F7F Tigercat SOH Project

[Mick]

I just uploaded the vintage panel kit to the library. It will change the color of the insides of the canopy frames, the main instrument panel and the center console from light gray to "off-black," to match the Navy's interior color standards during the Tigercat's service life.

It's mainly just a matter of replacing a few image files in the panel folder, but for repaints of the F7F-1 and -3N (though not the -3 or -3P) there's a scrap bit to be patched into one of the main texture files. I have included files with that edit already done for the prototype ("test") skin and the generic dark sea blue ("blue") skin of the original release. You'll have to do it yourself for repaints when they appear after the release of the paint kit, though I'll certainly include the changes in any of my own repaints of Tigercats in Navy or Marine service.

The kit will also work with any of Papi's present or future panels, except that you won't need the main panel background image from the kit if you use a Papi panel.

 

[wbuchart]

F7F Tigercat SOH Project5

friends,
you see the two panels I work on.
If you have ane suggestions, I' m interested to read from you.

Yours
Papi

Hi Papi....
They both DO look great, but if I could only have one, I prefer the top one. I can't give you much of a reason other that I like the green background lights and the darker panel. But hey, that's why they make cars in different colors, too!

 

[tankerguy72]

This ugly duckling is fresh out of the booth. I may have one or two more to do then ship them over to Milton for review and packaging

 

[Milton Shupe]

This ugly duckling is fresh out of the booth. I may have one or two more to do then ship them over to Milton for review and packaging

TG,

Just curious if you are running the F7F Tanker package I released. The model in this picture seems to have too much specular shine. The release package corrected that .... I think.

Since I have already released the Tanker package to SOH, Simviation, and Flightsim, please just upload your new textures for everyone, me included.

 

[vonernsk]

Mick's back dated black panel for the tigercat

Mick,

First, many thanks for your black panel mods. They work on the single seat F7F-3 a treat and, at first sight appear to be OK in the 2 seater. However, on viewing the a/c from outside close up, whilst the inside panel remains black when viewed through the main pilot's canopy, if viewed slightly obliquely, through the side of the front windshield it still appears grey in the area only viewed through the front side windshield area. Past the front support hoop, it is black.

The models used are the latest as issued by Milton's last release for this a/c.

All I changed were the main panel bmp and the VC01 and VC02 bmps.

Should I have carried out the 'patch' of the nose section you mentioned as necessary for re-paints?

Rgds
Mal

 

[Mick]

Mick,

First, many thanks for your black panel mods. They work on the single seat F7F-3 a treat and, at first sight appear to be OK in the 2 seater. However, on viewing the a/c from outside close up, whilst the inside panel remains black when viewed through the main pilot's canopy, if viewed slightly obliquely, through the side of the front windshield it still appears grey in the area only viewed through the front side windshield area. Past the front support hoop, it is black.

The models used are the latest as issued by Milton's last release for this a/c.

All I changed were the main panel bmp and the VC01 and VC02 bmps.

Should I have carried out the 'patch' of the nose section you mentioned as necessary for re-paints?

Rgds
Mal

Hi Mal,

All I can offer as an answer is "maybe." The idea is to keep the 2D and VC cockpits looking the same, and you have to use all the files to do that. Otherwise the color of the canopy frames changes when you switch back and forth between 2D and VC views.

I don't know enough about modeling to say what's happening, so I can only make a wild-assed guess that somehow one view shows the main2D panel texture and the other sees the VC texture. What I know for sure is just that the bit on the nose texture file colors the frames in the VC, while the main panel background image colors it in the 2D panel.

The effect you're seeing being visible in the single-seater but not the two-holer suggests that the two models are reading or displaying something differently, but that sort of thing gets far beyond my knowledge and understanding. If you're using one panel with two models, and differences in what's displayed would seem to be due to differences in the model. I guess...

That the different views depend on how you look through the two glass sections just baffles me completely.

ll I can suggest is that you try the edit. Just save a copy of the original texture file, in case you want to change it back. I included those two edited noses for folks who don't care to hassle with editing extended bitmaps, so you can easily try it both ways.

