LanceCriminal86

Most photos I found of the class do show a good portion of the black paint band being exposed while anchored and underway, but I wasn't sure if it should have more of that black band, which I understand is there to combat corrosion at the waterline, should also extend more past the waterline. While trying to see if I'm totally wrong about it, I came across this, and there's a few others of the class in extremely rough seas with the whole bows exposed to the bottom, and they appeared to be completely black, or possibly the red bottoms were covered or discolored from being at sea: I'm not sure if this is a different sub-class as it looks like the turret is gone, or maybe a conversion of some kind? If I'm reading right this would be the Leander herself. Is this the Ikara system? In whatever case I'm glad to be proven wrong, I've just noticed a lot more lately that with DCS' current water implementation the waterlines and red underside paint become a lot more obvious. Proper sea transparency and visibility dropoff plus actual wakes and churn should alleviate it but some ships have looked like they are riding pretty high. It looks like across this whole class and the follow on classes there was always a black band visible so definitely not asking for that to change.

I'm curious about the waterline paint, shouldn't the black band extend deeper? Or should the ship sit a little lower? The current DCS water doesn't help being almost crystal clear at these angles but it seems like the ship is riding pretty high. I did see some photos that appeared to look that way though, but then others at sea/underway didn't.

Technically I've only released one skin and it's super out of date. My problem is the opposite on the perfectionist spectrum where I want to just release them once and be done, so waiting for some of the deeper texture/model fixes, and the right helmets, etc. But hey, at least I got some VF-11 skins done, I do need to get one more MODEX in for 1988 and make a nice weathering/unique detail pass on each. Might try to improve the helmets too, still not 100% happy with the lines. It's not easy doing that pattern the way the helmet was unwrapped but miles better than the Hornet helmet.

Also, I've been using the old Simmer's Paintshop values minus about 10% brightness for all my skins, and I've turned off the "final adjustment" layers in the template. I think to me those values looked pretty good in balancing between some of the photos I have seen of more modern jets and the older photos/slide scans. Some of the samples of Light Ghost hex values seemed to have it with almost a red/purple hue, which in some photos seems to look right, but not in older 80s/90s ones. https://web.archive.org/web/20060719170212/http://www.simmerspaintshop.com/colours/fs595b-3000.html

Dude, Rick and I went through that on the 1991 VF-31 skins he did. It's clearly not just Light Gull, or just Light or Dark Ghost. Some of the photos from the Lock On book clearly show that the jets were a strange patchwork of the two. I'm trying to do some VF-11 to go with them and at least one VF-11 jet was that way, the tails are clearly Light Gull but lots of the rest of the jet forwards are light or maybe dark ghost-ish. And there's so few photos of those jets that all we have to go on are scans of a book, which weren't great and in themselves messed with the colors. You've also got VF-41 that went totally Medium Gray in 1999 timeframe, where some sources said Dark Ghost. Why? Because reasons. I've also got some photos of VF-201's last 101 jet that really looked like it was overall dark ghost, but I'm undecided if I'm going to go that way on the skin or not. Sometimes it's almost impossible to pick out the TPS pattern. There are some good values out there to use, I think it's smart to sort of standardize on a value and then adjust some saturation/brightness values here and there to add those variations but try to stay near a central tone. Adding some corrosion control and fading also helps.

But the rest of the guy's shots aren't really like that. I've seen some actual super blue shifted photos where old Kodachrome slides were scanned and they didn't do the tungsten color offsets, and this does not look like that. Here's VF-142 from the same year, looking at the Light Gull tails in the background, those are pretty damn close to the same shades of LGG I've seen in all kinds of photos so far, to include the VF-31 or VF-101 jet that got it at the end and went on display in California: It doesn't look over saturated or fake HDRd to me, but it does seem like the colors are quite different from the typical Medium Gray, Dark Ghost, and Light Ghost we see. Here's his album, he's got some great stuff on Flickr to include one of Gunfighter 160 in the Light Gull scheme. I really don't think these two pics were overprocessed. https://www.flickr.com/photos/147668976@N06/albums/72157668182600938/with/39862897610/

Also fun is that when trying to turn FS colors to Hex or RGB values, you will find a few different versions and standards out there. TPS colors I have like 3 different Hex value sets and all 3 have different looks. Then sampling model reference sheets and paint company samples you get another set of shades. Kodachrome was an iconic film and most of the great Tomcat pics were taken with it, but it makes things really rough trying to figure out the colors for making skins. There's also some photos out there from 1981 of VF-142 and VF-143 that really look like they were experimenting with different grays and blues for the TPS scheme, maybe even using the same blue as the Farris scheme did. But, again, it could be photo processing and the actual film making Medium Gray FS35237 look really blue, though it seems there is still a darker blue/gray on top. It could also be a different color than dark ghost gray on the sides and tails, and on the sides of the intake.

