iVIPER21

Update! Got the UVW map and skin done. I need information about setting key frames for animation from ED but I don't speak Russian. Anyone have any information about this? :confused:

Thanks Alfa. Well, the LOD1 3D model is finished - 1250 faces total, now on to the texturing process. I'm not so great at UVW mapping so this is gonna take some time. Then it's on to converting the LOD1 model to LOD2 and LOD3 while making sure the textures/UVW stuff stays put. Anyone know of how Lomac uses keyframes for animation? Like on the LGB's and Mk20, how the fins pop out - the same would need to be done for the MK82HD. Anyways, here's a couple good shots of the reworked suspension lugs.

Thanks WK! I'm doing everything I can to keep the number of polygons down and level of quality/detail up. It looks like the model will be no more than 1300 polys at LOD1 - ED has set the limit at 2000 polys for weapons (posted on the main site).

Got the support struts, cross-bolts and nose-pin done, reworking the suspension lugs. Here's a couple of work-in-progress renders for you:

For making high quality videos in Lomac, I recommend the following guidelines (I think I included everything?): Make/Load your mission in the mission editor. Open the Options dialogue from within the mission editor. Set everything to low except for Scenes and Haze - set them to High and Advanced. Both of these settings are hard-coded into the track file so you can't change them once you record your track (I found this out the hard way!). Turn off reflections and mirrors. Then follow these steps: 1. Record your track as many times as it takes to get the flight exactly as you want it. Don't worry about camera angles, just worry about if your bombs and missles hit their targets. At the debriefing screen, write down the times next to any of the attacks/explosions that you care about recording in high quality. 2. Edit your track's camera angles using CTRL+E for the entire length of the track (if you exit early, it doesn't include anything after the exit/quit time). Be sure to save this track as a new file, something like "A10Attack-edit-1" so you know which track is the original and which is the edited one. Also, I'd recommend making 2-5 different edited tracks using new camera angles for each in order to give you plenty of variety, especially during bombing runs, explosions, dogfights etc. 3. Open the edited track and set all Options to High, remember to turn on mirrors and reflections too! Play the edited track version(s) and use FRAPS (or similar program) for the recording of uneventful (ie less action = more FPS) portions of the flight - at half speed if required. 4. Now for the AVI tool. Open the edited track and be sure all Options are still set to high and that mirrors and reflections are turned on. Use the Record AVI tool to capture ALL explosions that you wrote down from the debriefing screen. Be sure to set the proper resolution and frame rate (I use 30 FPS and 720x480 for NTSC) and the same aspect ratio as in FRAPs. So... for example: If you dropped a bomb at 16:45:08 and it exploded at 16:45:13, in the Record AVI dialogue, set the Start Time to 16:45:03 and the End Time to 16:45:23. This 20 second window should be enough padding/footage to help you in the editing process when you trim the clip. If dropping multiple bombs at the same time, set the End Time to 10 seconds after the final bomb explodes. You can also use this technique for when you fly over detailed cities - if required. 5. Load up your editing program and get to work! Be sure to add in extra sound effects when needed. Pick your music and try to let the music guide the cuts and transitions. Another way to easily know when to cut to a different angle is to watch a clip, and the instant you feel an impulse to look at something else or another object in the clip, cut to a new angle/close-up. 6. Watch your movie again and again. If you feel like you missed anything or that the storyline is a bit confusing (times when the audience will be asking "how'd that happen, where'd he come from?") go back through your footage and insert a new clip. If you don't have the proper clip, go back to step 2 and make a new edited track and continue through step 6 again. Anyways, that's how I do it and my results looks great. I don't care what anyone says - there is simply no substitute for the quality of the explosions you get when using the AVI tool. :icon_jook

Good idea! No time for me to do it tho.

Thanks! The devs already have a MK84 AIR - but for some reason it was never included in the release of Lock-On. You can see them in the official video called "A-10 Attack" here http://www.lo-mac.com/movies.php . I think we definitely need some high drag bombs for low-level fast attacks.

That was a pretty sweet film. One of the best A-10 movie's I've seen in a long time!

I've been working on creating a MK82 Snake-Eye high drag 500 lb bomb with hopes of seeing it make its way into Lock-On. This is the LOD1 model and has about 1100 faces (I still need to add the support struts, so I figure it will be 1200 or less when complete). I also have to make the LOD2 and LOD3 models and then texture them (what you see are the use of default materials, not textures). Anyways, here's some renders : I don't know how much time I will be able to spend this week modeling it but it should be completed over the next couple of weeks - keep checking back! :icon_jook

I'll be starting a Mk82 snake eye model in two weeks (when I have more freetime, also need more dimension info). Plus, because the mk82 snake-eye isn't on the developer's wanted list, who knows if it will actually make it into the game. I still have a couple of modeling techniques i need to master in order to get the clamshells just right while keeping it low-poly. No A10 model tho, I'm not that good, lol. 2 weeks and I'll have something worth posting.

