OV-10A Bronco mod by Split Air team.....and MORE

[Esac_mirmidon]

So this new textures pack will improve perfomance without noticeable impact on readability?

[Rudel_chw]

1 hour ago, Esac_mirmidon said:

So this new textures pack will improve perfomance without noticeable impact on readability?

 

I have not tried eddy's yet, will do tonight. For me, eight's files improved performance and to my eyes the readability was almost the same as the original ... check my videos above.

[Esac_mirmidon]

Interesting ¡¡¡¡

Thanks all of you, for testing, improving, editing an already fantastic mod. This community is awesome.

[Ithronwise]

I have just tested the dds files by crazyeddie. The readability is much better now and seems to be the same as with the original png files. The loading times and performance are still awesome as they already were with the dds files by Eight Ball. Now I use the cockpit textures and other textures by crazyeddie and a mix of dds-based liveries by Eight Ball and crazyeddie. Great work, guys and many thanks to you both.

 

With crazyeddies DDS files:

Edited November 8, 2022 by Ithronwise

[crazyeddie]

Glad to help ... if anyone wants to convert their liveries png files themselves this is the program I use, it's really very easy to use and conversion to dds is simple, and it's free.

All you have to do is drag and drop the png file into the prog and select save as dds, then save it as BC3 (Linear, DXT5), with Perceptual set and that's it, you now have a dds 5 texture file. . 

Drop   Paint Net    into your browser and download the free version, anyone needing a little help making it work or advice on the other stuff you can do with it just ask, I'll help if I can. 

 

[Hiob]

Very cool! Thanks to both of you @crazyeddie and @Eight Ball for your efforts.

I wonder what the difference is between the dds-files created by @crazyeddie and the ones that @Eight Ball created at first (which had those weird "noise" compression artifacts - as shown in the pics by @Ithronwise?

[crazyeddie]

Its a secret, If I told you I would have to have you killed    I dont actually know, I think its to do with the level of compression, but I'm sure there are other factors involved. 

Eight Balls converted files were dds 3, the ones I did were dds 5, that's the main difference. He did his using a bulk conversion tool that only did dds 3, I did all mine one at a time, it took effin forever of course but I saw a need and liked the mod so much I just had to do it. 

There are guys on here who can explain what the difference actually is in technical terms, over to them ! 

[Ithronwise]

I have found a small issue (see picture):

I have compared the number of texture files in the folders of the unchanged mod with the number in the folders by crazyeddie and it seems that there are some files are missing.
Original Texture folder: 150 files
Crazyeddies Texture folder: 149 files

Original Cockpit\texture folder: 290 files
Crazyeddies Cockpit\texture folder: 288 files

Because of the large number of files it is hard to say which texture is missing.

[Hiob]

I think, every conversion that is done file by file, should also work in bulk. I can’t see why not. Given that the utility supports batch/bulk processing.

For now, thanks to the efforts of you guys it’s not needed, but I‘m thinking of future iterations of similar problems.

[Ithronwise]

I have played a little Sherlock Holmes and compared the folders file by file. The missing file in the Texture folder is uncriticical because in the original folder the OV10_PILOTE file is existing twice, first as dds and second as png (whyever).

In the Cockpit\texture folder there are two files which aren't exist in the folder of crazyeddie:
OV10_cpt_viseur_bille_NRM.png
OV10_cpt_viseur_reglage_NRM.png

I will change them into dds files and copy them to the other dds files. Then I will test whether the issue is still there.

 

EDIT:
Ok that's it. Issue solved.

 

EDIT 2:
Here you can download the missing dds files:
Missing files of Cockpit_texture_Folder.zip

You have to copy them into OV-10A Bronco\Cockpit\texture

Edited November 8, 2022 by Ithronwise

[Ithronwise]

39 minutes ago, Hiob said:

I think, every conversion that is done file by file, should also work in bulk. I can’t see why not. Given that the utility supports batch/bulk processing.

For now, thanks to the efforts of you guys it’s not needed, but I‘m thinking of future iterations of similar problems.

I think the problem is that the program that Eight Ball has used for a batch conversion didn't ask him for a compression level and just used a default one. In paint.net you can choose which compression level do you want if you save a file as dds, but as far as I know there is no batch function in paint.net.

[crazyeddie]

Missing texture files - That's interesting, my version of the mod does not have either of those in it so I would not have had them to convert and I didnt spot an error. Cant think why, but no worries, I have them now, thanks for picking that up Ilthronwise.  

[One Eyed Ross]

Thanks for the textures.  gonna give them a spin right now.

