FA-18C Cockpit Cosmetic Pack

Hi guys, the Hornet has a great cockpit and ED/BS made an amazing job bringing us this beast of a fighter aircraft. Just something I didnt liked much is the roughness of many surfaces that according to videos/photos of real life seem a bit overdone so I decided to make a mod removing as much a possible of that roughness from these parts (not all of the roughnes is removed as some is fine)...However, I couldnt resist to add some "extras" :D and I ended up with some more modifications I hope you like... so the mod features are:

-Removed most of the rugosity for parts that shouldn't have it from the bump maps so they have a smoother surface.

-Hud and projector glass material with reflective effect.

-Analog gauges and AVTR cameras glass material.

-Removed canopy reflections and added glass material instead.

-Removed pre-baked DDI reflections.

-Improved DDI's and AMPCD material and weathering.

-Cleaned Hud dashboard both color and material.

-Adjusted materials for some parts.

-Added realistic dust effect over dashboard, arround screws and some other parts (based on pics and videos).

-Added some material weathering over most visible parts.

v2.0:

-Added detailed weathering for the gauges' glass surface.

-Added weathering to canopy frame handles and wires (and material).

-Improved AVTR cameras glass coating.

-Slightly increased reflectivity of the canopy glass.

-Added very subtle glossy effect for the canopy edges.

-MP IC pass version included (some glass effect wont be available when using this version like gauges, hud and canopy).

v2.1:

-Added weathering effect to the canopy glass material.

Install using JSGME. Inside the rar file there are 2 folders containing the Single player (SP) version and the Multi player version (MP). You can install only one of them of your chose or both versions at the same time, however, if you want to play online (pass IC check) you must to not install/UNINSTALL the "SP" version, then inside DCS sel ect the "Watermanpc" cockpit skin fr om the special Hornet cockpit tab menu.

v2.2:

-Fixed DDI's missing textures since last update

-Added detailed weathering effects to DDI's and MPCD displays

Link: https://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/files/3301806/

A general picture:

Few comparative pictures (some of the effects are not very noticeable in still images like the Hud, gauges, bump map, DDI's or canopy glass):

*Note: In order to make Hud and gauges to behave like glass, I had to create a couple of files (RoughMets) that dont exist in the original cockpit texture rar file. After asking Skatezilla, it looks like its not possible to create a cockpit "skin" with files that are not originally in the rar file so this has 2 effects: 1-I cant make a selectable cockpit skin from the Hornet cockpit menu in DCS and 2-This mod doesnt pass IC check :(.

Please ED! include Roughmets maps for "f18c_cpt-glass_hud.dds" and "f18c_cpt-glass_refl.dds" so we have glass material for these elements, it woudl greatly improve cockpit inmersion by making them react accordingly to their material to the environement...also, Hud projector and AVTR cameras could easily reflect the environement so it would be nice to have these improvements officialy.

**Note 2: IC friendly version included in v 2.0 (loosing some effects).

thanks a lot and hope you guys enjoy the mod!!:thumbup:

Incredible work, as always, dude. Your service to the community is much appreciated and I am glad to be able to partake in enjoying this mod after having to watch in envy from the sidelines on all of your great work on the Mirage (I don’t own the module).

When I first installed the Hornet module I couldn’t imagine anyone ever finding a way to make the cockpit better, but this mod has managed to do just that. Incredible. After installation I was first elated to see how great the cockpit glass looked (also enjoyed some of the other enhancements), and then that elation was quickly crushed when I saw that it fails the IC...meaning I won’t be able to enjoy it since I fly mostly online.

I would also plead with ED to consider reviewing these textures and either a) including them in the base model or b) allowing them to be marked “green” by the IC.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Incredible work, as always, dude. Your service to the community is much appreciated and I am glad to be able to partake in enjoying this mod after having to watch in envy from the sidelines on all of your great work on the Mirage (I don’t own the module).

+1 on that :thumbup:

What can I say...Im soooo happy you guys like my little works!!:happy: ...with people like you, its a pleasure for me to contribute as much as my time allows me, and If you guys think things are a bit better then it was totally worth it ;)...

