F14 Skinners thread (Paintkit in 1st post)

[Swordsman422]

Working on the VF-102 OEF line jets, I did not intend for this one to become a project. I started being bothered by some of the inconsistencies between the stock AB102 skin and the line jets I was creating to accompany it... so I started making some minor corrections here and there to fix it, which lead to wholesale replacement of some of the markings with new artwork, which then lead to a complete revamp of the base TPS pattern to more closely match the other nine. In the end, it'll be an optional livery included with the rest.

 

Some comparison shots between the stock and update versions. Hard to tell the difference. Among other small changes, the updated version has thicker tailcode lettering and a more stark demarcation on the spine between FS35327 and FS36320.

[Jackjack171]

Very nice!

[Sierra99]

Work continues. I was able to find the BuNos of 8 of VF-102's 14 aircraft from this period and will likely initially release with only these until I can find the remainder. While the aircraft generally look alike and use the same base textures, markings and TPS have slight variances between aircraft.

 

What period are you doing? Do you have this list?

 

http://gonavy.jp/CVW1-AB2001.html

Edited June 21, 2020 by Sierra99

[Swordsman422]

What period are you doing? Do you have this list?

 

http://gonavy.jp/CVW1-AB2001.html

 

I am currently doing the period shown on that list. I have the Modex/Buno list in Tony Holmes's F-14 Tomcat Units of Operation Enduring Freedom, so essentially yes.

 

The Modex/BuNo match up for the 1999 livery is incomplete, but I was able to match 8 thanks to the F-14 Tomcat Community FB group. I have the ability to update the numbers and add more later. It's released, but I will continue to work on it.

 

GoNavy is a good resource, though. Good idea to post it for skinners to use. Thanks.

[Swordsman422]

Uploaded the VF-102 OEF livery packs yesterday. Still waiting for approval but they should be available for download soon. All 9 of VF-102's line aircraft that took part in Operation Enduring Freedom and an optional improved livery for AB102 from OEF (does not overwrite the HB default).

[LanceCriminal86]

I am currently doing the period shown on that list. I have the Modex/Buno list in Tony Holmes's F-14 Tomcat Units of Operation Enduring Freedom, so essentially yes.

 

The Modex/BuNo match up for the 1999 livery is incomplete, but I was able to match 8 thanks to the F-14 Tomcat Community FB group. I have the ability to update the numbers and add more later. It's released, but I will continue to work on it.

 

GoNavy is a good resource, though. Good idea to post it for skinners to use. Thanks.

 

There's another nice document out there matching BuNO to MODEX. If you can find me the MODEX you are missing, I can take a look and see if I can find them.

[Swordsman422]

There's another nice document out there matching BuNO to MODEX. If you can find me the MODEX you are missing, I can take a look and see if I can find them.

 

I've found that list with some that I'm missing. I may add a 4th part to the pack in an update to include these.

[LanceCriminal86]

I am currently doing the period shown on that list. I have the Modex/Buno list in Tony Holmes's F-14 Tomcat Units of Operation Enduring Freedom, so essentially yes.

 

The Modex/BuNo match up for the 1999 livery is incomplete, but I was able to match 8 thanks to the F-14 Tomcat Community FB group. I have the ability to update the numbers and add more later. It's released, but I will continue to work on it.

 

GoNavy is a good resource, though. Good idea to post it for skinners to use. Thanks.

 

So going from "CVW US Navy Carrier Air Wing Aircraft 1975-2015 Volume One by Mike Crutch" book, I think 110 may have been 163407:

VF-102 24AUG00 AB-110 SEP00/MAR02;

 

March of 2002 it showed that aircraft going to VF-143, and the cruise ended in March 2002.

 

I couldn't find any matchups for 101, 103, 107, or 113. It's possible those MODEX weren't in use at the time.

[Swordsman422]

So going from "CVW US Navy Carrier Air Wing Aircraft 1975-2015 Volume One by Mike Crutch" book, I think 110 may have been 163407:

VF-102 24AUG00 AB-110 SEP00/MAR02;

 

March of 2002 it showed that aircraft going to VF-143, and the cruise ended in March 2002.

