Mike Wazowsky

POSSIBLE BUG: F-14B in a 4-ship multiplayer, CTD the whole formation (all other type of planes kept connected) presumably as I pressed RIO jettison button to jettison TALD MER/TER from stations 4,5 (TALD already dopped). @Cobra847 are you guys still monitoring this?

Thanks for the comment, can you explain what you mean here? I doubt I will have time to go through any major modification, but I'll see what I can do. You must look around the front office

Dude, Meg IS Mrs Bradshaw, Goose's wife! You failed your mandatory Top Gun currency test

She actually hides in the pilot side of the cockpit... it's one of the canopy files... Sorry can't check which one right now (off the top of my head, the one that says R_L for Rear and Left)

********************************************************** UPDATED ON 5 JANUARY 2021 ********************************************************** V2.1 - Improved a few remaining textures. - Fixed dim AOA indexer light and CAP green pointer. - More reduced size (2K) cockpit textures, still no perceivable loss of quality. - LANTIRN panel lights now have different colors for quick ID. - Menu scene improved, watch out for OPFOR snooping around... - Meg Ryan / Mrs. Bradshaw relocated, so she doesn't get in the way of LANTIRN...

********************************************************** MASSIVE UPDATE (AGAIN!) ON 30 DECEMBER ********************************************************** V2.0 - Massive improvement to all backlights. - Modified menu scene (Thanks Speed-of-Heat for the help and Hextopia for the inspiration!). - Now with Guest Stars: Kelly McGillis and Meg Ryan!

POSSIBLE TEXTURE BUG (backlighting/alpha channel) Hi, first of all, awesome job! Pity the cockpit is hardly readable, so I made F-14 VUX mod to help us with a less-than-eagle's-eyesight! ( https://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/files/3313661/ ) . While modding, I worked with alpha channel to allow for red backlight to illuminate writings and other details, but I found out the following problems originating from the original textures (see referenced pictures) PROBLEM 1 (RIO): No backlight in the AN/ALE-39 lower panel. ***FIXED*** PROBLEM 2 (RIO): In the weapon type window at night, there is an illuminated "TURN TURN" written on the glass while the writings on the rotating cylinder are not lit and not visible (they are with the flashlight). PROBLEM 3 (Pilot): In the FLAPS/SLATS/WHEELS/AIRBRAKES indicator, the dollseyes are not illuminated and hardly visible at night (they are with the flashlight). It is as if the glass is too thick and darkened and makes them hazy. PROBLEM 4 (Pilot): No backlighting for the ENG MODE / ASYM LIMITER panel. I understand that maybe 1 and 4 are not bugs if the real Tomcat is made that way... but how could I have alpha channel "recognized" for those textures? Thanks, keep up the awesomeness!!!

********************************************************* UPDATED TO V1.3 ON 28 DEC 2020 ********************************************************** V1.3 - Mitigated a bug in the RIO weapon type indicator windows (see KNOWN ISSUES). - Adjusted RIO UHF radio mode (MAN/G/PRESET...) knob for better alignment. - Minor cosmetic fixes to backlighting.

Hiya. I am the maker of the F-14 VUX Mod ( https://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/files/3313661/ ) and there are a couple of items I can't get right in that pit at night. Any help? 1. the flaps/slats/gear/airbrakes indicator (top left pilot dashboard) has the dollseye windows which look very dark with backlit cockpit. It is as if the glass in front of them is thick and dark. I have painted the alpha white (transparent) for both the cockpit portion and the indicator flags themselves, to no avail... 2. The bottom part of the AN/ALE39 panel (right RIO console), the one with lots of clickable and colored wheels, has no backlight whatsoever. Alpha painted white for writings, no show... Thanks

Probably does... I am going to do some research and maybe come up with a solution.

F-14 VR ULTIMATE EXPERIENCE Heatblur's Tomcat is a work of art... but sometimes as impractical as art can be! If you wish to improve cockpit readability, both day and night, this is for you!!! Also, uses lighter textures with virtually no quality drop and comes with a beautiful dynamic carrier scene in the menu... Enjoy! https://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/files/3313661/ Mike "Waze" Wazowsky ALL CREDITS GO TO THE SKILLED MODDERS WHO CONTRIBUTED. READ THE README! ********************************************************** F-14 Ultimate VR Xperience (F14VUX) v2.6 by Mike "Waze" Wazowsky JUN 2023 **********************************************************

Hi y'all. I am modding the Tomcat and I realize there is no red backlight for the AN/ALE-39. I did set up alpha channel correctly in file HB_F14_RIO_ALE39.dds (same method works for all other textures). Any clue? It is as if there is no light behind the panel in that part of the pit... Thanks

Thank you much, great answer! Now I am struggling to make it work with GIMP, but at least you pointed me in the right way! Specifically, I see that the alpha channel has black writing, which I suppose let the red cockpit light through. But I can't quite work on it without affecting the RGB channels, and I cannot modify the RGB channels without affecting alpha... mmmh... I'll keep looking at tutorials! I wish they worked like layers which can be independently modified. I guess I am not getting the logic here... Thanks!

