posted 12-22- 12:53 AM               

I was bored yet again tonight and i converted a 512x512 WW2 Fighters skin over to SDOE. I didn't paint it other then touch ups. This also brings out something that bugs me and i plan to fix.

The mapping on the hora stabs is way off and i want to fix it and make them 3D.

I know Wakeup is working on a new and better B-17 but i want more planes in the air not better detailed so i want to update the B-17 and lower the switch time for the high detail model. Plus remove some of the inside details and close off the door behind the pilot and a few other things to get FR up. This should let us get more planes in the air, since i've been playing with the Ki-61 and not working on it, i need more bombers flying. I've had a blast for the last 5 hours with nothing but Ki-61 bomber attack missions..

If this is something that everyone else wants, i'll do this and release monday. I'm going out of town tomorrow and wont be back till x-mas..

will probably release this scheme with the new B-17.

------------------
Tony "Razer" Martin

"Making SDOE a dangerous Place, One plane at a time!"
FS Hangar

posted 12-22- 04:33 AM               

I hadn't got around to re-doing the tail, but it definitely needs it. Especially the ropey texture map on the elevators!

It will be a simple cut and paste to add the new tail to my B17!

The reduced detail version is an idea that got bounced around a while back. No reason NOT to do it! The lvl2 switches in very early, and the level 3 not for some time. I actually removed the lvl3 lods entirely on a test version and couldn't tell the difference. The lvl3 switchincould definitely happen earlier.

Another odd thing I noticed with the B17 was that polys don't seem to be the big FR killer. Up to a point anyway....

A simplification of the model as a whole, with fewer parts and less physics should yield good resutls too.

When are you planning to release the skin?

posted 12-22- 09:30 AM               

Another thing I noticed yesterday when I flew the B17 was that the waist gunner positions has windows...Is this correct? Werenīt they just openings in the fuse, no glass. My thought was also that these windows uses alpha textures, which I understand are not the best for framerates? (Donīt know really) But IF they are pulling the framerates down and the real B17 didnīt have glass, why not get rid of them?

BTW, Iīve been playing "B17II-Mighty Eight" alot the last days, itīs very fun. But Iīve already started wanting to do "SDOE-things" like find the textures and make new camos and such. Donīt know where the game keeps all the textures though... Sorry, off topic.

posted 12-22- 11:42 AM               

i'll toss around the AI bomber stuff and see what happens. Once i extract everything and start poking around in the SM file i'll see what i can remove. the AI version of the plane isn't a bad idea, if i remove all of the inside and just leave the plane, i'm sure that will bring FR's down. But i suspect that the FR killer on the high detail might be the cockpit framing.