TangoRomeo

DL ModMan Package: http://www.checksix-fr.com/bibliothe...p?Fichier=5827 (Huge Thanks to SkyPat for assembling and uploading the package ! ) Readme: "SharkPit" Beta For DCS Black Shark About ===== Cockpit replacement Textures for DCS Black Shark Note, that this release is for testing purposes only & to get input from the community. If you plan to host the mod on your site, despite it being beta, please add a remark indicating it's not final. Please use this forum for feedback. Compatibility ============= Tested with the german DVD Release of DCS Black Shark Contents/ Changelog ============= KA-50 DEVICES.BMP KA-50 DEVICES ENG.bmp KA-50 DEVICESNIGHT.BMP KA-50 DEVICESNIGHT ENG.bmp KA-50 DOP AGD.BMP KA-50 DOP AGD NIGHT.BMP KA-50 ELEMENTS.BMP KA-50 ELEMENTS ENG.bmp KA-50 INSCRI_DO_NIG_ENG.bmp KA-50 INSCRIPTS.BMP KA-50 INSCRIPTS DOP.BMP KA-50 INSCRIPTS DOP ENG.bmp KA-50 INSCRIPTS DOP NIGHT.BMP KA-50 INSCRIPTS ENG.bmp KA-50 INSCRIPTS NIGHT.BMP KA-50 INSCRIPTS NIGHT ENG.bmp KA-50 INSCRIPTSD_ENG.bmp KA-50 INTERIOR.BMP KA-50 INTERIOR2.BMP KA-50 INTERIOR ENG.bmp KA-50 PANEL L.BMP KA-50 PANEL L ENG.bmp KA-50 PANEL R.BMP KA-50 PANEL R ENG.bmp KA-50 RES AGD.BMP KA-50 RIGHTTOPPAN.BMP KA-50 RIGHTTOPPAN ENG.bmp KA-50 SCALE AGD.BMP KA-50 SCALE RES AGD.BMP KA-50 TABLE.BMP KA-50 TABLE ENG.bmp KA-50 BUTTONS.TGA KA-50 BUTTONS ENG.tga KA-50 DASH-BOARD.TGA KA-50 DASH-BOARD ENG.tga KA-50 DASH-BOARDNIDE ENG.tga KA-50 DASH-BOARDNIGHTDEV.TGA KA-50 DOP DEV.TGA KA-50 DOP DEV ENG.tga KA-50 DOP DEV NIGHT.TGA KA-50 DOP DEV NIGHT ENG.tga KA-50 FONT LAMP ENG.TGA KA-50 FONT LAMP RUS.TGA KA-50 HUD.TGA KA-50 HUD ENG.tga KA-50 KI-13.TGA KA-50 PANEL_R_BAC_INSCR ENG.tga KA-50 PANEL_R_BACK_INSCRIPT.TGA KA-50 PANEL_R_BACK_LIGHT.TGA KA-50 PANEL_R_BACK_LIGT ENG.tga KA-50 PNP.TGA KA-50 PNP ENG.tga INSTALLATION ============ Unzip SharkPitBeta.rar into your DCS Black Shark Directory. All files must go into the Bazar/TempTextures folder.

:thumbup: Thanks Skypat, didn't know whether you would be online. Uploading to filefactory as i´m typing this.

Hi all, Status: [x] Westernized cockpit [x] Night lighting [x] Russian Pit it's ready to go Beta within the next couple of hours. :pilotfly: Note, that this release is for testing purposes only & to get input from the community. If you plan to host the mod on your site, despite it being beta, please add a remark indicating it's not final. As such it does not come yet with an installer, or as a lma7 package. This means you´ll have to manually copy the files into your BS/Bazar/TempTextures folder. This method may have a slight impact on FPS, or cause microstutters on slower machines /low ram situations. Because of the texture format there are also no mipmaps yet. Latest shots: Cold Pit (W) Front console (RU) Right panel (RU) Left Panel (RU) Will open an seperate Beta Thread after uploading the files. Happy Easter, btw. :)

Distiler, for this to answer, i would need to see the respective panels in detail/ operation, not only of just one AC, but several, to make a valid conclusion. The one you are referring to, might by now look somewhat different than the shots provided at http://walkarounds.airforce.ru/avia/rus/kamov/ka-50/index.htm . Even #25 has a somewhat different layout from what we see ingame, i.e. overhead panel. Also, i don't expect 2 KA-50 cockpits to look exactly the same - especially after some time in service. My personal take is that screws/switches are interchangeable objects in RL, whether taking a phillips- or slotted screw should be negligible, as long as they are not pink and out of proportion. :D Mind you, i didn't change the 3D models of those. Concerning warning lights, they are quite realistic ... if they are also for the KA-50 ... who knows, i used the same colours as ED. If you happen to be in posession of reference material that shows extended detail, by all means, post it. :smilewink:

Chazz, i´ve got the german DVD version, i don't expect there to be problems with the BS western release. To be sure though, this is going to be released as Beta first. :) ATM the russian lettering won't look as good as the western, especially true for the warning lights. That's due to having to recycle existing material, as i don't understand russian. Going to finish/release it this WE. Curent status: [x] Westernized cockpit [x] Night lighting [] Russian Pit

