Firekitten
Charter Member 2016
I've seen no weirdness on Gordon's original paints, only repaints on the wrong model with the wrong paint kit... so wait for the right one perhaps?
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Please see the most recent updates in the "Where did the .com name go?" thread. Posts number 16 and 17.
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F7F-1 Tigercat FSX & P3D Native Released
- Thread starter gman5250
- Start date
gman5250
Charter Member
I’ll break this out the best I can.
The best way to analyze the model would be to use any of my original skins, not pick apart Jan Kees work. The anomaly in the Bad Kitty fuselage color is due to the fact that the rear half bump map is not included in the skin package. Jan Kees had no way of knowing that the bump/alpha was essential to render the skin. Trying to fix what is not broken is a bit of a waste of time. I provided a remedy above.
Mr. Shupe and I have looked over my files. The only thing I see is a very slight, and I mean very slight color variation in the specular maps at the break point of the front and rear fuse sections. This was intentional to reproduce the variations in metal panel color often seen in real world, working aircraft in natural skin. The specular file is intended to throw light at varying intensities across the entire airplane. This is intended to represent a less monotone skin tone, especially in Prepar3D with its superior light rendering capabilities.
For the blue airplane the variation should be negligible if any.
The cube map, as provided for this airplane, along with the Fresnel ramp are extremely aggressive. Therefore, the rendering of the reflection at the break in the front and rear fuselage are not seamless, even with the model parts welded and smoothed. When light hits this area at just the right angle the complex light rendering may produce a very slight color depth anomaly.
If requested I can provide a more homogenous specular file for the blue airplane. Personally I think it would be detrimental to the liveliness of a paint that is properly integrated with all of the elements intended for each airplane.
Switching files for the skins as I have provided is not recommended. Each metal skin is an individual work of art that is intended to render light, wear and service use in its own unique way. This airplane is an experiment in modeling, paint, light rendering and simulator technology as we experience it currently. The alpha channels are intentionally designed to interact with the specular files to show nuance of metal texture. Bump maps are adjusted to individual airplanes as well to throw light consistent with the level of finish.
I worked with a respected naval aviation expert and veteran to render the blue skins as accurately as possible. The antiglare panel, for instance, was not black on the Tigercat. A non-specular coating was sprayed onto the blue to cut glare. I tried to reproduce this to the best capability of simulation technology. The level of gloss on landing gear parts was looked at and received many hours of attention. Maintenance stencils were applied as per a period manual, specifically for this airplane. The details went on and on.
Overall, the team that worked for hundreds of hours behind the scenes concentrated on details from cockpit interior colors to the wear and tear on a night fighter wheel.
With the hundreds of intricate details that went into the reproduction of a truly exquisite example big radial firepower, it is possible and probable that I may have not covered everything. I am not an experienced airplane builder, this is my first effort that received my full time attention for over six months.
Regarding Jan Kees' "Bad Kitty":
I consider Jan Kees to be a consummate artist and well capable of providing magnificent renderings of my and Mr. Shupe’s model, once he has the tools to do so. I still consider his Milviz P38 collaborations to be the finest airplane/skins available anywhere. I’m quite confident that he will take the basic airplane I have delivered and make it a work of art.
Thank all of you for your compliments, constructive criticism and suggestions.
It’s all part of a process…..
The best way to analyze the model would be to use any of my original skins, not pick apart Jan Kees work. The anomaly in the Bad Kitty fuselage color is due to the fact that the rear half bump map is not included in the skin package. Jan Kees had no way of knowing that the bump/alpha was essential to render the skin. Trying to fix what is not broken is a bit of a waste of time. I provided a remedy above.
Mr. Shupe and I have looked over my files. The only thing I see is a very slight, and I mean very slight color variation in the specular maps at the break point of the front and rear fuse sections. This was intentional to reproduce the variations in metal panel color often seen in real world, working aircraft in natural skin. The specular file is intended to throw light at varying intensities across the entire airplane. This is intended to represent a less monotone skin tone, especially in Prepar3D with its superior light rendering capabilities.
For the blue airplane the variation should be negligible if any.
The cube map, as provided for this airplane, along with the Fresnel ramp are extremely aggressive. Therefore, the rendering of the reflection at the break in the front and rear fuselage are not seamless, even with the model parts welded and smoothed. When light hits this area at just the right angle the complex light rendering may produce a very slight color depth anomaly.
If requested I can provide a more homogenous specular file for the blue airplane. Personally I think it would be detrimental to the liveliness of a paint that is properly integrated with all of the elements intended for each airplane.
Switching files for the skins as I have provided is not recommended. Each metal skin is an individual work of art that is intended to render light, wear and service use in its own unique way. This airplane is an experiment in modeling, paint, light rendering and simulator technology as we experience it currently. The alpha channels are intentionally designed to interact with the specular files to show nuance of metal texture. Bump maps are adjusted to individual airplanes as well to throw light consistent with the level of finish.
I worked with a respected naval aviation expert and veteran to render the blue skins as accurately as possible. The antiglare panel, for instance, was not black on the Tigercat. A non-specular coating was sprayed onto the blue to cut glare. I tried to reproduce this to the best capability of simulation technology. The level of gloss on landing gear parts was looked at and received many hours of attention. Maintenance stencils were applied as per a period manual, specifically for this airplane. The details went on and on.
