Another crack at bare aluminum

[oboe]

I'll have to take everything I learned with this '51D and apply the changes to the 3 '51B skins (Beantown Banshee, Snoot's Sniper, and Bonnie Bea) I'm working on.   I definitely like the bluish tinge to the aluminum, for example.   And I'll have to change their spec, power, and env values too. 

After that its only the N-map, and not sure how I want to handle that.  I think I'll start with a completely minimalist approach.  What do you N-maps look like?  Do you take them down to the rivet level?

My skinning focus right now is to learn how to create absolutely eye-popping bare aluminum skins.  I'm closer now than I was before, but still feel like I can do more.

[Devil 505]

Right now the N maps do not handle rivet detail well at all. something about a dotted line of single pixels makes the map over react and creates a solid line that is much too wide. It looks awful to me so I do not include rivet detail on my N maps. Larger and more defined screw heads work fine, though.

[oboe]

Right now the N maps do not handle rivet detail well at all. something about a dotted line of single pixels makes the map over react and creates a solid line that is much too wide. It looks awful to me so I do not include rivet detail on my N maps. Larger and more defined screw heads work fine, though.

Thanks for reminding me about that.  I recall Skuzzy advising to go ahead and put them in even though it looks awful, on the assumption that one day it would be fixed.  I can't really see myself doing that - I'd rather wait until the compression problem is fixed and then update the N-map.   

I'm concerned if I haven't included much detail in the N-map it could lead to rejection of the skin.  Do you do panel lines as well?  I thinking I would avoid that too - I have a feeling the N-map would over-emphasize the hair's width gap between panels.   

[Devil 505]

I've had no problems adding panel lines to the N map. I add all the raised or recessed details except rivets.

[oboe]

I've had no problems adding panel lines to the N map. I add all the raised or recessed details except rivets.

That't the thing I'm wondering about - what's raised or recessed about the joint between two panel sections?  Isn't it just a flush, smooth joint?

[Devil 505]

That's how I do it in general. If one panel stands proud of another, I will add a slightly lighter shade of gray to that section on the grayscale map. This is great for wing root fairings.

[Vraciu]

I'll have to take everything I learned with this '51D and apply the changes to the 3 '51B skins (Beantown Banshee, Snoot's Sniper, and Bonnie Bea) I'm working on.   I definitely like the bluish tinge to the aluminum, for example.   And I'll have to change their spec, power, and env values too. 

After that its only the N-map, and not sure how I want to handle that.  I think I'll start with a completely minimalist approach.  What do you N-maps look like?  Do you take them down to the rivet level?

My skinning focus right now is to learn how to create absolutely eye-popping bare aluminum skins.  I'm closer now than I was before, but still feel like I can do more.

You're wasting time.  Banshee looks good as it is.  Put it in. 

[Vraciu]

I'll have to take everything I learned with this '51D and apply the changes to the 3 '51B skins (Beantown Banshee, Snoot's Sniper, and Bonnie Bea) I'm working on.   I definitely like the bluish tinge to the aluminum, for example.   And I'll have to change their spec, power, and env values too. 

After that its only the N-map, and not sure how I want to handle that.  I think I'll start with a completely minimalist approach.  What do you N-maps look like?  Do you take them down to the rivet level?

My skinning focus right now is to learn how to create absolutely eye-popping bare aluminum skins.  I'm closer now than I was before, but still feel like I can do more.

My N maps only have the horizontal stab fillet, gear bay, wing rib, gear door, and wheels.   Everything else is blank.  I wouldn't mind stealing your aileron fences though. 

As Devil noted, the distortions caused by N map compression cause more harm than good.

[Vraciu]

I've had no problems adding panel lines to the N map. I add all the raised or recessed details except rivets.

I have panel line issues.   They are wide or banded depending on location.  Ammo doors and latches in particular get really screwed up. 

[oboe]

My N maps only have the horizontal stab fillet, gear bay, wing rib, gear door, and wheels.   Everything else is blank.  I wouldn't mind stealing your aileron fences though. 

As Devil noted, the distortions in the N map compression cause more harm than good.

Thanks, but Fencer did the best air fences I've ever seen - and he posted them in his thread "North American works" or something like that, if I recall correctly.  Mine are incorrectly tear-drop shaped, but I have so many other things I've been concerned about I haven't worried about fixing them.

I supposed air fences WOULD be something additional to include on the N-map?

[Vraciu]

Thanks, but Fencer did the best air fences I've ever seen - and he posted them in his thread "North American works" or something like that, if I recall correctly.  Mine are incorrectly tear-drop shaped, but I have so many other things I've been concerned about I haven't worried about fixing them.

I supposed air fences WOULD be something additional to include on the N-map?

Yes.

[Greebo]

I chuck everything I can think of onto the N map; rivets, panel lines, fasteners, fabric stitches and so on. However I keep the levels low so the effects are subtle. You can only really judge this in-game looking out the cockpit over the top of the wing as the light shifts the shadows and highlights around. The normal compression issue is something HTC are looking at.

BTW the P-38s are not going to be updated straight away, most likely not until next year.

[Vraciu]

I chuck everything I can think of onto the N map; rivets, panel lines, fasteners, fabric stitches and so on. However I keep the levels low so the effects are subtle. You can only really judge this in-game looking out the cockpit over the top of the wing as the light shifts the shadows and highlights around. The normal compression issue is something HTC are looking at.

BTW the P-38s are not going to be updated straight away, most likely not until all the AH1 stuff is redone and so probably not until next year.

It doesn't work, no matter how slight.  You get bands and squares around the rivets that look terrible even at minimum setting.   (The pic of Jo-Baby is old, prior to my deletion of the rivets from the N map and the current, fully updated Diffuse.)