F-5E Wing Tip Tanks Mod

[RustBelt]

Sweeet!

[LowRider88]

That's the dilemma right now.

 

Wingtip Tanks are cosmetic, the weight in fuel is not usable as the pylon isnt set for it.

 

And they Jettison with stores.

 

Same thing for the Refueling Probe, even if modeled as something that's not droppable, there's no way to attach it to the model outside of stores.

 

So You'd lose a pylon for the sake of cosmetics.

 

Hi SkateZilla,

 

Is there any way we can mod the pylon 3D objects so that they could spatially include the refuelling probe and the tip tanks, so they don’t get dropped with the other tanks, or take up a store point?

[Sohei95]

Thank you for that mod SkateZilla! I think, that wingtip tanks are more beautiful than missile rail :) But I have problem, my wingtip tanks look like digital camouflage (photo cannot be uploaded, damn!) and I need them whole gray or red. Can you help me solve this problem? :)

[Stratos]

Thank you for that mod SkateZilla! I think, that wingtip tanks are more beautiful than missile rail :) But I have problem, my wingtip tanks look like digital camouflage (photo cannot be uploaded, damn!) and I need them whole gray or red. Can you help me solve this problem? :)

 

If you look closely you will read Missing Texture. Maybe Skatezilla can help you more.

[Sohei95]

 

If you look closely you will read Missing Texture. Maybe Skatezilla can help you more.

 

Thank you Stratos :) I know, that I´m dumb, but this is my first mode which I try to install. I hope that SkateZilla help me, because I´m total helpless

[Stratos]

No one is dumb, at least no more than me that cannot help you further

[Sohei95]

You help me more than you think :) without you I never recognize that missing texture inscription :) Problem is solved, and everything is all right! Thank you very much Stratos! :)

[Stratos]

Glad I was of some use. Looking forward to the next F-5A version from Skatezilla.

 

 

[virulosity]

Question for you guys: Is this mod not compatible with 2.5.6? When I add the comments to the "tip" section of the F5E.lua and go try and setup a mission the F5 disappears from the aircraft list completely. I can attach a copy of my edited lua file, not sure if that is against the rules...

[manu05]

HI is there any chance for me to modify the lua a way that i could play online with the Wing tips? thanks

[Stratos]

One question for the experts please. Found this picture online, the file name says is a F-5E but whats the drop tank it carries? look like a F-5A central tank, can someone clarify which tank is?

[SkateZilla]

Just a quick blurbl,

The Wintip tanks are undergoing a re-master pass,
-Revamped and re-shaped the 3D Model. (the shape was adjusted, and re-smoothed, some parts were re-built).
-Revamped the UVW Coordinate Mapping. (I actually re-did the unwrapping twice, because the first pass had some issues.)
-Merged all textures into a single texture file. (Glass, body, illumination etc are all one single 4096 Base texture).
-Converted to use the latest PBR Elements. (Glass, Chrome, Metals, Oil, AO, etc)
-Revamped template w/ more detail / stencils. ( A LOT MORE! )
-Oh, And Let there be Light. *(Tweaked to be minimal in the day, but visible at night)

Once the PTB 50 Tanks are done, I will start on 125 Gallon 2 and 3 Wing Tanks as well as Formation Light Equipped wing tanks.
-Wing tanks will have standard and Formation light equipped versions in the loadout, unfortunately I haven't found a way to link weapon animations to model animation state, so the standard will have lighting always on *(WIP Images below), and the Formation equipped versions will have formation lights always on. *(If I find a way to pass the aircraft argument state from the aircraft to the weapon and able to use that to set the weapon arguments I will integrate such function. * pretty sure it's possible, but I just haven't gone down the LUA rabbit hole of Getting aircraft states and passing it to an externally attached model.

Like prev. versions, this will be a self contained object mod, dropped into SG Folder, and the user simply add's the loadout lines to the core F-5E LUA.

T-38 Community Mod compatibility is not yet determined, it will depend on whether or not the T-38A has wingtip pylons to attach items.

 

Edited July 1, 2024 by SkateZilla

[Saguanay]

I guess I have to upgrade since they are strangely working again?

