Author Topic: BM P40 N  (Read 6572 times)

Offline Greebo

  • Skinner Team
  • Platinum Member
  • ******
  • Posts: 6946
Re: BM P40 N
« Reply #30 on: November 02, 2011, 03:36:30 AM »
Bare metal is tough to get right, I've never been totally happy with any BMF skin I've done. It would help a lot if AH supported specularity maps so you could make the metal bits shinier than the painted bits, but they don't.

I'd say the reflection effects on this skin look a bit overdone compared to what I'm seeing in the photos. I'd suggest toning down the darker elements of the effects to make the whole skin a bit lighter. Also the rivets could do with being a bit less visible than they are. The markings appear a bit fuzzy edged as well, which can happen if you resize them a lot. Perhaps you could remake them from drawn circles that are the right size. Same thing with the anti glare strip, the edge is a little blurry compared to the photo to my eyes.

Offline Plazus

  • Gold Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2868
Re: BM P40 N
« Reply #31 on: November 02, 2011, 12:10:36 PM »
ink,

In my opinion, I think this is your best bare metal finish yet. You may want to make some minor tweaks like Greebo mentioned above. The markings on the plane are fuzzy around the edges. Try making the roundels from scratch at the right size and see if they come out clearer on the aircraft. If this works, you may want to hand make the rest of the markings on the plane to make them look more clear.
Plazus
80th FS "Headhunters"

Axis vs Allies

Offline mensa180

  • Platinum Member
  • ******
  • Posts: 4010
Re: BM P40 N
« Reply #32 on: November 02, 2011, 12:31:49 PM »
I would make anything you wish to scale/fiddle with in the future a vector.
inactive
80th FS "Headhunters"
Public Relations Officer

Offline Stoney

  • Gold Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3482
Re: BM P40 N
« Reply #33 on: November 02, 2011, 02:03:28 PM »
I would make anything you wish to scale/fiddle with in the future a vector.

Can you do that in GIMP or PS?  I didn't think you could...
"Can we be incorrect at times, absolutely, but I do believe 15 years of experience does deserve a little more credence and respect than you have given from your very first post."

HiTech

Offline ink

  • Persona Non Grata
  • Plutonium Member
  • *******
  • Posts: 11274
Re: BM P40 N
« Reply #34 on: November 02, 2011, 03:19:47 PM »
thanx guys I did do what Greebo suggested....I must say I am very happy..(although it still may need some tweaks)..I did make these roundels from scratch, but then blurred the edges so when its close up it does not pixalate  as bad....I will post up some pics soon.

Offline Krusty

  • Radioactive Member
  • *******
  • Posts: 26745
Re: BM P40 N
« Reply #35 on: November 02, 2011, 03:28:23 PM »
The key is to anti-alias the edges, rather than blur them. That fills in the pixels with averages, rather than makes it look fuzzy.

Often this is an option on the tool itself. Say I choose the circular-shaped tool it will have a checkbox in photoshop for "aliased?" and I can toggle it on or off.

If you can't do that, make it big. Like 5x as big. Then size it down to what you need. The resizing will alias it for you without blurring.

Offline ink

  • Persona Non Grata
  • Plutonium Member
  • *******
  • Posts: 11274
Re: BM P40 N
« Reply #36 on: November 02, 2011, 05:35:16 PM »
The key is to anti-alias the edges, rather than blur them. That fills in the pixels with averages, rather than makes it look fuzzy.

Often this is an option on the tool itself. Say I choose the circular-shaped tool it will have a checkbox in photoshop for "aliased?" and I can toggle it on or off.

If you can't do that, make it big. Like 5x as big. Then size it down to what you need. The resizing will alias it for you without blurring.

nice...thanx man, yes GIMP can do that :salute

Offline ink

  • Persona Non Grata
  • Plutonium Member
  • *******
  • Posts: 11274
Re: BM P40 N
« Reply #37 on: November 03, 2011, 06:44:46 PM »
I had said that I did greebo's suggestion and I am very happy with the results from that, then I went and did what Krusty said with the Antialaising for the roundels, plus I made them huge and shrunk them down....also tweaked the Glare panel, krusty was right it has a lower slope that what I did at first.

I have to admit this plane is my favorite one so far that I have done, minus the original KI skin(which I got an accepted Email today about :x) still love that one.

anyways here are some pics....

I also want to say THANX for ALL who commented and critiqued....couldn't do it with out you guys.  :salute










Offline SmokinLoon

  • Platinum Member
  • ******
  • Posts: 6166
Re: BM P40 N
« Reply #38 on: November 03, 2011, 06:55:15 PM »
   :aok

Lets hope it gets to Skuzzy ASAP because it would be a shame to have to wait on it until August of 2012 to have it in game.  :frown:
Proud grandson of the late Lt. Col. Darrell M. "Bud" Gray, USAF (ret.), B24D pilot, 5th BG/72nd BS. 28 combat missions within the "slot", PTO.

Offline Devil 505

  • Aces High CM Staff
  • Plutonium Member
  • *******
  • Posts: 8854
Re: BM P40 N
« Reply #39 on: November 03, 2011, 07:03:46 PM »
Gets better every time Ink.  :aok
Kommando Nowotny

FlyKommando.com

Offline IrishOne

  • Silver Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1528
Re: BM P40 N
« Reply #40 on: November 03, 2011, 07:20:57 PM »
lookin good bro, gets better and better  :aok
-AoM-

Offline lyric1

  • Skinner Team
  • Plutonium Member
  • *******
  • Posts: 10589
Re: BM P40 N
« Reply #41 on: November 03, 2011, 07:36:07 PM »
 :aok

Offline Krusty

  • Radioactive Member
  • *******
  • Posts: 26745
Re: BM P40 N
« Reply #42 on: November 03, 2011, 08:28:47 PM »
I'm personally still wondering if it fits on the -N airframe. I don't think I've ever seen an N with a full spine like that. That aside, it looks pretty nice. I think my nitpick right now would be the black shadows behind the exhaust pipes... They seem a bit blurry and/or maybe too large?

Again, minor point, and doesn't break the skin either way.

Offline Mitsu.

  • Copper Member
  • **
  • Posts: 195
Re: BM P40 N
« Reply #43 on: November 03, 2011, 09:54:02 PM »
I love metal skins! :)

Good work ink <S>

Offline ink

  • Persona Non Grata
  • Plutonium Member
  • *******
  • Posts: 11274
Re: BM P40 N
« Reply #44 on: November 03, 2011, 10:05:00 PM »
I'm personally still wondering if it fits on the -N airframe. I don't think I've ever seen an N with a full spine like that. That aside, it looks pretty nice. I think my nitpick right now would be the black shadows behind the exhaust pipes... They seem a bit blurry and/or maybe too large?

Again, minor point, and doesn't break the skin either way.

definitely an N frame with the early style cockpit....

400... P-40N-1-CU,  Im understanding they all had the old canopy

"The P-40N-5-CU variant introduced a modified cockpit canopy with a frameless sliding hood and a deeper, squared-off rectangular aft transparent section to improve the rearward view"

http://www.p40warhawk.com/Variants/P-40N.htm