DHC-4 Caribou
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UnknownGuest12
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Hate to have to contribute a negative comment about this amazing product. I certainly wouldn't bother if i didn't have this enormous amount of feelings for it, i.e. i LOVE it ! No... i *ADORE* it ! 
Ok, that's enough rhetoric sweet talk to warrant my negative comment, right. And that is that the spinning prop animation is absolutely unworthy of this otherwise superb rendition of the iconic DHC-4 Caribou. (which has never been called a beauty but the sheer dedication and professionalism of the developers *makes* it a beauty, no doubt about that ! )
In fact it's kind of unbelievable that they released their masterpiece with such bad looking spinning prop animation. Particularly the '3D Side View' of the prop blades is the worst ever to appear in MSFS. It's like they suddenly didn't care anymore !
I might be mistaking but isn't this an Orbx product ? Don't they have a forum anymore ?
I don't think i ever hoped for an upgrade more than for this DHC-4 ! ( it seems the flightmodel needs some work particular during final approach way more nose down attitude (according to RW DHC-4 pilot))
Flying the DHC-4 over MSFS new NZ in VR is honestly the most ever exiting and immersive flightsimulation experience i have ever had in 30 plus years ! (and that was only the first flight !
)
Despite the terrible spinning prop animation Kudus to Orbx !! ( if they indeed are the devs...)
Ok, that's enough rhetoric sweet talk to warrant my negative comment, right. And that is that the spinning prop animation is absolutely unworthy of this otherwise superb rendition of the iconic DHC-4 Caribou. (which has never been called a beauty but the sheer dedication and professionalism of the developers *makes* it a beauty, no doubt about that ! )
In fact it's kind of unbelievable that they released their masterpiece with such bad looking spinning prop animation. Particularly the '3D Side View' of the prop blades is the worst ever to appear in MSFS. It's like they suddenly didn't care anymore !
I might be mistaking but isn't this an Orbx product ? Don't they have a forum anymore ?
I don't think i ever hoped for an upgrade more than for this DHC-4 ! ( it seems the flightmodel needs some work particular during final approach way more nose down attitude (according to RW DHC-4 pilot))
Flying the DHC-4 over MSFS new NZ in VR is honestly the most ever exiting and immersive flightsimulation experience i have ever had in 30 plus years ! (and that was only the first flight !
)Despite the terrible spinning prop animation Kudus to Orbx !! ( if they indeed are the devs...)
DennyA
SOH-CM-2023
OrbX is the dev, but they did the plane under contract for MS, so not sure if they'll discuss it on their forum.
Forum link is https://forum.orbxdirect.com/ -- it's linked off their main page, but hidden at the very bottom.
I'm super-pleased with it, especially after the Fokker they did was so rough at initial shipping. (It got significantly better with patches.) If the props are a little weird when looking at the plane from outside at a specific angle, I can live with that.
Forum link is https://forum.orbxdirect.com/ -- it's linked off their main page, but hidden at the very bottom.
I'm super-pleased with it, especially after the Fokker they did was so rough at initial shipping. (It got significantly better with patches.) If the props are a little weird when looking at the plane from outside at a specific angle, I can live with that.
J.Case
Members +
Hate to have to contribute a negative comment about this amazing product. I certainly wouldn't bother if i didn't have this enormous amount of feelings for it, i.e. i LOVE it ! No... i *ADORE* it !
Ok, that's enough rhetoric sweet talk to warrant my negative comment, right. And that is that the spinning prop animation is absolutely unworthy of this otherwise superb rendition of the iconic DHC-4 Caribou. (which has never been called a beauty but the sheer dedication and professionalism of the developers *makes* it a beauty, no doubt about that ! )
In fact it's kind of unbelievable that they released their masterpiece with such bad looking spinning prop animation. Particularly the '3D Side View' of the prop blades is the worst ever to appear in MSFS. It's like they suddenly didn't care anymore ! . . . . .
You made a valid point. Well - then again . . . . AH reported that they had to deliver on deadline (not when ready) and never pronounced the Dak as perfect. On top they gave you everything you needed to get the most out of it, like in: YouTubes,how to' and manuals.
