Wing-mounted Landing Lights

[Vraciu]

Any thoughts on how to represent leading edge-mounted landing lights in the wings?

I guess we can't make them transparent so what would work instead?

[Greebo]

On the diffuse texture I make painted-on lights or windows a dark blue colour and a very light shade on the specular, environment and power maps so that it reflects like glass.

[Vraciu]

Do you flare it at all or is it a solid color?

[Greebo]

I usually have the borders of the glass area a darker shade getting a little lighter towards the centre

[Vraciu]

Perfect.  I'll try it.   Thanks!

[Vraciu]

I usually have the borders of the glass area a darker shade getting a little lighter towards the centre

Not sure if you're still following this but...

Didn't you add windows to a plane using this technique?   Maybe on the F6F-5 to mimic the -3?

[Greebo]

Yes, I added the F6F-3 windows this way. Also the small windows on several bombers, as well as navigation lights and camera lenses on various planes.

[Vraciu]

The wing leading edge has a crease in the 3D model that I can't tame...   Is this close?  It's quite an effect.  It appears nearly transparent from some angles.  I haven't wrapped it over the top yet.

[Greebo]

Not really, the idea is to have the sharp outer border to the landing light. Inside this border a darker shade blends smoothly to a slightly lighter shade towards the centre. Your light looks like a constant very light shade all over but with a dark shadow outside of the sharp border. A dark shade on the diffuse texture lets the reflected light from the specular and environment maps show up better.

[Vraciu]

Not really, the idea is to have the sharp outer border to the landing light. Inside this border a darker shade blends smoothly to a slightly lighter shade towards the centre. Your light looks like a constant very light shade all over but with a dark shadow outside of the sharp border. A dark shade on the diffuse texture lets the reflected light from the specular and environment maps show up better.

Well, that's pretty much what I did, so basically I just need to darken the blues.  The dark part you see on the gray is a rough panel line which I will tweak once I get the light correct.  I'll be back...

[Vraciu]

I tried a number of methods from dark dark blue to light on the diffuse.   I've also tried various settings for the Power Map.   The full white makes the lens reflection look very sharp and transparent.   This is a couple of shades darker.    Not sure which is better.

I looked at your F6Fs.   One of them the window is black on the diffuse the others are variations of blue.   I split the middle.

[Vraciu]

The skin viewer looks way different compared to the game...       Getting closer.      EDIT IN: Or maybe not.  I don't think that's the landing light.   *facepalm*

[lyric1]

I think you got it? 

[Greebo]

Looks good to me.

[Vraciu]

Thanks guys.  I'll go with that then.