P-47 Progress Thread - Page 7
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Thread: P-47 Progress Thread

  1. #151
    Now here's an interesting tidbit (though the explanation is rather lengthy):

    When I started this project, I didn't know how to add a *_r.dds or *_s.dds map to the model as simply copying one of those files into the CFS3 folder of the model clearly didn't work (I was hoping it would be picked up automatically by the sim, as *.+nm.dds files are). Then I remembered hexediting .m3d files to create standalones, so the reference to those files was in the .m3d file, which in turn meant that they should be added in gmax. Looking through gmax I found a series of map options in the material editor. Adding my *_r map to the material did work and the texture was picked up ingame. But adding the *_s.dss to this material resulted in an error when I exported the P-47 model, telling me that the '4th channel couldn't be used and this texture would be ignored'. That seemed consistent with the SDK that stated that having both files simultaneously wasn't possible and with the stock P-47 that had both textures in its folder but with just one reference in its .m3d file. But that was on my laptop...

    When I tried the same thing on my desktop, I was able to export a .m3d with both files added to the model without the error message. I checked the .m3d with a hexeditor and both references are there indeed. Weird, isn't it? Maybe it has something to do with the gmax settings or other alterations I made to the two installations?

    Now I haven't tried what the model looks like ingame as I created my *_s file quickly by copying the *_r.dds and renaming it to *_s.dds (so they are basically the same - but so do the stock P-47 files appear to me). Also, gmax quickly runs out of memory when adding the *_s file to all materials - having three 4096 files per material (*_t, *_r and *_s) clearly is too much but I think that could be resolved by replacing the *_r and *_s files with small placeholder files for export purposes, as they are not practically used in gmax anyway. But it also has me a bit confused because if this works it would appear I now have four variables to control to get the looks quite right: The gmax material settings and the *_t, *_r and *_s. texture maps!

    To be continued?! (Hopefully...)

    Oh, and I could be going about this completely the wrong way but then I'm sure someone will correct me
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails grab-000.jpg  

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  2. #152

    Icon5

    Well there's only one way...suck it and see.....

    If MM doesn't mind me saying, and up for it, I'd send it to him to assess.


    Shessi

  3. #153
    There is also the possibility of doing a separate version for skins that use full paint, either in gmax or with a hex editor later, though I suppose the ideal is to not have to do that.

  4. #154
    OK guys,

    Right now I am doing three things simultaneously: a little (re)modeling, unwrapping and playing with textures and material settings to keep things both interesting and in motion. I managed to create some short clips showing where I am with the model:

    https://vimeo.com/493129138

    https://vimeo.com/493129137

    https://vimeo.com/493128990

    Comments are always welcome but be prepared that you probably will get a "It's already on my list" or a "It's a WIP" -reply...

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  5. #155
    Well, for a first model, I'd say that was pretty dam good!
    John
    (DR/ MAW/ ETO/ PTO Textures)

    Keep it coming!

  6. #156
    Member sixstrings5859's Avatar
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    Looking Great !! Really nice work. Can't wait to see this one in action ! Regards,Scott

  7. #157
    Small update:

    I now have properly unwrapped nearly every part of the external model and managed to place them on a single texture sheet, so that means that I can start painting the exterior in full earnest - what you have seen so far was mostly try-out and me being impatient / wanting to see what things would look like ingame. It also means that there's going to be a paintkit!


    Quote Originally Posted by sixstrings5859 View Post
    ... Can't wait to see this one in action !...
    Just for fun, a 30s. video of the flaps being deployed in gmax. In the real aircraft, the maganta parts are linked to a torque tube that runs the span of the flap - see posts #59 & #72 of this thread. There are slots in the trailing edge of the wing for the green arms. These are already cut but I can't decide whether the slots were covered by spring-loaded covers (such as the one nearest to the fuselage) or left open. Museum and flying examples seem to have them seldom installed. The flap deployment starts about 3-4s. in and is repeated once:

    https://vimeo.com/501810036
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Teaser32.jpg  

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  8. #158
    This site has a couple of good diagrams of the flap actuators. They discuss the missing covers on our existing examples, and highlight that the flaps slid straight back to fully open the slot prior to rotating downward.

    https://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/rc-warbirds-warplanes-200/5801271-p-47-flap-question.html
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  9. #159
    Quote Originally Posted by Frosty View Post
    Small update:

    I now have properly unwrapped nearly every part of the external model and managed to place them on a single texture sheet...
    Tidy work, very tidy work; there's little space wasted there! I approve of the fuselage unwrap, they're a bear to get right, ain't they?
    Tom
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  10. #160
    Yea, that's a nice bit of mapping Joost
    John
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    Keep it coming!