 

[vonernsk]

Thanks Mick,
I will let you know how I get on. It is no big deal anyway - just a sliver of the cockpit that is only glimpsed from an exterior view-point. But the whys and wherefores interest me so I will investigate further.
Thanks again for your work.
Mal

 

[Mick]

Thanks Mick,
I will let you know how I get on. It is no big deal anyway - just a sliver of the cockpit that is only glimpsed from an exterior view-point. But the whys and wherefores interest me so I will investigate further.
Thanks again for your work.
Mal

Thanks. I"ll be interested to hear whatever you figure out!

 

[Milton Shupe]

Hi Mal,

All I can offer as an answer is "maybe." The idea is to keep the 2D and VC cockpits looking the same, and you have to use all the files to do that. Otherwise the color of the canopy frames changes when you switch back and forth between 2D and VC views.

I don't know enough about modeling to say what's happening, so I can only make a wild-assed guess that somehow one view shows the main2D panel texture and the other sees the VC texture. What I know for sure is just that the bit on the nose texture file colors the frames in the VC, while the main panel background image colors it in the 2D panel.

The effect you're seeing being visible in the single-seater but not the two-holer suggests that the two models are reading or displaying something differently, but that sort of thing gets far beyond my knowledge and understanding. If you're using one panel with two models, and differences in what's displayed would seem to be due to differences in the model. I guess...

That the different views depend on how you look through the two glass sections just baffles me completely.

ll I can suggest is that you try the edit. Just save a copy of the original texture file, in case you want to change it back. I included those two edited noses for folks who don't care to hassle with editing extended bitmaps, so you can easily try it both ways.

Bingo Mick!

Here is the situation. Some of the F7F's had a display problem of the cockpit from spot view thru glass but not the F7F-3 single seater or tanker. I could not correct that situation as I have in the past.

I therefore left the single seater -3 and Tanker displaying the VC cockpit in Spot view as I usually do.
So their complement of textures are vc01, vc02, and fuselage.bmp for the VC cockpit framework and panels, and panel_background_1024 for the 2D panel.

However, the other models I had to replace the VC view in spot view (with canopy closed) with a dummy dead panel texture (Panelback.bmp) in the texture folders. When the canopy is opened, you actually can see the live vc textures (not thru glass) and the dead texture thru glass at the same time.

Here is how you can tell: With the engines running, position yourself in spot view so the cockpit can be seen. Now operate the throttle.

Notice if the RPM and MAP gauges move. In the -3 single and tanker, you see them move whether or not the canopy is opened.
The others the gauges will not move unless you open the canopy.
Thru glass, you see the dead texture whereas with the canopy opened, you see the live VC gauges operating normally.

So, just ensure that you have all the aforementioned textures modified and all should be well.

I know, its complicated ... sorry about that.

 

[vonernsk]

All in the black

So, presumably any Tigercat that I wish to display with a black 2d and VC panel also has to have the 'panelback.bmp' file re-painted in black?

That is apart from the single seat F7F-1 and Tanker variants. Or, forgive me, if I have lost the plot somewhere along the line in this discussion?

This is just the situation where a good old face to face discussion around a table would solve this for all parties quickly.

Apologies again for my lack of detailed graphics knowledge.

Mal

 

[Milton Shupe]

So, presumably any Tigercat that I wish to display with a black 2d and VC panel also has to have the 'panelback.bmp' file re-painted in black?

That is apart from the single seat F7F-1 and Tanker variants. Or, forgive me, if I have lost the plot somewhere along the line in this discussion?

This is just the situation where a good old face to face discussion around a table would solve this for all parties quickly.

Apologies again for my lack of detailed graphics knowledge.

Mal

Correct. Panelback.bmp is the exterior texture for the panel. It should be painted correctly for all the variants; why discriminate, keep it simple.

 

[Mick]

Thanks Milton,

I'll see if I can darken the panels in that texture without ruining the look of the instruments. That could be tricky but I'll see what I can do. If I can get it right I'll put up an enhanced version of the cockpit conversion kit.

 

[Milton Shupe]

Thanks Milton,

I'll see if I can darken the panels in that texture without ruining the look of the instruments. That could be tricky but I'll see what I can do. If I can get it right I'll put up an enhanced version of the cockpit conversion kit.

