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The Staff of SOH
Douglas A20 Havoc
- Thread starter Milton Shupe
- Start date
tankerguy72
SOH-CM-2023
Thanks for your interest and feedback.
I have now pretty much wrapped up all I can find to do on this A-20C model.
Invested 5 hours this morning with the bombardier's area fleshing out the remaining pieces to add/improve on.
In good shape in terms of poly count; plenty room for the pilot and any adjustments I need to do.
Next step is mapping for textures.
Thought I would share a few shots from the rear gunner's and bombardier's positions just for kicks.
What a beauty! Always love watching these works of art come together!
Thanks for the comments; making progress little by little.
Yup, finished up mapping the major exterior parts and dipped them all in paint just for kicks.
Convinced a hungry pilot the aircraft was safe (enough) to test and away we go.
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Simply Beautiful Mr. Shupe!!!!!............looking spectacular!!!!!
Looks great. It's so nice to know we're finally going to have a quality A-20 for flightsim.
Thanks for your comments Gentlemen. Working on the time-consuming mapping of the interior parts and surfaces now. Will take a few days to wrap this up before more serious cockpit work will be done.
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Update on interior parts texture mapping: good progress on the major parts; now to wrap up the smaller items like life raft, machine gun setups, munitions, and door operating mechanisms. The VCockpit will be mapped/textured with the "G" model.
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Thanks Nathan. It really is just due diligence getting through it all. Just have to keep plugging away at it until everything is fleshed out.
I just completed the texture mapping for 680 parts ... that is quite the grind.
Fortunately, most of that the painters will not have to deal with.
I have the VCockpit left to map and that should wrap up the mapping.
Then on to panel and gauge creation.
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brad kaste
Charter Member
RE: In the home stretch now
Hi Milton,
Now that you're in the home stretch in finishing up the A-20,...I've always thought what is more pleasurable for you to do: A,...Applying 'the paint' to the aircraft that brings it alive? or,...B, Working out a technical construction issue that you're finally able to resolve? C, Taking the aircraft up for the first time that you had created? D, The satisfaction and pleasure of finally completing the aircraft for others to use? I'm quite sure there's pleasure throughout the long journey in building an aircraft from scratch,...from doing the initial research to putting on those exterior colors and insignias,...otherwise you wouldn't be building them in the first place. :^)
Best regards and my hat off to you,
-Brad K.
Hi Milton,
Now that you're in the home stretch in finishing up the A-20,...I've always thought what is more pleasurable for you to do: A,...Applying 'the paint' to the aircraft that brings it alive? or,...B, Working out a technical construction issue that you're finally able to resolve? C, Taking the aircraft up for the first time that you had created? D, The satisfaction and pleasure of finally completing the aircraft for others to use? I'm quite sure there's pleasure throughout the long journey in building an aircraft from scratch,...from doing the initial research to putting on those exterior colors and insignias,...otherwise you wouldn't be building them in the first place. :^)
Best regards and my hat off to you,
-Brad K.
Hi Brad,
Research is time-consuming but can be fun if there is ample technical, performance, and operational data available. Fortunately, there are many here with troves of data they are willing to share.
Modeling is what I enjoy most. It's both creative and artistic, and a technical challenge as well. Good quality 3-views with cross sections are essential. I do not get off on fancy gmax tools but focus more on the process of construction and results. I try to maintain a balance of detail for modeling and rely on textures to pick up the slack. Using good texture mapping processes are essential at the end of this process to ease the burden for the texture artists.
I do not do the artistry (textures); I leave that to the really talented folks to bring the model to life.
The textures are usually in progress while I focus on panel and gauges.I struggle to do the panel and gauges as I am not proficient in XML and no longer have a gauge programmer. So that is more at trudging through it using my inventory of gauges and altering them to meet the needs. There is satisfaction once I get the layout as I want it and Nigel or someone helps correct the gauge faces to spec. Then, I rely on the texture artist to make the panel and cockpit textures realistic with subtlety and shading.
I enjoy doing the flight model although I rely heavily on AirWrench to get the performance numbers correct. I do enjoy tuning to get the handling result I want (hand flying). For some aircraft, I prefer to pass this baton to Fliger747 (Tom Falley) as we all benefit from his RW flying experiences and talents. I will call on him if I cannot get satisfactory results on my own.
For Sounds and effects , I usually rely on other talented artists although I occasionally do my own effects.
Documentation is another drudgery for me that I usually skimp on providing only bare basics of operational data.
So that summarizes how I feel about each of the components of aircraft modeling and delivery. If it were not for talented texture artists and great people here who contribute and support us with manuals, drawings, and related technical data, it would be much less fun.
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Invested today in cleanup of many small items, texture mapping cleanup, adding an animated bombardier, remapping the prop blades, spinner, and collars so they are paintable, and mapping the plexiglas nose so it is paintable. Just trying to give painters the flexibility to create as many variants as possible. Some early P-70's were made from A-20A's and C's.
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AussieMan
SOH Staff .."Bartender"
Milton you are unbloodybelievable!! After I switched to FSX back in the dark ages of 2006 I gradually dropped off reading the FS2004 forum only giving it a cursory glance occasionally finding that worked in FSX or P3D. Then suddenly up popped a thread called "A Lockheed Rounder". It piqued my interest as the RAAF used many Lockheeds during WWII. I followed it almost daily for how long I cannot remember. Once the different versions of the Lockheeds were finished and out in the FS world another item popped up that kept my attention. A Douglas A-20 Boston came onto the scene. Another RAAF favourite. I have tried my hand at painting some of the Lockheeds but my tired old eyes sometimes find it hard to do them.
To say I am looking forward to this aircraft is an understatement. The excitement of waiting for this is like being back in my childhood waiting for Santa to turn up at Christmas time. And for someone who is 6 weeks off turning 70 that says a lot.
Keep up the great work Milton.
To say I am looking forward to this aircraft is an understatement. The excitement of waiting for this is like being back in my childhood waiting for Santa to turn up at Christmas time. And for someone who is 6 weeks off turning 70 that says a lot.
Keep up the great work Milton.
Thank you Sir. Hopefully we can make these models enjoyable for all.
I am attaching some data from one of the manuals about serial numbers and types transferred to the RAAF. Maybe that will be of interest.
I have quite a few articles, publications about the history and uses of all models and types. Lots of field pics and other interesting stuff.
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Animated bombardier for target run ...
This compliments the animated rear gunner and pilot so I think we are finally done with these amenities.
We need some OD dye for that hat.
This compliments the animated rear gunner and pilot so I think we are finally done with these amenities.
We need some OD dye for that hat.
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spokes2112
Charter Member
Milton,
Absolutely awesome!
You know my digits, just give a ring when needed! Will be honored to help.
Just request that some artwork reference, or the artwork itself (cuz I suck at it too LOL!) along with information on how the gauge will react to the aircraft systems. (hyd, elec supply etc..) I'll give it my best.
Keep up the great work!
Absolutely awesome!
You know my digits, just give a ring when needed! Will be honored to help.
Just request that some artwork reference, or the artwork itself (cuz I suck at it too LOL!) along with information on how the gauge will react to the aircraft systems. (hyd, elec supply etc..) I'll give it my best.
Keep up the great work!