II.JG1_Vonrd

Yes but RSBN in the works in pretty much all other maps. It would be impossible to make a believable Cold War scenario without the 21. Without Nav aids, there can be no IMC and probably night as well.

RSBNs don't seem to be working. I tried Damgarten (CH 32 & 33) and Peenemunde (CH 16) in MiG-21 and had no reception. There are no listings in the Kneeboard. Also, Why does the ME channels page show only two RSBNs - SCF at 363MHz with no channel indication and WADAJOM? at 0MHz again with no channel? 0MHz clearly won't work. There are also no way to use ARK (NDB) since you can't input radio frequencies, only the Russian system of sector, numeral, channel in the MiG-21. I assume that this will all be rectified in the future. Perhaps I'm just missing something?

Your efforts are much appreciated!

I'm going to try to remember to bump this thread weekly in order to keep visibility on the issue. @NineLine anything new from the COO?

If I had your job I think this might be more appropriate...

Thanks @NineLine. Hopefully the solution will come before any more modules are encrypted.

I saw a few F-14 models there that look like maybe HB. You have to join and I wasn't about to.

Yes. And they have no problem allowing their Model Viewer to be in use. They have vastly more models that DCS but I haven't seen any hand wringing from them. Additionally, I've seen comments by DCS 3rd party devs saying that, while they have seen their models on sites such as Roblox they aren't particularly worried, just annoyed.

Well said Sir! It's good to know that 3rd party modules might remain as is. Well, tariffs on my Tequila and Model Viewer as good as dead. I'm going to open my bottle of Gran Centenario and miserate.

OK Doc. Thanks for the honesty. Just expand on #1. 3rd party modules included? Will all modules become "protected models" and if so, how quickly? Please continue your efforts. Thank you!

@NineLine Thank you! That's a much better answer. So give it to me straight Doc... I can take it. I just want to know: 1. Is this to be the new normal for all modules including 3rd party? 2. Is the MVR Dead? 3. Is there a possibility of something comparable to the MV (even if the replacement is missing some capabilities, and if so what will be missing)? $. If you had to place an urgency factor to coming up with a solution (what you think the team would assign), what would it be from 1 to 10 with ten being the highest urgency?

That's the crux of it, isn't it? It really seems that there isn't a whole lot of willingness. I do appreciate that a solution will take time but all I've seen is that it has been "asked" for those things that you have listed to be implemented. What are the responses to those questions from the Dev team. I have a suspicion that the answer is "go pound sand". Please tell me I'm wrong if you can. I'm sure that I'm not alone in feeling that the difficulties incurred by encryption are now to be the new "Normal" and that Skinning is now back to the Dark Ages. Again, not attacking you personally but you're the only Dev addressing the issue.

I second that. I'm sorry if anything I said is perceived as being directed at you personally. What I say is directed to ED / DCS as a business entity. Never to any person.

THIS!

7. Generate UV wireframe (when needed and when possible) 8. Navigation feature to see where specific files are located In a perfect world, just duplicate the MV. Could you please explain why (as to a child ) why the MV can't be modified in order to use the encrypted files without endangering the said files to piracy? So, by that logic, the competition was to get the skin community pissed enough to "get good feedback"? If that's the case I guess your cup runneth over.

Please don't associate anything that I have said with what @thepod is saying.

Completely true. It's just that I would really have liked to enter this competition (any livery competition for that matter) but I just can't see being able to make the same quality skin that I can when being able to use the MV. I tried using the F-5 template with the ME view but it was sooooo slow that it would be maddening and would completely remove any of the joy I get from skin-making. I don't just use the MV for pattern matching. I use it for color matching, roughmet matching and normal matching between the various UV files that make up a livery. I can vary the light angle as well as the environment. And what about weathering? Getting exhaust trails to match for example. I guess I could do a factory fresh with no weathering but I spent years learning how to do weathering in a believable fashion. So, it IS my choice but it's the correct one for me. I do feel disappointment that I won't be able to contribute and really wish that ED had waited until they had a solution before initiating a competition. What's the rush? Wasn't the B-17 competition years after the B-17 came into existence?

Exactly!

Sorry to hear that Bud but I completely understand.

You have a point. Those who wish to participate, regardless of the hardships in doing so, I hope that they will produce some stellar skins. I will probably be in awe of the results and maybe even envious. I have many other projects which do allow the use of the MV and will focus on those. I just hope that the situation will have an eventual satisfactory remedy.

In the past, I have enthusiastically participated in skin contests and, as some may know, have been lucky enough to be in the winner's circle. I will not be participating in the F-5E contest as a protest to the current situation of being unable to use the Model Viewer for it's intended purpose. While I understand ED's need to protect their IP by encrypting, I think having a competition while the issue is non-resolved is a bit of a slap to the skinners. I've made several posts in the forum regarding the issue and tried my best to be diplomatic. 9L's statement about refreshing liveries in game or ME gave me slight hope but he padded it by saying that they "didn't have programmer time available". I was willing to wait and see but with a contest being issued it seems that applying any programming time to a solution is at the very bottom of priorities. Those currently making F-5 skins, (while impressive and, especially so, due to the greatly added difficulty of not having the MV to work with) are exacerbating the problem by prodding ED to come up with a solution. 9L and BN will say "see, if they can do it, why can't you?" Participation in the contest will just reinforce that mindset.

Thanks for the reply. It looks like it's going to be a ways down the road then. I'm still hopeful for a positive solution.

Looking forward to the fully capable version (all FC aircraft). Does RedK0d's original mod still work?