  11. #161
    SOH-CM-2024 Pat Pattle's Avatar
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    Just for fun, a 30s. video of the flaps being deployed in gmax. In the real aircraft, the maganta parts are linked to a torque tube that runs the span of the flap - see posts #59 & #72 of this thread. There are slots in the trailing edge of the wing for the green arms. These are already cut but I can't decide whether the slots were covered by spring-loaded covers (such as the one nearest to the fuselage) or left open. Museum and flying examples seem to have them seldom installed. The flap deployment starts about 3-4s. in and is repeated once:
    Wow Joost, that's a very cool bit of animation, talk about a labour of love!
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  12. #162
    Quote Originally Posted by Pat Pattle View Post
    ... talk about a labour of love!
    Haha, more like out of necessity!
    I knew about the page Andy linked to (thanks Andy!), so I had a rough idea how the thing worked but to create a more accurate rendition, I had to model most (and specifically the visible) parts of the system. Drawing circles with all parts' axes as a center to show their range of motion, I animated the whole contraption using the points where the circles intersected. The result is the animation shown in the post above. I think it is quite accurate: at first, the flaps slide mostly back and a little down (also to clear the wing fillet. Straight aft is not possible, as part of the flap is tucked under the fillet) and only near the end they start to rotate downwards.

    Currently, the ingame flaps animation has 4 settings: 10, 20, 30 and 40 degrees. This was not the case in the real aircraft: There are only three positions for the flap lever - 'Up', 'Neutral' and 'Down' and no flap gauge or anything of that sort. To get to a certain flap setting, the pilot moved the lever to the down position and when the flap reached the desired angle, he moved the lever to 'Neutral'. Leaving it in 'Down' gave full flaps. Retracting the flaps was a similar, but opposite, affair using the 'Up' and 'Neutral' positions. To aid the pilot, there was a stencil on the outboard side of the flap showing the approximate flap angle, see the first piccie in post #72 of this thread. When viewed from the cockpit the first two of the four flap settings do look like the flap is sliding more aft than rotating downards. Again, a short video of just the mechanical linkage created. Only the torque tube has been omitted for the final model because it isn't visible from the outside:

    https://vimeo.com/502942744

    I also found a short YouTube video of an RC P-47 model with a similarly modeled flap drive system. Though I usually regard plastic and RC models with a suspicious eye (as they're not always true to the real deal), this one seems pretty accurate and shows the same animation:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqJ5n_55utU

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  13. #163
    Member sixstrings5859's Avatar
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    Really excited to see a well done P-47. Thought it always needed attention in CFS3. Thanks for doing this Frosty ! Hope things are coming along nicely . Regards,Scott

  14. #164
    I have run into a few texturing snags which I hope some gmax guru can help solve:

    1. I have model parts that are partially aluminium, partially plexiglass (the canopy and the fuselage/windshield). When applying a material it therefore seemed logical to create a multimaterial with the properties of aluminium and plexiglass. The parts are mapped to the same texture sheet. Somehow I can't seem to get the plexiglass very shiny or reflective: When I add a diffuse map to the plexiglass material and set the opacity, I can get it very shiny but I lose the opacity. If I don't apply a diffuse map and set the opacity, the glass stays rather dull. I am a bit puzzled here!

    2. When applying the multimaterial to certain model parts, they do show the texture but not the material properties (metalness, shine etc.). I have removed the material from the parts, applied it again but this doesn't solve the problem. If I create a new, separate standard material, they pick it up fine... Any idea why this is?

    Thanks!

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  15. #165
    With the aid of Dan I managed to tackle the secret to shiny plexiglass:

    Click image for larger version. 

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    I am pretty pleased with how it turned out. To my eye the plexiglass canopy really does look like..er.. plexiglass!

