A small gripe

[fsxar177]

Please take this with a grain of salt. But I have a small gripe...

Not meant toward anyone in particular, or referencing any particular situation;

Over the last months here, and at other forums, I have noticed that upon the release of a new product, aircraft in particular, there is a rush for painters to quickly upload, and post screenshots of their work, on the new aircraft. This is appreciated, and we enjoy your work. However, sometimes these are rushed, and it shows in the quality of the work. Often alphas, and specular textures are left virtually untouched, leaving some quality to be desired.

This is all fine and dandy, with this exception. A payware developer will spend countless hours producing the original texture sets, and paint-kits. With much labor, and trial and error, these developers strive to produce a realistic balance of view within the limitations of the simulator, and graphics engine. The reward of that work is readily seen in the product. However, quickly produced, or hurried re-paints, can, and do, in some cases put a damper on the developers original product, perhaps giving the impression to passers by, that the quality of said model is less-than par.

As a careful caution; please take time, and be patient with the re-paint kits. It's okay to be in the learning curve.. But be careful not to showcase the learning curve too much, during the early weeks of a developers release. Give some of the more experienced painters time as well. Learn from them, and continue on my friends!

Best to all,
Joseph

 

[fsxar177]

And just to be an encouragement.. I had not re-painted since the FS98 days, with very few trials in FS2002. When I got back into simming, my first FSX repaint, which I released here in Jan. of 12, was on the WBS P-51D-5-NA. Along with trying to replicate the actual aircraft, from very few photos, I also had to add much weathering and paint stripping. It turned out 'ok', nothing great. But here's a few screens, I feel it was passable.

- Joseph

 

[JensOle]

Hello,

I understand the posters opinion about "low quality" repaint. This is most of all a freeware community and as such we will see both outstanding texture art and not so great repaints. Then we as downloaders can choose whatever we want. Trying to just be hi end will kill the community.

This is coming from a repainter doing his outmost to produce as realistic textures as possible, but time has learnt me that we need the different skills and people to make this hobby great.

 

[mmann]

I don't know much about repaints, but I know what I like.

I prefer a varied selection, not just the masterpieces. Just like the aircraft I have; which are a mixture of freeware and payware. If I only picked the very best, only two or three payware companies would get virtually all my business.

 

[fsxar177]

I agree with both of you guys. I'm just coming from the angle of time-frame. I enjoy both sides as well.

- Joseph

 

[jeansy]

that post is a great way to encourage new and inexperienced painters to keep going or even start

remember repaints are free and people do them for fun in their free time, if you start demanding standards like high quality payware you will start to see the number of paints dwindling

At the end of the day, people start off at the lowest of levels and learn from there, no one starts an expert

i rather see poor quality repaints than none at all, at least there are people trying to have a go....



My gripe over

 

[stovall]

Let us not forget that the repainters are looking carefully at what is being produced, especially previews. Recently I was considering a repaint of Mikes great P-40N. Suddenly another repainted posted a preview of his creation. It was the same aircraft I was considering. No need for duplication and I went in a different direction on a different scheme. Really appreciated the early preview in this case as I would prefer not to duplicate someone's work.

I think all of us when we purchase a product we look at the previews from the developer as to what we are buying. Hopefully this sells the product and not repaints. I think the original post from fsxar177 has some merit as well but the previews done at a time when we all get an idea of what is being done is important as well.

Thanks to all for your ideas on this subject.

 

[trucker17]

I know first hand about the time it takes to turn out good quality repaints......
Here are 2 from me....
Berlin Express and my tribute repaint to #3.

 

[hae5904]

Please take this with a grain of salt. But I have a small gripe...

Over the last months here, and at other forums, I have noticed that upon the release of a new product, aircraft in particular, there is a rush for painters to quickly upload, and post screenshots of their work, on the new aircraft. This is appreciated, and we enjoy your work. However, sometimes these are rushed, and it shows in the quality of the work. Often alphas, and specular textures are left virtually untouched, leaving some quality to be desired.

Best to all,
Joseph

That's why repainters call it WIP....Work In Progress, hardly finished, with a lot of things touched undone (mainly the alpha & specular maps...they can only properly done once the basic livery paint is finished).
But the reason for releasing these WIP screenies is simply showing the outside world what can be expected of the liveries what will be part of the product.
And there's definately no rush for them to quicly upload a screenie as you might think. They are part of a team and had the repaint kit long before you even know it was in development.
Not to mention while the product is being developed, the repaintkit will develop too, it runs parallel with the product so changed constantly along the way, and with a repainter adopting his/her work to the latest model(s).

Simple as that.

