Not if your the 'Stealth Eagle/Owl' I think you are

Sent you a PM so we don't need to keep this wonderful thread off topic.

I can, because I have skinned the Bf108 myself, before we got the templates. So I know what I am talking about.

Possibly they are, but that one isn't. The frontal cockpit framing is black, which it wasn't, along with other minor inaccuracies.

Though you are quite right, as I tried to figure out the cowling and detail mapping, which are a mess on the Bf 108, that it can easily take hours to make a proper skins with perfect details and an elaborate camo pattern.

This one for example took quite a while just in the research department and is still far from being finished. Not having the template at the time didn't help either...

http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/b...inW/108_n5.jpg

Chris is dead right it can take hours to fine tune a Skin to look right.
Many Layers may be required for things like Markings,Camo and weathering etc.
Also dont forget the ammount of Reference work required for a specific aircraft to achieve an accurate portrayal.
Templates are a fantastic aid and form the basis of any skin But its what is added to it that makes the final result a unique representation of the chosen subject.
And there are always those annoying parts of a skin where paint has not shown up properly on the Template overlay and even with Panel Finder can take hours to pin point and rectify:mad:
Creating Templates can take several Hours\Days as I know from experience[Ju-88 & Do-17] but very rewarding especially if that particular Template does not already exist and even more gratifying to see other Skinners Create amazing Skins using Your Template:cool:
I respect anyone who has made any type of Skin because they bothered to do it in the first place and in the process someone benefits from using it.
Keith;)

Hi Desertowl
The IAF Spits were later Mk-IX so no Template yet for this Mark

The 109 was in fact an Avia S-99 and S-199 with either DB 605 or Junkers Jumo 211 engines so no Template yet for this Mark either... Sorry:(
Regards
Keith;)

Kristoff- Have always loved your stuff,but have a question: I haven't been able to find CloD skins on the Axis & Allies site. Have I just missed pressing the right combination of buttons or is there some other reason they don't seem to be posted there?
Thanksagain for all your work!

None up yet mate, keep mening to upload but never seem to find time.
Hopefully by the end of the week

I know (and stated so in my post), but i thought the differences may not prevent a skin being made.
I am afraid it will be a long time until we will see Mk-IX...

regards.

Few shots with new skins squad MK.

Stunning! Why that small?

Thank you! I do not know how to create paintings
Just tried with a new skin.
Glad you liked it.:)

what is it? a fighter or a spring festival :mrgreen:

S!

Mr.X in your mirror is propably the last thing seen along with the colourfull skin before screen goes black ;) Nice one even not historical. Good to see some fun with skins too :)

The answer you get after a battle with him.
I think in the future, you will be afraid of this spring.:mrgreen::mrgreen::mrgreen:

oh yeah.. we are all scared...

Can you show us a bigger pic Mr.X?

What exactly show?
http://www.sukhoi.ru/forum/showthrea...=1#post1830183

That is what I wanted (the large picture) :)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...OD/CLbf109.jpg

It looks very nice.
Thanks Mk Mr.X

_________________________


And here's a pic from my WIP section (with a slight edit).

Too early for the victory cigar?
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...arNoEngine.jpg

.

Cool!:grin:

Jan knew how to make a large size picture

wow! WANDERZIRKUS ROSARIUS here!:-P:-P:-P

Few tries :grin:

Nice ones Fifi !! :)

http://img826.imageshack.us/img826/5...0924122035.png

Spitfire skins courtesy of 'Checkmysix',thanks Keith

http://img692.imageshack.us/img692/4...418202047s.jpg

249 Squadron,North Weald 1940?................nah,COD 2011

Respect!
~S~

I like your skins a lot Rodolphe, you're a very productive guy :) I used to make many skins for IL2 1946 until a few years back, it's a pleasure to do.

Wow, the landscape in this one is truly beautiful, what are your settings used here Plt Off JRB Meaker?
I have this one set as my desktop background.

shame it runs poorly though frame rates.

:rolleyes:

Thx McHilt,just maxed out on everything apart from forest which is lowered by one.Glad you like it,but credit goes to 'Checkmysix' for his skins which are so realistic.

It does look awesome.

But imagine that landscape with darker trees (which get darker, not lighter as they merge into the distance), hedgerows and less of the weirdly dark fields....