    Unfortunately, the model shown above will not be continued: when riveting the underside of the AC I noticed some discrepancies which prompted me to review the blueprints. As it turned out, there are two frames 101 5/8, a forward and a rear one, 8 inches apart, something which I somehow managed to miss or ignore before. So the model is 8 inches short! I had to cut the model apart, surgically insert this bit, re-attach the wings etc. and had to partially remap the external model. Because I had made some alterations to the mapping itself and had to move the parts around a bit on the texture sheet to fit this extra length in, I could also discard most of the previous riveting. Back a few squares!

    I also took the opportunity to make a few extra cuts to assign those parts different material values in the hope that it would give a better final result. The good news is that progress isn't bad and that I have already riveted some parts I hadn't done before:

    Click image for larger version. 

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  16. #166
    I wonder if this is where that extra 8 inches came from:

    "P-47C-1-RE, with 8-inch fuselage extension to move the center of gravity, improving flight characteristics. Minor changes to the main undercarriage were made, and tailwheel steering was omitted. Other minor changes were made to the turbo-supercharger air duct, elevator control system, and controls. 54 built, plus one P-47C-RE modified as the prototype."

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republ...variants#P-47C

  17. #167
    That sounds very plausible, Dan!

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  18. #168
    Member sixstrings5859's Avatar
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    Wonderful to see progress being made on you beautiful P-47 ! Keep up the good work. Love the P-47 and it's time it was given justice . Thanks so much for your time and effort ! Regards,Scott

  19. #169
    Quote Originally Posted by Frosty View Post
    With the aid of Dan I managed to tackle the secret to shiny plexiglass:

    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	Teaser33.jpg 
Views:	53 
Size:	239.7 KB 
ID:	83522

    I am pretty pleased with how it turned out. To my eye the plexiglass canopy really does look like..er.. plexiglass!

    Unfortunately, the model shown above will not be continued: when riveting the underside of the AC I noticed some discrepancies which prompted me to review the blueprints. As it turned out, there are two frames 101 5/8, a forward and a rear one, 8 inches apart, something which I somehow managed to miss or ignore before. So the model is 8 inches short! I had to cut the model apart, surgically insert this bit, re-attach the wings etc. and had to partially remap the external model. Because I had made some alterations to the mapping itself and had to move the parts around a bit on the texture sheet to fit this extra length in, I could also discard most of the previous riveting. Back a few squares!

    I also took the opportunity to make a few extra cuts to assign those parts different material values in the hope that it would give a better final result. The good news is that progress isn't bad and that I have already riveted some parts I hadn't done before:

    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	Teaser34.jpg 
Views:	52 
Size:	376.4 KB 
ID:	83524
    Ah a rivet counter, I like it!
    John
    (DR/ MAW/ ETO/ PTO Textures)

    Keep it coming!

  20. #170
    Quote Originally Posted by Bravo/4 View Post
    Ah a rivet counter, I like it!
    Well, I know people who wouldn't call 8 inches (0,2032m!) unsubstantial . Besides, the rivet pattern didn't fit (yes, I did count them ). I hope you weren't expecting anything less.

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  21. #171
    No, what you have done is exactly what I was expecting!
    John
    (DR/ MAW/ ETO/ PTO Textures)

    Keep it coming!

  22. #172
    Member sixstrings5859's Avatar
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    Really exciting to see such a quality model of one of my all time favorites for WW II. Please keep us updated. Thanks for your passion and hard work ! CFS3 is alive and well ! Regards, Scott

  23. #173
    Member sixstrings5859's Avatar
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    Frosty, just was wondering how things are coming along ? Really excited to see such a nice P-47. One of my all time favorites getting all this attention is nice. Thanks for all the time and effort ! Regards,Scott

  24. #174
    Thanks for your interest in my humble work ;-)
    Currently I am still riveting the external model, which is the most tedious job you can imagine: It's studying blueprints, reference photos, counting rivets, and painting them on the texture. As RL is a priority on weekdays, it leaves mostly weekends for texture painting. This makes progress slower than I like but I have already placed more rivets on this newer, longer model than on the old one. So that's good. You'll get a screenie when I feel there's enough to show ;-)

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  25. #175
    Member sixstrings5859's Avatar
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    Thank you for all the passion to get it right to begin with. Makes it all the worthwhile to wait. I'll be around a long time,Lord willing, so i have patience . That's one thing this sim has taught me... Regards,Scott

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