DCS

[DBFlyguy]

On 7/29/2022 at 8:22 PM, Gambit21 said:

First skin...WIP.

Skinning DCS is a whole other animal. 

Reflected was kind enough to do me up a 365th, June 44 base, and Don with the nose art.

Putting it together is still not simple - figuring out the roughmet texture etc. 

I have a background is 3D modeling and texture painting, and it's still taking me a minute to get a handle on the process here.

 

Need invasion stripes still.

Is this gonna be on the Normandy or Channel map?

[Gambit21]

3 hours ago, DBFlyguy said:

Is this gonna be on the Normandy or Channel map?

 

Normandy - following the squadron and actual events from June 7th through Operation Cobra/Falaise Gap.

Low clouds, nasty weather, etc. 

[DBFlyguy]

On 7/27/2022 at 8:47 AM, kestrel79 said:

Does the F-18 really spark like that when you fire the gun? It must, never seen real video of that cool. I'll check that out.

Here you go, at the 8:39 mark

 

 

[Gambit21]

 

Getting there.

I think the Hell Hawks skins will be the beginning and end of my DCS skinning career.

Too much damn work on top of everything else.

 

Hard part is mostly done though. I can use this as a base for the rest of them.

The DCS community by and large is much less helpful, more self-centered etc than here I notice. So getting help on the skinning forum was no bueno.

Thankfully Reflected sent me some working files and that's what got me over the hump...he and another guy on the Dev Discord.

Otherwise I'd had given up days ago. It's one of those 'not that complicated once you understand it" things more or less.

 

Not talking Photoshop work, but the DCS skin workflow...LUA description file, etc. PITA.

 

 

 

[Gambit21]

 

Working on Baumeister's bird now.

 

 

[Lusekofte]

I really miss the enthusiasm and awesome feeling I had flying mscfs and old IL2

Without headtracking and throttle and rudderpedals 

I was ecstatic sitting there just flying with my cheap joystick

[Hoots]

2 hours ago, LuseKofte said:

I really miss the enthusiasm and awesome feeling I had flying mscfs and old IL2

Without headtracking and throttle and rudderpedals 

I was ecstatic sitting there just flying with my cheap joystick

Ah those were the days, we were so young and innocent. Now where's my blanket and cup of tea?

[Tempus]

On 8/4/2022 at 3:49 AM, Gambit21 said:

Getting there.

I think the Hell Hawks skins will be the beginning and end of my DCS skinning career.

Too much damn work on top of everything else.

It's a little bit trickier than IL-2's skins but once you've learnt the process is even the same. Just think that the skin dds file and the roughmet dds file are the same but in the second one the colours are a code that goes from matt (yellows) to gloss (reds) to shine (Pinks). I've normally paint the skin group of layers, once finish it I duplicate the skin group and repaint every important layer in yellow(ish), red(ish) or pink(ish), flatten all layers in one and export it as a dds file.

Another tip for lazies is check out in the DCS files where the default liveries are placed, open the roughmet dds file of any specific DCS default skin in PS or GIMP, customize it and export it to your own project folder. This tip is very useful when your skin is very similar and you only need to mod few details: for example if your skin and the default one are from the same squadron, etc, etc,...

You can also check out any DCS skinning tutorials in YT. I recommend you laobi's one, 5 years old but it still works.  

 

In the description lua file FALSE means that DCS is going to use the specific dds file you've painted inside the custom skin subfolder inside DCS liveries subfolder. TRUE means that DCS is going to use its owns default textures located in the model subfolder TEXTURES zip file to complete the ingame textures. 

[Gambit21]

On 8/8/2022 at 3:44 PM, Tatata_Time said:

It's a little bit trickier than IL-2's skins but once you've learnt the process is even the same.

 

Thanks for taking the time to type that - where were you 3 weeks ago when I was pulling my hair out trying to figure out the LUA thing! ?

I have a handle on it now, at least as far as the Jug goes. I still need to get rid of the stock numbers though...I downloaded someone else's skin to see how they did it in the LUA.

 

Here's Coffey's ship...almost done.

 

 

Edited August 11, 2022 by Gambit21

[LLv34_Flanker]

S!

 

Great skins Gambit! Definitely a buy when the campaign is out. Just wondering when DCS will get the Vulkan update that should help with performance..

[DD_fruitbat]

4 hours ago, LLv34_Flanker said:

S!

 

Great skins Gambit! Definitely a buy when the campaign is out. Just wondering when DCS will get the Vulkan update that should help with performance..

 

I think someone said in 2 weeks.... ?