That texture was made from screen shots from the VC I believe. That would be the easy approach once you have the other textures done.

 

[Mick]

It was easier than I thought!

The image shown here is a JPEG. A bitmap is attached for those interested enough to be following this discussion.

I know the lower part of the lower section isn't as dark as the rest, but I don't think that will be very noticeable in the sim.

Later today I'll wrap and upload a complete version of the kit for the library.

 

[michaelvader]

F7F Tigercat SOH Project panel

Hallo friends,

I tried to darken my 2d panel for the F-1.
for the night lights I have this entry in the panel cfg.
Perhaps you might have a better suggestion?
[Color]
Day=255,255,255
Night=124,53,49
Luminous=197,0,0





Yours Papi

 

[Mick]

Hallo friends,

I tried to darken my 2d panel for the F-1.
for the night lights I have this entry in the panel cfg.
Perhaps you might have a better suggestion?
[Color]
Day=255,255,255
Night=124,53,49
Luminous=197,0,0

Yours Papi

Hi Papi,

I don't know about the lights, but I think the color of the panel and canopy frames is still gray. It's dark gray rather than light gray, but it still doesn't look black, at least not on my screen.

 

[michaelvader]

F7F Tigercat SOH Project my 2d panel

Hallo Mick,

I tried to make it as dark as possible to aproach dark black.
but if I darken more the frame gets so dark that it looses all details and shadows !
But if you want to try I will send you the original bmp and you can have a look if you can darken it more.
Or to make it in the wanted black color but still getting the details and not only a black silouhete.
Yours
Papi

 

[Mick]

Hallo Mick,

I tried to make it as dark as possible to aproach dark black.
but if I darken more the frame gets so dark that it looses all details and shadows !
But if you want to try I will send you the original bmp and you can have a look if you can darken it more.
Or to make it in the wanted black color but still getting the details and not only a black silouhete.
Yours
Papi

Hi Papi,

Well, it's your panel, so it's up to you how dark you want to make those items.

 

[Mick]

First new skin

I just uploaded my first new skin. It's an F7F-1 of VMF-312, based at NAS San Diego in 1945.

It's got to be the easiest repaint I ever did. All I had to do was add a number to the fin, but it's an authentic service livery. At the end of WW2 and in the immediate post-war period Navy and Marine aircraft marking standards were in their most minimalist period ever!

I hoped to find some less minimalist schemes for the -1 or 02 but had no luck. It appears that the -1 and -2 day fighters served in minuscule numbers in just a few units for only the briefest time. There were apparently a lot more -2N night fighters, including some that served in China in the immediate post-war period, but they would require a two-seat model with the early small tail, and we don't have one. The -2N had the same nose as the day fighters (as did the later -4N) but it was a two-holer.

I found that there were quite a few very early -3s that had the older, smaller tail, so I can paint some more skins for the small-tailed single-seater. I wonder if I should combine the -1 model and the -3 flight model for those paints. I suppose I should, since we do have different flight models for the different variants. That would be most authentic.

Here's the VMF-312 F7F-1:

 

[Maarten -]

I just uploaded my first new skin. It's an F7F-1 of VMF-312, based at NAS San Diego in 1945.

It's got to be the easiest repaint I ever did. All I had to do was add a number to the fin, but it's an authentic service livery. At the end of WW2 and in the immediate post-war period Navy and Marine aircraft marking standards were in their most minimalist period ever!

I hoped to find some less minimalist schemes for the -1 or 02 but had no luck. It appears that the -1 and -2 day fighters served in minuscule numbers in just a few units for only the briefest time. There were apparently a lot more -2N night fighters, including some that served in China in the immediate post-war period, but they would require a two-seat model with the early small tail, and we don't have one. The -2N had the same nose as the day fighters (as did the later -4N) but it was a two-holer.

I found that there were quite a few very early -3s that had the older, smaller tail, so I can paint some more skins for the small-tailed single-seater. I wonder if I should combine the -1 model and the -3 flight model for those paints. I suppose I should, since we do have different flight models for the different variants. That would be most authentic.

Here's the VMF-312 F7F-1:

A real beauty, Mick! Thank you so much!

Cheers,
Maarten