ADMIRAL189'S CORNER - INCOMING SHIP MODELS

[Admiral189]

That was just a test to see how everything reacts. I'm still troubleshooting the issue. For now just revert back to the old hull for now..

 

Trying to figure why the statics float.

[Admiral189]

Hey Guys,

 

I will put out a dummy model of the San Antonio for you all to do some test. Give me a day or two.. If it works, i will create a fresh new model!

 

[navyBtown]

Lot going on! FFGX

Well looks like you will be able to give the FFGX a name now. Not sure if you heard but the Sec Nav just announced that the lead ship will be named USS Constellation (FFG-62).

[Admiral189]

No, i didn't hear that but now i do and that will be the name. Thanks NavyBtown!!

 

So, I have been hearing a lot of chatter about a Spruance so I have one and i will be working it as well. Due to the type of missile launcher. It shouldn't take long to complete. Maybe i can do two versions. I want to get the San Antonio done first though.

 

[Admiral189]

Here's an older version.

 

[Gerbilskij]

No, i didn't hear that but now i do and that will be the name. Thanks NavyBtown!!

 

So, I have been hearing a lot of chatter about a Spruance so I have one and i will be working it as well. Due to the type of missile launcher. It shouldn't take long to complete. Maybe i can do two versions. I want to get the San Antonio done first though.

 

 

 

Isn't this the missile arrangement of the old Ticondeoga CGs? Spruance never had Mk26 twin-arm missile launchers (USS Ticonderoga pic for reference: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3c/USS_Ticonderoga_%28CG-47%29_underway_off_Puerto_Rico_on_9_April_1983_%286379851%29.jpg )

 

USS Spruance original config: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2c/USS_Spruance_%28DD-963%29_underway_on_20_November_1986_%286416412%29.jpg/1280px-USS_Spruance_%28DD-963%29_underway_on_20_November_1986_%286416412%29.jpg

 

Spruance class after VLS+CIWS+Harpoon refit: https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/xVQmcukGC59T0tJqgGNKcm7-uv4wpN_ezwF6E8soePwclZcPiN_hl6IPhtgWq8t0WP-QcTrqyLUZAQCaeQwm5MecGodOqsYQyN2K8G1SZeQ64JOk7dPuQ0Y

 

In any case, your job providing surface ships around is very very appreciated, thank you very much!

Edited October 8, 2020 by Gerbilskij

[navyBtown]

Isn't this the missile arrangement of the old Ticondeoga CGs? Spruance never had Mk26 twin-arm missile launchers (USS Ticonderoga pic for reference: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3c/USS_Ticonderoga_%28CG-47%29_underway_off_Puerto_Rico_on_9_April_1983_%286379851%29.jpg )

 

USS Spruance original config: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2c/USS_Spruance_%28DD-963%29_underway_on_20_November_1986_%286416412%29.jpg/1280px-USS_Spruance_%28DD-963%29_underway_on_20_November_1986_%286416412%29.jpg

 

Spruance class after VLS+CIWS+Harpoon refit: https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/xVQmcukGC59T0tJqgGNKcm7-uv4wpN_ezwF6E8soePwclZcPiN_hl6IPhtgWq8t0WP-QcTrqyLUZAQCaeQwm5MecGodOqsYQyN2K8G1SZeQ64JOk7dPuQ0Y

 

In any case, your job providing surface ships around is very very appreciated, thank you very much!

You would be right Gerbilskij they never added twin-arm missile launchers on the Spruance class but on a different class of ship that the US Navy never really ordered. I’ll post a link talking about it but in short, this is what happens. The last Shah of Iran ordered six to be built then changed it to four, after the Iranian Revolution happen the order of the ships were canceled and turned over to the Navy which became the Kidd class of DDGs. In the early, to mid-2000s they were taken out of serves and sold to the Republic of China to be used if their navy.

 

Design-wise I think it's interesting that the Spruance, Kidd, & Ticonderoga class ships use the same main hull shape when they were being built, only the Kidd and Ticonderoga’s had there extended by 38 feet.