 

[Stratos]

7 hours ago, Saguanay said:

I guess I have to upgrade since they are strangely working again?

 

 

I think we better wait to Skatezilla to finish new version.

[Saguanay]

Who is we?

[Stratos]

22 hours ago, Saguanay said:

Who is we?

Me at least, you can try to update with the available mod If you feel so.

[SkateZilla]

On 12/20/2023 at 8:37 AM, Stratos said:

One question for the experts please. Found this picture online, the file name says is a F-5E but whats the drop tank it carries? look like a F-5A central tank, can someone clarify which tank is?

 

The tank is the F-5A/B 150 Gallon used by Spanish Air Force and a few export customers.

This particular aircraft is ROCAF, 
ROCAF Initially Purchased F-5A/B's with the Export tanks.

Later Taiwan Built E/Fs under license w/ modifications (Closer to F-5EM Standards, and a few elements from the F-20 Program).
They retained the 150 Gallon tanks from their initial F-5A/B Purchase as they are compatible with the F-5E's pylon.

Edited July 14, 2024 by SkateZilla

[SkateZilla]

The 2024 Remasters are finished:

As soon as I Finish cleaning up some files and package it up, I'll put it on User Files:

F-5A Tanks Mod will Include:
- F-5A Wingtip Tanks w/o Formation Electro-luminescent Lights
- F-5A Wingtip Tanks w/ Formation Electro-luminescent Lights
- F-5A Centerline ( 2 Wing), and Underwing ( 3 Wing) 150 Gallon S.F. Tanks
- F-5A Centerline ( 2 Wing), and Underwing ( 3 Wing) 150 Gallon S.T.D. Tanks

The F-5A 50 US Gallon Wingtip Tanks, have been extensively remastered and up-sampled since the last version:
- Re-shaped the Core 3D Model,
- Re-smoothed the Core 3D Model,
- Re-mapped the UVW Coordinate Mapping.
- Merged all textures into a single texture file for Left/Right Tanks, as well as Glass and Illumination.
- Converted to use the latest PBR Elements. (Base Textures, Roughness/Metallic, Illumination, Alpha and Normal maps).
- Completely new base textures for panels, decals, stencils, details. (Color Matched to the default F-5E Grey Livery).
- Added Position Lights to the Wingtip tanks. (Always on but tweaked so they are optimal for day/night).
- Added Formation Light Panels, 

The F-5A 150 US Gallon Tanks:
- Merged all 4 Texture Maps into a Single Texture Map.
- Converted to PBR
- Base textures color matched to the default F-5E Grey Livery
- SF and STD Versions Separate, SF Versions are rounded tip, STD Versions are the same general shape as the F-5E tanks.
  *( If I get around to gathering reference for the 150 Gallon tanks, I may re-map those completely as well.)

 

Edited July 21, 2024 by SkateZilla

[SkateZilla]

https://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/files/3339595/

[theRealTrickFlare]

Looks amazing, I'm just wondering if I could get the description. Lua reference so I can add liveries for them?
**please excuse my ignorance if I have overlooked this info somewhere already

[SkateZilla]

11 hours ago, theRealTrickFlare said:

Looks amazing, I'm just wondering if I could get the description. Lua reference so I can add liveries for them?
**please excuse my ignorance if I have overlooked this info somewhere already

I think I'm going to upload a patch in a couple days,
- I forgot to add the lines to modify / change for if you wanted to manually do it vs overwriting the existing LUAs,
- The description material data for liveries,
- I think I found a visual bug w/ noise layers and seams on the inside edge for the 50 Gallon tanks.
- The 150 Gallon tank seems to not be loading RoughMets. *(Gotta check debug, as the file is there, but it's not in the description.
- The 50 Gallon tank is loading a reflection map from Material chart, when it should just be using PBR Map. *Need to disable and check for issues*

 

For PTB-50 / Wingtip Tanks:
 