[fagulha]

3 hours ago, crazyeddie said:

Glad to help ... if anyone wants to convert their liveries png files themselves this is the program I use, it's really very easy to use and conversion to dds is simple, and it's free.

All you have to do is drag and drop the png file into the prog and select save as dds, then save it as BC3 (Linear, DXT5), with Perceptual set and that's it, you now have a dds 5 texture file. . 

Drop   Paint Net    into your browser and download the free version, anyone needing a little help making it work or advice on the other stuff you can do with it just ask, I'll help if I can. 

 

I love paint.net! found it last year and learned to edit my Hornet liveries (adding more details, callsign, kill marks), but all simple stuff because it´s my first time working with vectors, dds and paint.net.

Next step i want to convert dds for 4k like some user created liveries (Megalax, lee1hy, Thomas Vercauteren). It´s possible with paint.net? it´s something that a new user can learn?

Thank you in advance,

F.

[Tomcat11]

On 9/20/2022 at 11:41 PM, Mapi said:

playing a little...

Anywhere to download? Thanks!

[crazyeddie]

16 hours ago, fagulha said:

I love paint.net! found it last year and learned to edit my Hornet liveries (adding more details, callsign, kill marks), but all simple stuff because it´s my first time working with vectors, dds and paint.net.

Next step i want to convert dds for 4k like some user created liveries (Megalax, lee1hy, Thomas Vercauteren). It´s possible with paint.net? it´s something that a new user can learn?

Thank you in advance,

F.

I'm being a bit thick here, I'm not sure I understand what it is you want to do.  I believe paint.net can handle any size file, I do most of my work in Photoimpact10 using mainly 4096 x 4096 size bmp files, because that suits what I do and how I do it, then use paint.net to convert them to dds format.  I have worked with 8192 x 8192 size files in bmp but my software struggles with that, but paint.net handles the conversion perfectly well.

[fagulha]

1 hour ago, crazyeddie said:

I'm being a bit thick here, I'm not sure I understand what it is you want to do.  I believe paint.net can handle any size file, I do most of my work in Photoimpact10 using mainly 4096 x 4096 size bmp files, because that suits what I do and how I do it, then use paint.net to convert them to dds format.  I have worked with 8192 x 8192 size files in bmp but my software struggles with that, but paint.net handles the conversion perfectly well.

Thank you for your reply.

What i want is to create 4k liveries but i don´t know where to start.

[crazyeddie]

I cheat !!

I start with the existing textures, I find one that I can reduce to its basic colours, such as a light grey or white, I remove all trace of existing markings where I can and where I need to, some are good to keep.  Sometimes I can do that easily, sometimes I have to go right back to a completely blank skin in one single colour.  My software will adjust the base colour easily so I can with some patience get back to a grey or white, that can take a while depending on how complex the skins are. 

When I have that basic skin I can then use it to copy and paste shadows etc if they have become blurred or less distinct, my old Photoimpact10 software lets me do that better than anything new thats around such as Gimp etc.  Thats is why I work in bmp, my software loves it. 

If a skin has several colours in it then I create a blank skin in those colours. From those I can isolate specific bits that I need for the finished skin, I cut and paste where I can or just copy paste after marking out the bits I need.  Those coloured skin already have the shadow, panel lines on them from when I created the first blank from existing skins.

It seems a long winded process but if there is no template to work from then thats how I do it.  If there is a template then you are well on your way to doing it yourself, if the template is good enough, not all are, some are very basic and really of not much use, but every little helps. 

The trick is what Software you decide to use to create, some guys swear by Gimp (It is very good, I use it for odd things so dont think I hate it, I dont) - Photoimpact is no longer made but you can do an awful lot with it that other software does not do quite as well. You can still get free copies on line.  

Cut and Paste is king, hide stuff, use existing bits in other places, then go find yourself a heap of Military Type faces for Windows, and when you are ready I can give you a really good, but VERY large set of psd files that contains just about every roundel you might ever need, or just copy them from Google, its all out there somewhere. 

Hope that helps.

Here is an example of my basic Tucano bmp skin - broken down to this colour from a much more colourful original skin. I wok in 4096 x 4096 or larger if I can (the bigger the size the better the definition of lines etc) - I had to reduce it to this size to post it on this page.  From this I created RAF camo skins and other stuff. 

Things like carrier decks need to be really huge, anything less than 8192 x 8192 and the lines are very broken, but aircraft can look really good at 4096 x 4096.  Go as big as your software will let you. 

 

Edited November 9, 2022 by crazyeddie

[fagulha]

6 hours ago, crazyeddie said:

I cheat !!