[Gambit21]

15 hours ago, LLv34_Flanker said:

S!

 

Great skins Gambit! Definitely a buy when the campaign is out. Just wondering when DCS will get the Vulkan update that should help with performance..

 

Vulkan is one thing, but more than that AI work that needs to be completed, implemented and stable. Core work on AI that is apparently going on under the hood right now (which is a very good thing) is wreaking havoc with editor logic, triggers, existing missions etc. So I'm in no rush to release something only to have to spend endless hours, days, weeks, months, repairing, maintaining. My life simply won't support that. So I'm taking my time. If Vulkan arrives in the meantime as well, great. Also there are many other ongoing, and seemingly growing obstacles that make me want to just drop all of this, and stick to 3D work and flying. 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 12, 2022 by Gambit21

[DBFlyguy]

I can't wait to finally be able to fly in the Pacific in a modern combat flight sim! Was hoping it would be in GB but it is what is is... these pics of the Marianas are looking good!

 

 

 

The Sinai map announcement however... not sure how I feel about this... kinda feels like getting "nickle and dimed" this map is literally in the same region as the Syria map... why not just expand that one instead of making a whole new map folks are gonna have to buy ...

 

 

 

 

[Bremspropeller]

Holy duckerony!

11 minutes ago, DBFlyguy said:

The Sinai map announcement however... not sure how I feel about this... kinda feels like getting "nickle and dimed" this map is literally in the same region as the Syria map... why not just expand that one instead of making a whole new map folks are gonna have to buy ...

 

I hear you. With the Syria map already being a hardware-hog, it's only natural to come up with this map.

[AndyJWest]

Extending the Syria map to cover the extent of the new Sinai map as well would make it huge, and maybe not practical. Though I'm sure money comes into it too.

[Art-J]

This new map is apparently being done by a new 3rd party studio, unrelated to Ugra guys, so it's not like one can just extend one DLC into the other belonging to someone else. 

[Gambit21]

I’d rather have an expanded Med map, but whatevs. It will be good for Yom Kippur and 6 Day wars.

[sevenless]

44 minutes ago, Gambit21 said:

It will be good for Yom Kippur and 6 Day wars.

 

I guess that is the reason behind releasing the Sinai Map. For Cold war we get the Scandinavia Cola map and for Arab-Israeli conflicts the Syria and Sinai maps. Still have no clue why they released that Falkland map. Waste of ressources IMHO.

[DBFlyguy]

1 hour ago, sevenless said:

 

Waste of resources IMHO.

Seems to be a lot of that going around with several dev teams lately ...

 

I was kinda tempted by the Falklands map, but realizing how unfinished it is... and knowing Razbam's track record for starting everything, finishing nothing... no way I'm dropping almost $60 on that map. I just hope I don't end up kicking my self for being willing to buy the F-15E when they finally drops...

[Bremspropeller]

10 hours ago, DBFlyguy said:

I was kinda tempted by the Falklands map, but realizing how unfinished it is... and knowing Razbam's track record for starting everything, finishing nothing... no way I'm dropping almost $60 on that map.

 

The map's unfinished, but it's being finished at good pace with new airfields being added every other update. Also, it's a way more interesting spot in the world than the Kola Peninsula, which only has the USSR vs NATO-thing going for it. IMHO.

 

The Mirage 2000 is very finished, as is the Harrier. The Mirage now probably has the best radar-simulation in the entire game, making all the ED modules blush in anger and envy.

[Gambit21]

Elephant in the room is - who’s working on the Vietnam map and when will the announcement come…you know it’s coming.

[DD_fruitbat]

4 hours ago, Gambit21 said:

Elephant in the room is - who’s working on the Vietnam map and when will the announcement come…you know it’s coming.

 

You can alnost guarantee we'll get the wrong Vietnam map if we do get it, and get south Vietnam instead of the north!

 

I don't understand why no 3rd party dev has picked up Vietnam though. 

 

I think the Syria map would push past the boundaries of whats possible if was expanded south, so I'm happy with the new map announcement. 

[Boogdud]

5 hours ago, Bremspropeller said:

The Mirage 2000 is very finished, as is the Harrier. The Mirage now probably has the best radar-simulation in the entire game, making all the ED modules blush in anger and envy.

So true, the M2000 is so well done now, it's like a different aircraft. The module itself is finished (though I heard they might do an FM pass still), but unfortunately their training missions seem to be busted and they need to update their documentation since everything is so different. But wow, what a turnaround.

 

30 minutes ago, DD_fruitbat said:

I don't understand why no 3rd party dev has picked up Vietnam though. 