{"SZS_F5A_PTB50_BODY",			DIFFUSE,		"szs_f5a_ptb50_body_dif", false};			-- ALBEDO / DIFFUSE FOR BOTH TANKS BODY
{"SZS_F5A_PTB50_BODY",			ROUGHNESS_METALLIC,	"szs_f5a_ptb50_body_dif_roughmet", false};		-- PBR ROUGHNESS, METALLIC, AND A.O.
{"SZS_F5A_PTB50_BODY",			NORMAL_MAP,		"szs_f5a_ptb50_body_nrm", false};			-- HEIGHT / NORMALS	
{"SZS_F5A_PTB50_GLASS_ILLUM",		DIFFUSE,		"szs_f5a_ptb50_body_dif", false};			-- ALBEDO / DIFFUSE FOR ILLUMINATED GLASS / BULB
{"SZS_F5A_PTB50_GLASS_ILLUM",		SELF_ILLUMINATION,	"szs_f5a_ptb50_body_dif", false};			-- ILLUMINATION MAP FOR ILLUMINATED GLASS / BULB
{"SZS_F5A_PTB50_GLASS",			DIFFUSE,		"szs_f5a_ptb50_body_dif", false};			-- ALBEDO / DIFFUSE FOR NON-ILLUMINATED GLASS
{"SZS_F5A_PTB50_GLASS",			12,			"szs_f5a_ptb50_body_dif", false};			-- REFLECTION MAP FOR NON-ILLUMINATED GLASS
{"SZS_F5A_PTB50_PHOSPHER_ILLUM",	DIFFUSE,		"szs_f5a_ptb50_body_dif", false};			-- ALBEDO / DIFFUSE FOR ELECTRO LUMINESCENT STRIPS
{"SZS_F5A_PTB50_PHOSPHER_ILLUM",	SELF_ILLUMINATION,	"szs_f5a_ptb50_body_dif", false};			-- ILLUMINATION MAP FOR ELECTRO LUMINESCENT STRIPS

For PTB-150 Tanks:
 

{"SZS_F5A_PTB150_CENTER_BODY",	DIFFUSE,		"szs_f5a_ptb150_body_dif", false};		-- ALBEDO / DIFFUSE MAP FOR 150 GALLON TANK
{"SZS_F5A_PTB150_CENTER_BODY",	ROUGHNESS_METALLIC,	"szs_f5a_ptb150_body_dif_roughmet", false};	-- PBR MAP FOR 150 GALLON TANK
{"SZS_F5A_PTB150_CENTER_BODY",	NORMAL_MAP,		"szs_f5a_ptb150_body_nrm", false};		-- NORMAL MAP FOR 150 GALLON TANK

 

Edited July 22, 2024 by SkateZilla

[Stratos]

Is there any chance of getting smaller sized templates? I run out of memory trying to open the current ones.

 

Also, any chance of adding the VOR antenna on top of the vertical tail?

[img]https://i.imgur.com/FhWCc4o.png[/img]

Edited July 22, 2024 by Stratos

[SkateZilla]

14 hours ago, Stratos said:

Is there any chance of getting smaller sized templates? I run out of memory trying to open the current ones.

 

Also, any chance of adding the VOR antenna on top of the vertical tail?

[img]https://i.imgur.com/FhWCc4o.png[/img]

 

I was working on some things, but didnt want to delay the tanks while building stuff.

As for the template... I'll look into maybe a 2048x Version, but it would lose a lot of detail.

[Stratos]

9 hours ago, SkateZilla said:

I was working on some things, but didnt want to delay the tanks while building stuff.

As for the template... I'll look into maybe a 2048x Version, but it would lose a lot of detail.

 

Thanks a lot! Looking forward!

Current size of the templates are bordering half a GB, no idea of the size of the textures as I cannot open them.

[SkateZilla]

23 hours ago, Stratos said:

Thanks a lot! Looking forward!

Current size of the templates are bordering half a GB, no idea of the size of the textures as I cannot open them.

Templates / Textures are 4096x4096, the PTB 50 tanks are incredibly detailed vs prior mapping,

The Templates also include groups for albeda (diffuse), Roughness, Metallic, Heightmaps, A.O. etc,
I can remove those groups and it would drop template to about 275 Mb from 596 mb. But Users would be on the hook for generating their own PBR Maps.

They are all BC3 nVidia DDS *( I'll likely re-export as Intel BC7 DDS for the patch to help w/ compression).

Edited July 24, 2024 by SkateZilla