Mizzy

fps gain or not, converting files with Bright is making a wonderfull improvement to my old computer and graphics card. Can someone get the converted files up for download so others can try that are too lazy to do it themselves :D Any new skins I use are instantly converted now. Btw Bright can be used with tga files but I don't know how to convert these, anyone got the answer? Mizzy.

I will definately do that as I like a bit of character to aeoplanes :) Mizzy

You are forgetting that the file size for loading is only a third of its normal load without any down sizing methods needed (such as the overcast cloud mod) therefore the graphic has less load on your card and ram! ;) This is the benefit and the point! Mizzy

That's great news. Mizzy

Yes your right but until we have all of the graphics done this way, there is no way we can comment about frame rate as yet ! ;) One other main benefit which has not been mentioned yet is you can have much higher resolution textures like 2048 x 2048 but with only a third of its load in 256 colour. It does help my old card that's for sure. Remember this quality using 256 colour is only any good using BRIGHT. Do not use paintshop or photoshop as the converter, the graphics look shite this way!! Mizzy

All the above are 256 colour converted from 16 bit using Bright. There is NO noticable difference in quality and your graphics card will have only a third of the load doing this method. The Mig 23 is my new heavy weather skin embossed. Anyone interested in it please let me know. Mizzy

My point is that the graphics load on your card (mine is only 128 meg) is VASTLY reduced, in fact if all graphics are converted from 16 bit to 256 (using Bright of course) LOMAC only uses a third of its present graphics load. So say LOMAC needs 600 meg to load graphics it now only needs 200 meg for graphics and with no noticable loss of graphic quality ;) As I said it's giving my old graphics card a new lease of life! Mizzy.

Well done yellonet. And thank you for sharing a link to Bright! Yep its a real ball ache extracting all textures but maybe this could be a community project....... hint hint :) Yes its only bitmaps that use Bright but if all bitmaps in lomac were converted, the load time, frame rates and game play would be greatly enhanced I am sure. Well come you Guys, lets make it a community project, maybe I can do aircraft skins, someone else do the weapons and someone do the ground etc etc. Well its just a thought, nite nite. Mizzy PS I have a great picture of me getting my first air to air aircraft kill, a very proud moment. The pilot bailed out and was safe, I know its a game but that part is really important to me!

Sorry Wolf no but you can fins out about where to find Bright on any IL2 forum ;) BTW. I am converting all my graphics into 256 using Bright ( there really isn't any loss of quality after treamtment believe me!!!) and finding that the game load time is getting less and less :) but of course (I thought) converting graphics makes the file only a third of its original size i.e. a 3 meg file is converted to a 1 meg and so the graphic load is much less, again without loss of quality to the graphics.......... it really is amazing. The game is running much smoother and my old 9700 pro card has had a new lease of life :D Its a shame ED can't give us an easy graphics extraction toole for large batch conversions! You lot really want to try this, especially the online flyers, its becoming an INCREDIBLE difference!! Mizzy.

The skins show when I convert to 256 colour no mistake and there is a frame rate increase ;) But..... and it needs formal clarification, would the game run much much faster converting to 256 colour converting the 16 bit graphics using BRIGHT . There is no noticable difference in graphic quality as many IL2 skinners and fans will tell you! :) Just a thought as it seems to work for me :D Mizzy.

Well am I dreaming or is it true that you can store aircraft skins in 256 colour rather than 16 bit and play the game or does the engine automatically convert the skin to 16 bit? If not, I notice a real frame rate increase changing some of my skins to 256 using 'BRIGHT' so no difference in appearance. Can someone say is it true or was it my imagination. If not I am converting as many skins and graphics to 256 using Bright. Any comments! Mizzy

I might as well repeat it again: How do you set the pan your mouse in the cockpit? Thank you Mizzy. sorry I didn't read the forum properly, its answered elsewhere. Lazy me :(

Yep so would I ;) Mizzy.

I thought this game was all about the Su27, now its got loads of other things and the one aircraft left far far behind id the Su27. I mean whats it all about.....Alfie :) Mizzy.

Yes sorry I mean contrail, didn't know how to spell it, I should have looked it up at Dictionary .com first before wating space. Mizzy.

In flanker 2 you were able to edit (i think you could) the contour rails at high altitude because the ones in Lock on are too long. I was watching an aircraft just earlier and the contour rails were quite short and look better. Can we do this in Lock on, I mean edit them to be shorter? Mizzy

Well we don't see anything like that in Middlesbrough ;) Mizzy

Well its not exactly a priority I must admit. The real priority is to get cockpits made for the Su17, F5 and Mig 23 :D Mizzy.

I was playing with a friend (so to speak) and he had BoB II on his computer. Well I never, those clouds looked really fabulous and very real looking. Ok Lock on has improved since Flanker 2 (my first sim or was it Falcon, well anyway) in visual splenor with a vast improvement on the Disney clouds but surely we can have some cirrious clouds (or something) like the ones in IL2 and BoBII. Well can we? Mizzy

Well I wasn't really being serious simply because I don't understand anything much to do with the technical side of flying simulations. Sorry if my post appeared disrespectful, it just look like the poster put so much effort into his/ her post and nobody replied as yet :) I meant no harm. nite nite Mizzy.

:) This game has good graphics. Regards Mizzy.

I don't really do much fighting but just for instance, what is the biggest weapon in Lock On for the big firworks? Mizzy.

I am just getting into skin making myself.. these are wonderful :) Mizzy

I think what's bugging me is all the new graphics cards are PCi Express (bobbing bast*8ds) Why they can't just stick with AGP and improve that so we all don't have to keep getting new motherboards every year :mad: Yes its a 754 socket as well. I have read the manual and its this socket so I am stuffed there too :mad: :mad: Mizzy

Here is my current computer spec: MSI KT8 motherboard Athlon 64 3200 (I think its socket 7** something) ATI 9700 Pro (still very good) with Advanced graphics place (AGP) 1 gig of ddr400 ram (no name on it just bog standards I think) 120 gig Western digital hard drive. 80 gig Maxtor hard drive 160 gig Maxtor external hard drive. Siatak x45 joystick (don't know how to use all the buttons but I am working on it) 450 watt power supply. M-Audio 2496 sound card. Please note: I do not play online so no need for a fast connection. What do you think and thank you for your help? Mizzy