And what about the working turbo levers we added?Need. More. Axes!
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Please see the most recent updates in the "Where did the .com name go?" thread. Posts number 16 and 17.
DC-4 Skymaster
- Thread starter lagaffe
- Start date
lagaffe
SOH-CM-2026
Hello,
My first development version (v0.030) really usable has been compiled and works under both simulators: 2020 & 2024
I chose for this first aircraft the DC-4 Air France version that I myself took in 1965 to go from Marseille (LFML) to Ajaccio (LFKJ), this trip has remained etched in my memory because my father who worked at Air France had taken GP tickets (partially free) and the captain had been kind enough to take us into the cockpit: I was able to see the arrival in Ajaccio sitting next to the radio operator.
Currently, I have already:
- a functional exterior model: retracting trains, flaps if engines started, operational flight surfaces, very slow starting propellers (to be improved), front and rear doors whose opening can be controlled with the mouse
- stairs for the crew and passengers moving when opening the front or rear doors without forgetting the chocks (these elements disappear as soon as the second engine starts)
- an interior model with two LOD, a LOD00 for the VC and a LOD01 for the exterior views
- The interior model LOD00 is almost completely finished in terms of fixed elements: the instrument hands and controls are not yet integrated and animated.
The textures used are those of origin in the same resolution and have not yet been worked on: it’s a job for my eminent colleague who is currently training at PBR Painter.
There is still a lot of work but after the first two weeks, which were quite difficult to learn this plane and its cockpit very full of instruments and various objects (it’s my first liner), it’s much better and I am almost as comfortable as in my PBY.
There are plenty of ideas to improve it and make it interesting, or maybe even make it a study plane ...
Two screens of the Interior model ...
Sorry for the second image a bit dark but it’s about the lighting that I have under Blender to work with. In fact, the textures are like that and I think we will probably need to clarify them a bit.
My first development version (v0.030) really usable has been compiled and works under both simulators: 2020 & 2024
I chose for this first aircraft the DC-4 Air France version that I myself took in 1965 to go from Marseille (LFML) to Ajaccio (LFKJ), this trip has remained etched in my memory because my father who worked at Air France had taken GP tickets (partially free) and the captain had been kind enough to take us into the cockpit: I was able to see the arrival in Ajaccio sitting next to the radio operator.
Currently, I have already:
- a functional exterior model: retracting trains, flaps if engines started, operational flight surfaces, very slow starting propellers (to be improved), front and rear doors whose opening can be controlled with the mouse
- stairs for the crew and passengers moving when opening the front or rear doors without forgetting the chocks (these elements disappear as soon as the second engine starts)
- an interior model with two LOD, a LOD00 for the VC and a LOD01 for the exterior views
- The interior model LOD00 is almost completely finished in terms of fixed elements: the instrument hands and controls are not yet integrated and animated.
The textures used are those of origin in the same resolution and have not yet been worked on: it’s a job for my eminent colleague who is currently training at PBR Painter.
There is still a lot of work but after the first two weeks, which were quite difficult to learn this plane and its cockpit very full of instruments and various objects (it’s my first liner), it’s much better and I am almost as comfortable as in my PBY.
There are plenty of ideas to improve it and make it interesting, or maybe even make it a study plane ...
Two screens of the Interior model ...
Sorry for the second image a bit dark but it’s about the lighting that I have under Blender to work with. In fact, the textures are like that and I think we will probably need to clarify them a bit.
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lagaffe
SOH-CM-2026
Work of the day:
- adding the support bar at the back of the plane when it is stopped and its animation,
- work on the yokes and throttle levers with their animations (they are subject to engine vibrations)
- adding smoke and flame effects on the exhausts, these latter effects are adjustable depending on the values of mixture used on each engine independently of each other.
- adding the support bar at the back of the plane when it is stopped and its animation,
- work on the yokes and throttle levers with their animations (they are subject to engine vibrations)
- adding smoke and flame effects on the exhausts, these latter effects are adjustable depending on the values of mixture used on each engine independently of each other.
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jcweston351
Members +
Lagaffe, how much different would the exhaust flames on the DC-4 be compared to that of the Connie? We have a flying example of the Connie here in OZ & there are a heap of youtube videos showing the exhaust flames on that bird. They are very prominent, especially in low light even in cruise speeds.
lagaffe
SOH-CM-2026
Jcweston351,
The flame effect consists of 3 cones, each with its own texture (oil, lean, rich) and several animations.
The set is related to an empty by a function available in a plugin included in Blender that allows creating a "group" (function Parent to Empty) in the same sense as what was feasible under Gmax or 3DS.
The advantage of this "group" is that it allows to move the set in 3D space and apply a scale factor without the effect being deteriorated.
In yesterday’s version, I limited myself to simply copy/paste the effect I had created for the CANSO PBY onto the DC-4 without changing the size of this effect.
Now, if in your opinion the size of the effect is incorrect, which is quite possible, can you give me approximately a value for the scale factor to be applied to this set?
At the moment compared to the second last image, the length of the effect is one third of the exhaust pipe. Should it be doubled or tripled?
Another question for those who know the DC-4 better than I do, the current animation of the throttle is 0% forward and 100% backward. That intrigues me but it may be correct.
Here on this screen, you have a DC-4 used by Air France (1969) which is "On the Ground" and the throttle are "backward" ....
So I wonder if the animations of the commands are not to be reversed to comply with reality (that’s what I had to do on the Stearman which were originally developed for FS2004).
Are there people who could tell me what is reality?
The flame effect consists of 3 cones, each with its own texture (oil, lean, rich) and several animations.
The set is related to an empty by a function available in a plugin included in Blender that allows creating a "group" (function Parent to Empty) in the same sense as what was feasible under Gmax or 3DS.
The advantage of this "group" is that it allows to move the set in 3D space and apply a scale factor without the effect being deteriorated.
In yesterday’s version, I limited myself to simply copy/paste the effect I had created for the CANSO PBY onto the DC-4 without changing the size of this effect.
Now, if in your opinion the size of the effect is incorrect, which is quite possible, can you give me approximately a value for the scale factor to be applied to this set?
At the moment compared to the second last image, the length of the effect is one third of the exhaust pipe. Should it be doubled or tripled?
Another question for those who know the DC-4 better than I do, the current animation of the throttle is 0% forward and 100% backward. That intrigues me but it may be correct.
Here on this screen, you have a DC-4 used by Air France (1969) which is "On the Ground" and the throttle are "backward" ....
So I wonder if the animations of the commands are not to be reversed to comply with reality (that’s what I had to do on the Stearman which were originally developed for FS2004).
Are there people who could tell me what is reality?
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Rallymodeller
Charter Member
The pic of the cockpit is correct for it sitting on the ground; throttles at zero(ish), props full forward. The levers move in the way you would expect.