Use snapping in Photoshop, then drag the actual DDS files from the skin folder onto the 3 in 1. Photoshop will link those files, and as they are updated in the folder you can have it auto-update them. I got it working to where I could move the psd from one skin folder to the next and it would update based on whatever folder it was in, for the most part. Also work methodically top left to right. If you have snapping on, it will snap the first one to the top left corner, then the next one right next to it, etc.

Re-saving DDS files loses quality. It would be better for Isoko to natively re-export as BC7 with mips.

Couldn't find a 104 after the last one was lost off Ranger in 1987. 107 was 160694 from Oct 1990 through 91 at least and looks like through 93 when they shut down. 162611 was NE-111 from May of 87 to Dec 1991 at least. 160887 was NE-112 from Feb 1989 to December of 91 at least. 162592 was NE-113 from December '87 to June '92.

Drop this in after the texture section but before the country list: custom_args = { [509] = 1.0, --Helmet Change }

I guess the alternative ED maintains a list of which skins to use per module, or, modules/mods just have a LUA callout somewhere which sets to use.

To really make things "right" ED needs to tie ordnance liveries to dates within the ME, and potentially another indicator within LUA to designate an aircraft "service", ie if you have the NAVY flag then the navalized ordnance skins are applied. Then before certain dates, you get white AIM-54s, and after you can have gray. Even more fun if you can have it use chance and pull a random livery from a folder to allow for customized bombs and missiles, or show mixes during transitional periods like the late 80s-early 90s for AIM-54. IMO they also need to expand the ME date filters and nationality concepts to be able to influence aircraft systems. If they did this, it would be something that I'd envision allowing for us just to have a -95 GR Tomcat, and then based on the ME date restrict systems like the TCS for the US. You could select the "135" in the 80s and have it restrict the LANTIRN and A/G loadouts before say 1996 (technically '99 was first deployment and use of A models with the capability but VF-103 with the B had a cruise with LANTIRN in 1996, and the capability was rolled out across A/B models). And if Iran is selected allow it to restrict more systems and select a specific cockpit config for example. And apply weapon restrictions as well. If that could be done then perhaps it could reduce the footprint of having the Iranian jet, older US jet, "late" 135 jet, and the A+/B all having to be separate folders and files.

Because ED's trying to make a much more modern F/A-18 than the era that the Tomcats fit into, so an E-2D and Supercarrier would fit together more closely with the Hornet than the Tomcat. That's why.

There's some external model updates that are coming after the Viggen update, at some point. The pilot body was shown to be basically complete, so it stands to reason that during the external model rework we just might see the new bodies get added in since they have to get in on the model anyways. It shouldn't be tough to rework the 55 to a bungee 68 with a little work on the textures/normals/roughmets.

Tomcatter did a VAW-122 skin for the 88 cruise: https://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/files/3318646/

@NealiusThe differences within classes were pretty minimal. The Ranger and Indy were a liiittttleee bit different from the Forrestal and Saratoga, but otherwise very hard to discern. I think the America had a slightly different funnel from the Kitty Hawk and Connie, and Kennedy herself different from the rest of them. Deck layout and scale problems really do make the Stennis a decent candidate for at least a 67 renumber. Probably no way to add smoke to her though.

The Kennedy was an offshoot of the Kitty Hawk and was herself even more different. Slapping a 67 on the Stennis wouldn't be that much different either, Stennis probably has an elevator layout closer to the Kennedy than Forrestal. Stennis and Forrestal were longer slightly than Kennedy but the in-game Stennis scale is off. Stennis > Kennedy conversion is actually the better choice for deck layout:

For those wanting mods, Admiral189 has one replenishment ship USNS Patuxent and plans for the Sacramento I believe. But until something is added officially these look very handy for the intended purpose. Only question would be if they can keep up with the fleet at ~30 knots?

Super excited for some older US Cruisers! I really wish there were some Virginia class models that weren't so expensive. At least from 88 and 91 cruises though looks like early Ticonderoga class were assigned such as Yorktown. Looks like we also need at least some skins of the older Ticos if not some mods to possibly backdate some systems. Looks like Adams class DDG and Farragut class DLG/DDG were also in the mix. There's so many classes before we slimmed down to the Tico/Burke/OHP classes. Oh, and if you saw my comments above there were some NATO ships Forrestal operated with on exercises and cruises. Looks like there's a Bremen class frigate model out there, haven't seen the Spanish F72 though.

