J-1775

Thanks for the quick answer. As I was prepared to pay $9.99 I may indeed go for the 'just ignore it' advice. The warning msg was just somewhat intriguing. BTW, are you a WWII backer, too, or is that error not tied to that?

I'm a WWII backer and have both Normandy and Channel installed. In the shop I have Normandy 2 offered for $9.99 with a remark underneath «You already have a serial number for this product». When I load it in the cart and go to checkout, same: Indeed, when I check all my licences I see a serial # beside Normandy 2.0 Map. I copied that numer to the Check licence form, but I turn round. With latest DCS update 2.8.4.39313 I only find the module as available in the shop. But then again the warning that I already have it. BTW, I checked in ME, there is the old map of Normand 1. How do I activate my serial?

Thanks, worked fine now.

Seems like something has happened to the link. Shouldn't it be an invitation link for Discord?

Thanks for this lovely and interesting video tutorial! So far I only worked with static objects and objects with no animation. But when I start to work with animation, I certainly will come back to your tutorial for a great help! Gracias!

As propably every mod creator I can make up a very good picture of your situation, JahnR. However, as others have already noted this thread currently seems quite dead. Apart from my recent question I see more open and unanswered questions. Hope the best for you. If you find a better thread for newbie mod creators, please come back and 'spread the word' here.

Eye tracking comes with big and mostly unresolved privacy issues. I wouldn't take a Quest with eyetracking from Zuck, not for free! For all that care: Varjo Base software has a privacy switch (under System). It restricts eye tracking data to foveated rendering use (and probably ─ though not explicitely said ─ to their automatic IPD adjustment), but blocks to all applications. If it does what it promises it's certainly a good thing!

Many thanks Dweeeeb for the fix! I love those machines ─ though I must confess I currently 'misuse' them mostly for slow low-level sightseeing along the coasts of the Marianas... Now for something completely different. A problem for which you after your immense work and acquired experience might have the answer. I have a nice and fully licensed shipwreck model. It'd be the developer's dream. Placed in different angles (until upside down) on the seaground it looks very different. However, to achieve that I currently have to create and export different.edm 'shapes'.All with their own LODs... Apart from cardinal direction, is there a way to place one and the same object in different tilted positions in ME?

Okay, I know how to creat MIPMAPS (easy enough with Photoshop and Nvidia exporter plugin), but can somehow explain me what rule or algorithm controls the reload of mipmaps while the game is running? Is it DCS, DX11 or even the graphic driver? Can I control it somewhere? Is there any relation to shape LODs?

Thanks. That was actually the starting point for my question: Is it better to save my texture files with MIPs and let the system do all the deciding when to swap MIP subfiles or shall I save extra smaller files for each of my LODs and associate them to the appropriate LOD. It would appear to me that the first way should be the optimized way, even quality-wise? It'll also be much less complicated than associating different file names to each LOD. What ya think? Since I use NVIDIA's DDS texture exporter tool I was just wondering who exactly decides when the subfile swap happens. Is it the game (DCS), is it DX11/Vulcan or maybe even NVIDIA's driver?

Hi Dragon. You seem to know something about that! I wonder how MIP loading is done in DCS. Is ist done all automatically (if a DDS includes mipmaps) or can I control it somewhere for my own EDM models? Especially I wonder if there is any correlation between shape LODs and mipmaps?

Haha, good point! When I worked on the next sailship models (soon to come!) I noticed that I had indeed forgotten the wake. Version 1.1 with added wake was ready, when I started to work on the 'experimental' transparency and I postponed it. My wake is somewhat more discrete, the trail is definitely shorter. I think it's quite appropriate for a sailship with no screw(s). But wait... And you can always keep yours!

Thanks for this work, Magic, great stuff! As you mention (at least between the lines), the Mustang, once a state-of-the-art showpiece, has over the years become a poor cousin. Looking forward to all your updates. More, even heavy(!) weathering is much appreciated. Especially on the wings' step area, but every place else, too. Redone rivets together with overhauled normal map will be eye-candy. And holy cow, increased texture res! Isn't that the reason why I ordered a Varjo?

Awesome addon, must have been incredible work, many thanks! I noticed a folder 'WW 1 Ships' with an entry.lua referenzing to objects (e.g. 'hms_bounty_furled_sails') that I found nowhere. Maybe a left-over? Or a teaser for things to come? If I may add: In the Sopwith Camel's VR cockpit view the lower wings are not visible ─ only the ailerons. At least from top. The upper wings are visible, from topview, too. Haven't yet tested many of the flyable aircraft.

Thanks lord-gore, you know your profile pic somehow acts as a whistleblower to what you say... But indeed, the Yak-52 is one of my all-time favourites ─ in the right livery.

