Spec/Power/Environment Adventures

[Vraciu]

Something else looks odd to me - the OD green completely wrapping under the fuselage. I know you are basing this on the fact that the tailwheel door is green, but I just don't see somebody sliding under the plane to paint the bottom. Also, it looks like there are lighter patches on the fuselage below where the flaps sits when raised and also aft of the tailwheel. If I were doing this scheme, I'd paint the OD down the sides aft of the flaps and only as far down as the tailwheel doors.

The only way that would work is if they just painted the doors because they're already open and are there to paint.   I had some beautiful feathering that I've now destroyed to do it this way.   Thank goodness I have no intentions of submitting this any time soon.   

I didn't like it at first either, but it has grown on me.   Sources are not definitive so I will just have to think about it.   I will work my way back around to that issue once I get everything else...   Still gotta' nail down this red...

[Vraciu]

There's your problem. you're trying to replicate a simple shadow so just work from black to transparent.

Better?

[Vraciu]

Red looks a bit better there. Try darkening it some.

The tail band is RGB 154,57,47

I can't seem to get GIMP to change the color the way I want.    I go in and set the color levels but nothing changes.   I went with a darkening instead.   I'm hoping this is better.  Cowl lines got wiped out a bit as expected.

[Devil 505]

Follow this path in GIMP: Colors->Map->Color Exchange

Have the original color you want to change selected as your foreground color so the tool can automatically pick it up.

Inside the tool window the original color will have 6 sliders under it: one each for the red, green, and blue values of the selected color and a threshold for each value. Moving the threshold slider right opens the allowable variation off the original color to still be changed.

The new color has 3 sliders for setting the RGB for the new color. There is also an eyedropper tool for grabbing any color on your screen.



The outlet gradients look better, but you should reduce the opacity of them by at least 50%. They're still too dark. Set it so that you can just barely see the first line of pixels in the gradient.

[Vraciu]

I'm working on my all-NMF skins and am wondering if removing the skin mottling and panel gradients from  the spec map is required or not.   Does it harm the look to keep them?

If so then I need to go wipe it off the spec maps. 

[Devil 505]

Keep them in. The gradients will add depth to the shapes. and the mottle is a type of weathering, you want it both on your diffuse map and the spec maps.

[Skuzzy]

Arbitrarily changing the specular, on materials and coatings, which are identical, will get a skin rejected.  Just FYI.

[Vraciu]

Arbitrarily changing the specular, on materials and coatings, which are identical, will get a skin rejected.  Just FYI.

Well, that's good to know but my question isn't about that exactly.   I'm not wanting to arbitrarily change something at random.  If have a metal panel that has mottled and gradient finish does it need to be a solid color on the spec map?

I take it from the previous comment that leaving these effects in is the way to go.   

[Vraciu]

Keep them in. The gradients will add depth to the shapes. and the mottle is a type of weathering, you want it both on your diffuse map and the spec maps.

Got it.  Thanks. 

[Devil 505]

I need to be more clear, you do not want the shading gradients on the spec maps. You do want them on the Normal map, but you will need to change them to different ones to mimic the shape and not the shadow from it.

[Vraciu]

I want them on the NORMAL map?

[Vraciu]

Regarding Spec Maps.   Let's say my metal Mustang has different panel shades. . .   Are these all the same color on the Spec Maps or do I allow the variations in shading to remain?

[Devil 505]

I want them on the NORMAL map?

You want the shadow gradients on the normal map. But don't just reuse the one from the diffuse map. You need to represent the shape on the normal map not the shadow.

Regarding Spec Maps.   Let's say my metal Mustang has different panel shades. . .   Are these all the same color on the Spec Maps or do I allow the variations in shading to remain?

You could do that. Might look really cool. I imagine the visual difference seen in reference pictures is partially due to variances in individual panel specularity.

But be consistent across your spec maps. I'd make the darker panels to shine more and be both more reflective and focused. Remember that aluminium dulls and tarnishes to lighter shades. Just don't overdo the effect.

[Greebo]

I think Skuzzy is saying that if all the bare metal panels are made of the same material, i.e. aluminium, then they should be the same base shade on the spec, power and environment maps, excluding weathering effects. I'd add that if there are some metal panels made of heat proof metal or armour plate then these might have a different finish and be shaded differently on the maps. Making individual aluminium panels darker or lighter on these maps so they reflect light differently to each other would help the illusion of the skin being made of a patchwork of metal panels but doing this is likely to get your skin rejected. Making the panels different colours on the diffuse map is OK because they plainly were different shades in RL (different gauge and alloys etc).

[Skuzzy]

Spot on Greebo.

If you want to create the uneven specular of a metal which is wavy or distorted, then you do that in the normal map.