Zephyr Net

Success! All FAF Airbases now have skid marks on the runways, with
actual runway numbers (even left and right designations for twin
runways) are now visible. This will lead to improved ATC with the tower clearing you to the specific runway number...

As an example Seoul Airbase has two runways, there are now runway
markings on both ends of the field... 36L and 36R for the northern
direction runways and 18L and 18R for the southern direction runways
and marking touchdown areas on both ends, with proper skid and afturner marks and 'weathering' effects ...

I did not get a chance to upload any screenshots, and I dont want to
give away to much of the vastly improved 'new look' to the airbases,
but I will get some shots up this weekend... You get a great view
from the cockpit on takeoff also...

Of course, it goes without mentioning, that the airbase templates will also be altered to fit the new airbase designs...

CAG out...

I have been able to parley this new skill over to aircraft shapes (so far the F-16 shape) and have chagned the way the skin is used, so that the tail has lettering in the correct direction on both sides...

Next I will attempt to add to the skin file even more and give the aircraft seperate skin sections for the left and right top and bottom surfaces...

this will allow realeastic roundel placement on ths skins and 'weapons' texturing like on the MiG-21s and 29s...

CAG out...

LOL skid marks. HAHA...Oddly enough I'm surprised no one thought of this much earlier. Can't wait to see.

_________________
Centurian

I can't wait to see any of your screen shots on this!!! You the man!

_________________
"Great pilots are made not born... A man may possess good eyesight, sensitive hands, and perfect coordination, but the end product is only fashioned by steady coaching, much practice, and experience."
Air Vice-Marshall J.E. "Johnnie" Johnson, RAF

Cent,

It was not possible prior to shape editing, to add skid marks and runway numbers, because the default shape repeats the segments of the runway dwon the entire lenght and you would have the landing area repeated two or three times along its length...


Now, however, that isnt a problem...

The only runway that is holding me up from being fully completed, is now Airbase 7, because it does not have enough default sections on the runway to allow a landing area with skid marks and left and right runwya number and then regular segments of runway down the rest of the length.

My solution for this is to expand the skin file and add another segment to the skin, like I did the F-16. SO far this raises some stability issues that I have to overcome, but just like Kap would say...

'Be patient I know you can do it'!

CAG out...

I was successful at removing the radar dome from the UH-60 shape...

We now have quite a good looking UH-60A through L...

I left it on the HH60 Pavelow and the SH-60 Seahawk to simulate the
use of radar on those choppers...

Does anyone have any changes they would specificially like to see on
any of the shapes currently in FAF that I have not already altered?

I expect to have all the aircraft reskinned by mid month... WIth much
better and much higher detailed skins then I am currently using...

Including the proper inside rudder skins on the USN and USAF twin
tailed fighters... No more duplicate skins on the tails... They will
have proper skin area and detail on all the proper locations...

I am also close to have a shape to use for the UH-1 Hueys with
landing skids....

After these changes are complete I will most likely look to altering
the Ka-50 to make appropiately shaped Ka-27s...

And perhaps a verison of the Lynx with landing skids instead of
wheels...

I will keep everyone up to date...

CAG out...

That I did not know and that explains it fully! Thanks for the clarification.

_________________
Centurian

I still want a sleeker (longer nose or less deep cockpit area) for the SU-32/34 FUllback.

_________________
Fighting for justice with brains of steel

Let your anger be like the monkey which hides inside the piniata.

well, that is in the works, but I need to work more on understanding all segments of the shape file first...

I would say I am probalby about a motnh or two away from being able to manipulate the shape layout itself to form new angles...

CAG out...

very cool <Kap setting back and proping feet up> CRAP I got work to do!!!

_________________
Fighting for justice with brains of steel

Let your anger be like the monkey which hides inside the piniata.

My first complicated shape animation alteration will be adding swing wings to the SU-7, then altering the fuselage layout to match that of the SU-17/SU-22 series aircraft...

I plan on 'borrowing' the animation code from one of the sing wing fihgters, like the F-14,F-111,Su-24, or the MiG-23 and adapt it to the SU-7... OR if that doesnt work, then modify the shape of one of these aircraft by 'borrowing; the polygon layout and adding it into the swing wing shape file, altering the way that aircrafts polygons are laid out...

I do not know if it is possible, but I will be trying over the course of the month of April thru to May...

You know this would be alot easier if we had an interface...

Has anyone looked at disassembling the shape editor's exe to gain access to the way that interface manipultes the polygons?

CAG out...

Do you think you could tailor the MiG-17 shape to make it look more like an F-86.

Maybe flatten the wingtips, and whatever else you can do.

No, it will require a completely new shape....

The MiG-17 doesnt even really closely reseemble the MiG-15... which is much stubbier...

CAG out...

Uh... I meant the F-86, but if you can't do it, that's cool.

Could you take the canards off of the FS-X though? That seems possible. It also needs new camoflague and a new name (F-2A).