Overall, the team that worked for hundreds of hours behind the scenes concentrated on details from cockpit interior colors to the wear and tear on a night fighter wheel.
With the hundreds of intricate details that went into the reproduction of a truly exquisite example big radial firepower, it is possible and probable that I may have not covered everything. I am not an experienced airplane builder, this is my first effort that received my full time attention for over six months.
Regarding Jan Kees' "Bad Kitty":
I consider Jan Kees to be a consummate artist and well capable of providing magnificent renderings of my and Mr. Shupe’s model, once he has the tools to do so. I still consider his Milviz P38 collaborations to be the finest airplane/skins available anywhere. I’m quite confident that he will take the basic airplane I have delivered and make it a work of art.
Thank all of you for your compliments, constructive criticism and suggestions.
It’s all part of a process…..
tankerguy72
SOH-CM-2023
Great job to everyone that had a hand in this project all the man hours and work really paid off! This aircraft is a work of art! Many thanks!
big-mike
SOH-CM-2022
gray eagle
SOH-CM-2026
What great talent
I just wanted to express my sincere and deepest appreciation to both Gordon, Jan Kees and Milton et al., for sharing their paints and for this and other aircraft that they develop.
They are all masters of the trade IMHO. They are all a huge credit to the flightsim community.
I just wanted to express my sincere and deepest appreciation to both Gordon, Jan Kees and Milton et al., for sharing their paints and for this and other aircraft that they develop.
They are all masters of the trade IMHO. They are all a huge credit to the flightsim community.
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gman5250
Charter Member
Hey there Lady and Gentlemen....good to see you again Firekitten...
I'm working on an addition to the F7F series paint kit. I'm creating a single 2048 x 4096 layer for the fuselage with calibrated UVW texture layers for color and alpha master, bump map and specular master layers. The long version texture sheet will let you do your artwork on a contiguous mesh, then export left and right half directly to front and rear texture sheet for the sim.
I did this for my Manfred Jahn DAK skins and it worked extremely well. You will be able to have total color control on your layers and eliminate any possibility of color variations across sheets.
Give me a couple of days and the PK will be ready with the addition. Don't want any brawls breaking out over color variations...heh...heh...
Gman....Sasquatch...
I'm working on an addition to the F7F series paint kit. I'm creating a single 2048 x 4096 layer for the fuselage with calibrated UVW texture layers for color and alpha master, bump map and specular master layers. The long version texture sheet will let you do your artwork on a contiguous mesh, then export left and right half directly to front and rear texture sheet for the sim.
I did this for my Manfred Jahn DAK skins and it worked extremely well. You will be able to have total color control on your layers and eliminate any possibility of color variations across sheets.
Give me a couple of days and the PK will be ready with the addition. Don't want any brawls breaking out over color variations...heh...heh...
Gman....Sasquatch...
gman5250
Charter Member
F7F-3 Tigercat "La Patrona"
The "Boss" will be coming uphill today. She has a gloss blue cockpit, pearl silver paint w/light flight wear. This is the model with custom spinners. Watch the home page...she should be up there shortly.
Enjoy
Prepar3D v3.0 | MSE Photoreal Scenery | OPUS Live Weather
The "Boss" will be coming uphill today. She has a gloss blue cockpit, pearl silver paint w/light flight wear. This is the model with custom spinners. Watch the home page...she should be up there shortly.
Enjoy
Prepar3D v3.0 | MSE Photoreal Scenery | OPUS Live Weather
gray eagle
SOH-CM-2026
Thanks G.,
Looking forward to this beauty
We had a power failure today for about 3 hrs ; Just now back on line, it effected the whole town. Had to fire up the generator. It's good to be back on the normal power grid.
Think somebody drove into a power pole. Not good.
Looking forward to this beauty
We had a power failure today for about 3 hrs ; Just now back on line, it effected the whole town. Had to fire up the generator. It's good to be back on the normal power grid.
Think somebody drove into a power pole. Not good.
tankerguy72
SOH-CM-2023
Waiting patiently to put that tanker to work. Been putting some time on these other tigercat while I wait 
Cirrus N210MS
Charter Member
is the Two Seater F7F have a Vc? for the rear pit
gman5250
Charter Member
Waiting patiently to put that tanker to work. Been putting some time on these other tigercat while I wait
Working on that little animation problem with drop door #four. Now that the "Boss" is out of my hair I'm full time on the tanker. Almost there.
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gman5250
Charter Member
The number two hole is very basic in this model. I'm modeling new VCs for the single and two hole variants. It's a WIP, but under way now.
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Daveroo
Members +
Working on that little animation problem with drop door four. Now that the "Boss" is out of my hair I'm full time on the tanker. Almost there.
YAYYYYY thank you Thank you.....i repete YAYYYYYYYYYYYYY
Cirrus N210MS
Charter Member
keep up the amazing work thank you
Stickshaker
SOH-CM-2023
GMan, thanks for this fantastic package. It is so nice to have all these versions! I have one question: was it not the plan to Tacpac these planes? If not; they are pleasant enough to fly as they are now, but as a Tacpac owner I am curious.
MustangL2W
Charter Member
Are there any more repaints coming??? This model looks incredible and is a blast to fly. F7F-3 NX909TC "Semper Fideles" - F7F-3 N207F "King of the Cats" are just a couple ideas.