Cheers,
Hank

 

[ncooper]

I think you misread the original post, particularly this part.

"upon the release of a new product, aircraft in particular"

To me, that reads that the product is already in the "outside
world" to which you refer.

I am very grateful to all the repainters, whether professional
or amateur and for the often exceptional quality of their work.

Nick

 

[jankees]

Hank,
I think Joseph's gripe is with third party repaints that come out after the release of a new aircraft model.
Still, I don't quite understand it. These are all done for free by volunteers, and he is disappointed by some, and wants us repainters to pay attention to the quality. What I don't know is which level of quality he is aiming for, because he gives no examples. So how do we know what he expects from us, the painters?
Of course I too am looking for quality, both in the models as in the paints available. However, not all models can be of say A2A (just an exampe, there are other really good compaies) quality, so in reality they are not all of the same quality. It is up to me, the buyer, to buy a particular model (or dowload it in the case of freeware) if I like it. This means that I am not buying certain models, even though in some cases I would have loved to fly that particular aircraft (a certain Sunderland comes to mind for example).
It's the same with repaints. You simply cannot ask for all repaints to be of the quality of say John Terrell's paints. As Jeansy pointed out, they are done buy volunteers, in their own spare time, for free, so what more can you ask? If you don't like a certain paint, delete it, or make one of better quality yourself. Judging by your shots of MaryAnn, you certainly can...

 

[hae5904]

..thanks guys for pointing that out, yes I misread it .
One single word and it all went into a different direction.

Now where are my reading glasses.........


Hank

 

[Barnes]

I apologise....

I ve just seen this tread - wow what an odd thing to complain about.

May I apologise to anyone who in the past, present and even in the future that will find any of my repaints substandard. You are most welcome to delete them from your PC at any time! Sorry for the electricity and time you have wasted downloading them.

 

[Firekitten]

This is one of those topics that makes me feel like a factory, and one that questions my willingness to upload anything.

Firstly, not all artists are of the same talent or ability. Many are just learning and starting to work their way into this side of the hobby, so to gripe at their quality level is unhelpful. If artists are producing paint schemes after an aircraft is released... ok, so they're keen, the problem is what? Admittedly some models don't need work on the spec or alpha for a certain scheme, some do, depends entirely on the finish you want to achieve.

I wasn't going to turn this into a personal gripe, but what the heck, While I have uploaded what is a small percentage of my work to file sites, I don't do it often. This is largely because there are two camps of people, those that take take take and never say thankyou, and those that complain and argue, and it really makes you tired of the effort involved to offer your work to others for free.

Upload something to fs.com, and a plethora of pms demanding you do x for y aircraft, or apply the scheme to x model, or spend weeks working on something for absolutely zero response, and hundreds of downloads. Whist we do not paint for 'glory' or 'recognition' sometimes, its nice to hear someone say thank you... to know someone appreciates the work you did, the effort you put in, and when someone turns around and chastises artists for 'rushing' or their choice of practice, I do certainly remind myself why I don't upload often... far less hassle.

 

[Barnes]

This is one of those topics that makes me feel like a factory, and one that questions my willingness to upload anything.

Firstly, not all artists are of the same talent or ability. Many are just learning and starting to work their way into this side of the hobby, so to gripe at their quality level is unhelpful. If artists are producing paint schemes after an aircraft is released... ok, so they're keen, the problem is what? Admittedly some models don't need work on the spec or alpha for a certain scheme, some do, depends entirely on the finish you want to achieve.

I wasn't going to turn this into a personal gripe, but what the heck, While I have uploaded what is a small percentage of my work to file sites, I don't do it often. This is largely because there are two camps of people, those that take take take and never say thankyou, and those that complain and argue, and it really makes you tired of the effort involved to offer your work to others for free.

Upload something to fs.com, and a plethora of pms demanding you do x for y aircraft, or apply the scheme to x model, or spend weeks working on something for absolutely zero response, and hundreds of downloads. Whist we do not paint for 'glory' or 'recognition' sometimes, its nice to hear someone say thank you... to know someone appreciates the work you did, the effort you put in, and when someone turns around and chastises artists for 'rushing' or their choice of practice, I do certainly remind myself why I don't upload often... far less hassle.

Very well said.

