Improved cockpit textures

[Damocles]

I'm just curious. lot's of things have improved in flight sims over the years but one thing that constantly seems stuck on permanent hold are cockpit textures.

 

There is obviously an obvious answer, but is it really that demanding ?

 

What I'm referring to are the matt paint jobs of the cockpits.

 

If I hop outside (F2) then there are lots of occasions that I'd be hard pushed to tell the difference between a screenshot and the real thing (maybe it's just an age thing, now where did I leave my glasses). It just looks brilliant.

 

The same, unfortunately, can't be said for the cockpits. So much effort goes into them and yet, ultimately, they still look lifeless, even with the best efforts of the cockpit shadows. Plastic warning lights, switches, metal, soft furnishings etc etc, they all have the same dull matt effect, what gives ?

Edited December 20, 2015 by Damocles

[Flagrum]

Not the sim, obviously, just the cockpit textures.

 

I'm just curious. lot's of things have improved in flight sims over the years but one thing that constantly seems stuck on permanent hold are cockpit textures.

 

There is obviously an obvious answer, but is it really that demanding ?

 

What I'm referring to are the matt paint jobs of the cockpits.

 

If I hop outside (F2) then there are lots of occasions that I'd be hard pushed to tell the difference between a screenshot and the real thing (maybe it's just an age thing, now where did I leave my glasses). It just looks brilliant.

 

The same, unfortunately, can't be said for the cockpits. So much effort goes into them and yet, ultimately, they still look lifeless, even with the best efforts of the cockpit shadows. Plastic warning lights, switches, metal, soft furnishings etc etc, they all have the same dull matt effect, what gives ?

I would assume that is by design. Why would you paint your cockpit all glossy and shiny so that you can see a thing because of all the glare?

[cichlidfan]

Out of curiosity, which modules do you fly? Have you ever tried the Horse of War mod, by Ricardo, for the A-10C? In some cases, I might, somewhat agree, but I certainly could not group all of the aircraft into your description, especially the Mig-21.

[Damocles]

I agree all modules aren't created equal.

 

It's just that going from externals, where the objects have real solidity and form to the cockpit, which despite me having TrackIR 5 and therefore potentially 3D still seem very 2D and flat.

 

Having fun in the Hawk and Mig 15 at the moment. I appreciate the Hawk is due a cockpit update but I don't expect anything radical, and yes, the Mig 21 is awesome.

[Damocles]

I would assume that is by design. Why would you paint your cockpit all glossy and shiny so that you can see a thing because of all the glare?

 

 

You miss the point. Its not about shiny shiny, it's about the luminescence that you get from real world objects made from different materials.

 

I know what a plastic push button warning light looks like, I know what cockpit buttons and knobs look like, they aren't the same as the metal panel behind. That, most often, doesn't come across in the cockpits.

 

The external views give a reach out and touch it solidity to the models, in large part due to the lighting. In my opinion that cannot be said for the pits, despite the fact that the pits are the primary place of interacting with the sim, rather than just revelling in the games good looks.

[Bourrinopathe]

I agree with your observation. Most of the cockpits, and despite their great level of detail, lack the rendering finesse that could improve the overall realism.

 

Part of the cockpits do not extensively use the specular and normal maps and there are very few in-cockpit dynamic lights.

One example is the Su-27 cockpit: only a few textures also use the specular and normal maps. Most of the consoles only use diffuse (matte) textures. There's no local cube-mapping (fake environmental reflection) or dynamic lights for the warning lights HDD and other light emitting devices.

 

Another example is the fake reflection used on the dials in some cockpits: they're just static textures and only rough smoke and mirrors, as the reflection can't move while your head is moving in the cockpit.

 

It may be a technical/performance limitation of the current rendering method for the cockpits and I agree it would greatly benefit from some visual improvements.

I'm not using DCSW as a screenshot machine even if I enjoy the external views a lot, but my primary interaction is with the cockpit view and environment.

 

Some cockpits also look more realistic due to the amount of photographic source material. In my opinion, the MiG-21bis and the good old Su-25 are some of the best looking cockpits.

 

At least, now that we can have different cockpits available from the options menu, some of them are probably going to benefit from some visual improvements.

But that does not change the current rendering limitations.

Edited December 21, 2015 by Bourrinopathe

[jcbak]

I love the cockpit textures.......The Hawk is still a WIP so that cockpit doesn't count. The A10C, F86, Mig21 and even the F15C (C@sper mod) are fantastic. Videos of the L39 cockpit look great as well. I'm not sure it can get much better without taking a huge hit to performance. Be sure to have shadows enabled.

[_Acoustic_]

Performance would tank even if you had multiple Titans. If you had every reflection show a true reflection it would be like having mirrors on but having 30 mirrors. The techniques used give us the best look without hitting the performance.

 

As time goes, the limits will be pushed and new techniques will be tried and tested. This is seen with the different cockpits as mentioned above, some have these newer things, some don't.

 

VR is a good example of adapting and trying new techniques, with that working a modeler has to be careful about what polygons you delete since the player can see a lot more now at difference angles. Before you could get away with deleting basically the back half of everything, saving huge numbers of polys.

 

Just look how much we've come in 14 years, the next 3-5 years are going to amazing so don't worry, I think you'll get your wish: