F14 Skinners thread (Paintkit in 1st post)

[sLYFa]

Thanks for the outstanding work! Any chance to add an early 90s low viz VF-41 skin to accompany the high viz one? 

[yewls]

[yewls]

^^ Just emerged from a sweaty, several hour long GIMP session (phrasing).  Dummy's first skins- or more like I've finally figured out GIMP enough to bastardize skins I have (shoutouts to Reflected and Tomcatter87 for their awesome stuff) to fill out VF-1 from about 1989 to their 1991 Desert Storm cruise.  It's not quality work- the tails, BuNos, and canopy names are all untouched, but at least they all have different borts and Battle E's!  I've frankensteined NE 100 c.1989, 101, 102, 105, 106, 107 in gull grey and LoVis (pretty sure I've seen pictures of both), and 113.  I think I'll do more based on what photos I find, if anyone knows what VF-1's roster looked like in this time period do give me a shout!

 

P.S. - Hope the authors of the skins I used as bases don't take offense- I don't plan on releasing these and they are more of an exercise in learning for myself, all respect is intended!

[Jackjack171]

2 hours ago, yewls said:

^^ Just emerged from a sweaty, several hour long GIMP session (phrasing).  Dummy's first skins- or more like I've finally figured out GIMP enough to bastardize skins I have (shoutouts to Reflected and Tomcatter87 for their awesome stuff) to fill out VF-1 from about 1989 to their 1991 Desert Storm cruise.  It's not quality work- the tails, BuNos, and canopy names are all untouched, but at least they all have different borts and Battle E's!  I've frankensteined NE 100 c.1989, 101, 102, 105, 106, 107 in gull grey and LoVis (pretty sure I've seen pictures of both), and 113.  I think I'll do more based on what photos I find, if anyone knows what VF-1's roster looked like in this time period do give me a shout!

 

P.S. - Hope the authors of the skins I used as bases don't take offense- I don't plan on releasing these and they are more of an exercise in learning for myself, all respect is intended!

I'm liking what you have! Don't discount yourself! I hope you consider releasing these in the future...kick-ass paints!

[isoko]

VF-154 BLACK KNIGHTS - LAST TOMCAT CRUISE 2003 - PACK

available here!

https://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/files/3319570/

Edited November 24, 2021 by isoko

[Nealius]

7 hours ago, yewls said:

^^ Just emerged from a sweaty, several hour long GIMP session (phrasing).  Dummy's first skins- or more like I've finally figured out GIMP enough to bastardize skins I have (shoutouts to Reflected and Tomcatter87 for their awesome stuff) to fill out VF-1 from about 1989 to their 1991 Desert Storm cruise.  It's not quality work- the tails, BuNos, and canopy names are all untouched, but at least they all have different borts and Battle E's!  I've frankensteined NE 100 c.1989, 101, 102, 105, 106, 107 in gull grey and LoVis (pretty sure I've seen pictures of both), and 113.  I think I'll do more based on what photos I find, if anyone knows what VF-1's roster looked like in this time period do give me a shout!

 

P.S. - Hope the authors of the skins I used as bases don't take offense- I don't plan on releasing these and they are more of an exercise in learning for myself, all respect is intended!

Don't worry about all those deets moar modexes is what we need for a proper deck experience  

[Basco1]

On 11/3/2021 at 5:41 PM, Bambino said:

Basco1,

Assuming the photos were taken between June and December 1991 (very likely), according to "CVW: US Navy Carrier Air Wing Aircraft 1975 to 2015, Vol. 1" by Mike Crutch, the BuNo is 161615 for VF-114 F-14A NH-107. It originally served with VF-21, then VF-111, VF-211, VF-114, VF-211(again), VF-41 (AJ-105 "Florence"), then NSAWC.

According to M.A.T.S (anft.net) BuNo 161615 was built as an F-14A-125-GR. It has resided at the Topeka, Kansas Combat Air Museum since 10/24/2003.

Cheers,

Bambino (Astro20)

 

 

This was great information and I am eternally grateful......however I have not been able to get anymore info on this VF-114 F-14A Tomcat......which is a great pity as this would make a great Gulf War skin.

[Cpt. Weber]

6 hours ago, isoko said:

VF-154 BLACK KNIGHTS - LAST TOMCAT CRUISE 2003 - PACK

 

 

 

 

 

available here!

https://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/files/3319570/

 

Thank you Isoko for your work, this pack is definitely a masterpiece.

The skins are amazing, however, they seem to be very jaggy compared to others, all the lines and details seem to be very prone to aliasing. Any ideas why it may be the case? I seem to have the same problem with all of your skins (for the F-14, so far).

[Esac_mirmidon]

I was about to say the same. 