Hi y'all. SO, I am trying to mod the F-14 cockpit so the writings are much more visible in VR. I have modified this file HB_F14_CPT_RIO_L_BREAKERS_05.dds It has a bunch of white writings on a transparent background. but when I install the mod, I can see the new writings but all the background texture is pitch black. As I edited, 1. I used a black layer to be able to read the writings, but then I removed it. 2. I compressed everything down in one layer and saved as .DDS file. Is there any particular setting in the file type that I need to save with? 3. I noticed there is a black halo around the original writings, like a smudge, which I have partially erased, but still there in most part. 4. BTW, I used paint.net How to deal with the black texture then? Thanks a lot, Waze

Since last updates, in VR and with two different modules (hornet and tomcat, haven't checked others) I have these things written respectively top left and top right of my VR FOV: "main:" and "Static1" Any clue on how to get rid of it? Thanks

QuiGon, what TLTeo said... Spot on! Also, along with the AMRAAM came the ASRAAM, with a different approach from the AIM-9 series (more legs, less maneuver, awesome sensor) and it kicked like a mule. True story... an RAF Squadron I knew very well went for a two-week brawl with a very well renowned Eagle wing from the US East Coast, circa 2004. They played blue-air / red-air alternatively. Even if Tornados simulated Skyflashes (similar to AIM-7M) when blue air, the final score was 38-20 for the Brits ;-) Jeremiah Weed did flow... Oh, and just to make the story more colorful, during the same period of time, at nearby NAS Oceana, the very last Tomcat RAG (now called FRS) class threw a hell of a party... Those Brits (and one Italian) enjoyed that VERY much!

Hey folks, I need some help with modding in two areas. I am no good as a graphic artist, so help please... 1. I am optimizing the F-14 pit for VR, building on existing mods and making the writings bigger and clearer. The one problem I have is that when I select buttons (RIO especially) they are supposed to light up in green and this time they won't. 2. I worked on realistic labels that leave just a grey spec out to 12-13 NM. Problem is that they are visible through airframe and any other obstacle to line of sight (mountains, clouds...). I got to a partial fix (works only with airframe and only with cockpit diffuse lighting off), but need to go further. Thanks in advance.

Listen, the ADV/F.3 started very slow, but by the end of its time it was a surprisingly capable platform, able (if used wisely) to give any Eagle a real bad day. Trust me, I know... and they know! SO... +1 ADV/F.3

How??? Thanks

Folks, I have worked a lot on labels (especially in VR) to make them as realistic as possible, from experience...:pilotfly: 1. struggling to see a fighter from 2NM on is NOT realistic... depends on many factors, but in DCS vanilla you can ONLY lose tally... 2. In this version, no labels in close (breaks immersion), and only a small speck up to 10NM... As realistic as it gets. 3. Does anyone know how to mask labels behind objects (airframe, clouds, mountains...)? 4. All credit goes to previous, smarter modders... and ED! (fix the damn Hornet for good though!) Must replace <USERNAME>\Saved Games\DCS ***or DCS.beta***\Config\View\labels.lua

Awesome! apparently the tag masking does not work. Could you make a version to mask tags behind plane, mountains and clouds? With a little tutorial, maybe? Thanks a bunch

Awesome! Could you provide a version or file to face forward and have the menu on the board, if possible? Thanks.

Thanks for the work (I follow you since OFP)... Yet I installed it, saw no real change, and actually latency went from 60+ to 70+, while FPS from 40ish to 35ish... Am I doing something wrong? I definitely have followed instructions. I7-8800k and 1070 here...

Falcoblu, quando dicevo "CHE elicotteri" pensavo più al HH-101, lo ammetto... Però il 212 non è da buttare, prima di tutto perchè "the first piece of equipment an aircraft needs to be special is a special aircrew". Ad esempio, conosco bene il 427 SOAS canadese o il 339 norvegese, che con il cugino Bell 412 fanno miracoli. Certo, ha i suoi limiti e la sua nicchia d'impiego, ma fa il suo sporco lavoro. Sulle "vecchie" Tigri che si rattristano, posso capire... i legami e le tradizioni sono importanti e ti fanno sentire "tradito". Detto ciò, ti stupiresti del legame che si sta formando negli anni tra "nuovi" e "vecchi" che stanno apprezzando sempre di più vedere che il cambio motore/rotore non ha intaccato lo spirito. In AM in generale si soffre di queste "discriminazioni" ma sono sempre più anacronistiche e facilmente superabili quando ci si confronta tra professionisti. Mi sarebbe piaciuto farti vedere le facce dei piloti di F-16 olandesi del 313, inizialmente un pò "scazzati" per il "passaggio" sul 212, poi a fine missione strabuzzare gli occhi e dire "I did not know it could be so cool! Can we do it again tomorrow?!?!?". TIGER! TIGER!! TIGER!!!

Scusa FalcoBlu, ma tu e tutti quelli che pensano che assegnare elicotteri (e CHE elicotteri! E con CHE missione!) ad un reparto ex caccia sia un insulto... beh... non ci avete capito una H! ;-) Se vuoi ne parliamo... dopo che ti sei fatto un giro con i piedi fuori dal portellone di un HH-212, di notte, lungo la carraia, con la punta degli alberi a 2 m sopra di te... E sai cosa hanno in comune il vecchio 21° e il nuovo? Il "Tiger Spirit"! Quello decisamente non dipende nè dalla macchina, nè dalla missione del Reparto.