 

Kidd class DDG: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kidd-class_destroyer

Edited October 9, 2020 by navyBtown

[near_blind]

Sprucans and Kidds, Outstanding!

[Looney]

A question, do you make the mods from the ground up by yourself?

Do you start with a rectangular box and shape it into a ship?

[Admiral189]

They did have twins on the USS kidd back in the day.

 

Looney, I aquire the models already built and bring them to life. Creating ships take a lot of time and patience but can be done. In most cases you will need the orginal drawings for the ship also.

 

So in the case of the USS Kidd. To bring it to life i will animate the radars, Fwd and Aft guns, missile launchers and so on. I'm still learning with textures. I'm working to find that weathered look for ships.

 

Edited October 9, 2020 by Admiral189

[Admiral189]

San Antonio Collision update. I think I have sorted out the collision issue with the flight deck.

 

The Static AI's float slightly but not as bad like it was. Three photos below show it all. The two CH-53s Spawned on the flight deck. The CH-53 and 47 are static objects and the UH is in a Flyable state.

 

I will make some cosmetic updates on the San Antonio before I release her again. It should be done by tomorrow. Stay Tuned!!

 

[LanceCriminal86]

They did have twins on the USS kidd back in the day.

 

Looney, I aquire the models already built and bring them to life. Creating ships take a lot of time and patience but can be done. In most cases you will need the orginal drawings for the ship also.

 

So in the case of the USS Kidd. To bring it to life i will animate the radars, Fwd and Aft guns, missile launchers and so on. I'm still learning with textures. I'm working to find that weathered look for ships.

 

 

On the texturing, are you tiling a general metal texture across the hull of the ship, or are you actually exporting the whole side of the ship's UVW map and creating a texture for it?

 

If you compare to how different DCS aircraft modules do it you may be able to improve certain portions as it would give you some more ability to specifically texture certain areas with wear and weathering.

[Gerbilskij]

Thanks, I got it now, I wasn't really aware about the Kidd class. More variation is always welcomed ;) Thank you again for your job. For textures, there are several talented painter around producing amazing skins for lanes, might be worth asking in the skinning forum. I would have proposed to help myself but I'm away from my main PC with all the necessary tools until Christmas. A proper layering with one layer dedicated to wear and tear effects can usually help.

[Admiral189]

Thanks Gerbilski,

 

I have Substance Painter. I just need to learn how to use it. I hear a lot of modelers are using it. That's a good idea though i will ask around.

[LanceCriminal86]

Thanks Gerbilski,

 

I have Substance Painter. I just need to learn how to use it. I hear a lot of modelers are using it. That's a good idea though i will ask around.

 

That is true, it's a preferred way by some as I believe you don't have to worry about where the textures are being split etc. But I'm not sure if it lets you use layers like photoshop to separate details, so that you can make a "template". Templates are always appreciated as that means we can do all kinds of things with the textures to enhance them, represent different ships of the class, make ships be stand-ins for ones that are missing, weathered vs just painted, target ships like you seen in missile tests or SINKEX.

 

What texture sizes are you using for different areas? Naturally you don't want it to be an FPS hog but as an example, the Tomcat dedicates about 7 large texture files to cover the main body of the aircraft, versus the Hornet cramming everything into two main textures. In order to have the same level of detail as the Tomcat you basically have to bump the Hornet's texture files up to 8k in order to get the same general resolution as the Cat across the jet.

 

There's a Discord for skinning and liveries, lots of folks in there could probably point you towards some resources, might even get some volunteers to help create the base textures and templates.

[Admiral189]

Hey Lance, i just apply the textures and if i have a specular, bump or normal i will add those to the textures also.

 

No, i don't do the entire ship UVW for the entire ship. I really only use UVW for the waterline of the ship. So i started applying the textures today to the USS Kidd. Honestly, i think it's better to apply it because i pick and choose each object and texture it as i like. Because there's not a lot of animation that need to be done to the Kidd. It shouldn't take me that long to complete.

