Flush Rivets

[Vraciu]

On a painted silver wing like a Pony....the rivets are flush and the same color as the wing.  Up close you can see them but they look more like waves in the skin than anything.

How do you replicate this?   Just adjust the spec map so they show up as reflections or what?

Bumping is too stark.   Not liking that effect.

[Devil 505]

On a painted silver wing like a Pony....the rivets are flush and the same color as the wing.  Up close you can see them but they look more like waves in the skin than anything.

How do you replicate this?   Just adjust the spec map so they show up as reflections or what?

Bumping is too stark.   Not liking that effect.

I'd say just paint the rivets on the base skin and forget the bumpmap. See this tutorial: http://www.simmerspaintshop.com/forums/f34-general-tutorials/rivets-rippled-effect-708/

[Vraciu]

Wow amazing.

[Vraciu]

I'd say just paint the rivets on the base skin and forget the bumpmap. See this tutorial: http://www.simmerspaintshop.com/forums/f34-general-tutorials/rivets-rippled-effect-708/

I think the author of this tutorial is not an English major.  I simply cannot follow what he is saying.

Base Rivet Layer = White
Highlight Layer = White (offset one pixel forward and right, opacity 33%)
Shadow Layer = Bloack (offset one pixel aft and left--from the Base Rivet Layer????--opacity 33%)

Am I right so far???   My screenshot looks nothing like his and by the end of the tutorial it looks like he has five or six layers, which helps me not a bit since I can't even get past the first three layers...

I am working on the right wing as a test subject.

[Greebo]

For flush rivets on a bmf skin I make the main rivet layer with the rivets coloured black. I then make two copies of this rivet layer to create a dimpled surface effect. The first copy is left black and I call this "rivet hollow shadows". I turn the second copy white and call it "rivet hollow highlights".

For this example lets assume the light on this part of the skin is coming from the top left of the bmp. What I do is move the rivet hollow shadow layer's rivets one pixel left and up and the highlights layer's rivets one pixel down and right. Once I have got the rivets all repositioned I do a 1 or 2 pixel gaussian blur on the two new layers. Then it is just a question of reducing the opacity of all three layers to get the rivets as dark as I want them and to get the amount of ripple effect I want. You may find you only want 5% opacity or so.

The other thing I usually do with lighting effects on bmf aircraft is to have two sets of layers. So with these two rivet hollow layers I place them above the aluminium layer but below the paint and markings layers. Then I put a copy layer of each above the paint layers. The second pair of layers are set to much lower opacity as these effects don't show up as well on dull paint as shiny metal.

[Vraciu]

For flush rivets on a bmf skin I make the main rivet layer with the rivets coloured black. I then make two copies of this rivet layer to create a dimpled surface effect. The first copy is left black and I call this "rivet hollow shadows". I turn the second copy white and call it "rivet hollow highlights".

For this example lets assume the light on this part of the skin is coming from the top left of the bmp. What I do is move the rivet hollow shadow layer's rivets one pixel left and up and the highlights layer's rivets one pixel down and right. Once I have got the rivets all repositioned I do a 1 or 2 pixel gaussian blur on the two new layers. Then it is just a question of reducing the opacity of all three layers to get the rivets as dark as I want them and to get the amount of ripple effect I want. You may find you only want 5% opacity or so.

The other thing I usually do with lighting effects on bmf aircraft is to have two sets of layers. So with these two rivet hollow layers I place them above the aluminium layer but below the paint and markings layers. Then I put a copy layer of each above the paint layers. The second pair of layers are set to much lower opacity as these effects don't show up as well on dull paint as shiny metal.

Very good explanation.   Makes much more sense.

The only question I would have is, on a plane like the mustang where the rivets are flush, filled, sanded, and painted, would you have the slightest skin waving without seeing the actual rivet heads?   Standing next to one you can see them but from a few feet back you can't.  

[Greebo]

I believe the rivets were only painted and filled on the top of the P-51 wing, but then again I haven't really researched that aircraft. How visible the rivets and dimples are on the rest of the aircraft is something you will need to check against photos. In general I make the rippling faint enough to be not noticeable unless you are looking for it. It is a sort of sub-conscious effect. If other people can notice it then it usually looks overdone, but if it is not there the skin often looks a bit bland and boring.

One other trick I use on rivets is the chipped paint rivet effect. This is where paint has flaked off some rivet heads on painted surfaces. To achieve this I make another duplicate of the completed rivet layer and turn it the BMF colour, i.e light grey. To make the chipped rivets random I use an eraser tool set like this: Maximum size (1,000 pixels in PSP), square shaped, around 40% opacity, 100% hardness and 50% density. Now I click this eraser over the layer a few times until the rivets look randomly chipped. On BMF aircraft I then delete the chipped rivets from the non-painted surfaces.

[Vraciu]

I believe the rivets were only painted and filled on the top of the P-51 wing, but then again I haven't really researched that aircraft. How visible the rivets and dimples are on the rest of the aircraft is something you will need to check against photos. In general I make the rippling faint enough to be not noticeable unless you are looking for it. It is a sort of sub-conscious effect. If other people can notice it then it usually looks overdone, but if it is not there the skin often looks a bit bland and boring.

One other trick I use on rivets is the chipped paint rivet effect. This is where paint has flaked off some rivet heads on painted surfaces. To achieve this I make another duplicate of the completed rivet layer and turn it the BMF colour, i.e light grey. To make the chipped rivets random I use an eraser tool set like this: Maximum size (1,000 pixels in PSP), square shaped, around 40% opacity, 100% hardness and 50% density. Now I click this eraser over the layer a few times until the rivets look randomly chipped. On BMF aircraft I then delete the chipped rivets from the non-painted surfaces.

  Will give this a shot.  Thanks again.