 

[Steven190]

For me it is the joy of doing a paint scheme that I have liked over the years. I am a amateur at this but learning all the time. That is why most of my skins I just keep for myself.
I enjoy the resourcing of the project and finding out all I can about the chosen paint scheme. I strive for the best quality I can get, but it sometimes isn't received well. Each skin that is done get better from the previous one.
We learn and grow with every paint we do, some of us are far better artist then others. We learn from what they have done. I find that even when I have done a particular skin every time I go back to it I find something else that is needed, even though it maybe a very small thing. It takes me a good two weeks to do a skin. Some skinners are better at weathering, like me I am not, while others have a different set of skills. I have found that there are a vast array of likes when it come to skins. Some like a fresh paint, others a well worn skin, some in between. I add some weathering but I am never satisfied with the results.
As a point, I am a pilot and have spent a loot of time looking out the window at the wings. We all see things differently and interrupt it differently. My point is about the rivets and how they look on the wings, some see larger ones, some see smaller, and other hardly at all. You have to choose what you like and what you don't.

There are some very talented artist in this community, my hat is off to them. We enjoy their works, but done forget the amateurs, they can get to become good artist too.

We all do what we can to add to the community.

 

[mjrhealth]

Me, im an old dude, guess i come from a time when any help was appreciated,now everyone wants it now, perfect and free, than they gripe. The only repaints i have done where for the ol aerosoft twotter, now the new one is out i have just finished my second. It has so many layers its mind boggling. just to do a straight line on the fuselage requires, a section for the nose tip, nose tip to fuselage. fuselage to front of pilot door ( it slopes) one for teh door,( its offset), one for the front fuselage, one for the aft fuselage, one for a small section between the fuselage and the rudder and than the rudder.and both left and right dont line up perfect in a couple of areas so you cant simply copy and flip layers. Now i cant figure out how to get the reflctons working, hopefully get an answer from aerosoft.

First two in over two years, Started learning gimp 2 weeks ago.

 

[TuFun]

This is one of those topics that makes me feel like a factory, and one that questions my willingness to upload anything.

Firstly, not all artists are of the same talent or ability. Many are just learning and starting to work their way into this side of the hobby, so to gripe at their quality level is unhelpful. If artists are producing paint schemes after an aircraft is released... ok, so they're keen, the problem is what? Admittedly some models don't need work on the spec or alpha for a certain scheme, some do, depends entirely on the finish you want to achieve.

I wasn't going to turn this into a personal gripe, but what the heck, While I have uploaded what is a small percentage of my work to file sites, I don't do it often. This is largely because there are two camps of people, those that take take take and never say thankyou, and those that complain and argue, and it really makes you tired of the effort involved to offer your work to others for free.

Upload something to fs.com, and a plethora of pms demanding you do x for y aircraft, or apply the scheme to x model, or spend weeks working on something for absolutely zero response, and hundreds of downloads. Whist we do not paint for 'glory' or 'recognition' sometimes, its nice to hear someone say thank you... to know someone appreciates the work you did, the effort you put in, and when someone turns around and chastises artists for 'rushing' or their choice of practice, I do certainly remind myself why I don't upload often... far less hassle.

I concur about everything you said!

 

[SteveB]

I'm totally with firekitten on this. I have released hundreds of skins, never been happy with end product but release and share it all the same. If payware or freeware developers or there fans don't like people having a go at the models then stop selling or supplying the things with paintkits.
It's time some people took there anoraks off and had some fun.


Steve aka stalin

 

[Steven190]

This is one of those topics that makes me feel like a factory, and one that questions my willingness to upload anything.

Firstly, not all artists are of the same talent or ability. Many are just learning and starting to work their way into this side of the hobby, so to gripe at their quality level is unhelpful. If artists are producing paint schemes after an aircraft is released... ok, so they're keen, the problem is what? Admittedly some models don't need work on the spec or alpha for a certain scheme, some do, depends entirely on the finish you want to achieve.

I wasn't going to turn this into a personal gripe, but what the heck, While I have uploaded what is a small percentage of my work to file sites, I don't do it often. This is largely because there are two camps of people, those that take take take and never say thankyou, and those that complain and argue, and it really makes you tired of the effort involved to offer your work to others for free.

Upload something to fs.com, and a plethora of pms demanding you do x for y aircraft, or apply the scheme to x model, or spend weeks working on something for absolutely zero response, and hundreds of downloads. Whist we do not paint for 'glory' or 'recognition' sometimes, its nice to hear someone say thank you... to know someone appreciates the work you did, the effort you put in, and when someone turns around and chastises artists for 'rushing' or their choice of practice, I do certainly remind myself why I don't upload often... far less hassle.

I know what you mean, I worked three weeks on a template, for another flight sim. A very detailed and accurate as possible psd template with 80 layers, for everyone to use to paint their own skins. Have not heard a thing, no feed back or complaints. Which is good maybe, but would like a second look, to see if there is something I did that is not right. We all want to but out our best efforts as possible.