 

I couldn't find any matchups for 101, 103, 107, or 113. It's possible those MODEX weren't in use at the time.

 

I'm with an F-14 Community FB group. Noted aviation photographer Dave Brown posts there regularly and always identifies the BuNos he photographs. In 1999, VF-102 still had 14 airplanes assigned to it. AB103 was 163227, AB107 was 162917, and AB113 was 163219.

 

During the OEF deployment, VF-102 deployed with 10 aircraft and used the following modex numbers: 100, 102, 104, 105, 106, 110, 111, 112, 114, and 115. Those aircraft were 161432, 163225, 161440, 162692, 162910, 163407, 163217, 162694, 161422, and 161608 respectively.

 

163407 was left behind in theater in late February of 2002 and crossdecked to VF-143 to replace 162923, which was lost in a fatal crash near Crete as the USS John F. Kennedy was transiting to the NAG. This is one of two crashes that occurred within the span of about a month and grounded the F-14 fleet for weeks. There are some interesting photos out there of 163407 with incomplete VF-143 markings.

[LanceCriminal86]

I'm with an F-14 Community FB group. Noted aviation photographer Dave Brown posts there regularly and always identifies the BuNos he photographs. In 1999, VF-102 still had 14 airplanes assigned to it. AB103 was 163227, AB107 was 162917, and AB113 was 163219.

 

During the OEF deployment, VF-102 deployed with 10 aircraft and used the following modex numbers: 100, 102, 104, 105, 106, 110, 111, 112, 114, and 115. Those aircraft were 161432, 163225, 161440, 162692, 162910, 163407, 163217, 162694, 161422, and 161608 respectively.

 

163407 was left behind in theater in late February of 2002 and crossdecked to VF-143 to replace 162923, which was lost in a fatal crash near Crete as the USS John F. Kennedy was transiting to the NAG. This is one of two crashes that occurred within the span of about a month and grounded the F-14 fleet for weeks. There are some interesting photos out there of 163407 with incomplete VF-143 markings.

 

So, cross-checking those:

 

163227 - VF-102 07APR97 AB-103 APR97/APR00; to FITWING 07SEP00; to VF-11 17OCT02 AG-214 MAR03,

 

Looks like that FITWING was missing it coming back to the squadron? It shows VF-11 in Oct 2002, so that would seem to be post-cruise.

 

162917 - to VF-102 20DEC96 AB-107 MAR97/APR98, W/O 21MAY98 near MCAS Cherry Point

 

Written off in 1998? crashed 23.05.1998. The two-man crew of the Tomcat ejected safely after take-off from MCAS Cherry Point, N.C.

 

163219 - to VF-102 23FEB99 AB-110 MAY99, AB-113 SEP99/MAR00, W/O 17MAR00 off USS John F. Kennedy

 

17.03.2000: The F-14B was lost during operations from USS John F. Kennedy. Both pilot and RIO were rescued.

 

 

Not trying to undercut your efforts here, I've been trying to do similar for VF-201 and it has not proven easy. They took on many of VF-202's aircraft but there were gaps in MODEX, and some may have been moved off to other squadrons before usage by VF-201.

[Swordsman422]

Interesting. Dave swears his photo of 162917 was taken in early 99, but it's been more than 20 years. Stuff happens to the memory.

 

It is indeed very difficult to nail down BuNo/Modex during any period unless you have access to squadron maintenance records that were exactly dated. I am far more secure in my numbers for the OEF livery than I am the earlier one. Any further F-14B skins I do will all be OEF/OIF deployments where I know my lists are accurate. And I still don't have crew names for all the jets, which is one of the reasons why I exclude them. The other being that these liveries are being used in fictional missions and campaigns where the squadron make-up doesn't have to reflect reality.

 

Modex gaps happened all the time with attrition and aircraft transfers. So far as I know, after 2000 the only squadrons that I can find didn't have gaps in the line-up were VF-11, VF-14, and VF-31, and those only account for up to 2003. 2004-2006 I can't promise anything.

 

What's going to be really fun is when the F-14A comes out, trying to find and match all the aircraft nicknames for VF-41's OAF cruise...

 

Speaking of my VF-102 OEF livery, it's still stuck in pending. Anyone knows how long it usually takes for approval? The 99 skin was available in only a couple hours.

Edited June 23, 2020 by Swordsman422

[RaisedByWolves]

 

Speaking of my VF-102 OEF livery, it's still stuck in pending. Anyone knows how long it usually takes for approval? The 99 skin was available in only a couple hours.

 

I searched download section with your screename. All three of the OEF VF102 packs are available. I already downloaded them

[Swordsman422]

I searched download section with your screename. All three of the OEF VF102 packs are available. I already downloaded them

 

Sweet. Thanks for the heads up.

[RaisedByWolves]

BTW Swordsman422. Excellent job on both skin packs! HB should include them in the "F-14" package and pay you royalties!

[Jackjack171]

BTW Swordsman422. Excellent job on both skin packs! HB should include them in the "F-14" package and pay you royalties!

+1

[pokeraccio]

...

Speaking of my VF-102 OEF livery, it's still stuck in pending. Anyone knows how long it usually takes for approval? The 99 skin was available in only a couple hours.

 

Thanks a lot! Just downloaded.

[LanceCriminal86]

@ensamvarg , lately I've noticed something strange about the NACA vents along the Tomcat's engine nacelles:

 

Here's a default livery, notice how "white" the inside areas are of the recessed duct

 

Same skin, different sky cube in model viewer and rotated the model to change the lighting a bit:

 

 

Now here's my Korea really dark sea blue:

 

 

On that last one, I had the model set to spin and it was like either I could see through that area to the environment box behind it, or it was a mirror reflection of the skybox. I looked back at my roughmets, the default roughmets, those areas are NOT set to have any higher metallic in the blue channel, and it was literally just like its surroundings in the green channel. I bumped the gloss a little on the Korea skin but, this exact issue is also present on all the existing schemes as well.

 

I don't know if this was recent or not, but I thought I saw you guys were taking a crack at some of the areas where two portions were tied to one texture file, perhaps something happened on export of the model? Maybe a change was made?

 

Also somewhat random but on the "right" side of the aircraft, ie the 1 and 3 EXT textures, usually everything is mirror, while on the "left" ie 2/4 it's "normal". I discovered that for whatever reason, in the 3 and 4 textures in the wing glove area where the assigned carrier, grim reapers, etc. type scripting goes, it's opposite. On the 3 file it was normal and on the 4 file the text is "backwards".

 

Just found that last bit odd lol.

[WaruKamii]

I'm pretty new to making skins and I've been trying out some stuff to understand it. I made a simple skin and it works ingame, however when I zoom out the skin disappears and I'm viewing a default texture F-14. Can someone explain to me how to fix this issue? Seems to be something with the mipmaps but couldn't find anything specific.

I'm using Photoshop with the Intel Plugin.

[pokeraccio]

F14 Skinners thread (Paintkit in 1st post)

 

I'm pretty new to making skins and I've been trying out some stuff to understand it. I made a simple skin and it works ingame, however when I zoom out the skin disappears and I'm viewing a default texture F-14. Can someone explain to me how to fix this issue? Seems to be something with the mipmaps but couldn't find anything specific.

I'm using Photoshop with the Intel Plugin.

 

 

Hi, have a look here, is explained why that happen.

