Personal Project | P-51 High Resolution Texture Overhaul

[Magic Zach]

[Dec 3 Update: THIS PROJECT IS ON HOLD. WILL POST WHEN PROGRESS RESUMES. I EXPECT TO KICK BACK INTO THIS IN Q1 OF 2020]

 

So, to start off, I started this project a couple weeks after Heatblur released their F-14. I was so inspired by their absolutely astounding texture work, I struck out to give one of my favorite modules in DCS the same treatment. I want to say here that I do appreciate the retexturing that Eagle Dynamics did to the Mustang (and other warbirds) back in December! But with the release of the F-14, I believe a new standard for external textures has been established. And because the P-51 is among the oldest modules in DCS at this point, I believe it is due for a change on its outward appearance.

 

What you will see here is my personal livery, which features some items that will be specific to me. I have chosen to create the 328th FS of the 352nd FG, with the red rudder. Some items like nose art and names will appear down the road. Once I complete my personal livery, I plan to do a similar rework of the default liveries provided by ED. Changes to a few things between liveries will probably not be done. My retexture of default liveries will likely be my own personal livery, only with different paint. So you can look at my livery to see what you can probably expect. The screws, rivets, bumps, and dents you see on my livery is what will be seen on the default liveries, down the road.

 

Liveries are in four pieces, the front fuselage, the rear fuselage, the left wing and right wing. At the moment, I'm only on the front fuselage.

 

-Much of the diffuse texturing is done. Much grime is still to be done.

-I've just started to create the normal map, early stages

-Probably double the number of rivets from the original textures. Still more to do on this piece

-Additionally, I'm adding screws

-Added more dezus fasteners

-More holes in the bottom cowling I'm a bit fuzzy on which ones are for what, so feel free to inform me

-The big thing for me is text, it is now readable from the outside

-Addition of the coolant and aftercoolant reliefs, underneath the aftermost exhaust stacks on either side

-Heat scoring/discoloration added

 

Be aware I am limited in some ways by the 3D model (or on occasion, simply my level of skill). As an example, I cannot recreate the access door on the P-51's spinner, because one half of the spinner is a textural duplicate of the other. I cannot place one, only two. So I will leave it alone.

 

Now for pictures

I need to say something about this photo. The pilot here is a pilot created by someone else in the modding community, I want to say Rudel. Feel free to correct me on that. He is not my work, and currently I'm on the fence about if I will keep him or leave the default pilot textures.

\

 

I'll probably post updates down the road, as I made progress. Not in this post, but among additional posts below.

 

I also encourage anyone who wants to get into creating liveries, or already is into creating liveries to join this Discord group. We hang around and share tips, tricks, and pictures of our works!

Link: https://discord.gg/vAp2cp

Special thanks to PorcoRosso86 for helping me get started on creating normal maps!

 

I feel like I'm walking on egg shells, with what people may expect of me. I need to make something especially clear: I am a minor. My life is dependent on school and my parents. To their knowledge, I am just playing games all the time, with all the time I spend on my computer, working on this. They are always wanting me to "unplug". While not a bad thing, it will take away my time on how fast I can work on this, or IF I can work on this (I could get grounded for who knows how long). TL;DR, no promises

Edited December 3, 2019 by Magic Zach

[amazingme]

So, to start off, I started this project a couple weeks after Heatblur released their F-14. I was so inspired by their absolutely astounding texture work, I struck out to give one of my favorite modules in DCS the same treatment. I want to say here that I do appreciate the retexturing that Eagle Dynamics did to the Mustang (and other warbirds) back in December! But with the release of the F-14, I believe a new standard for external textures has been established. And because the P-51 is among the oldest modules in DCS at this point, I believe it is due for a change on its outward appearance.

 

What you will see here is my personal livery, which features some items that will be specific to me. I have chosen to create the 328th FS of the 352nd FG, with the red rudder. Some items like nose art and names will appear down the road. Once I complete my personal livery, I plan to do a similar rework of the default liveries provided by ED. Changes to a few things between liveries will probably not be done. My retexture of default liveries will likely be my own personal livery, only with different paint. So you can look at my livery to see what you can probably expect. The screws, rivets, bumps, and dents you see on my livery is what will be seen on the default liveries, down the road.

 

Liveries are in four pieces, the front fuselage, the rear fuselage, the left wing and right wing. At the moment, I'm only on the front fuselage.

 

-Much of the diffuse texturing is done. Much grime is still to be done.

-I've just started to create the normal map, early stages

-Probably double the number of rivets from the original textures. Still more to do on this piece

-Additionally, I'm adding screws

-Added more dezus fasteners

-More holes in the bottom cowling I'm a bit fuzzy on which ones are for what, so feel free to inform me

-The big thing for me is text, it is now readable from the outside

-Addition of the coolant and aftercoolant reliefs, underneath the aftermost exhaust stacks on either side

-Heat scoring/discoloration added

 

Be aware I am limited in some ways by the 3D model (or on occasion, simply my level of skill). As an example, I cannot recreate the access door on the P-51's spinner, because one half of the spinner is a textural duplicate of the other. I cannot place one, only two. So I will leave it alone.

 

Now for pictures

I need to say something about this photo. The pilot here is a pilot created by someone else in the modding community, I want to say Rudel. Feel free to correct me on that. He is not my work, and currently I'm on the fence about if I will keep him or leave the default pilot textures.