 

Texture sizes are very important. I try to keep them low at 512/512 or 256/256 but i have seen though is sometimes even those texture sizes are no good. Meaning in game the textures don't appear so i have to keep changing the sizes until it appears in game.. I also use .DDS but because DCS doesn't like bmp too much. The problem with large 2k and up files are they increase the file size so i try to keep them low.

 

If you know the name of that discord let me know. Thanks.

 

[Sierra99]

Hey Admiral,

 

Since you seem to be the only game in town...Perhaps you wanna have a crack at some of these ships that are no longer working?

 

https://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/files/3304473/?sphrase_id=4068507

 

Have a great Weekend

[Admiral189]

The Problem Sierra is finding those to models to create. I will be creating the one's below at some point.

 

USNS Patuxent

USS Arleigh Burke

USS Independence

USS Ohio

USS Spruance

[Sierra99]

The Problem Sierra is finding those to models to create. I will be creating the one's below at some point.

 

USNS Patuxent

USS Arleigh Burke

USS Independence

USS Ohio

USS Spruance

 

The Models are present...just not working...

[LanceCriminal86]

The Models are present...just not working...

 

To get them working you need the original model files, not the converted DCS files. They have to be re-exported with some of the many changes made over the last major patches past 2.5.4 or 2.5.5 or so. That's why they weren't simply updated

[Looney]

Where do you get your initial models from Admiral? I'm wondering if there are any RNLN ships I can buy to work with.

[Admiral189]

Morning All. Sierra, Lance is correct! You need the original model to create the models from that pack. It would be like starting over from scratch if i were able to get my hands on one of them.

 

The good models I get from https://www.turbosquid.com/ which has the bulk of models Every so often they will have sales on their models. I also get some from https://www.cgtrader.com/ and https://de.3dexport.com/.

 

The free models I get from sketchup and open3dmodels. The very detailed models you may have to spend some $. What i do in some cases i scour the web and sometimes i may come across a good ship model. There out there! Just have to search for them. If you are looking for a particular model. Turborsquid may have it!! The problem i don't like is you can't negotiate with Turbosquid for their for the models. Price are firm. They just host the models for sellers.

 

Here's my experience with purchasing models. Most models are not worth the money that you pay but you are paying for someones time to create them. In majority of the cases i have to replace all the weapons because their weapons are generic. I have had good experience with Cgtrader getting cheap good models. Also, the moddlers are more friendly there also.

 

Here's the trick. If you see a model on Turbosquid you like. Check Cgtrader for the same model and it may be cheaper and vice versa. In most cases the moddler may be selling one model on cgtrader cheaper than turbosquid.

[Admiral189]

Here's some eye candy for you guys. Each one of these models can be created.

 

Open the model in sketchup 2020 and export to fbx and your in business. The problem i see though with sketchup models. After you export them to .edm in 3ds max. They will have holes in them so most of not worth your time but it's good practice.

 

https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/user/uc4e46f5d-bcf7-450f-8940-e0bd9e5020d1/Nikos-D

[Admiral189]

NavyBtown, i got lucky and found the USS FFG-62 Constellation on Sketchup. I converted it already to 3d model. If it can be converted without holes i will convert it at some point. It's on my list.

 

https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/model/787807b1-631b-4559-81e4-54b4222d546e/USS-FFG-62-Constellation-class-Guided-Misslie-frigate-FFGX-%E3%82%B3%E3%83%B3%E3%82%B9%E3%83%86%E3%83%AC%E3%83%BC%E3%82%B7%E3%83%A7%E3%83%B3%E7%B4%9A%E3%83%9F%E3%82%B5%E3%82%A4%E3%83%AB%E3%83%95%E3%83%AA%E3%82%B2%E3%83%BC%E3%83%88

[Looney]

How many polygons are acceptable for DCS?

I see models going from 65K to 400k+ but I have no idea of how many polygons are "normal"...