 

Sort of lower resolution skin

 

 

F14 Skinners thread (Paintkit in 1st post)

https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink/topic?share_fid=74365&share_tid=235164&share_pid=3888117&url=https%3A%2F%2Fforums%2Eeagle%2Eru%2Fshowthread%2Ephp%3Fp%3D3888117&share_type=t&link_source=app

 

 

F14 Skinners thread (Paintkit in 1st post)

https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink/topic?share_fid=74365&share_tid=235164&share_pid=3856340&url=https%3A%2F%2Fforums%2Eeagle%2Eru%2Fshowthread%2Ephp%3Fp%3D3856340&share_type=t&link_source=app

[Chimango]

Hi guys, i wonder if you could help me. I'm trying to apply a different helmet for pilot and RIO; same thing with the suits (i customize their names on the patches) but i'm unable cause the description,lua sets the same helmet and suit for both.

 

Any ideas how should i set up my description.lua to have separate helmets/suits for the 2 of them? Thanks in advance.

[Swordsman422]

Hi guys, i wonder if you could help me. I'm trying to apply a different helmet for pilot and RIO; same thing with the suits (i customize their names on the patches) but i'm unable cause the description,lua sets the same helmet and suit for both.

 

Any ideas how should i set up my description.lua to have separate helmets/suits for the 2 of them? Thanks in advance.

 

Add these to your description. Bold is the file name.

 

{"HB_F14_EXT_PILOT_HELMET", 0 ,"HB_F14_EXT_PILOT_HELMET",false};

{"HB_F14_EXT_PILOT_SUIT", 0 ,"HB_F14_EXT_PILOT_SUIT",false};

 

{"HB_F14_EXT_RIO_HELMET", 0 ,"HB_F14_EXT_RIO_HELMET",false};

{"HB_F14_EXT_RIO_SUIT", 0 ,"HB_F14_EXT_RIO_SUIT",false};

[Chimango]

Thanks very much Swordsman; i managed to assign the helmets before i checked forums but i'm still unable to di that with the suits. Will give it a go with your info, thanks indeed for your help

[Chimango]

Well now the skin is not even showing on the list when i want to rearm, or when i check the mission editor and want to apply it; it's gone. What am i doing wrong?

 

This is my lua with those lines added, and also a screenshots of the files i have:

 

 

 

 

 

livery = {

 

 

--Diffuse -----------------------------------

 

{"HB_F14_EXT_01", 0 ,"HB_F14_EXT_01",false};

{"HB_F14_EXT_02", 0 ,"HB_F14_EXT_02",false};

{"HB_F14_EXT_03", 0 ,"HB_F14_EXT_03",false};

{"HB_F14_EXT_04", 0 ,"HB_F14_EXT_04",false};

{"HB_F14_EXT_TAIL", 0 ,"HB_F14_EXT_TAIL",false};

{"HB_F14_WING_LEFT_01", 0 ,"HB_F14_WING_LEFT",false};

{"HB_F14_WING_RIGHT", 0 ,"HB_F14_WING_RIGHT",false};

{"HB_F14_EXT_PILOT_HELMET", 0 ,"HB_F14_EXT_PILOT_HELMET",false};

{"HB_F14_EXT_PILOT_HELMET", 1 ,"HB_F14_EXT_PILOT_HELMET_NORMAL",false};

{"HB_F14_EXT_PILOT_HELMET", ROUGHNESS_METALLIC ,"HB_F14_EXT_PILOT_HELMET_RoughMet",false};

{"HB_F14_EXT_RIO_HELMET", 0 ,"HB_F14_EXT_PILOT_HELMET",false};

{"HB_F14_EXT_RIO_HELMET", 1 ,"HB_F14_EXT_PILOT_HELMET_NRM",false};

{"HB_F14_EXT_RIO_HELMET", ROUGHNESS_METALLIC {"HB_F14_EXT_PILOT_HELMET_RoughMet",false};

{"HB_F14_LOD1_3in1", 0 ,"HB_F14_LOD1_3in1",false};

{"HB_F14_EXT_PILOT_SUIT", 0 ,"HB_F14_EXT_PILOT_SUIT",false};

 

{"HB_F14_EXT_PILOT_HELMET", 0 ,"HB_F14_EXT_PILOT_HELMET",false};