I'm looking at "waffle pattern" fabric now, probably won't be perfect but some seem to have a decent enough pattern. Mostly used for towels apparently but maybe I can find a corduroy style, in some kind of mustard or baby poop yellow.

1) Let me clean out my office so I can show you the ghettoest rig you ever saw, to make you feel better. 2) Has anyone found fabric close to the GRU-7 cushions? It seems like it's a coarse yellow or greenish fabric with square embossed pattern of some kind, probably designed to be tough and not comfy. I am slowly hacking up a cheap chinesium racing seat to get an ejection seat-ish look and feel, and was thinking about making or replacing the existing padded areas with something like that funky fabric. I'm also seeing that using it as dual purpose for work will drive me to add a layer of gel cushion or memory foam or something. Also need to chop the side bolsters off. Eventually I'd like to take a crack at building the GRU-7 template that was provided here but I'm a fair ways off of that and plywood is now layered with gold apparently.

While trying to find some more Forrestal related stuff for the 1988 cruise and 1991 cruise, I ran across these postings that I thought might give a glimpse into some of the ships Forrestal was attached to on some of her cruises: Twenty-nine years ago today September 27, 1991 as USS FORRESTAL CV-59 steamed in company with USS DEYO DD-989 and SPS ANDALUCIA F-72 operating west of Cyprus en route to Anatalya, Turkey. SOPA is Battle Force Sixth Fleet RADM Walter J. Davis, Jr., USN embarked in USS FORRESTAL CV-59. OTC is Commander Task Force 60 embarked in USS FORRESTAL CV-59. Commanding Officer Captain Robert S. Cole, USN And some more: Twenty-nine years ago today November 6, 1991 as USS FORRESTAL CV-59 sat anchored at Toulon, France in 138 feet of water to a mud bottom to the starboard anchor. SOPA is Battle Force Sixth Fleet RADM Walter J. Davis, Jr., USN embarked in USS FORRESTAL CV-59. Commanding Officer Captain Robert S. Cole, USN. Ships present include USS YORKTOWN CG-48 and USS DALE CG-19. And more: VA-176 KA-6D Intruder on board USS FORRESTAL 4 September 1988 Steaming in company with USS SEMMES DDG-18, USS SURABACHI AE-21, USS ELMER MONTGOMERY DE-1082, USS MILWAUKEE AOR-2, and USS DAHLGREN DLG-12 in the Atlantic Ocean from Benidorm, Spain enroute to Veste fjord, Norway. And another, more somber one: Twenty-nine years ago today July 19, 1991 as USS FORRESTAL steamed to the south of Crete. At 1430 hours, an A-6E Intruder from VA-176 crashed into the sea in international waters while on a routine training mission, about two miles northwest of Avgo Nisi, Crete. Both men ejected, and searchers rescued Lieutenant John W. Musaus the bombardier/navigator, who recovered from his ordeal with left arm and leg injuries at Naval Hospital, NS Rota. USS FORRESTAL, USS YORKTOWN CG-48, guided missile frigate USS DE WERT FFG-45, USS MILWAUKEE AOR-2 and Greek forces combed an area of 1,600 square miles for almost two-days, however, they could not recover the pilot, Lieutenant Steven J. Cullen, nor any debris from the downed aircraft. Crewmen aboard the aircraft carrier USS FORRESTAL (CV-59) observe the West German frigate FGS KARLSRUHE (F-212) underway alongside the carrier during exercise West Wind '88

Very brief glimpses here, tough to tell but it seems the sun is shining in the cockpit and some of the instruments are glared over, including the lights

As far as reference books go: Lock-On No 18 F-14 A/B by Willy Peeters - F-14A+ cockpit of VF-74 in 1992, photos show the fire warning lights being opaque, almost white. Uncovering the Grumman F-14 A/B/D by Danny Coremans - F-14A's cockpit has one fire warning white/opaque, and the other clear and red. Doesn't appear to be an illusion from flash or anything as it's consistent from wherever it's seen in the cockpit photos. Actually though, there's a closeup of the ACM panel and both warning lights look white/opaque, so either it was a different jet, or there IS something related to flash photography and the lights. F-14B Upgrade cockpit from the same book shows both warning lights being opaque. The cockpit overall is HEAVILY worn, finish from the stick and the other annunciator lights surrounding the pilot's screens is mostly worn off. F-14D doesn't even appear to have those warning lights. F-14 Tomcat by Dariusz Jezewski and Tom Zmuda - Opaque fire warning lights in an F-14A I think there's a decent question to be considered, flash vs no flash, does that impact how the fire warning lights looked? Did they maybe have some kind of anti-glare layer in there that actually made them harder to see? Lol guys, maybe the lights really just were that shitty? Here's video, no flash or anything going on, overcast day: