A-10 Model

[Dice]

Deadman, sorry to say I don't have anything better than you're using. That's going to be one of the biggest problems building a mid-80s A-10 is you going to have to rely on older photos and references for the cockpit. Most of what I have in my collection is Desert Storm and post-DS, LASTE, CMS ect.

 

The aircraft itself (outside) will be eaiser because all these mods only changed the exterior in small ways. One thing to keep an eye out for while building the pit is anything that says LASTE or radar altimeter on any control panel because these items only came with the LASTE mod.

 

I'll try to catch you on MSM but, I work swings (2:00pm-12:00am) so it may be hard to catch you.

[Deadman]

Hey Guys there seams to be some misconceptions on what is going on with the A-10A model upgrade.

 

1.The F1 view or exterior of the A-10A will be upgraded using Krazyscotsman’s model for the base .

The model has been taken apart manually by Lo-fi and I (helping where I can).

It has been redrawn and scaled with the 1/72nd 5 view drawing form Dana Bell’s In Detail and Scale.

Numerous refinements have been made to all control surfaces including a total redraw of the ailerons

including the trailing edge pitch up,

speed brakes and elevators with trim tabs.

 

Chaff and flair units will be on the main landing

gear sponsons and wing tips

 

The reversed scoops located on the front left

of the cockpit are still in place

 

Numerous other refinements to long to list here

 

The poly count is now at the52, 000 level on par with the published level of the SU-25 T

 

The model will be check by Dice for accuracy for the time period

 

The model will be augmented

 

A LOM will be made on the same level as the Su-25 T

 

A new Damage model has not been discussed at this time

 

An A-10 Skin file will be made to facilitate the addition of new skins

Due to the nature of the complicated A-10 skin system with three noses

the template will be changed some during the mapping of the

skin to the new model.

The extra amounts of detail Lo-fi has added will need paint from somewhere.

The color selections will use one skin

set per selection.

 

2. There are no plans to modify or change the F2 view or Flight cockpit

(it works very well and reflects the A-10A model

at the time except for the missing Flap switch on

the Throttle panel) as far as we know it is total

separate and function located in the Kabina A-10

and kabina-A-10 Glass files

 

 

 

Any and or all of the above items may be changed or deleted at any time due to real life

 

Thank to all that have helped so far Deadman

[VapoR]

What you have so far looks absolutely stunning, I can't wait to fly the finished product!!

[SuperKungFu]

glad everything is working out ok, ill be sure to pass on the word to krazyscotsman.

[Deadman]

There is still a large amount of work to do but please pass on our thanks for a starting point saved a great deal of time:thumbup:

[warthogmadman987]

Hi guys i just want to ask a question. I understand that this model is was at one time using a lot of poly's but it being reduced and instead opting out for something called textures. Could someone explain the difference to me on a 3d model and why texturing it better. What are the cause and effects. A bad versus good type deal. Can someone explain the consequences?

[Deadman]

Well were a little off topic and this would have been better in its own thread:huh:

Basically polygons some times called polys for short. Build the model you can use only so many before you eat up all the resources of a computer. The textures are the paint and rivets adding details that would us to many polys to get a flyable sim. :smartass:Then there is google where you can find out all kinds of things.:pilotfly:

 

From http://lockon.co.uk/index.php?end_pos=10&scr=list&lang=en

 

Aircraft models

When developing 3D aircraft models, there are two opposite objectives to be reached: the maximum similarity to the original aircraft whilst using the minimum number of polygons, parts and texture size. To reach the first objective, there are detailed drawings of aircrafts to use. When there is a lack of detailed drawings, the drawings are produced from sketches and even photos. In this case, the design of the mechanical moving parts of the aircraft is especially difficult, and has to be done by using extrapolations by the designers and 3D artists. This is how the polygonal model of an F/A-18C looks during the 3D design process.

This screenshot shows the final F/A-18C as rendered with the game's graphics engine. The complexity of the moving parts is clearly visible. In total, this 3D model has 15,800 polygons and 440 sub shapes.

Special efforts are put into the creation of aircraft textures. An aircraft skin has four textures of 1024x1024 size and one 512x512. The total volume of textures is 17 MB. Not only camouflage painting and insignias are put on the textures, but also technical details such as seams, rivets, etc. It can all be seen here in this screenshot.

