Lavochkin

[Ivan]

Last Night, I added the Flap Wells that were conspicuously missing from this model and also started on some remapping of some existing textures. The effects won't make a great difference in appearance but will show some slight improvements for folks who are looking at the details.

A screenshot of the slightly shifted Flap textures is attached. I did a quick comparison against the La 7 and it seems that I had done better there even though the model was only slightly later.
This shifting of textures is extremely tedious because it needs a build and a trip through the simulator to see the effects.
Calculating numerically isn't precise here because the calculations are in .01 Feet and the actual mapping is to the nearest 1/512 Meter.

The end result will be a lot of wasted space in the texture files.

A slight correction also needed to be made to the new Tail Light / Rudder mounting area.

- Ivan.

 

[Ivan]

Most of the Top-Bottom textures have been adjusted at this point.
These would be Wings, Wing Fillets, Flaps, Flap Wells, Stabilizers, Fuselage Base.
What was very strange was that the Flap Texture adjustments did not move predictably.
The inboard side of the Starboard Flap reacted to adjustments which was good, but the inboard side of the Port Flap reacted only slightly and then refused to move. Any further edits only moved the outboard edge of the Port Flap. This should not be happening considering that the two Parts are mirrors of each other.

What was also very strange was that although the scales of many pieces were the same but the amounts they needed to be shifted were just a little different.

A few more pieces should have their mappings adjusted so that they are as symmetrical as possible.
After that, the Virtual Cockpit pieces need to be created. This will be a bit more complicated than usual because of an unusual assembly sequence at the rear of the Cockpit area where it meets the fuselage.

- Ivan.

 

[Ivan]

Odd Situation

After adjusting most of the Top-Bottom Textures, and adding Flap Wells, I found that I had quite a lot of room in the new texture file that I had to add for the Flap Wells. This looked like a very good opportunity to texture the Wheel Wells which were just plain black.

It started simple enough. The Wheel Wells were not difficult to map.
The problem came when the new model with textures was produced.
It seems that the formerly untextured Parts tolerated concave sections much better than the textured Parts in which those concavities disappear.

It seems like the textured Wheel Wells will need to be removed. The improvement in appearance does not justify the problems caused by having to rebuild the Parts and Glue sequence.

- Ivan.