Meow

Kiwikat said:
How about from the F-16 to it? My new computer can run the F-16 very well, so if it is any better than it performance-wise I'd be happy.
Click to expand...

Not only is is a LOT slower then the F-16 so scenery has time to load, but the model itself is far more optimized. Should be at least 25% better.

You have no idea how frugal we are on stuff. I wanted better leather on the seats but that would mean another bitmap, so after a few hours of fighting we settled on a different (so not another) bitmap and a changed bumpmap. So now you see the buttock imprint of the 1271 pilots that sat there without another 512kb of textures needed. Just added 3 hours to the project for a bit that customers will most likely never see or appreciate.

The big thing about this project is that we do not see it as a FSX project but as full blown games development. Steffan is not an FS developer but a professional modeler that we use for a FSX project. Let me explain that in another way. Recently we had to redo a FS airport scenery that was done by a VERY renowned and award winning FS developer. But when his modeling was worked on by trained and professional modelers we were astounded to find that we could get EXACTLY the same objects with 22% less polygons. Now the problem is that professionally trained modelers are even in this market very expensive and that they need high levels of project management from people that know FS.

Keep in mind that even though there are a lot of people who do FS addon development for a living you can count the people who did not start with it as a hobby on two hands (if not one). Steffan is not a FS addons developer, he is a high end modeler who worked on serious games. It's a total eye opener to work with him. It also explains why we now havew three full time professional developers working in our offices (though 80% of what they do is for the professional sims market).

Hope I don't piss of a lot of people, but 85% of current FSX addons could be 25% faster if they were done by people who did not have years (or even decades) of experience but 4 years of serious education. Now to make that scenery or aircraft look good means you got to be artistic as well. And to make it look good in FSX means you got to know the SDK of that sim front to back. I say there is no such developer at this moment. If I find him I will make a lot of money for Aerosoft. But we are getting close.
 
I can see your point mathijs. My full time job is a lead 3d artist in game development studio. I can appreciate a good work behind the scenes. Can't wait for your cat. Screens looks stunning, and I can certainly see how much work it cost.

Congratulations guys.
 
Boy, you really know how to sweet-talk developers, Mathijs. :kiss:

mathijs (aerosoft) said:
Not only is is a LOT slower then the F-16 so scenery has time to load, but the model itself is far more optimized. Should be at least 25% better.

You have no idea how frugal we are on stuff. I wanted better leather on the seats but that would mean another bitmap, so after a few hours of fighting we settled on a different (so not another) bitmap and a changed bumpmap. So now you see the buttock imprint of the 1271 pilots that sat there without another 512kb of textures needed. Just added 3 hours to the project for a bit that customers will most likely never see or appreciate.

The big thing about this project is that we do not see it as a FSX project but as full blown games development. Steffan is not an FS developer but a professional modeler that we use for a FSX project. Let me explain that in another way. Recently we had to redo a FS airport scenery that was done by a VERY renowned and award winning FS developer. But when his modeling was worked on by trained and professional modelers we were astounded to find that we could get EXACTLY the same objects with 22% less polygons. Now the problem is that professionally trained modelers are even in this market very expensive and that they need high levels of project management from people that know FS.

Keep in mind that even though there are a lot of people who do FS addon development for a living you can count the people who did not start with it as a hobby on two hands (if not one). Steffan is not a FS addons developer, he is a high end modeler who worked on serious games. It's a total eye opener to work with him. It also explains why we now havew three full time professional developers working in our offices (though 80% of what they do is for the professional sims market).

Hope I don't piss of a lot of people, but 85% of current FSX addons could be 25% faster if they were done by people who did not have years (or even decades) of experience but 4 years of serious education. Now to make that scenery or aircraft look good means you got to be artistic as well. And to make it look good in FSX means you got to know the SDK of that sim front to back. I say there is no such developer at this moment. If I find him I will make a lot of money for Aerosoft. But we are getting close.
Click to expand...
 
thats all I needed to hear- where do I sign up for my $50.00 copy of a buttprint :typing: :bump:map
 
spotlope said:
Boy, you really know how to sweet-talk developers, Mathijs. :kiss:
Click to expand...

Yeah, but to defend myself, I got his name wrong, it's Stefan and not Steffan, lol. And Hofmann and not Hoffman. So as a sweet talker I messed up badly. That will teach me to do to do it after a few glasses of local wine.

And we have not worked together much, but in every way you have been professional, it made it easy. Not only in files but also in speed and flexibility. Customer never know that, but in the end it always shows in the project. Any second we do not have to spend on nonsense ends up in a lower price or a new feature.

Consider your behind kissed as well!
 
I will say this... I have the Hughes H1, and it's an absolute masterpiece of modeling and texturing. Stefan is indeed a true artist. I'm really getting psyched about this Catalina!
 
Geez...talk about psyched...One of the only reasons I modeled the seaplane hangars at NAS Pensacola and improved the seawall in Ver 1.2 was to give my copy of this Cat a home. Likewise Oban. I can't wait.

Jim
 
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The Catalina VC nears texture completion.
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aero_cat2_48.jpg


aero_cat2_49.jpg


aero_cat2_50.jpg


aero_cat2_51.jpg


aero_cat2_52.jpg


aero_cat2_53.jpg
 
I can't fathom the amount of work that went into making that VC....more detail in that one VC than in 50 planes in my FS2004 collection put together. It's beautiful! And, it's that level of detail that people are demanding from payware packages now days...yet, unfortunatley, they want to cry and moan when a payware package sets them back $50 and $60 dollars. Details like that require a ton and a half of man hours to put together...and are deserving of adequate compensation.

I am not trying to flame anyone, or start a flame war. I am just saying that if this turns out to be a $50 package, it will be worth every penny of that money due to the amount of detailing put into it. The artists how modeled every little nut and bolt, every screw, every cable...deserve to be paid handsomely for their work.

OBIO
 
OBIO said:
I can't fathom the amount of work that went into making that VC....more detail in that one VC than in 50 planes in my FS2004 collection put together. It's beautiful! And, it's that level of detail that people are demanding from payware packages now days...yet, unfortunatley, they want to cry and moan when a payware package sets them back $50 and $60 dollars. Details like that require a ton and a half of man hours to put together...and are deserving of adequate compensation.

I am not trying to flame anyone, or start a flame war. I am just saying that if this turns out to be a $50 package, it will be worth every penny of that money due to the amount of detailing put into it. The artists how modeled every little nut and bolt, every screw, every cable...deserve to be paid handsomely for their work.

OBIO
Click to expand...

Announced price is 29,99€ :kilroy:
 
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A few shots showing additional texture detail on the glass and the night lighting.

aero_cat2_57.jpg


aero_cat2_58.jpg


aero_cat2_59.jpg


And then a couple of Catalina "moments" ;)

aero_cat2_56.jpg


aero_cat2_55.jpg
 
I have some paints ready for it somewhere here and to be quite honest, I have not seen anything quite approaching Stefan's work. What little he did on the F-16 project, lifted it mile high, what he's done in the PBY sends it to space in comparison.
 
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