My sarcastic guess is because there are so many trees, and anyone who has spent time in DCS knows half the trees in the game are invulnerable to most munitions... Imagine trying to fight units hiding behind the dcs invincible trees! They're apparently made of Stalinite!

[DBFlyguy]

6 hours ago, Bremspropeller said:

 

 

 

The Mirage 2000 is very finished, as is the Harrier. The Mirage now probably has the best radar-simulation in the entire game, making all the ED modules blush in anger and envy.

Oh, I definitely agree the M2K and Harrier are great modules now, it just took them ages to get there, including complete revamps to things like the M2K radar.  I'll definitely be getting the Kola map because of the region, its by Orbx which does amazing work and these upcoming campaigns by Baltic and Reflected:

 

 

[Gambit21]

6 hours ago, DD_fruitbat said:

 

You can alnost guarantee we'll get the wrong Vietnam map if we do get it, and get south Vietnam instead of the north!

 

We’d need the whole thing, but really would like Thailand included (Ubon, Udorn air bases)

 

South is where the action is, as that’s where you’re doing CAS, etc. 

Also if you’re flying a Huey you’re doing it in the south.

 

 

 

6 hours ago, DD_fruitbat said:

I don't understand why no 3rd party dev has picked up Vietnam though. 

 

 

That’s what I’m saying, somebody is tasked with it - question is who?

 

[Gambit21]

Finished up the player's livery tonight.

 

 

[Bremspropeller]

 

I hear "Tiger Stripe" is going to be a hot look...

[DBFlyguy]

A lot of early cold war era aircraft coming down the pipe,  Not really a fan of the Super Sabre or any of the century series fighters... but I know it'll be a big seller with the cold war crowd. I've lost count how many modules are in progress now, it's alot! Something for everyone ?

 

Someone really does need to announce a Vietnam map... seems like is a "no brainer" now...

[Gambit21]

36 minutes ago, DBFlyguy said:

Someone really does need to announce a Vietnam map... seems like is a "no brainer" now...

Aye, I’d argue it has been for some time now. Huey, A-7, F-8, A-4, (mod) A-6, then the F-4, MiG 21, MiG 19, MiG 17. Extend less than a year into “what if” territory and F-14A.

 

 

[DBFlyguy]

5 minutes ago, Gambit21 said:

Aye, I’d argue it has been for some time now. Huey, A-7, F-8, A-4, (mod) A-6, then the F-4, MiG 21, MiG 19, MiG 17. Extend less than a year into “what if” territory and F-14A.

 

 

Yeah good point!  Maybe after Ugra finishes up Normandy for GB and updates of the DCS Normandy map, they could jump on Vietnam ?

[Irishratticus72]

2 hours ago, Gambit21 said:

Aye, I’d argue it has been for some time now. Huey, A-7, F-8, A-4, (mod) A-6, then the F-4, MiG 21, MiG 19, MiG 17. Extend less than a year into “what if” territory and F-14A.

 

 

Thud.

[Gambit21]

1 minute ago, Irishratticus72 said:

Thud.

Would love to see it, and the Devastator, and an early Cobra. That was just a list of existing or announced aircraft.

 

Also a proper C-130/gunship.

[Irishratticus72]

55 minutes ago, Gambit21 said:

Would love to see it, and the Devastator, and an early Cobra. That was just a list of existing or announced aircraft.

 

Also a proper C-130/gunship.

Well, it technically wouldn`t be too much of a stretch for a "Puff The magic Dragon.........."

[DBFlyguy]

 

[Irishratticus72]

47 minutes ago, DBFlyguy said:

 

BAT 21 MOD, NOW!

[Lusekofte]

The Bronco , and yet, no Map of Vietnam. 

I vote for the thud, despite its heavy loss, it was still the only aircraft able to penetrate deepest into the North. A beloved aircraft among its crew.

It really should be one of the first to come

[BraveSirRobin]

On 8/19/2022 at 12:40 PM, Gambit21 said:

Aye, I’d argue it has been for some time now. Huey, A-7, F-8, A-4, (mod) A-6, then the F-4, MiG 21, MiG 19, MiG 17. Extend less than a year into “what if” territory and F-14A.

 

 

F-14s were used to cover the evacuation.  So combat is “what if”, but being there isn’t.

[DBFlyguy]

 

[Guest deleted@83466]

I’m mostly too lazy for those pushbuttony airplanes, so my go to plane for right now is the Sabre.  It just has a cool factor for me.  So, now the Super Sabre?  I can deal with that.

[AndyJWest]

The hazards of DCS training servers. ?