Capt. John H. Hoefker - F-6C (P-51C) 5M-G - 10th PRG, 15th TRS - AH3 Update 1

[Vraciu]

Taking lessons learned...   Here is an update to this Mustang.   The metal no longer looks like it has a coat of dusty gel on it.    I also got the wing color closer to what it should be.

Compare:  http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/index.php/topic,384810.0.html

[zinhwk]

IMHO. The black appears too... "digital" clean compared to say the OD nose. To me, a smidge less opacity or a slight cloud/flower grayscale pattern over the top of the stripes would help the painted on worn look rather than an incomplete clean stripe on the wings

[Vraciu]

You're speaking Greek to me.   

It's not a solid stripe.   It just looks that way in shadow.   Maybe a transparency/opacity change would do it some good...   I will try that.   

Getting screenshots of this airplane have been a bigger challenge than any other scheme I have.   Can't say why. 

The worn portions are right off the photo I have of it, fwiw.

Fly it offline and see what you think.   The stripes haven't changed between that version and this one. 

[zinhwk]

Okay, on a bigger monitor I see it now. I'm still not sure about the hard break in the worn areas on the stripes but if that's the way it was, that's the way it was. 

[Vraciu]

I can try feathering it more. 

[bustr]

You are incrementally getting there one subtle change at a time. It's visible how you have worked the weathering and aging of your aluminum and colors that are responding. Are you going to experiment with some of those tiny random blueish highlights bare aluminum reflects under sun lit sky due to the micro imperfections in the surface?

[Devil 505]

The black on the nose and stripes looks too dark. Are you using the same color/fading as the previous version?

[Vraciu]

You are incrementally getting there one subtle change at a time. It's visible how you have worked the weathering and aging of your aluminum and colors that are responding.

Thanks, bustr.  I'm trying.   The metal definitely looks like years better than my first attempt.   (Funny how I thought it looked good then and now I think, "YUCK!")   The guys with the skills here are good and patient teachers.   That's the key to doing this...   I was pretty clueless before.   At least now I have some idea what I am doing.

Are you going to experiment with some of those tiny random blueish highlights bare aluminum reflects under sun lit sky due to the micro imperfections in the surface?

I may.   This  is a question for Skuzzy probably...    Is not the E map to be used to mimic those reflections now, or are baked in effects still okay for this?

[Vraciu]

The black on the nose and stripes looks too dark. Are you using the same color/fading as the previous version?

Same color and fading.   Maybe the tweaks to the spec maps altered the appearance of the black.  Or the change to the aluminum color messed with the contrast some...   Hmmmm.     

[Greebo]

It looks good Vraciu. Your metal effect is quite convincing now, the difference in specularity between the metal and painted areas is the key and your screenshots are angled well to show that. The black looks too dark to me also. Try lightening it 10-15% or so, it is easy enough to change it back if you don't like it.

[Vraciu]

It looks good Vraciu. Your metal effect is quite convincing now, the difference in specularity between the metal and painted areas is the key and your screenshots are angled well to show that. The black looks too dark to me also. Try lightening it 10-15% or so, it is easy enough to change it back if you don't like it.

Thanks a lot, sir.  Will do.