[warthogmadman987]

thanks, and i just asked here becuase i knew i could get an answer and kinda felt it was relavant to modeling of the a-10.

[JMark]

Check out this site for walk around photos of many aircraft, including the A-10:

 

http://www.primeportal.net/the_airstrip.htm

[Deadman]

Jmark that is a 5 star find fricken great thanks big time:thumbup:

[Deadman]

Hi Guys I have started to ruff out the new skin template. Is there any advantage in changing the file system from Bitmap to TGA? Any Ideas on how much more resolution can be added?

[SuperKungFu]

i think tga will suck up more fps would't it?

[Deadman]

Ok so nobody has any suggestion for the apprentice modeler and Skinner for this project so I did some experiments. Loaded up a new CDDS of 4096x4096 skins and flew for a wile no problems happened. So I flew on line with a max of 5 other A-10s in views slight shudders occurred but no real problem. The new Skin system I have out line is 50% smaller than those packs and 30% larger area than the current 2048x2048. So not only will there be a higher poly model but an ultra high-resolution skin possibility. Take a look at the prototype layout this is only a ruff draft. Positive and constructive comments are all ways welcome

[SuperKungFu]

Very cool, this is going to be one detailed sucker.

[warthogmadman987]

looks very impressive, keep it up!

[Witchking]

whoa! thats pretty awsome.

[Mitch]

Please!

 

Please insert a High-Res Pilot and Seat.... The Model looks like Great...

I can't wait for the Relase....

Please take a look on the Attached Thumbnail, the Cockpit looks Great

Bye

Mitch Janssen

[Deadman]

Hi Mitch

Well we will try to use the highest possible cockpit section including pilot and ejection seat that we can. But as you know there is a 50,000-polygons count cap. A high-resolution pilot model on the net can run over 80,000 polygons by its self. So we will do our best in making the compromise between poly count and texture resolutions. To ensure the best possible model of the A-10A wile maintaining Game play for average computer systems thanks

[Mitch]

Thanks Deadman, great to hear that....

Bye Mitch

[SuperKungFu]

have you guys contacted walmis to see if he would let us use his pilot?

[Deadman]

I contacted him he said yes but I haven't received any thing yet. I understand that he has been busy with some thing. I have found several other basic pilot models that we can work with. But we may still decide to work with his pilot model. I am not sure right now it is a ways down the list of things to do. Knell has just posted over at the model form that ED would prefer a model to be 25,000 polygons I don't understand why when the SU-25 T has a published Polygon count above 50,000,and the max polygon count has been published at 50,000.If a 50,000 polygon model will not function in Lockon someone please tell us now !!!

[Deadman]

have you guys contacted walmis to see if he would let us use his pilot?

 

Us? if you wish to help out just send a pm to me or Lo-fi. I didn't know your working on the model allso what have you been working on?

[SuperKungFu]

sorry i added "us" referring to the lock on community. I want to help if i have some time to learn 3d max, but for now I'm just way too busy. Haven't played Lock On for the past 2 weeks *shock*.

[Witchking]

Deadman....I would say just keep going with the high detail model as you are now......If you start cutting it down....we will again loose all the great detail which is the purpose of making a new A10 model in the first place. As a matter of fact that is why we are having LODS in game. The A10 is probably the second most flown plane in lomac from me after the Su25T (only becos of its AFM).......right now its in horrible detail......your model looks absolutely gorgeous.....do not cut it down.

 

If anything just PM chizh......show him the detail you guys have incorporated. I am pretty sure he will agree and understand the reason for keeping it at 55k.

[StrikeMax]

....If a 50,000 polygon model will not function in Lockon someone please tell us now !!!

 

 

Don't worry about that. Its not a matter of not functioning, its just a preference for real time rendering/playability. Just make sure you create the lods.

 

But technically speaking, there is no poly count constraint of les than 50k, 25k, or whatever by the game engine. I have created a 100k poly shape, and textured it just to see if the game would accept it. To my pleasant surprise the fps drop from a similar 50k object is trivial..but don't make the A10 a 100k..that was just for testing.

 

Good luck