect metal buildings, glass, ground markings (reflective), ground wear i.e. oil stains. Anything that throws light will need to be approached with an understanding of the new light rendering capability of DR.
Alpha, spec and spec alpha are major players, and learning to use the tools effectively will require a learning curve.

The payoff will be well worth the effort IMHO.

**spatialpro** · March 10th, 2016, 08:00

Originally Posted by ********

Alpha, spec and spec alpha are major players, and learning to use the tools effectively will require a learning curve.

The payoff will be well worth the effort IMHO.

Absolutely agree 101%!

***Daube*** · March 10th, 2016, 08:22

Originally Posted by ********

Rick is spot on correct. Painting for DR will essentially need to be approached as a separate process from this point forward. It's not only airplanes either, DR will affect metal buildings, glass, ground markings (reflective), ground wear i.e. oil stains. Anything that throws light will need to be approached with an understanding of the new light rendering capability of DR.
Alpha, spec and spec alpha are major players, and learning to use the tools effectively will require a learning curve.

The payoff will be well worth the effort IMHO.

EDIT: I didn't see Rick's topic about this. Please ignore the text below, it's more relevant for the other topic probably.
--------------------------------------------------

I understand how the reflections work in general, and I have a basic knowledge of the various factors, and the work they require on the various textures, alphas etc...
However there's something I don't get here.

As far as I know, the reflection process can be somehow divided into two parts:
1- the texturing process which defines how the reflection will look like. This includes alpha channel, material properties, bumpmaps etc...
2- the texture that is actually painted as a reflection.
And to simplify, in the end, point 1 decides how and where point 2 should appear.

Now, it seemed to me that the dynamic reflections in P3D are only impacting (in fact, replacing) the point 2.
So I don't really understand why the DR would require such a huge change to the point 1.
All the work that was done in point 1, for example to get a nice metallic reflection or a nice material effect, is kept and applied to the new reflection texture, which is dynamically and continuously regenerated.

Else, it would mean that all the work done by the texture artist/3D modeller for a given paint is kind of lost because you replaced the default FSX/P3D envmap ? This seems a bit exagerated.
To me, enabling the DR simply consists in replacing the default envmap texture by a new texture which moves. I don't see why it would require more work for the aircraft maker/painter ?

***Daube*** · March 18th, 2016, 15:27

A few shots since installing the TacPack:

***Daube*** · March 18th, 2016, 15:28

And I can finally test the loadouts on the Mirage and Dino's Tomcat

Next test flight will be with the F-35.

**jeansy** · March 19th, 2016, 05:57

**roger-wilco-66** · March 21st, 2016, 13:43

In the meanwhile, on KS-54 / Ch'odo Island, Korea, in 1952...

**roger-wilco-66** · March 21st, 2016, 13:44

Originally Posted by jeansy

..................

That is an awesome shot, Matt. What a great detail.

Cheers,
Mark

***Daube*** · March 21st, 2016, 14:21

A nice sunny place while I was gliding around

***Daube*** · March 21st, 2016, 14:24

I have reinstalled the nice freeware EC-135, and used the avatar mode + instant replay to watch one of my landings. The result is a kind of tower view but with free look (no moving though, you have to set the position of your avatar appropriately prior to triggering the instant replay):