F/A-18 Super Hornet

[nodunit 397]

She's looking very good, it makes me happy to see the old girl still well and kicking, can't wait to see her tearing up the landscape with some of those 1000lb'ers she used to carry : D

Out of curiousity why do the OK's have backlighting but the other digital displays do not?

[[frl]myke 14]

Raytheon has sent a first load of AIM-9M and AIM-120/C:

Awaiting further weapon deliveries within the next 2 days.

[abs 2]

Formations over Pensacola 2 by d3rdprod, on Flickr

I think this is my newest favourite photo ever.

Abs

[Meatball0311 79]

Myke;1880481']Raytheon has sent a first load of AIM-9M and AIM-120/C:

Awaiting further weapon deliveries within the next 2 days.

Sweet.. it is true Myke Rocks!! ;)

[SGT M 10]

Hey meatball are your F/A-18's capable of doing a full turning circle without moving or barely moving forwards? By that I mean I have seen a couple of youtube vids where a Hornet lands on a carrier, and then does a full 180 degree turn without its rear wheels moving forwards, just its front which turns the nose of the plane around. I've found that the bis planes (except F-35 and Harrier with VTOL engaged) and several modded planes including the recent FDF F-18C have to get to around 10-20 knots before they can turn well. THis causes problems on the Nimitz when trying to navigate the aircraft, especially getting on and off the elevators under the planes own power.

[max power 21]

Myke;1880481']Raytheon has sent a first load of AIM-9M and AIM-120/C:

[imghttp://img231.imageshack.us/img231/294/meatball.jpg[/img]

Awaiting further weapon deliveries within the next 2 days.

The bump map looks like it has too much cowbell.

[Meatball0311 79]

The bump map looks like it has too much cowbell.

yeah I was thinking of toning it down a little...

[nodunit 397]

Did you create the normal map from the diffuse map?

[Meatball0311 79]

I think I added to much depth to it.. I will try and soften it up a little. I am still pretty new at modeling, so if you have any good pointers pm me.

[nodunit 397]

Unless you can get the PSD's I would advise against using the diffuse itself for the normal map, reason being is by doing so you will incorporate all of it into the normal map, things that shouldn't be there such as the smudge marks and changes in paint for example.

What normal maps are for is to add 3D depth to 2D surfaces, the only things that should be present are things that would be 3D such as the rivets and panels.

If you have photoshop my recommendation would be to open the diffuse and trace lines around the panels and dots for the rivets on a new layer, then apply a normal map filter (can be the free nvidia if you want) so that it creates a normal map of the panel lines and rivets.

Alternatively some have said that when making panels it's best to let it be on the diffuse or for the normal to let the normals be very thin, almost non visible otherwise they 'jut out' too much.

[max power 21]

I recommend that you make the bump map image twice the dimensions (4 times the size) that you are going to end up using. So take your diffuse map, blow it up, trace the panels in black (and put anything else you want in there), set the background to 50% grey, decrease the fill of the panel gaps layer to like 10%, then use the normal map filter. See how that looks. Keep playing around with it until you get something you like, then downsample the nohq file to the size you want, renormalize the normal map, then see how that works.

[f2f_bho 10]

Sgt.M what I think you are trying to say is , Will his F-18 have the

proper zero turn radius as real navy &marine birds.

[Meatball0311 79]

Hey meatball are your F/A-18's capable of doing a full turning circle without moving or barely moving forwards? By that I mean I have seen a couple of youtube vids where a Hornet lands on a carrier, and then does a full 180 degree turn without its rear wheels moving forwards, just its front which turns the nose of the plane around. I've found that the bis planes (except F-35 and Harrier with VTOL engaged) and several modded planes including the recent FDF F-18C have to get to around 10-20 knots before they can turn well. THis causes problems on the Nimitz when trying to navigate the aircraft, especially getting on and off the elevators under the planes own power.

I have not done anything specifically to the F/A-18 about it turn radius, but if you hold the direction that you want to turn and give it some thrust, it turns pretty easily without moving forward or having to be at a certain speed.