Those skins have any sort of mipmaps associated? I think they are missing that so they are blurry.

[yewls]

I'm getting braver... the latest being the somewhat sorry state of NE110, with chipped bort markings and a replacement radome, also pictured in the VF-1 slideshow here.  Will likely do more to it, adding a slight hood, probably removing the Battle E's since they aren't pictured.  All credit to KL0083 for his NE112 skin serving as the base.

Edited November 24, 2021 by yewls
Clarity

[Uxi]

14 hours ago, yewls said:

P.S. - Hope the authors of the skins I used as bases don't take offense- I don't plan on releasing these and they are more of an exercise in learning for myself, all respect is intended!

You should consider releasing them,  especially for those that won't do the complete squadrons. 

I love seeing whole squadrons on the ramp!

[yewls]

6 hours ago, Uxi said:

You should consider releasing them,  especially for those that won't do the complete squadrons. 

I love seeing whole squadrons on the ramp!

Ok, if there's interest I can probably put them out, but I'm gonna have to make sure it's kosher with the OPs of the skins I used as bases.  Will also have to do a little more work on the fin caps - either adding the borts or just washing them out for simplicity's sake. 

Also, the finished 110 and 111.  With these, I've got 11 jets - does anyone know if VF-1 ran with only 11, and if not which bort am I missing?

[Jackjack171]

13 minutes ago, yewls said:

Ok, if there's interest I can probably put them out, but I'm gonna have to make sure it's kosher with the OPs of the skins I used as bases.  Will also have to do a little more work on the fin caps - either adding the borts or just washing them out for simplicity's sake. 

Also, the finished 110 and 111.  With these, I've got 11 jets - does anyone know if VF-1 ran with only 11, and if not which bort am I missing?

Oh there's interest! You do good work, from what I see! 

[Swordsman422]

44 minutes ago, yewls said:

 

Also, the finished 110 and 111.  With these, I've got 11 jets - does anyone know if VF-1 ran with only 11, and if not which bort am I missing?

 

From GoNavy.jp's reference pages for the 1990 cruise:

[LanceCriminal86]

1 hour ago, Swordsman422 said:

From GoNavy.jp's reference pages for the 1990 cruise:

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.

 

[yewls]

Thanks!  Was starting to wonder why no 104 ever showed up in pictures.  So I guess from 89-91, I've got all borts that were used covered.

[Tomcatter87]

16 hours ago, Cpt. Weber said:

Thank you Isoko for your work, this pack is definitely a masterpiece.

The skins are amazing, however, they seem to be very jaggy compared to others, all the lines and details seem to be very prone to aliasing. Any ideas why it may be the case? I seem to have the same problem with all of your skins (for the F-14, so far).

Also thanks to @isoko - as usual, those detailed skins give me goosebumps and I built them into all of my Black-Knights missions I had done so far. Those skins have character and really capture the llok of each and every bird in a stunning way.

However, I also notice the aliasing thing. On your skins before that, I opened them in the software paint.net and just saved them using the (I think) standard DDS settings. The aliasing was gone after that, so it might have to do with DDS compression.

[Nealius]

How do we squash that annoying texture LOD bug? Nearly 80% of the liveries I get off of User Files change their skins when the camera is >500ft away from the jet and it drives me insane. Is it solvable with GIMP?

[ShinyMikey]

3 hours ago, Tomcatter87 said:

I opened them in the software paint.net and just saved them using the (I think) standard DDS settings. The aliasing was gone after that, so it might have to do with DDS compression.

 I have this problem too...How can I do this? What are the standard DDS settings?

[isoko]

I am having a hard time because me and my friends are not experiencing the same problem.

If you can, please send me a private message with the type of GPU and DCS play resolution you are using and a screenshot of the jaggy.

Edited November 25, 2021 by isoko

[isoko]

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1A0EdiE3AG1-J5a8c8WHaFIcQYbRcWoj3/view?usp=sharing

I have prepared a test skin for you as one possibility.
Do you experience the same problem with this set?

[ShinyMikey]

6 minutes ago, isoko said:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1A0EdiE3AG1-J5a8c8WHaFIcQYbRcWoj3/view?usp=sharing

I have prepared a test skin for you as one possibility.
Do you experience the same problem with this set?

  That one (NF100 test)is definitely better for me! I assume it's because I don't have a super high resolution screen (mine is 1920 x 1080) and your skins seem tuned for higher resolution 

[Esac_mirmidon]

I will test it as soon im returning home. Thanks for taking some time looking at that Isoko.

[Esac_mirmidon]

Much better Isoko ¡¡¡

If this is not taking to much time from you, just offer the same edit files for the rest. 

 

Thanks a lot mate.

[isoko]

Thank you all. Please give me some time.