It could look spectacular.

Brilliant shot mate!

It's a great shot - to people like me, who don't really have anything to compare it to, it already looks spectacular. Best flight sim terrain on my PC.

I still laugh at the posts complaining that CloD terrain is as bad as IL2 ( they do seem to have died away though ;) )

Dorniers of 9/KG76 on their way to Kenley 18th August 1940-The Hardest Day.

Skins courtesy of 'Checkmysix'

http://img37.imageshack.us/img37/746...220536copy.png

Beautiful.

S!

Nice skins as always, Rodolphe :) Keep them coming :)

Map for last Rodolphe skin.
http://www.sukhoi.ru/forum/showthrea...e=82&langid=12

Gerhard schöpfels massacre
 

Gerhard Schöpfel shot down 4 Hurricanes (501 Sqn.) in the same mission.

I would to say thank you @all for some wonderful pictures in here!
Some of them i have saved to my desktop background :)

Although I couldn't find a new skin there ( or translate the posts) there are numerous screenshots on page82 that are of ( apparently) CloD planes flying over desert map:

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d1...5-04_00007.jpg

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d1...5-03_00017.jpg

I think this desert map has been mentioned elsewhere( perhaps earlier in this thread...) so where does it comefrom ?Is it a Mod for those already trying to mod the game? Inquiring minds etc etc.
Finally I really wish that someone would figure out how to post the extraordinary new skins we sometimes see here that don't seem to be availble here or at Capt Farrell's or the usually other download mission & skins site..Please?

carl schumacher
 

carl schumacher of JG 1.

carl schumacher JG 1
 

..the second Bf 109 is otto behrens, my grandfather.

larry

I want!

Nice, but one small thing mate, the left underside should be black (day/night scheme)

http://s6.postimage.org/85p9ricqp/Kiwi_3.jpg

http://s6.postimage.org/uvoekhvy9/Kiwi_1.jpg

Fair one, but I also know that Deere went through several 'Kiwi's' before he stopped naming them, hence his book 'Nine Lives'

Hey Chris,what's the situation in regards the weathering on RAF fighters,especially the Spit now,has it been resolved or are you skinning guys still having problems with it?

I know you mentioned the problems a little while ago and just wondered if the devs had sorted this out.

Dunno mate, I have not touched this thing sitting on my HD for month's, lost interest at the moment to be honest due to its, should we say diplomatically, shortcomings

Will check though, wait out.

Still the same mate, just another thing that makes me not want to fly it I am afraid

Yup.....the dream is turning sour for most I fear,a big pity.

That pic really does show off why the spits is one of the best looking aircraft ever, very nice!

Now make a screen that shows off the 109 :D

P.S. Did you touch the image up at all? It looks great.

I think the spit looks better in the Revi. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...s/mockface.gif

http://img715.imageshack.us/img715/5...224649copy.jpg

'Coastal Patrol'

Skins courtesy of Checkmysix(thanks Keith)

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Z...Bf109_JG27.png

(сlick to enlarge)

It's really impressive the game engine? This looks almost 'photo-realistic'.

Thanks for sharing. Cheers, MP

how can i make "big" pictures?
 

hallo,

when i put pictures in the threads, it`s only small one`s. how can i make it bigger?

thank`s for your help

larry69

Thanks Mysticpuma;).....and it could be a lot better,this was taken using 'Medium clouds',this being the case we need XXXXL clouds IMO.

I believe although maybe wrong, Kiwi 1 which ended its life on a beach at Dunkirk had the black white underside, but Kiwi 2 didn't.

Could well be wrong though!

Awesome! :-)

WoW! Nice picture! Thx for sharing.

The distant shot is wonderful. It would be perfect if antialiasing would work *sigh*

Every time I look at this thread I have to look at some of the shots in the first few pages. :(
It's sad how much beauty we lost from the original. :(

That is lovely,both shots. real nice.

Cheese

Do you seriously think we have lost that much detail (ignoring alpha bugs).


Alpha Shots BTW

http://s5.postimage.org/alkfovx6f/sh...510_231903.png
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Yeah.:(
Identical screenshots taken in older versions have much larger size. And the difference is very easy to see. In the latest versions you have very washed colors and no reflections. I'm not even talking about the latest beta/apha thing. This one is even more messed up. so let's let this one out.

