HUP-2 Challenge - Can someone help retexture it?

[FlyingsCool]

Hi,

I'm hoping one of the modelers here might accept a challenge I've got.

As I've been posting, I'm using the FSX upgrade to Jim Jacobson's original HUP-2 Model (by somebody by the initials YT, LLS I think, I can't tell who) which I think I downloaded from Simviation (search for Piaseki ... yes, I know it's spelled wrong) for my '57/'58 FDR Cruise.

My issue is that there are markings on the top and bottom of the helicopter that are well nigh impossible to create because the model is textured with just two textures, 1 on each side, so the very top and bottom are very stretched, and progressively so, I just don't have the skill to deal with this much stretch.

Which when I try to add to the texture, looks like this

Would anyone be interested in taking on the challenge to re-texture the outside of the model to allow markings to be added top and bottom?
Jim's original FSDS model can be downloaded from Flightsim.com. I'm happy to provide the textures I created (in old Paint Shop Pro v8 (not the new Corel one)). I can save to PSD if that helps. I'm imagining the texture map edges that would go along the natural demarcation line of the piping on the top and bottom "corners" of the fuselage would work great; and leave the tail in the side texture, that part works fine.

I've tried to learn Gmax a few times, and when dealing with materials, I just get completely lost.

A super big thank you if anyone is interested, if not, I understand

Thanks,

Tom

 

[Jafo]

Not an uncommon issue. What you have to do is compensate by fore-shortening the graphics...so squeezed/distorted on the bitmap and 'hopefully' looking OK on the model....it all gets difficult when even 1 pixel of the bitmap is spread/stretched by the modelling....then it can never be 'good', just 'less bad'...

 

[FlyingsCool]

Not an uncommon issue. What you have to do is compensate by fore-shortening the graphics...so squeezed/distorted on the bitmap and 'hopefully' looking OK on the model....it all gets difficult when even 1 pixel of the bitmap is spread/stretched by the modelling....then it can never be 'good', just 'less bad'...

Yes, the issue here is the "stretching" changes progressively in such a way that getting the text and insignia to look right would be well nigh impossible, for me anyway. I'm not even sure it would be possible since it's likely 1 pixel would need to represent a width and variation of 10(?) at the edge of the texture surface. I think it would be easiest if two new sections were mapped to the top and bottom of the model. there's plenty of space for it in the two textures that make up the main part of texture set. (heck, could probably fit all the texture areas into a single texture sheet). Sadly, I don't know the first thing about it.

I tried to do the stretchy thing, I couldn't figure out how to do it properly.