You indeed managed to move objects out of their group? With drag'n'drop or by some menu? Flatening the hierarchy is the part where I always have to open C4D. EDIT: seems like pressed SHIFT enables drag'n'drop of objects in and out of groups/collections. Must further investigate... This is another strang thing. Sometimes I can apply the same trick, that is: selecting ALL objects in object mode, pressing ALT and entering new scale values for all 3 axis in the properties. Whenever this does not work (the model 'explodes') I select all objects, go in Layout mode, activate the Scale tool on the left side menu, pick the inner white ring and scale the model without any undesired exploding parts. While you change the white circle you will see the the actual scale value in the top left corner. It is a bit tricky to get the desired value, especially after the comma and may need some trial and patience.

No, certainly not. Turbosquid is a very mixed bag. You find everything, from beautiful designed highpoly meshes that come in a well organized structure with properly named texture (and even separate NRM and SPEC files) and some 'game ready' with up to five LODs until 'spaghetti' packs with meshes just numbered up. One model I bought was almost entirely in Chinese font, meshes and materials. All that was legible for me were some numbers. Actually, Blender and DCS seemed to not mind... If models come with an FBX or OBJ file, one usually can open them in Blender quite well. But the proper organization and naming is key for the migration. Whether it takes just one day or several days. Or weeks... @1MajorKoenig If you ─ like me until a couple of days ago ─ fight with hundreds of objects that need to have 'RenderNode' activated and don't know how to do that in a one-click-operation, Blender's 'trick' for changing properties of multiple objects is the ALT-Key. Select all objects you want to activate for render, and then ─ with either one of the ALT keys pressed ─ open the dropdown and choose value. Never mind if you knew that already.

I must confess I never managed to assign objects in groups to an armature. I always prepare files in Cinema4D and export them in a totally flat hierarchy, no groups, collections or anything like that. I'm quite certain I could do the same in Blender, I just haven't found out (yet) how to do so. I hope you've found a solution how to deal with objects in groups and I'm very interested to hear about it! Cinema is so easy in this respect, it's simple drag and drop into and out of groups/collections...

I found that 'Blending' values of 1 or 3 (instead of 2) support 8 bit alpha channel. Unfortunately each of them has its downsides. But thanks, I'll give blending '2' another shot with a BC3 conversion.

Wonder about the same. DDS BC7 supports explicit alpha channel with 8 bits (equals grayscale), but all I get in model viewer is punched holes... Same when I fall back to PNG format...

Thanks for the tip. But he flightsim-to site is dedicated to FS2020. I actually did a Blériot XI livery for FS2020, but I'am quite reluctant to indulge into their scenery design. But you're right, FS2020 simmers would probably be more of the 'peacenik' types to enjoy leasure flying. Though, the latest FS2020 update brought the F/A-18. They're kind of amalgamating...

To give you a glimpse of what new objects I was able to make 'DCS ready' with the Exporter and with all your help here, you may watch my teaser video in the new thread: Many thanks again! You'll hear me holler here once I take the next step: animated objects.

Hi. My first DCS movie. The video is actually just a by-product and 'teaser' for an addon to the Marianas terrain. But thought, I'd also place it here. If you want to comment please head over to my thread under 'mods':

The release of the Marianas was a huge scenery booster to DCS. Especially for those with a love for low-level sightseeing ─ pardon: 'recon missions' ─ in slow prop planes and rotaries. Maug Islands has soon become my favourite spot, criss-crossing its caldera almost every morning... After a while I began to daydream and having visions. I saw shipwrecks on the caldera's bottom, with great whites patroling. And sometimes I even believed to see a glimpse of Amelia Earhart's Electra 10. With no knowledge or experience with neither ME nor Blender and its EDM Exporter it was a LONG journey until I had a good number of (unanimated) objects 'DCS-ready'. BTW, as the year in the title suggests, they're all peacetime objects! (The video, though, does include carriers and planes by Hawkeye60.) I don't know how long the next step, dealing with object animations, will (or would) take. But after months of work I felt for a break. And then <hint, hint> I think of the project as an 'open project' anyway. So everyone is invited to enhance and expand it! My personal whish-/todo-list includes animated sails and flags for the sailships animated Birdman (the original 3D model is actually fully rigged and playing in Blender) animated great white (same here) group of animated whales for 'whale watching' Thanks to tobi, grajo, copprhead. Without their help and work this project wouldn't exist. This free addon is not quite ready to be released, its scope will be much subject to availability/affordability of necessary licences. But here's a teaser video. Please comment and help to keep the project thriving. EDIT: 2022-02-03: I just put one of the sailships in the user files. 30+ variants of hoisted and furled sails, transparent or battle torn, bring some color to any of your sceneries and missions. Not alone the Marianas, but also to Normandy, The Channel, Syria... Version history of «BRIG»: v1.0 Initial release v1.1 Added moderate wake, front and aft. What seems appropriate for a sailship with no screws and an average speed of around 10 knots. v1.2 Improved NORMALS and SPECS for sail canvas. Streamlined usage of all NORMALS and SPECS, now only very upclose (LOD0, 300m, some LOD1). Some changes to the Static Templates. A second sample 'mission' file giving a quick overview of all 32 variants in box formation is now included (like screenshot above). Extract and overwrite all existing files.

I take that remark that you are making good progress!