I start with the existing textures, I find one that I can reduce to its basic colours, such as a light grey or white, I remove all trace of existing markings where I can and where I need to, some are good to keep.  Sometimes I can do that easily, sometimes I have to go right back to a completely blank skin in one single colour.  My software will adjust the base colour easily so I can with some patience get back to a grey or white, that can take a while depending on how complex the skins are. 

When I have that basic skin I can then use it to copy and paste shadows etc if they have become blurred or less distinct, my old Photoimpact10 software lets me do that better than anything new thats around such as Gimp etc.  Thats is why I work in bmp, my software loves it. 

If a skin has several colours in it then I create a blank skin in those colours. From those I can isolate specific bits that I need for the finished skin, I cut and paste where I can or just copy paste after marking out the bits I need.  Those coloured skin already have the shadow, panel lines on them from when I created the first blank from existing skins.

It seems a long winded process but if there is no template to work from then thats how I do it.  If there is a template then you are well on your way to doing it yourself, if the template is good enough, not all are, some are very basic and really of not much use, but every little helps. 

The trick is what Software you decide to use to create, some guys swear by Gimp (It is very good, I use it for odd things so dont think I hate it, I dont) - Photoimpact is no longer made but you can do an awful lot with it that other software does not do quite as well. You can still get free copies on line.  

Cut and Paste is king, hide stuff, use existing bits in other places, then go find yourself a heap of Military Type faces for Windows, and when you are ready I can give you a really good, but VERY large set of psd files that contains just about every roundel you might ever need, or just copy them from Google, its all out there somewhere. 

Hope that helps.

Here is an example of my basic Tucano bmp skin - broken down to this colour from a much more colourful original skin. I wok in 4096 x 4096 or larger if I can (the bigger the size the better the definition of lines etc) - I had to reduce it to this size to post it on this page.  From this I created RAF camo skins and other stuff. 

Things like carrier decks need to be really huge, anything less than 8192 x 8192 and the lines are very broken, but aircraft can look really good at 4096 x 4096.  Go as big as your software will let you. 

 

 

Thank you so much for taking your time helping me. I saved this post so i can work on my liveries taking a step at a time.

Now i have some light on how to do it.

 

I use GIMP par with paintnet.net. I´m going to search for photimpact10 too.

 

Keep up and thank you for everything you do for the DCS community.

F.

 

 

[Mapi]

more numbers / new typo

[Frag]

Hi everyone,

it is not clear to me if the developer is in this thread. Really looking forward for an update that will fix the basic bugs and the images update to be compatible to 2.8. Just wondering if this project is still ongoing ... anyone knows?

[Hiob]

12 minutes ago, Frag said:

Hi everyone,

it is not clear to me if the developer is in this thread. Really looking forward for an update that will fix the basic bugs and the images update to be compatible to 2.8. Just wondering if this project is still ongoing ... anyone knows?

The developer is certainly more active on discord. Afaik he promised to keep on working on the Mod and delivering a "2.0" version with lots of improvements.
BUT since this is basically a free gift (you can donate  - which I did, but it's not mandatory), we're hardly entitled to push him. When they are ready, we will know.

[TAT0R]

On 11/10/2022 at 2:05 PM, Frag said:

Hi everyone,

it is not clear to me if the developer is in this thread. Really looking forward for an update that will fix the basic bugs and the images update to be compatible to 2.8. Just wondering if this project is still ongoing ... anyone knows?

hi,

there will be updates of the Bronco. We know that 2.8 causes loading problems and not only with the Bronco, the whole game has problems with that. We are working on a mix between png and DDS to optimize the loading without reducing the quality and visibility of textures.

On our discord you can find channels dedicated to the Bronco.
https://discord.gg/xrNhbETp5q

At the moment we are working on our new mod and we have kidnapped Dikennek to get some help xD but the update is still in WIP!

 

bests

Edited November 12, 2022 by TAT0R

[Frag]

On 11/12/2022 at 3:20 AM, TAT0R said:

hi,

there will be updates of the Bronco. We know that 2.8 causes loading problems and not only with the Bronco, the whole game has problems with that. We are working on a mix between png and DDS to optimize the loading without reducing the quality and visibility of textures.

On our discord you can find channels dedicated to the Bronco.
https://discord.gg/xrNhbETp5q

At the moment we are working on our new mod and we have kidnapped Dikennek to get some help xD but the update is still in WIP!

 

bests

 

That is SUPER good news. That module has awesome potential and I am pretty sure that we will get a Vietnam map at some point! Thanks for the awesome work!

[ElvisDaKang]

Good to hear. Donation paid, Mod removed from HD.