POSTED: B-25D 'Green Dragon' Gunship

[Tango_Romeo]

I've just uploaded the B-25D 'Green Dragon' gunship flown by CMH winner Captain Tom Cheli, commander of the 405th Bomb Sqdn out of Port Moresby. :gossip:

She features operating fore and aft hatches in lieu of the retractable ventral gun turret, which was removed in the field. She also has a slightly updated IP in the VC. These aircraft were further field modified with the addition of a tailgun in the tailcone, as well as eight forward-firing guns in the nose and side sponsons. Her glass nose was painted-over. :engel016:

Special thanks to Sopwith Chameleon for a great skin job, and to Pen32Win for his valued input on a texture issue. :applause:

I hope to see her in the download que later this evening...but it may be tomorrow.

[OBIO]

Would that texture issue pertain to the wing control surfaces and Vertical stabilizers? I found that the control surfaces do really funky things to panel lines and D-Day stripes....which put the brakes on a good number of skins I had planned for the B/C model.

OBIO

[dvslats]

Hey...it's been ten minutes already and still it's not in the download que. Seriously though, she is a beautiful looking strafer. Nice job TR, Sopwith, and Pen. :applause:

[Tango_Romeo]

Would that texture issue pertain to the wing control surfaces and Vertical stabilizers? I found that the control surfaces do really funky things to panel lines and D-Day stripes....which put the brakes on a good number of skins I had planned for the B/C model.OBIO

...not wings. Sopwith said something about there wouldn't be any D-Day stripes though. He'll have to comment on that....I don't remember the specifics. But if I can fix it in the source file I will. :wiggle:

The Vstab/Rudder issue has been resolved.....I can send you Pen32Win's quick fix when you're ready. Well, it wasn't quick for him, but it'll save you a few hours. :kiss:

[Tango_Romeo]

Hey...it's been ten minutes already and still it's not in the download que.:applause:

...been a real slacker lately. :sleep: :costumes::costumes: Rami, Rami.........where are you? :spider: I'm thinking 'diaper patrol'.....

Slats, if you're in a hurry, I'll email it to you.......

[Jagdflieger]

Thanks TR. She'll be just the ticket for a redo on the old Bismarck Sea Campaign.

[Rami]

This is truly an outstanding job. Great work! :ernae:

[Ravenna]

Pen's fix for the stabs texturing. When I had a go half of the markings I applied disappeared in sim and the leading edge of the port stab was white.
Still, this is a great model TR. Many thanks!

[Ghostrider]

Sweet, TR! :rapture:

GR

[Tango_Romeo]

Pen's fix for the stabs texturing.

This is Pen32Win's work, not mine....like a bulldog he grabbed the problem and shook it for five hours until it solved itself. :kiss:

It's all Greek to me, but I know this works......

I am just passing it on, and there is a small shot of his BMP to illustrated the instructions. By way of explanation, the problem is the result of a scaling issue that resulted in multiple scales in the same texture:


B-25C/D Rudder Painting Notes.

Left Rudder/Vert. Stab Notes:

Rudder:
USAAF Serial Stencil Font, Size 26
Paint From Hinge Toward Trailing Edge
Ref Point (Top Left Corner) 104,399 in MSPaint.

Vert. Stab.
USAAF Serial Stencil Font, Size 20 +1 Pixel in Vert Axis.
Paint From Hinge Toward Leading Edge
Ref Point (Top Right Corner) 59,396 in MS Paint.

Right Rudder/Vert. Stab Notes:
Rudder:
USAAF Serial Stencil Font, Size 26
Paint From Hinge Toward Edge
Ref Point (Top Right Corner) 259,399 in MSPaint.

Vert. Stab.
USAAF Serial Stencil Font, Size 20 -1 Pixel (Per Number) in Horz. Axis and Reduce Gap Between Numbers to 2 Pixels.
Paint From Hinge Toward Leading Edge
Ref Point (Top Left Corner) 313,399 in MS Paint.

[Pen32Win]

I'll be posting the entire “Tokyo Sleeper” Skin tomorrow night. I'm having fun flying right now........

To add just a tad to what TR said. There are several issues with the mapping of the VS/Rudders. 3 different alignments, 3 different scales and a 2-3* angle difference between the 4 sections. The rudder portions are actually pretty damn good. The problem is with the two VS sections. That's why you see two different vertical reference points (the alignment) and the adjustments to the Font Size, 1 Vert and 1 Horz. (the scaling) in the instructions. They are stretched to different proportions and aligned to different heights.