Now - if this is the kind of imperfection I'm spending 20 bucks on, then count me in on your customer base!
One might be left to wonder if something like that happened again with the Bou . . . !?
As far as AH is concerned it seems a lot like we're getting an update with SU12/next month. Why should I abandon every hope for the Bou?
It's been MILVIZ who let us wait for 2+ years on the update of the Porter......
....... and when do we get the Skyraider - btw?
You made a valid point. Well - then again . . . . AH reported that they had to deliver on deadline (not when ready) and never pronounced the Dak as perfect. On top they gave you everything you needed to get the most out of it, like in: YouTubes,how to' and manuals.
Now - if this is the kind of imperfection I'm spending 20 bucks on, then count me in on your customer base!
One might be left to wonder if something like that happened again with the Bou . . . !?
As far as AH is concerned it seems a lot like we're getting an update with SU12/next month. Why should I abandon every hope for the Bou?
It's been MILVIZ who let us wait for 2+ years on the update of the Porter......
....... and when do we get the Skyraider - btw?
I don't own the DHC-4 but fly the DC3 a lot. What is wrong with the props? Is the disk and side view too dark and visible? This can be fixed in minutes with paint.net. You don't need AH for that.
ak416
Members +
Not to get too off topic, but MilViz sold off their Skyraider months ago (along with the Beaver). So I wouldn't hold my breath for the MilViz Skyraider...
https://msfsaddons.com/2022/08/16/h...s-changing-its-name-to-blackbird-simulations/
J.Case
Members +
Thx for the pointer.....
Really? I thought the prop disk was better than most of the Asobo legendary releases. Especially the seaplanes. What is bad is the inconsistancy of prop disk animations from the various popular developers.Hate to have to contribute a negative comment about this amazing product. I certainly wouldn't bother if i didn't have this enormous amount of feelings for it, i.e. i LOVE it ! No... i *ADORE* it !
My turn to say Really?... I honestly wouldn't know if Asobo seaplanes have even worse looking spinning prop animations than the Caribou. In protest against the abysmal water wake/splash effects i refrained from buying seaplanes. Luckily certain devs came to the sea-rescue and seaplanes can now feel mighty proud during their water landings and take-off's. Took a while but thanks so much ! (mind you, i did congratulate and thanked them for that before ! I, for one, was pretty exited to see that ever so cheesy water effects finally corrected!)
Indeed !
Mind you, some devs do have their spinning prop anims fairly in order, both from the front/back and sides.
Y'all remember this ? :
So that y'all remember where we're coming from.
You might also remember that it was A2A that finally brought the '3D Spinning Prop Sideview" into FS. In my FS book quite a relief because before that looking at a spinning prop from the side was a tragic sight that would better be avoided. Then, after years and years of avoiding, here comes the so called 'fresnel_ramp' a texture that is not a texture. With it a dev has the ability to have objects visible only from a certain view angle. Next to the transparent spinning prop disk animation it is now possible to add a spinning prop anim that will show only when viewed from the side by means of a selection of fast spinning, transparent flat surfaces that roughly follow the shape of a propeller blade.
Usually the trick is to find the perfect angle for the sideview prop anim to be visible. In case of the Caribou the sideview prop anim is even visible from the front... The recipe of the fresnel_ramp here is in need of some serious tweaking as is the front/back spinning prop disk. More transparency would help already.
Not sure why AH's DC-3 is brought to attention here regarding spinning prop animation. Next to A2A, the inventor/instigator of the 3D spinning prop sideview, AH happend to be the next developer that used this valuable trick because i told Barry (Baz) about it.
Hope i haven't bored y'all to death.
I know there are flitesimmers outthere who couldn't care less about external models. Some even don't look at external models at all ! Luckily there are plenty others who *do* appreciate the hard work that goes into creating an external aircraft model. Tastes differ and your mileage may very and all that but *IF* a certain dev creates a superb looking external aircraft model, as certainly and explicitly is the case with the subject at hand, please don't forget the spinning prop animation, both as viewed from the front/back and from the side as well. The meaning of a propeller aircraft is non existent without spinning propeller blades.