(this shots have been resized so they don't pass the 1MB in size limit for my free photobucket acount, so don't worry about the size)
New version:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...eenshot550.jpg

older version:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...enshot2180.jpg



New version:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...shot9997-1.jpg

Older version:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...nshot47022.jpg

I think apart from the water the new ones are fine.

What really got horrid when I compare your shots is the water. It looked so much better in the release version. I do not understand why it was changed.

Ah... I see so when you say reflections you mean on the water... tbh I only noticed the reflections that they removed from the aircraft.

P.S. Did your mission builder crash when trying early late times?

To make them realistic, apart from the reflections the original sea in that pic looks more like mercury.

Mh. The upper picture of the daylight picture is how I remember it was when I bought my retail version. The lower one does not look like what I remember. The upper one looks better definitely.

I do not remember to have seen the sea in the lower one but it is a while that I did not run CloD waiting for the final patch.

Actually that's not the release version. The release version had much better calibrated colors (les blue) and slightly less reflections. It was just perfect. I think they lost their bearing with the colors very early on. One of the first patches made everything too red, then they added too much violet and in the last patch they just made everything in shades of grey and called it a day.

Here is how a sunset looked in the original:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...shot116753.jpg

Then they turned it into this (more red and more reflections):

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...s/Untitled.jpg

Then into this: (aded more violet/blue):

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...926_232456.jpg

And then into this (very faded colors and no reflections):

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...shot9997-1.jpg

Actually, I think the water is WAY better in the newer picture (top one). When flying, you don't see much reflections on the water, especially not over oceans (and definately not over the Ärmelkanal, been over it quite a few times now) ;)

Only thing which you actually do see over water is the "glittering" of the sun - which is captured fairly good in CoD, in my opinion. I do agree though, that the waves could be a bit smaller... :)

From what i inderstand the mission builder crashes happen in in this last beta. I didn't use the FMB yet with the beta. None of the shots are from the beta. I understand is beta...er alpha and they have problems with textures, so i won't bring it into discution.
I flew it two nights and shelved it. I'm put off by all those low resolution textures. :(

Are you sure those pics are using the same time or that MG haven't played with the dusk and dawn times.

I agree we need reflections back, but I am sure I can still get a simillar screenshot to the beaufighter one.

If you mean the cockpits, then yeah it's very odd I was playing around with it earlier and if I moved my head back a bit the clock in the 109 would jump to a blurry texture (some of the other instruments are always blurry unles you move your head forwards, very annoying as I fly zoomed as far back as possible). I will have to grab a few shots.

The first four shots i posted are at the exact same time. I do agree that they changed things quite a bit. In the latest versions is a lot darker right before sun rise than in the older patches.
I remember flying that early morning mission in ATAG, with the ships. The sun rises around ten minutes after sun rise and you can't see nothing on the field. First try i went straight into the tower.:lol: of course you couldn't see the gauges as half the lighting in the plane doesn't work.:lol: In the real world you have no problem seing the road ten minutes before sun rise, on a clear day.




You can't get that much orange at sunrise in the curent version. Also the transition between colors and transition between sea and sky in the distance was very smooth in the older versions. I change between versions quite often and the difference is very obvious.

Now try to replicate this shots :-P:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...shot112634.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...418_182437.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...shot237639.jpg

This is just speculation but I think they lost their bearing with the colors the very same moment Oleg went away. He was the photographic eye behind the colors and general look. I hope they can return the Olegs way to depict scenes. It was plain beautiful and credible. Realistic opposed to filmic.

Hurricane 32 sqn.
 

.....[attach]Attachment 9522[/attach]

Actually, the new ones are MUCH better, good global lighting, REALISTIC WATERS for this weather... maybe with a little more contrast overall but colors and global lighting are also MUCH more realistic and no more "GAMEY"! :-)

Yes, ocean from this altitude doesn't have reflections like a windless lake and colors are also less cartoon (overdone tints) and much more realistic. Cloud are much more real now with an expected shade from gray to white instead of the old horrible magenta to white tint.... all in all, the new graphics are a very nice evolution in the REALISTIC looking way... Really, I don't know what you want: a simulator which look like a (old) game or a simulator which look like real weather and lighting? At least in this dpt, I see a real improvement on these new screens.