@Buckeye, I totally understand your concern about IC mate :(, and if ED doesnt create these textures I will try to upload a new mod without these textures to make it compatible with cockpit "skins" so all of you multiplayer guys interested can fly with the mod online :)

Maybe ED will think about creating that effects at some point, lets hope for that...they made a great job, Im sure they will try to make it even better :)

Again, thanks a lot for your gorgeous support!!:thumbup:

Really great mod!

I added the black background to the DDI's and now it's perfect.

Really great mod!

I added the black background to the DDI's and now it's perfect.

Thanks man!:) , btw, originally I also modded the screen's color to a darker blueish tint (some hornets seem to have these DDI's) but fianlly decided to keep the green color as its also realistic. But it looked very nice in darker colors too, thats for sure :thumbup:

Bye mates!!

Please ED! include Roughmets maps for "f18c_cpt-glass_hud.dds" and "f18c_cpt-glass_refl.dds" so we have glass material for these elements, it woudl greatly improve cockpit inmersion by making them react accordingly to their material to the environement...also, Hud projector and AVTR cameras could easily reflect the environement so it would be nice to have these improvements officialy.

+1 Please ED. Listen to the man!

any updates if this mod passes through IC?

Nice work mate!

any updates if this mod passes through IC?

Sadly no, it doesnt pass IC as I added couple of files that make impossible to create a cockpit "skin"...will try to make a version without them (so loosing few effects) but which should pass IC asap.

Nice work mate!

Thanks!:)

New version 2.0 with IC pass option and other little improvements is up! :)

Thank you very much for your hard work!!

I wish you could put some side by side pictures to compare and highlight the changes you made,

I'm not sure I've installed correctly and don't know if what I see is the your mod or not.... :(

Thanks!!

Thank you very much for your hard work!!

I wish you could put some side by side pictures to compare and highlight the changes you made,

I'm not sure I've installed correctly and don't know if what I see is the your mod or not.... :(

Thanks!!

I just edited the first post with a few comparative pics...however, many of the improvements are not very visible in static images but in movement like the glass so take that into account.

Bye!

Just updated the pack with a little addition:

-New weathered effect in the canopy glass, similar to the one in the F-14 Tomcat as I really LOVE that effect in the F-14 :)

Hope you like it!!

Thanks, I had not seen this mod before. So, this is not just a new cockpit texture? It's more than that??

I noticed that the DDI font is clear now. Is that from this mod? And I also noticed when diving and fireing the AG guns I sometimes get a blurry mirage in the HUD. Is that something with this mode, or something I just never noticed in the FA18 before?

Thanks for the great work!

Thank you watermanpc! The cockpit glass is much better now.

Thanks, I had not seen this mod before. So, this is not just a new cockpit texture? It's more than that??

This mod only modifies the textures of the cockpit, while also adding new textures to it.

Users have no access to models, much of the coding and such.

Thank you watermanpc! The cockpit glass is much better now.

Glad to read that!;)

This mod only modifies the textures of the cockpit, while also adding new textures to it.

Users have no access to models, much of the coding and such.

As Texac said this is just a texture mod, it moddifies few files and adds some new ones.

This mod is awesome! The DDI and HUD glass effects are fantastic... And the new canopy glass is really quite amazing! Adds a lot to the immersion factor in VR. Excellent work! Thanks

Looking good- but in some conditions, I get very marked and distinct circles on my DDI. Is this intentional?

Looking good- but in some conditions, I get very marked and distinct circles on my DDI. Is this intentional?

 

No, my mod is not the issue, it only make it slightly more evident.

How do i install it ?

How do i install it ?

Simply use JSGME.:)

To main dcs or saved games ?

If you just don't want to use that JSGME utility, it's pretty simple, dear mate.

As you sure may know, please as first backup all the relevant files you're about to overwrite.

Then choose what version do you like most, MP IC passed or SP.

And last, paste directly the 'Mods' Folder coming in the compressed file you downloaded, as it is, in that one with the same name which is in your DCS World or Open beta main installation.

That's it.

With the aid of JSGME this procedure should come even easier, I guess.

But I'm not an expert of it, sorry.

Good luck!

With best regards.