Hanriot HD1 windscreen - can be changed by skin modification?

[Dupxo]

Hi,

 

Skin makers can change the shape of rudder in Albatros D3. My question is - is there a possibility to get rid off the thick metal frame in Hanriot's windscreen by skin modification? I wouldn't ask if Hanriot was only using this miserable type of windscreen but many historical photos show that we stuck with this "tank-type" vision for no reason at all! Maybe skin makers can save the day again ?

 

Edited December 4, 2024 by Dupxo

[Gooseh]

Well, wouldn't THAT be nice?

 

It's the internal view as well as the external view that would need to be hacked of course. I can find the internal view .dds file, and I have had a go at it but it made no difference in game.

 

I do recall having to do some shenanigans to gain access to these files, but I don't remember how it was done? There was a tool of some sort that extracted them but it's back in the mists of time. Maybe I got it wrong?

 

I remember the Red Baron 'invisible cockpit' mod, which turned the forward view into a ghostly vision that you could pretty much see through, unless I'm mistaken, which is entirely possible given the extreme 'mist of time' that is at play there!

 

Maybe someone can chip in?....If I were a pilot with this crate, that'd be the first thing I'd asked mechanic to do!

[Dupxo]

Thank you for respond @Gooseh! Well, by using unGTP tool I extracted planes .dds default files for external, cockpit and instruments. I made small change in hanhd1_c.dds file and it worked - look picture below - pink-purple signs. Graphic files for each plane are stored in directory: data-graphics-planes-[aircraft_name]-textures.

 

 

 

 

Link to the HanHD1 and HD2 texture files and unGTP tool:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/13g1nBTsppBixgp1mzxHE1rySfBGH17D0?usp=sharing

 

How to use unGTP - place it in RoF data folder. Then drag and drop .gtp file you want to extract to unGTP (for example graphics1.gtp placed in RoF data folder). The program will create folder named (null) in RoF data folder with extracted files. It is must have tool when you want to mod something.

Edited December 6, 2024 by Dupxo

[Gooseh]

Ah yes, that's the one. I remember the name. So I already have a null folder with all that jive in it. Never really had anything to do with it..

 

It'd be worth having a hack at it, as it looks very much like that's exactly what the pilots did judging by that picture. 

 

I assume the hacked file needs to go someplace other than null after though, can't just sit in there. Where'd you put it?

[Dupxo]

1 hour ago, Gooseh said:

 

It'd be worth having a hack at it, as it looks very much like that's exactly what the pilots did judging by that picture. 

 

 

On this forum there were also examples with factory mounted AVRO type windscreens, more suitable for fighter pilots, which gave them more visibility. So it is not a cheat at all and it belongs to sim more than Becker cannon to Albi D2. I haven't seen literally one photo so far with wing mounted 20 mm cannon on Albatros D2. But there are plenty of photos with small windscreen on Hanriot.

 

 

1 hour ago, Gooseh said:

I assume the hacked file needs to go someplace other than null after though, can't just sit in there. Where'd you put it?

 

The modified file should be used with JSGME with path: data- graphics-planes-HanHD1-textures, because this is modified game file. I believe you have modded yours RoF (and you use JSGME), so to the MODS folder you drop (or create) folder named for example "HanHD1 Windscreen Mod" with subfolders: data - graphics -planes - HanHD1 - textures. Inside last subfolder "textures" the hanhd1_c.dds file should be placed. Then this mod should be activated with JSGME.

Edited December 7, 2024 by Dupxo

[Gooseh]

Well I'll have a little look at it when I get time. I expect the results may be a little gruesome, but you never know! 

 

Perhaps less gruesome than effectively flying blind though?

 

S!

Edited December 7, 2024 by Gooseh

[Gooseh]

Now then. I haven't forgotten about this Mr Duxpo, and some progress has been made.

 

In essence, I can remove the entire windshield both internally and externally with the exception of the glass.

 

It appears to provide a very much improved view, and has minimal impact visually, with the very obvious exception of the floating glass pane.

 

Now, it seems the pane is attached to a graphics file I don't seem to have access to. I have clobbered all alpha layers I can get my hands on, and ended up with this...

 

So wherever this particular file is, it's what I need to get my hands on, assuming it has an alpha layer that can be edited to remove the pane.

 

I have had a go at creating a frame around the pane, but it hasn't been particularly successful, and is likely to be a bit on the ugly side. Unless we can remove the pane entirely, it may be our only option, and I'd give it my best shot.

 

Though it's clearly not historically accurate, total removal does provide the cleanest pilot view, and the most pleasing overall effect.

Edited February 1 by Gooseh

[Gooseh]

So....having spending an afternoon trying to create a trim and base that can support the floating glass pane in a convincing way, I can confirm that it looks like shit, and that's just from the internal view. I haven't wasted my time trying to match it up with the external view.

 

So in essence. If the pane of glass can be removed we are onto a bit of a winner. If not, it's a non starter, unless we're prepared to fly around with an bit of glass floating around in your eyeline.

[Dupxo]

Wow, thank you that you remember about this case. It looks quite good enough, you can imagine that this small piece of glass is glued to the back of machine gun :]

Anyway maybe you can leave small metal part underneath the glass?

Edited February 7 by Dupxo

[Gooseh]

Right. I've had a hack at this and come up with something reasonable I think. I mean you can actually see where you're going I guess!

Now this is both internal and external views and the mod as it stands only covers the internal view. As far as I'm aware each individual skin has it's own alpha channel, and that's where the external view is stored so the mod by itself won't cover that. The textures folder doesn't contain the alpha layer for the external view.

 

I can rejig all the French skins I have made, as there's not all that many of them, but I doubt all that many folks are much bothered!

 

I think this can be just extracted into mods and enabled through JSGME.

 

https://www.mediafire.com/file/ewqtxad0zo9zuxe/Gooseh-HanHD1+Windscreen+Mod+(internal).zip/file

Edited February 5 by Gooseh

[Dupxo]

Amazing! Thank you very much 😁