IE's and CD's RAF object libraries

[kelticheart]

A good day to everybody!

If there's someone among our talented Gmax users, twirling their thumbs while looking for some new project to tackle.......I have a suggestion for you.

Not long ago, our good Kdriver uploaded Ian Elliot's and Cees Donker's RAF building macros turned into gsl objects for scenery works. They are splendid objects, particularly RAF hangars and watch houses (in RAF jargon = control towers), unfortunately they need some extra attention, because some of them are quite heavy on framerate.

This negative aspect is a shame, because British sceneries literally change face when these objects are used, lending a life-like look to WWII RAF airbases.

I believe they need the same type of cure Pen32Win applied to Gary Burns' BoB RAF buildings.

Any volunteer?

Thank you!
KH

[Allen]

Not doing to much right now. Links to them?

[kelticheart]

Not doing to much right now. Links to them?

Aye, aye sir!

Here you go:

Ian Elliot's Airfield Buildings Library ---> http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforum...id=45&id=18396
Cees Donker's Airfield Buildings Library ---> http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforum...id=45&id=18394

I am sure you have Gary Burns' BoB building library overhauled by Pen32Win. Take a look at the readme, it explains how Pen came to the conclusion there was something amiss with them. First of all, bullets and rockets went right through them without causing any damage, even if they were gsl-destroyable objects.
Secondly, if you panned your view around on the ground or in the air, the culprit buildings/objects disappear before moving out the screen completely. Some of them even loose their roofs when seen from the air, a strange, unrealistic phenomena. The other clue is evident when switching on the fps viewer (CTRL+Z) and watch the substantial increase in scenery fps when such objects slip out of view.

Pen does not explain how high poly count or whatever else determines this weird behaviour. Yet, he discovered that the overall dimensions of the original objects were way too large, in other words badly scaled, on top of having a very high poly count and not being multi-res.

The positive result of Pen's work on Burns' BoB building library is dramatic, all of the objects included became very efficient fps-wise, do not disappear from the screen when they shouldn't and aircraft do not crash into them unless they actually touch them. IE/CD's libraries both suffer the same ailments, in different degree from one another. Not only, some of Xavier Berdaguer's Japanese hangars, generic warehouses and barracks have the same problem.

If you can take a look at Ian's and Cees' libraries, we would have the possibility to enhance one of CFS2 minor defects which I have been trying to patch up a little for a while now: airports look almost the same all over the world. These objects were specifically built for different airbases, adding a great touch of variety, and reality, to CFS2.

Thank you!

Cheers!
KH

[kdriver]

Hi Allen,

If you can make some improvements to these buildings it would certainly be appreciated. I don't have the ability to modify these objects, and in any case I can't get GMAX to work on my 64 bit Win 7 system.

Cees and Ian made virtually every type of structure found on an RAF aerodrome. It would be nice to see them used more extensively.

Thanks a lot,

Kevin

[Allen]

Looking at the IE_Airfield_Buildings_Library.zip. They don't look bad. Need a LOD or two. Bullets and rockets went right through them without causing any damage is a bad DP for the object. See alot of this when I rebuild the CFS 1 objects. The CD_Objects.BGL is okay for the most part. The many CD_Hanger_C_*NAME* are bad. 1000 polygons or more.

I don't have Gary Burns' BoB building library (no euro install) Large buildings do disappear before moving out the screen completely. I saw this with the rebuild the CFS 1 objects. When an object is not viewed by the player game will not load it so you will see a framerate jump.

[Allen]

The buildings don't have destroyed version AKA rubble?!?! Full rebuild....

[kdriver]

The buildings don't have destroyed version AKA rubble?!?! Full rebuild....

Only the armoury and the underground fuel tank are destructible thanks to Robert John's contribution to the project.

[Allen]

I guess that is a littile help. Only 90 Cees Donker objects that need destroyed version.

[Blood_Hawk23]

Allen,

Want to use the textures and bgl I'm using for mine. you'll just have to size them to fit.

[Allen]

I'm going to use a flat plane like the stock CFS2 objects use. I got 14 objects done in gMax so far.

[kelticheart]

......I got 14 objects done in gMax so far.

That many already?

Cheers!
KH

[Blood_Hawk23]

I'm going to use a flat plane like the stock CFS2 objects use. I got 14 objects done in gMax so far.

Like this one?

[kdriver]

Good work Allen!

[Allen]

That many already?

Cheers!
KH

Many are quit low polygon count (Being around or under 100 polygons) so all I need to do is get the texture loaded right and load the destroyed model and fit it to the object. The other objects around 200 to 400 are not too bad to get LOD for. The CD_Hanger_# are going to be a pain in the rear as they are in the range of 1000 to 2000 polygons.

Some objects are missing details like the caravans. They had no textured wheels.

Attachment 14603

The CD_Hanger_2_green texture was crap so I re did it.

Like this one?

Like that. They will use one of the stock bamboo or concrete textures.

[Blood_Hawk23]

Yup thats what I'm using. I'll send you a copy anyways. see what you think. You can adjust the walls to match the building footprint.

[kelticheart]

...Like that. They will use one of the stock bamboo or concrete textures.

Allen and Blood_Hawk23, no bamboo, please!

Please forgive me, but Ian Elliot's and Cees Donker's libraries are strictly intended for ETO use. Better yet, Royal Air Force. I wouldn't use 'C', 'T2' or 'Belfast' type hangars in France, Germany or anywhere else but England.

Bamboo never existed as construction material here. I even had to go in and replace bamboo with wooden board textures for a few of MR/LW's PTO objects like the guard tower, the guard post and the control tower, because they looked ridiculous and quite out place in Europe! Bamboo is a wet climate, tropical plant, it looks out place even in North Africa desert areas!

If you really have to, use concrete only, although red clay bricks would be much desirable. Keep in mind CD replicated real-life, WWII RAF buildings, some of them named after specific airports, meaning that they were built only there and could not be found anywhere else. Changing type of textures would render them almost useless.

Thank you very much for your effort!

Cheers!
KH

[Blood_Hawk23]

well its a stock texture but not the bamboo.

[Allen]

The destoryed model will use stock bamboo or concrete texture. The Normal models will be more or less the same.

[Blood_Hawk23]

I'd run with just the concrete. Might be able to make a texture that looks like brick. I need one for some of mine.

[Allen]

Up to 57 objects done in gMax. On a side note I found so far 2 missing textures. elvingtonshed.bmp and nissenwedling.bmp.

[kelticheart]

Up to 57 objects done in gMax. ......

Cheers!
KH

[kdriver]

Up to 57 objects done in gMax. On a side note I found so far 2 missing textures. elvingtonshed.bmp and nissenwedling.bmp.

Well done Allen! Here are the missing textures.

[Allen]

Thanks for the 2 files and all objects now done in gMax.

[kdriver]

Great work Allen - you deserve a pay rise!

[Allen]

50 objects done in .BGL format. They look good in Model Conveter X. 42 more to convert to BGL and 37 edited or new textures do convert to extened format.

Attachment 15481