It's a good idea but sadly not possible from what I know. However, what can be done instead is to use lower-than-normal-res textures for in-game (better framerates) and then swap the textures with high-res or ultra-high-res textures for the rendering process. Sometimes higher-res textures can help make a low-poly model look 100 times better. Just a thought.

I decided to go back to basics and re-do the default tutorials to erase my bad habits. Here's my crack at the first tutorial, the chess pieces. The next tutorial is a P-38. I'm looking forward to it! For reference, there are some cool "tips & tricks for games" video tutorials at the autodesk website along with the .pdf 500+ page tutorial manuals. Definitely recommended. Here it is:

Its your AF setting. Bump it up to 8 and i would recommend reducing AA to 2 - AA is an FPS killer in general.

Very cool! Looking forward to the Big Bang. :icon_supe

Thanks for putting your time and effort into this! I'm very glad you released it to the community and made it not only with yourself in mind. I agree that the manual was lacking in this subject. Your efforts should be commended with - at minimum - a simple thank you. Thanks! :icon_jook

Outstanding!

Looks spectacular! Thanks for all your time and hard work on this project, Bird. I can't wait to download the finished product. Your work really adds another dimension to this sim. Thanks again and keep up the outstanding work! :icon_supe

Glad to hear it Alfa! The more time you spend messing with the program, the more you learn. Did you have any luck finding books at the library? I haven't been working with 3dsmax 5 lately because I have been taking courses in AutoCAD and 3Dmodel Solidworks. My favorite is definitely Solidworks. If you build something in SW, you can export the individual parts to a CNC machine which will make them and then you can assemble the parts yourself. Really cool stuff - going from 3d model to real-life-in-your-hands creation!

Cougar, I don't think we have any control over which runways are affected because there is only one set of textures that all of the runways use. It would be cool if ED was able to have 2 sets of runway textures, one for the red side and one for the blue side - but as of right now, this option does not exist. I hope that answers your question.

Thanks for the birthday wishes everyone! I had a great time drinkin beer and downing sushi all night long. Colt40Five - No prob, glad you like it! Brit - Which German vehicle did you want for the skin pack? Email me. Alias - Now those are some words of encouragement if I've ever heard any! If you guys at the VBA need anything, just PM me and I will be glad to help out!

Those are great pics - thanks! I've got some good ones from last November's Nellis Airshow. I'll post a link to all of them (over 100 pics) when I get them online.

Hey Colt, Is this what you had in mind? It was pretty easy to do, took about an hour total. The only possible drawback (if you have a slow system) is that it is a 2048x2048 high res texture. It came out way too blurry at the normal resolution of 1024. Hope ya like it! it's zipped into a LoMan file, you can download it here: www.airbornerockstar.com :icon_supe

Thanks guys! Yeah I've been skinnin' a lot lately cuz I've been bored. My classes this semester are pretty easy - which means more free time for Lomac. I'm also working on a new website where I will host my skins - more on that when it is completed and online. I recently got a PM for Indian Air Force skins. I am working on finishing up the runway pack (to include taxiway, parking areas etc) so once I get finished with that, I hope to do a couple IAF skins. Oh and the other skin set I am working on is for the F-18 blue and desert camo aggressors (which are specially painted to resemble MiG29's). Lots of skins will be coming out over the next month or so. Brit - i'll send you an updated UN Skins zip in a few days. It's my B-Day tomorrow! Sushi and sake will be the order of the day! :icon_jook :icon_jook :icon_jook

Misfit, Tested and comfirmed. I've had zero problems with it in 1.11 :icon_jook

"If only - if only." This I chant three - sometimes four times a day - while bowing down and facing Northeast (towards Russia), hoping the Devs are listening. Can't quite tell if it's working - maybe it is because they announced F-16CJ, hehe. But in all seriousness, I'm glad you like the skin! Even more importantly, thank you for your service and sacrifice in the efforts of our great country. :icon_jook note: In case you missed it, I am not making fun of any religious practices. I am poking fun at how heavily devoted some of us in the community are to our flight sims. We spend endless hours awake, thinking of and experimenting with new ideas to further progress our passion.