Louis DuMontier's P-38L

[Greebo]

Thanks to Lyric1 for finding me the info for this skin, which is an update to one originally done by Kev367th in 2006.

This P-38L named "Madu V" and "Wanda" was flown by 1st Lt Louis DuMontier of the 431st Fighter Squadron while based at Lingayen in the Philippines in 1945.

[Shuffler]

Excellent update. Thank you!

[Vraciu]

Great update, G.  That forward quarter screenshot looks menacing.   

I like the work on the wing root fairing.   Is that Normal Mapping?

[Nefarious]

Great update! Easily the finest P-38 in game! <S> 

[Devil 505]

Excellent job, Greebo.

[lyric1]

 

[Palace Cobra]

Nice.

[Greebo]

I like the work on the wing root fairing.   Is that Normal Mapping?

Yes, I have raised the wing roots on the normal map as they were attached over the top of the wing and pod structure on the real plane. I also added the additional reinforcement strips that ran on top of the upper wing root fairings. The normal map on the P-38 is particularly complex partly due to the way the plane was built with some panels butt-jointed at one side and overlapping on the other, and partly because of the texture reversal issues I discussed in my build log thread.

[Vraciu]

That's terrific.   Do you mind if I borrow your fairings and experiment with them?  I notice they even cast a shadow.   

Way cool.

My normal maps are purple.   Does gray also work?

[Greebo]

My normal maps are purple too once I have converted the gray file with a normal map generator. This image is just the working file I use to make the map, I thought it would show the height differences more clearly than the finished map. This gray file would not work as a normal map as it is.

Creating artificial shadows and highlights is essentially all a normal map does. When a bump on the map is being lit by the sun in the game a highlight will appear on its sunward edge and a shadow on the opposite side. A dip on the map places the shadow and highlight the other way round.

Of course you are welcome to copy my fairings, that's why I posted the image of how I did it.

[Vraciu]

My normal maps are purple too once I have converted the gray file with a normal map generator. This image is just the working file I use to make the map, I thought it would show the height differences more clearly than the finished map. This gray file would not work as a normal map as it is.

Creating artificial shadows and highlights is essentially all a normal map does. When a bump on the map is being lit by the sun in the game a highlight will appear on its sunward edge and a shadow on the opposite side. A dip on the map places the shadow and highlight the other way round.

Of course you are welcome to copy my fairings, that's why I posted the image of how I did it.

Ah, okay.   I've been working with mine in purple as I haven't found a good Normal Map Generator.


Thank you for the offer and the kind assistance.   It is much appreciated.   

[Shuffler]

Another reason OUR skinners are so great.... share the wealth of information.

I do include Lyric in that bunch since even the best skins are lacking without good information to base them on.  Lyric

[Devil 505]

I do include Lyric in that bunch since even the best skins are lacking without good information to base them on.  Lyric

Yes, Lyric is an enormous help to us.

 

[Greebo]

Ah, okay.   I've been working with mine in purple as I haven't found a good Normal Map Generator.

Trying to create a normal map directly without a generator will be very difficult to do as it isn't just a purple version of the gray multi-layer image that is used to create it. The split image below shows before and after conversion screenshots of the RH side of the P-38's fuselage pod. The lighter areas on the pre-conversion gray image show as raised areas in the game and the dark panel lines and fasteners show as sunken areas. Now compare this to the purple post-conversion normal map. Here the effect is of a light source shining across the map from its top right corner, for example the raised wing fairing has its top and RH edges lit and its bottom and LH edges shaded. This is actually just what the normal map does to the surface of the skin in the game, except that the lighting source used is the in-game sun.

I'm not sure exactly what you are doing to make a normal map without a converter but if it involves just turning the layered gray image purple then its not going to work properly, the map needs to have this corner-lit 3D effect for the game to read the file correctly.

My normal map won't work with your skin either as the panel lines, fasteners and other details on it won't match the positions of the ones on your skin's other maps. The effect would look terrible, with bumps and dips showing where there was nothing visible on the diffuse map to generate them.

Really you need to get a normal map generator to do this properly. What ones have you tried and why haven't they worked for you?

[Shuffler]

I found him one in a jar... it said Abby Normal.