I bought this video editing software yesterday so I will upload a video of me maneuvering on the deck of the Nimitz. I have some business to take care of today, so I wont be able to do any work until later.

I am also working on re-doing the normal maps.

[1in1class 0]

Some real good stuff Meatball0311, keeps that good work up.

[SGT M 10]

I have not done anything specifically to the F/A-18 about it turn radius, but if you hold the direction that you want to turn and give it some thrust, it turns pretty easily without moving forward or having to be at a certain speed.

I bought this video editing software yesterday so I will upload a video of me maneuvering on the deck of the Nimitz. I have some business to take care of today, so I wont be able to do any work until later.

I am also working on re-doing the normal maps.

Yeah cool thanks meatball, looking forward to that vid. :)

---------- Post added at 01:44 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:43 PM ----------

Sgt.M what I think you are trying to say is , Will his F-18 have the

proper zero turn radius as real navy &marine birds.

Yes that is exactly what I was trying to say. :)

[Meatball0311 79]

Howdy everyone! The project is still in the works and I will have more answers when I get the weapons configured by Myke. I am also hoping to add a few things that will help out in navigating (actually I am having trouble with navigating, as you can tell in my videos). So I just wanted to keep the topic alive and let you all know that I have been working hard in getting this out to you.

I spent yesterday re-working the normal maps and specular map... and now there is the perfect amount of "cowbell". ;) I love me some cowbell!!!

I also went out and bought this video editing software that will allow me to put out some good looking videos (I am still learning the in's and out's of it, but here is the first one I made...)

I hope to get a nice USS Nimitz video out soon.. but that will be after I work on some idea I have... enjoy!

[Meatball0311 79]

here is the USS Nimitz vid, with new F/A-18F normal map and specular map.. Also, I added a movable marker to the F/A-18F to help out with navigating and situational awarness...

**how the hell do you embed the video into the post???? I have tried copying the embed code.. nothing... wraping the embed code in the youTube tags... nothing..wtf?

Edited March 25, 2011 by Meatball0311

[SGT M 10]

Woot foldable wings epic. Thanks Meatball! Hey one question, I thought the Superhornets wings could fold past 90 degrees? Or am I wrong? Also nice landing lol. :P

Edited March 25, 2011 by SGT M

[[frl]myke 14]

Like that?

dd45NaDHd4A

Weapon loadouts are coming along, i hope to finish my works this evening and then send it back to Meatball.

[wolfbite 8]

Yeah I gotta say the wings should fold in more....

And is it possible to get rid of that problem with the cockpit in hangars where you can see straight through the hangar... Can that be stopped?

Anyway progress looks good. Greatly anticipated.... Good luck man

[Derbysieger 11]

that's the way it works:

dd45NaDHd4A

[wolfbite 8]

Actually looking back at pics it is only the 90 degree hmmm I must have been thinking of the intruder or something..

[wld427 1705]

Textures and normals are loking much better!

Have you done any work to reduce the section count?

[Meatball0311 79]

Woot foldable wings epic. Thanks Meatball! Hey one question, I thought the Superhornets wings could fold past 90 degrees? Or am I wrong? Also nice landing lol. :P

It looks to be at 90 degrees.. and yeah that landing was close...

Myke;1882450']Like that?

Weapon loadouts are coming along' date=' i hope to finish my works this evening and then send it back to Meatball.[/quote']

Thanks mate! I really appreciate your helping hand.. and cant wait for your awesome weapon loadouts!

Yeah I gotta say the wings should fold in more....

And is it possible to get rid of that problem with the cockpit in hangars where you can see straight through the hangar... Can that be stopped?

Anyway progress looks good. Greatly anticipated.... Good luck man

not sure about the problem please explain more.. I never had that problem before..

@Derbysieger:

Thanks

Textures and normals are loking much better!

Have you done any work to reduce the section count?

Thanks!

Well, schedule looking good today so I am getting started and a few ideas I have.. Thanks!

[ANZACSAS Steven 393]

@Meatball0311,

I forgot to mention to andreas about disconnecting the arrestor script wired into the arrestor hook of the F18.Now the Nimitz has good arrestor system the old system built in isnt required anymore,and it was too easy....:)