\

 

I'll probably post updates down the road, as I made progress. Not in this post, but among additional posts below.

 

I also encourage anyone who wants to get into creating liveries, or already is into creating liveries to join this Discord group. We hang around and share tips, tricks, and pictures of our works!

Link: https://discord.gg/vAp2cp

Special thanks to PorcoRosso86 for helping me get started on creating normal maps!

 

I feel like I'm walking on egg shells, with what people may expect of me. I need to make something especially clear: I am a minor. My life is dependent on school and my parents. To their knowledge, I am just playing games all the time, with all the time I spend on my computer, working on this. They are always wanting me to "unplug". While not a bad thing, it will take away my time on how fast I can work on this, or IF I can work on this (I could get grounded for who knows how long). TL;DR, no promises

 

Stay in school! It's more important for you than any games you might like. Your parents are right and also very forgiving with you..

[Magic Zach]

Stay in school! It's more important for you than any games you might like. Your parents are right and also very forgiving with you..

I'm in my 2nd week of summer vacation, I've got time to work on it until school starts again

[grafspee]

am i see it right, i think i can see the coolant release pipe under last exhaust stack ??

[Magic Zach]

am i see it right, i think i can see the coolant release pipe under last exhaust stack ??

Yes, both aftercoolant and coolant reliefs have been added. The aftercoolant is in the photo.

[grafspee]

:thumbup:

Yes, both aftercoolant and coolant reliefs have been added. The aftercoolant is in the photo.

[Magic Zach]

A better picture of the aftercoolant relief vent. Taken before I added the fasteners' normal.

Edited May 29, 2019 by Magic Zach

[Rudel_chw]

...

I feel like I'm walking on egg shells, with what people may expect of me. I need to make something especially clear: I am a minor...

 

Nice livery, wish you the best with finishing it. For a minor, your way with words is really good, a lot of grown ups could learn from you :)

Cheers.

[etherbattx]

+1

 

nice work

[Magic Zach]

Thanks for the kind words guys!

[grafspee]

question is. will dcs handle so high level of detail?

[Magic Zach]

question is. will dcs handle so high level of detail?

If you mean how hard of a hit it will have on performance...

I don't think it will be too bad. If you have a bunch of Mustangs nearby, that might hit your system where the sun doesn't shine. But that doesn't really happen much in the DCS environment, so I suspect the impact will be minor.

 

If you're desperate for every little frame though, this might not be the best idea, however. I was thinking about seeing if ED would integrate my liveries once I was done, as a sort of fantasy, but once I considered that some people might be hurt by this, I think it is best that my liveries be left as a mod, an option to whoever wants it.

 

I'll try to remember to do a performance test when I have all four pieces in the 4096x4096 resolution.

[Clorydric]

The real question is "Will one be able to see such details in DCS"...

Don't get me wrong, this is awesome. But as I've noticed last month doing some retex for the F-5E, the level of detail you can see in the model viewer is much higher than what you can see in DCS (you can't get inside the model bounding/user box in DCS) and you might get a bit disappointed when testing in game.

 

When it comes to performances, don't worry. I have more issues with the stock F-14 than with the tiger loaded with 4K uncompressed diffuse, roughmet and normals maps (~65Mb per file, so around 800Mb for a full livery). And i'm playing with a 780m, waaaaay underpowered compared to nowadays GPU's.

 

As for school, do not ever neglect your studies. But if you plan to do some "artistic" studies later, don't forget that good photoshop knowledge will help you A LOT.

Actually, even if you don't, it's always usefull... You never know what kind of stupid things your friends may do in front of a camera :D

[westr]

This is a good project, good luck with it. Look forward to seeing how you get on

[SmirkingGerbil]

Jaw dropping, stunning.

[Magic Zach]

I'm on my way back home after a 4 day intensive vacation in Seattle. While there, I stopped by the Flight Museum. In preparation for modules to come, I've taken many pictures of the P-47 and FG-1D there as source photos, and even a few of the P-38. In particular, I have taken many photos of the P-51D on display, and should make great source photos for some of the more obscure areas on the Mustang

[grafspee]

nice job and nice pics

[Magic Zach]

Update

Rivet placement is done, and I've started to add spot welds. Picture of the first rendition of this into the normal map. Many more spot welds to place and adjustments to do.

[grafspee]

nice, i hope that this mod will be integrated to game some day

[too-cool]

Update

Rivet placement is done, and I've started to add spot welds. Picture of the first rendition of this into the normal map. Many more spot welds to place and adjustments to do.

When will it be released? TC

[Magic Zach]

When will it be released? TC

I honestly can't say. I don't schedule myself on this project, it's only a free time passion.

[BuzzU]

Do you notice less fps when using it?

[Magic Zach]

Do you notice less fps when using it?

Can't say. I've only done the front piece so far. Still the tail section and both wings to do.

[BuzzU]

Ok.

[Magic Zach]

Update

 

Did some fiddling with the exhaust stacks, and just began to add bumps to panel edges (as an experiement). Unfortunately, I cannot make the soot and lead get progressively worse the farther aft you go on the exhaust stacks, due to limits with the template. I'm given one exhaust stack in the template, and that one affects all of them, so I'm trying to find a balance.