{"HB_F14_EXT_PILOT_SUIT", 0 ,"HB_F14_EXT_PILOT_SUIT",false};

 

{"HB_F14_EXT_RIO_HELMET", 0 ,"HB_F14_EXT_RIO_HELMET",false};

{"HB_F14_EXT_RIO_SUIT", 0 ,"HB_F14_EXT_RIO_SUIT",false};

}

name = "Test F14 skin"

 

--countries = {"USA", "RUS", "FRA", "UKR", "SPN", "NETH", "TUR", "BEL", "GER", "NOR", "CAN", "DEN", "UK", "GRG", "ISR", "ABH", "RSO"}

[LanceCriminal86]

I don't think the RIO suit is a separately identified texture, like the Pilot and RIO helmets. Turn back a few pages and look for ensamvarg's replies on that question. They may look at enabling the RIO body to have a separate LUA callout.

[HavaFaza]

Well now the skin is not even showing on the list when i want to rearm, or when i check the mission editor and want to apply it; it's gone. What am i doing wrong?

 

This is my lua with those lines added, and also a screenshots of the files i have:

 

 

 

 

 

livery = {

 

 

--Diffuse -----------------------------------

 

{"HB_F14_EXT_01", 0 ,"HB_F14_EXT_01",false};

{"HB_F14_EXT_02", 0 ,"HB_F14_EXT_02",false};

{"HB_F14_EXT_03", 0 ,"HB_F14_EXT_03",false};

{"HB_F14_EXT_04", 0 ,"HB_F14_EXT_04",false};

{"HB_F14_EXT_TAIL", 0 ,"HB_F14_EXT_TAIL",false};

{"HB_F14_WING_LEFT_01", 0 ,"HB_F14_WING_LEFT",false};

{"HB_F14_WING_RIGHT", 0 ,"HB_F14_WING_RIGHT",false};

{"HB_F14_EXT_PILOT_HELMET", 0 ,"HB_F14_EXT_PILOT_HELMET",false};

{"HB_F14_EXT_PILOT_HELMET", 1 ,"HB_F14_EXT_PILOT_HELMET_NORMAL",false};

{"HB_F14_EXT_PILOT_HELMET", ROUGHNESS_METALLIC ,"HB_F14_EXT_PILOT_HELMET_RoughMet",false};

{"HB_F14_EXT_RIO_HELMET", 0 ,"HB_F14_EXT_PILOT_HELMET",false};

{"HB_F14_EXT_RIO_HELMET", 1 ,"HB_F14_EXT_PILOT_HELMET_NRM",false};

{"HB_F14_EXT_RIO_HELMET", ROUGHNESS_METALLIC {"HB_F14_EXT_PILOT_HELMET_RoughMet",false};

{"HB_F14_LOD1_3in1", 0 ,"HB_F14_LOD1_3in1",false};

{"HB_F14_EXT_PILOT_SUIT", 0 ,"HB_F14_EXT_PILOT_SUIT",false};

 

{"HB_F14_EXT_PILOT_HELMET", 0 ,"HB_F14_EXT_PILOT_HELMET",false};

{"HB_F14_EXT_PILOT_SUIT", 0 ,"HB_F14_EXT_PILOT_SUIT",false};

 

{"HB_F14_EXT_RIO_HELMET", 0 ,"HB_F14_EXT_RIO_HELMET",false};

{"HB_F14_EXT_RIO_SUIT", 0 ,"HB_F14_EXT_RIO_SUIT",false};

}

name = "Test F14 skin"

 

--countries = {"USA", "RUS", "FRA", "UKR", "SPN", "NETH", "TUR", "BEL", "GER", "NOR", "CAN", "DEN", "UK", "GRG", "ISR", "ABH", "RSO"}

Looks like you have a opening bracket instead of a comma in the bolded line here:

 

{"HB_F14_EXT_RIO_HELMET", ROUGHNESS_METALLIC {"HB_F14_EXT_PILOT_HELMET_RoughMet",false};

 

Try changing that and see if it works