That's all really.
OrbX is the dev, but they did the plane under contract for MS, so not sure if they'll discuss it on their forum.
Forum link is https://forum.orbxdirect.com/ -- it's linked off their main page, but hidden at the very bottom.
I'm super-pleased with it, especially after the Fokker they did was so rough at initial shipping. (It got significantly better with patches.) If the props are a little weird when looking at the plane from outside at a specific angle, I can live with that.
I get that and if it's left like it is i could live with it too but still think it would be ashame. I wouldn't give a hoot about it if the model looked crappy too.
Thanks for the link, Denny !
DennyA
SOH-CM-2023
Thanks for the interesting history on the prop disc rendering tech, Javis! Seriously, that's really fascinating.
Also sounds like it wouldn't be that hard for them to update the props. I would guess the biggest challenge would be for you to get the info the right people at OrbX! (And for MS to greenlight the work as part of the update.)
Actually, I'd consider filing a Zendesk bug report on it with the solution included as a link, because getting into Microsoft's bug database is the most likely way to get it updated, probably. (Unless it gets market as "Pri 2", which is MS code for "we'll fix this if we're still around after the apocalypse." )
Also sounds like it wouldn't be that hard for them to update the props. I would guess the biggest challenge would be for you to get the info the right people at OrbX! (And for MS to greenlight the work as part of the update.)
Actually, I'd consider filing a Zendesk bug report on it with the solution included as a link, because getting into Microsoft's bug database is the most likely way to get it updated, probably. (Unless it gets market as "Pri 2", which is MS code for "we'll fix this if we're still around after the apocalypse."
)
Thanks, Denny. Well, it's not like Orbx doesn't *know* how to apply the sideview of a spinning prop anim. The evidence that they gave it a go is surely there. It's just that the creator became fed up with it at a certain point. Setting up the correct parameters in the fresnel recipe is a very time consuming process that is more or less based on guess work initially. There is no standard recipe. Every prop aircraft model needs its own recipe depending on the position of the propeller(s) in relation to the fuselage and wings.
The trick is for the poor creator to just plod on tweaking the fresnel params until he's found a reasonable result and then plod on quite a bit more to get the best ever result out of it. Actually it is some of the most tedious and exhausting work an FS aircraft model developer can be confronted with. Most will probabely forget about it or stick to jets.
Together with the shape of the 'ghost' propblades, how many individual parts, how much transparency, the color and what not plus the correct fresnel params setting up a good looking '3D Spinning Prop Sideview Animation' is not for the faint of heart aircraft designer outthere. (i quickly haste to say that there are no faint of heart FS aircraft designers outthere ;-). I have great memories of the A2A B-17 that introduced the sideview prop animation (IIRC) which also looked wonderful from within the VC. Check out some of AH's models here in MSFS they all feature the sideview prop animation but one looks better than the other. I'd say one of the best is the P-51 Strega but that's done by A2A so it could've also be named "No Wonder". Inibuilds Goose nice too but the discs could've had more transparency. Also Carenado takes good care of their spinning props both front/back and side. BlueMesh that did the Hercules H-4 is to be applauded for getting 8 prop anims almost right. More transparency would've been better here too.
Still quite a few devs that don't bother with the prop sideview animation and a lot of variety in the quality with those that *do* bother. Most did find satisfactory fresnel params though but often the 'ghost' blade parts are too small and shallow.
No matter all of this i am very grateful to Orbx for delivering this magnificent Caribou beast. No doubt, sooner or later, they'll get that spinning prop business to match up with the awesome beauty of the external model !
cavaricooper
SOH-CM-2023
I have this crazy addiction to radials and so I am reading this with interest... thanks!
C
C
Rallymodeller
Charter Member
For me the gold standard of prop discs was the Majestic Q400 in FSX. Not only was the spin-up smooth as silk, but the thickness of the disc changed with blade angle.