Night lighting almost finished - i´m trying to get it somewhat NVG compatible though the provided onboard NVG lighting will naturally yield better results

Skypat, thanks for the pointer, except for the STBY ADI scale, no changes were made to the original resolution. Going to have a look at ED tools later. :thumbup:

Thanks guys, glad you like it :) i´m now at the night lighting, next will be the russian lettering. There`s where i could need a hand, because i don't speak russian. For now an option is to layer the original russian texture on top of an unmarked modified panel, set blend mode to lighten, and trim everything around the text. This obviously is sub-optimal and a tedious task, while legibility and quality wouldn't be improved over the original. I would be glad if someone, who does speak russian, and owns an image processing application (preferably Photoshop), could help me getting this done. Feuerfalke Yepp, i noticed when i first tried placing a 32bit .bmp in the temp textures folder. It´s either 24bit .bmp or 32bit .tga. I take it upon importing the files back into the .cdds, cddsexplorer adds mipmaps to them? And yes, some of the texture mapping is over-economic - but i´ve seen much worse in other games :D Thanks for the "C" pointer btw! Skypat Thanks for your offer :thumbup: and good suggestion about a beta release - i think remember reading a thread about cross-version problems with some external textures. Chazz_BMF I could add some more wear&tear, there`s already some more than the original - it just doesn't get across on the screencaps because of the lighting. If maneuvering the helicopter, so that outside light emitters hit the pit at different angles, it becomes more obvious. Now back to PS, keeping you posted on progress.

As for a list of changes; i think it will be most insightful comparing these textures: Original dashboard& overhead panel texture: Same texture modified: To sum it up: + higher quality textures + better colour consistency throughout the cockpit + generally a darker cockpit + new warning lights + new switches/knobs/ screws .... + new lettering (MS 33558 font for panels and gauges (western version)) + new nightlighting (instead of dark yellow -> dimmed cyan/greenish colour As for the max resolution, standard size for main panels is 2048x2048 - 4096 might work/ havn't checked it yet. Standard Res is more than sufficent though to add nice detail even when close up.

All around new cockpit textures. To do List: [X] "Westernized" cockpit [] Night lighting [] Russian version Thoughts, suggestions?

Some words of advice:

You are referring to the front panel gauges, right? The KA-50 DEVICESNIGHT.bmp and/or KA-50 DEVICESNIGHT ENG.bmp has to be 24bit .bmp.

For learning purposes i´m using the english version, i like to know what i click. Infact i´m redoing the cockpit to my personal taste; that is improved label eligability and colour consistency: :music_whistling:

Have to agree here with the terrain not being the strongest point of BS. :(Especially for a low&slow Helicopter sim i was hoping for more terrain cover and high resolution DEM throughout. As for the audio department, i think they were quite gracious with their rating.

mtwomey - i tried (see initial post) but to no avail. So far i narrowed it down to be related to changes made to the positional and volume variables of a sample entry. What does work is changing an entry from mono to stereo, and vice versa, provided the proper audio format is present in the /effects folder. I.e. changing: EngineTV3117In { Mode3D = true; Loop = true; Front = true; Inside = 180; Outside = 180; Volume = 1.0; Silence = 1.0; Size = 100; Radius = 300; Group = "Engine"; } to EngineTV3117In { Mode3D = true; Loop = true; Front = true; Inside = 45; Outside = 180; Volume = 1.0; Silence = 1.0; Size = 10; Radius = 100; Group = "Engine"; } results in a CTD. While: EngineTV3117In { Mode3D = true; Loop = true; Front = true; Inside = 180; Outside = 180; Volume = 1.0; Silence = 1.0; Size = 100; Radius = 300; Group = "Engine"; } to EngineTV3117In { Mode3D = false; Loop = true; Front = true; Inside = 180; Outside = 180; Volume = 1.0; Silence = 1.0; Size = 100; Radius = 300; Group = "Engine"; } does not.

That's interesting, i'm using the german DVD release and there seems to be no way to edit this file without BS crashing.

I wouldn't have bought this if i wanted to play simplified systems and fm - there are enough titles out there that offer just that. :pilotfly:

Lets face it, most people that got Vista installed (me included) will probably switch to 7 when it hits the market, therefore buying Vista is not reasonable imho. Performance-wise, 7, in it's current state, is already ahead of Vista, while most applications are still performing best on XP systems, mind you without any compatibility issues Vista still has. Here's a nice article putting winXP/Vista/7 multicore performance against each other. http://www.infoworld.com/article/09/01/22/03TC-windows-multicore_1.html

Don't do it - it's not worth it updating Win XP atm. If you plan to upgrade, wait for Win 7.

Shaping up nicely, well done! :thumbup:

Did anyone manage to alter this file without BS CTD'ing with an .exe error? I was trying to edit it with notepad++, also with an Hex Editor, - results are the same, game won't load. The plan is to mute the outside engine sound when inside the cockpit - after all what's the idea of having 2 different samples if you cannot hear the interior one cause the ext. sound is too loud. Help plz!