I have to say, that the lighting we have right now is IMO better then what we had before. It just seems more naturally realistic then the quite over-done effects in the first version of the game. I think it's a matter of taste rather then "this is better than that etc" type of thing. For me, the earlier versions the water was too reflective, didn't look realistic, like previous poster said it looked "gamey".

Yes I agree what we have now is near perfect,the channel sea is green I have lived by the sea most of my life.

I concur. The new screenshots are way better, the water in particular looks fantastic.

I think it is exactly the oposite. A lot of people want the a ww2 game to look like a grainy 60 years old ww2 film. The world around us is colorful and live. I see this in a lot of sims and games pretending to make it look "autentic" by throwing a grainy filter over everything. Just because most of the images videos we see are black and white, or at best with washout colors, it doesn't mean the world was black and white back then.
Most of the oceans on this planet are BLUE. This is how light works. The color we see is te results of a multitude of factors and two important ones are Reflected blue sky and scatering of light through the water. both this effects make things blue. In some areas of the globe the water is indeed green, but the sky is still blue and the reflection of hte sky will give it a bluish tint.
Overcast skies make most bodies of water look green, gray. This was well depicted in the early versions:

The same water is green under the clouds and blue under the blue sky with the sun, when the sun is behind you:

green and choppy under overcast sky:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...423_134303.jpg

bluish under clear blue sky, with the sun somwhere behind:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...330_233419.jpg

Anyway, those clouds reflections only hapeened under certain conditions when the sun(light surce) was in certain position and from certain altitude.
In the first version of the game those reflections were not so strong anyway. As i already said, those were in a version that added too much blue tint.
Do this quick search in google photos "clouds reflected in the sea". You'll see plenty images, (many of them taken with high quality cameras) that capture the effect perfectly.

The sun at sunset doesn't behave like it is, a light source pointing towards us through a thick layer of dense lower athmosphere, but like a cheap HDR effect placed on top of things. The sun rays at sunset are red/orange, not grey.


The thing is tho, in the original lighting engine, the light behaved naturally and dynamically and influenced the colors of the things around us, differently depending on the conditions at the time.
Now almost all that dynamic part of the lighting engine is gone.

I'm sorry but you're wrong. Fly above the channel and it's a murky mess; the thing almost appears solid; wave crests can be seen, but otherwise it's a filthy, murky mass of water on even the best of days. The newest patches show this perfectly.
Furthermore, the coast-lines are a lot better, and the terrain looks a lot more natural than before. The acidic colours were a lot worse than the current dark, saturated tones.
One of the older Betas modelled the terrain colours of Britain a lot better (the Beta which was accompanied by a video) but other than that improvements have been made. The older cockpits were a lot better though, and the lighting itself has been degraded (apart from the haze which was needed).

Overall I can't see any of these features being worked on until BoM is out, and even then I think they will take the back seat.

Nightfigter Defiants on a dark night:

http://aintvanilla.files.wordpress.c...-wallpaper.jpg

:-)

Wow, nice setup, no jaggies at all! ;)

Just testing some effects.. :p

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Some ok and some crapy pictures...

Hurricane 73 Sqn.
 

Hurricane 73 Sqn.
 

Hurricanes 73 Sqn.
 

Totally agree. Waiting for the full patch myself, but going on the top two pictures, the sea in the first one looks much more natural and less 'rendered'. Obviously will have to wait to see it in motion, but from that picture it's the best simulation of the water in the Solent I've ever seen, and growing up near Southampton I've seen it enough.

S!

Nice pics from Rodolphe and Larry :) Keep them coming.

...thank`s Flanker35M ! ;-)

larry 69

Hurricane 73 Sqn.
 

Great shots,as usual Rodolphe(not gonna ask the usual question;)

Cheese

Excellent!

Best Regards,
MB_Avro.

S!

Now imagine Target for Tonight..Bf110, Wimpy, Beaufighter, Hampden etc. Oh boy :) Great shots from all!

^ Wow, that's as near to photorealistic as I've seen in a flight sim. The lighting devs are really earning their money.

Awesome Rodolphe! "Ad Lucem" very very smoothing. 1000EQFXAA:grin:

Hurricanes 85 Sqn.