Author Topic: updated 49FG/7S  (Read 2710 times)

Offline FTJR

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Re: updated 49FG/7S
« Reply #15 on: May 28, 2021, 04:54:56 AM »
Rudder and elevator look even better.  Hor and Vert stabilizers look better, but, and I hate to say it, the white on them appears to be a slighty "off white" now.  You are much closer though, maybe a touch whiter might do it?  I'm going to guess that the rudder/elevator is using the same values as the hor and vert stabilizers?  I mean, are they separate or is it all one package? If only you could get what I see on the rudder/elevator onto the hor and vert stabilizers, I think you'd be set.  :aok

Thanks for the input.

No they, sadly, are not on one layer, it is just the way the skin has evolved.

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Offline Devil 505

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Re: updated 49FG/7S
« Reply #16 on: May 28, 2021, 11:14:33 AM »
That looks much better, but the horizontal and vertical stabilizer looks a touch too grey.  Appears light grey to me anyway.  Rudder and elevator looks good though. :aok

Well, that's because the shade I suggested to him, and also the exact shade I used on my most recent skins with white tails, is distinctly light gray. The AH3 lighting engine takes light and bright colors and washes them out, so you need to compensate for this by using darker/duller tones for these colors - white being the worst offender.

Here is a chart I made discussing this in a thread about winter whitewashes:

"Now, here are the colors I used with actual pure white (RGB 225/225/225) and pure neutral gray (RGB 128/128/128) to show how much closer to neutral gray you need to make white paints to appear well in the game.



Colors left to right: pure white, (German) insignia white, whitewash white, pure neutral gray" 

The white I used for my white tailed P-40's and P-39 is just slightly darker and more yellow then the whitewash white in the chart above - about 1% different in each aspect from the sample in the chart. Also, I have other subtle dirt weathering layers which will shift the final white color even more towards an off-white or cream.

The only aspect of the rudder and elevator that would make them appear different is the fact that they are at slightly different angles to their associated stabilizers. This will change the angle of the reflected light and not appear washed out as much from the viewpoint compared to the associated stabilizers. A change in view angle or plane position relative to the viewpoint could make the rudder and elevators washout more than the stabilizers. The idea of using darker colors and making them more glossy in the specular maps is to lessen the effect and to focus/reduce the area of the inevitable washout.
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Offline Vraciu

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Re: updated 49FG/7S
« Reply #17 on: May 28, 2021, 11:21:04 AM »
That's a lot better FT.
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Offline Devil 505

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Re: updated 49FG/7S
« Reply #18 on: May 28, 2021, 11:25:17 AM »
Backed off the "Devils White" (tm) :lol as much as I dared.. Opinons please.

I think it looked better with the white I suggested. This looks too washed out to me, as does the later iteration. I like to see more detail.

To make the white look less gray, you may want to add a touch more red and yellow (about 1-2% each). It will make it look more like an off-white or cream, but it may also help it look more like white paint. I also think it will show in game closer to the final color I used on my New Guinea P-39 and P-40N's.

I'd also suggest changing the white of the insignia to match the shade on the tail, it will help tie it all together (also, a darker blue for the insignia might be a good idea.)
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Offline Vraciu

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Re: updated 49FG/7S
« Reply #19 on: May 28, 2021, 11:29:31 AM »
The original was washed out.  The revision was too gray.  This landed in the middle.
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Offline Mister Fork

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Re: updated 49FG/7S
« Reply #20 on: May 28, 2021, 12:37:24 PM »
What V said - now it looks great. Good work FTJR - skinning is hard work, especially for us amateur military historians trying to keep the skins as real as possible.

It's amazing how much information is now online. I mean, look at The Deacon skinning work - 3 years ago we couldn't find that level of information that is now available on the web. We found the original comics the artist used to come up with the drawing. And even then, a couple months later, the group found an even more detailed picture of the artwork. Amazing!
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Offline Vraciu

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Re: updated 49FG/7S
« Reply #21 on: May 28, 2021, 12:56:15 PM »
It's funny you mentioned that skin.   I was considering posting a link to it so FT can see the white I used for comparison.   

https://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/index.php/topic,401118.0.html

I may bump up the shine on the white when I update the nose art.
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Offline Volron

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Re: updated 49FG/7S
« Reply #22 on: May 28, 2021, 02:58:17 PM »
Thanks for the input.

No they, sadly, are not on one layer, it is just the way the skin has evolved.



Oof.

Well in this shot, I believe you nailed it!  :x
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Offline Vraciu

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Re: updated 49FG/7S
« Reply #23 on: May 28, 2021, 03:47:55 PM »
Oof.

Well in this shot, I believe you nailed it!  :x

It's certainly close.  On my desktop it's slightly too bright like Devil said.
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Offline FTJR

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Re: updated 49FG/7S
« Reply #24 on: May 28, 2021, 09:23:16 PM »
I think it looked better with the white I suggested. This looks too washed out to me, as does the later iteration. I like to see more detail.

To make the white look less gray, you may want to add a touch more red and yellow (about 1-2% each). It will make it look more like an off-white or cream, but it may also help it look more like white paint. I also think it will show in game closer to the final color I used on my New Guinea P-39 and P-40N's.

I'd also suggest changing the white of the insignia to match the shade on the tail, it will help tie it all together (also, a darker blue for the insignia might be a good idea.)

Thank Devil for the suggestions.  I have been trying to match the white in the insignia and the leading edges to keep it uniform.

Thanks everyone for their replies.

Back to the easel.
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Offline FTJR

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Re: updated 49FG/7S
« Reply #25 on: May 28, 2021, 11:29:01 PM »
Changelog.. Gone back to Devils white, with red and yellow layers set at 1% opacity.   Darkened the insignia blue. put all the white on one layer for ease of adjustment.

It has the creamy look now..

« Last Edit: May 28, 2021, 11:30:43 PM by FTJR »
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Offline Devil 505

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Re: updated 49FG/7S
« Reply #26 on: May 28, 2021, 11:38:12 PM »
Yeah, that looks way too creamy.

Do you have any weathering over the white?

Funny thing is that it looks good in the insignia - also the blue looks great now.
« Last Edit: May 28, 2021, 11:39:57 PM by Devil 505 »
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Offline Vraciu

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Re: updated 49FG/7S
« Reply #27 on: May 28, 2021, 11:46:05 PM »
Yeah, that looks way too creamy.

Do you have any weathering over the white?

Funny thing is that it looks good in the insignia - also the blue looks great now.

It needs some noise maybe....    :headscratch:

The white on the insignia looks right due to contrast perhaps...
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Offline Devil 505

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Re: updated 49FG/7S
« Reply #28 on: May 29, 2021, 12:06:09 AM »
It needs some noise maybe....    :headscratch:

The white on the insignia looks right due to contrast perhaps...

Yeah, I'm thinking a dirt colored noise layer and reverting to my original white might do the trick.
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Offline FTJR

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Re: updated 49FG/7S
« Reply #29 on: May 29, 2021, 01:36:24 AM »
Change log... I tried different combo's on the tail.. added extra noise, adjusted whites

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