Thanks guys!
I figured I'd release it "as-is" for someone to finish. I found that, after three years, all I would end up doing is tinker with it and nothing would finally get done.
I thought it better to put it out there and hopefully someone with the talent and the time could do it some deserved justice.
It started as a project to follow Milton Schuppe's 47-part video tutorial on Youtube on how to use GMAX. I'd messed with GMAX before, but never really understood it until I watched his videos. Even the shorter one on the C-160 wasn't "clicking" with me.
I have some real nice drawings from a gentleman called Paul Matt which are stupendous. I realized the M-2 wasn't available yet, and since it seemed fairly simple in design I thought I'd give it a try. I'm glad I did since it can be easily converted (I hope, anyway) by the more talented over to the more common O-2 in use by the Air Corps. Since most parts are labeled properly, my guess is that it can also be made into a CFS2 model with the usual changes.
I tried to make the textures "all-in-one" for space reasons, but after cannibalization I realized I ended up with way too many of them. Still, I'd have to remap A LOT to get them onto a single sheet from the FS9 defaults. I thought about compressing them to DXT3, but I just like 32-bit too much.
I'm looking at making myself a library of sorts with "parts" from the default aircraft. I'm thinking that way I can have a set of "ready-made" cockpit parts I can repurpose. I'm guessing levers, control columns, yokes, throttles, ECU's, seats, and even pilots. I believe all the default pilots are set up for animation, so it's just a matter of re-linking and re-animating in GMAX.
Well, that's unless someone already has them and is willing to share, that is.
Anyway, I'm just glad I finally got to understand how to cannibalize other aircraft's parts to make the VC somewhat usable. It reminded me of when I was a kid making model planes. I would take the parts from other planes the kids wouldn't use and use them in turn to make something of my own. If I remember correctly it was called, "kit bashing." I mostly did that with balsa and tissue paper. I can say from experience that toilet paper -- though not the best alternative -- does make for some interesting covering for static planes!
Please enjoy it and feel free to improve as anyone sees fit. Just give me a small shout for the initial.
Regards,
Jorge
Miami, FL