With just numbers these issues are not that noticeable once you’ve got all of the sizes and locations mapped out. You just have to compensate for the differences. That’s what took me 5 hours to get right. Pixel by Pixel adjustments until things were back in alignment and proportion. When we start trying to do the fancy rudder artwork used by the 498th, 499th and 500th BS’s it’s going to get really ruff. Hopefully by then TR will have figured out a way to alter the mapping of the surfaces.

Here it is up close.


In reference to B-25C-1 gun package’s effect on the COG, Wright Field insists the modification is dangerous and the planes should be grounded.....

"Put center of gravity in storage for the duration. We have a war to fight"

Pappy Gunn.

[Tango_Romeo]

The alignment problems you are experiencing with the D-Day stripes on the 25's ailerons and flaps are the result of polygon-level texturing that was necessary to fit the original skin and make it look right. :wavey:

Textures, as well as models, have become so detailed and complex, painters who do not design models can't really appreciate some of the issues involved in scale, marker alignment, curvature stretch, polygon smoothing, smoothing groups, etc. The days of one-size-fits-all, or one template are coming to an end, I'm afraid. The solution is that either the painter has to fit the individual texture to the model, or the model has to be fitted to the texture.:isadizzy:

That being said, I can create a MDL file that will allow the D-Day stripes to work properly, BUT that MDL file will be exclusively for those textures.
Send me the texture you are having a problem with, and I will do a MDL file for it. However, this will mean that you will have to post a totally separate aircraft for D-day textures. :engel016:

This is becoming an issue not only in the B-25 but in other aircraft as well. And when it comes to textures, it's all Greek to me. I just work (and sometimes not very effectively) with what I have in front of me.

[Pen32Win]

Hey TR;

I'm absolutely clueless as to the process you're going through with these aircraft so please tell me what happens to the original texture mapping when you create a new aircraft from an old source.
I think the original source of the new MDL's is from the old B-25H and I've looked at all of the BMP's for each aircraft. It looks to me as if all of the texture mappings go out OTD in the process. Is that the reason the texture sets are so different? You're basically starting from ground zero.

[Tango_Romeo]

It looks to me as if all of the texture mappings go out OTD in the process. Is that the reason the texture sets are so different? You're basically starting from ground zero.

...that isn't technically correct, but for all practical purposes it is the case. The base source file has no animations, no texture mappings. It is just a shell....a very rough sketch so to speak. :typing:

OOPs....sorry, I've been on sabbatical officially for the last 61 minutes. Alpha Golf 3 Bravo Papa signing off. :wave:

[gavinc]

Thanks for this TR

Hope you enjoy your sabattical

Gavin

[MAULET]

Wow... no words... thanks... Any chances to make a B-25G/H with Torpedos and gun of 75mm, if I am not wrong...?
Regards
J.vt.

:applause::applause::applause:

[Pen32Win]

Follow the link to the "H"...

http://www.combatfs.com/index.php?loc=archive&page=info&FileUploadName=Capt_Smirnoff&FileID=604

[Jaxon]

I wonder why the rudder is textured that complicated?
I tried to update my original ABD Mitchells and found out, they are textured slightly different and use the same scale at the rudders.

Also, the old model allows to paint D-Daay stripes on the wings, they new one does not?

However, for OD planes, the new version is a trues gift - many thanks!

[Jagdflieger]

Lookin' good TR!

Here she is departing Lasagna Island on the North Shore of New Guinea after a low level strike.

[Blue Devil]

'Bout done w/ the ACM overhaul, ...

...and putin'er through her paces...


Thanks again TR.

PS. This girl could REALLY use a workin' 3D cockpit...

[OBIO]

Jaxon

While Tango's new Mitchells look like the ABD series by Roger Dial...they are not the same plane. Tango used Roger's source files as a starting point, them made a tremendous amount of changes to the source file (LOD, breaking parts, VC) and remapped the textures. While the names of the texture files remain the same, the placement of the mapping is not 100% the same.

OBIO

[Jean Bomber]

Thanks TR and happy sabbatical time:amen:

i will finds some creeks to place some ships i will name them as my bank Tv insurance phone etc...,firms (add yours ...) and then with this bird that will be a cool therapy to exit the daily stress :Banane36:

JP

[erufle]

That's my kind of nose art - unusual. Go figure.

[Tango_Romeo]

...Sopwith's upgraded fuselage and stab BMPs for this bird. Look for them in the que tomorrow. :applause: