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Virtavia AJ-2 Savage is out!

I understand completely how that goes.

We're all interested. We're just not bugging you every other day. From my own experience that gets old after the second one.

But seeing how you seem to be the keeper of gman5250's improved bump maps with rivets and such,
maybe you could upload something that included them so we could drop them in the shared folder and enjoy them also?
:ernaehrung004:

Cees Donker said:
Been taking a break. You're the first to ask, think there's not that much interest. Doing other things......like flying! :untroubled:


Cees
Click to expand...
 
That's okay Frank! But the bumps gman made are not really compatible with the original lines. So the bumps must be placed in the repaint folders so these don't affect the original repaints. These bumps were included in the files I offered to beta test.
Furhermore my enthousiasm dried up a bit after the mentioning of legal issues with the reworking of the original repaints.

Here are the mentioned files.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/5kbntrkpnsorz7i/new repaints.zip?dl=0

Cees
 
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Yes, I see. I gets complicated. Thank you for the link.
:ernaehrung004:

Cees Donker said:
That's okay Frank! But the bumps gman made are not really compatible with the original lines. So the bumps must be placed in the repaint folders so these don't affect the original repaints. These bumps were included in the files I offered to beta test.
Furhermore my enthousiasm dried up a bit after the mentioning of legal issues with the reworking of the original repaints.

Here are the mentioned files.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/5kbntrkpnsorz7i/new repaints.zip?dl=0

Cees
Click to expand...
 
That looks fantastic, Cees! Thanks so much for even attempting that paint. Now I'll have to pick up the Savage, for sure.
 
This is the type of thing I love about SOH, members from all over the world who get together and create additions and modifications to a relatively obscure aircraft and put so much effort into the whole process ! Mike :applause:
 
fsafranek said:
I understand completely how that goes.

We're all interested. We're just not bugging you every other day. From my own experience that gets old after the second one.

But seeing how you seem to be the keeper of gman5250's improved bump maps with rivets and such,
maybe you could upload something that included them so we could drop them in the shared folder and enjoy them also?
:ernaehrung004:
Click to expand...

I'm still watching the thread...been down the rabbit hole with P3D 3.2, related software, the F7F Fire Bomber and a certain C-47.
I can make the AJ-2 rivet/panel and bump files available for everyone. I'll post those up here, along with the skins I did put together.

Cees, PM me if you have any special requests. Anyone else, feel free to do the same.
 
Good morning! Thanks for your support and work Gordon!

A question for all the effects and gauge guru's. How difficult is it to turn this lady into a water bomber? Is there a gauge or effect that has to be added? Would be nice with this most recent skin.

:wavey:

Cees
 
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To do it right Cees, the actual model would need to be coded by the developer for the water bomber application to work with either a menu or hot keys.

An alternative is FireFighterX, which will turn any airplane into a fire bomber and has some really nice effects.
 
I didn't mention it in the previous post but the bumps and specular files of the water bomber are done by Gordon, as are the lines and the rivets.

:applause:

Cees
 
Cees Donker said:
Furhermore my enthousiasm dried up a bit after the mentioning of legal issues with the reworking of the original repaints.

Cees
Click to expand...
From experience nothing irks a commercial painted more than someone altering their textures. Plus the legal aspect of how Phil broke up the set for Steam and DLC. But we already discussed that.

However, easy solution there, don't repaint the original subjects. Find an image with a different tail number or tail code and do that one. That's kind of the whole point of third party repaints -- new stuff.
There were plenty of overall blue and gray/white Savages out there -- you've done several. If anything take all the comments posted in this thread and apply them, along with
Gordon's bump and spec maps, use the white gear bays textures where applicable, and update your earlier work. I'll be first in line to download.
:ernaehrung004:
 
Hi Cees...

Cees Donker said:
I can do all that Carlos, I just want to know if I used too much shine or made the rivets too articulate. That kind of stuff! People who have the plane can get a download link to see if they like it or tell me what they want to have changed.

:untroubled:

Cees
Click to expand...

Ok... IF I WERE DOING THE REPAINT... (caveat emptor... obviously each one has his/her own likes and dislikes)... I would be doing it in layers... so... 1. The "weathering and wear" layer would be done very faintly.. to
avoid a muddy look... you can do that by manipulating the OPACITY of the layer.... 2. I noticed that the extended bmp textures on the ZIP files look rather flat... This can be remedied by adding some volume ... again very faint (manipulating
OPACITY and using Gaussian blurs... slight darkening of the lower side of the fuselage... slight shine to the top part... (two different layers) and adding a center shine to obtain an overall cylindrical volumetric look...(third layer) when you
are satisfied with it... merge all three layers and then manipulate overall opacity to obtain a "photo-like finish" paint look...
(this is how I do it... there are many other ways...) In sum... the dynamic shine (i.e. computer generated) seems to be too much... on the pics you showed... and weathering on the bmps (opened and looked at them) too heavy...
One of those cases where "a little bit" goes a longer way...

Use an airbrush... a the lowest HARD setting...diffuse and less opaque... you can always ADD more.. I do it sort of the way I did anesthesia when I was in practice... ONE CAN ALWAYS ADD A LITTLE MORE... TOO HEAVY and the SH.T HITS THE FAN... LOL

(I have a tutorial on adding volume in my FS2004 thread when I was helping GIUS... check it out) (you obtain a look that .. I think... comes close to some of those 3D renditions like Matt Wynn does) with a lot less work...
Check it out..


Cheers,
Carlos...
 
Thanks for the suggesstions Carlos. But I always look in the sim how credible a repaint looks, not judging by the texture itself, as that leaves another impression, often not a very good one IMHO. The cooperation with the bumps and the specular files gives other results than foreseen in the flat textures on their own. That's why I post these files here for owners of the Savage to evaluate them on the model. I must have done something when there are bmp's in the files, I meant to upload dds files as is common in FSX? :dizzy:

Cees
 
Unfortunately...I don't own the Savage...

Cees Donker said:
Thanks for the suggesstions Carlos. But I always look in the sim how credible a repaint looks, not judging by the texture itself, as that leaves another impression, often not a very good one IMHO. The cooperation with the bumps and the specular files gives other results than foreseen in the flat textures on their own. That's why I post these files here for owners of the Savage to evaluate them on the model. I must have done something when there are bmp's in the files, I meant to upload dds files as is common in FSX? :dizzy:

Cees
Click to expand...

My impressions were guided by the "screenies" you posted NOT the files... I just looked them over to see what improvements could be done in the base work...
In other words... IF THE ORIGINAL WEATHERING IS VERY OPAQUE in the base textures... ANY amount of "corrective" actions will add to that MUDDY look I
see in the final "screenies"... The files are DDS... but the original work has to OBVIOUSLY been done in bmp.. unless you have discovered a method to work
on DDS designs... lol.. I mean... to get a "realistic" finish...AS FAR AS MY POOR KNOWLEDGE STANDS... the best way is extended bmp work in layers...
I don't think there is a way to do layer work in DDS or the paint program to do it with... CORRECT ME IF I AM WRONG...
So in sum... working weathering... chips, etc. in a separate layer WHOSE RELATIVE OPACITY can be manipulated... WILL GET RID OF THAT MUDDY LOOK...
Also, detail work like rivets, etc. SO, in the FINAL FLAT DDS saving.. it will ALL harmonize... NOT TOO MUCH OF THIS... NOT TO LITTLE OF THAT..
(like super nitid rivets... in a weathered finish... DO NOT CORRESPOND TO REALITY... i.e.: WHAT oxidation and color changes operate with wear and weather affects details
as much as skins... a heavily weathered skin DOES NOT GO with extra sharp rivets... ) to get that much sought "realistic" finish..
[ which in the final analysis leads to... IF ONE WANTS A REALISTIC FINISH... NOTHING BETTER THAT A PHOTOGRAPH... LOL]
The same applies to those "rivet counting" comments about exact RLM colors... WITH WEAR.. no two aircraft show the same factory color... i.e: weather not only affects
opacity BUT ALSO.. tints.. saturation.. etc.
I KNOW FROM MY WORK... that it is NICER to receive KUDOS than criticism... My first impression when someone points out MY errors or mishaps... is often negative
but in the end.. I KNOW it makes me SEEK to do a better job the next time... so I ignore that feeling of disappointment and try to find the positive in the comments...
My comments are based on stuff I learned through TRIAL AND ERROR... ESPECIALLY ERROR... LOL... and I know I STILL HAVE A LONG WAYS TO GO TO DO MUCH BETTER WORK...
Hope you take the comments for what they are... an effort to improve things...

Cheers,
Carlos
 
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