APC Retextures

[EggChen]

Right, I didn't want to hijack Nightwatch's thread.... so have opened this new one.

Basically some work I have done on the APC's and Helis has meant I needed to retexture the APC. This is the current version, any feedback??



I posted this version on the NEWSA thread with a "busier" camo scheme, and black wheels, I think I prefer the wheels in black, any thoughts???



I can easily do different camo schemes, say Brown and Green or two-tone Brown, and an Urban version. Newsa uses 3 different textured APC's and Nightwatch can decide if he wants Camo or plain variants. I'm just after a bit of feedback to help improve them....

You may notice in the first screen I have added some detail such as coloured handgrips, and silver vents for the engine.

Edit: When I see them both together, I realise the top one is a bit too green....

[rockingmtranch]

The touch of brown is pretty nice. About the tires, when I was in the military, the tires were always more brown than black. We were always in dust and mud LOL.

[EggChen]

Thanks rockingmtranch... I had already started on a new camo version trying to match the picture below I found on the web of a Ukrainian BTR... but I have since made the wheels dirtier and also the underneath...

Thanks again... any more thoughts?

[Nightwatch]

They look great, really
I happen to like a bit more those ones that you posted on NEWSA SIMBION twk thread, the group in the lower section of the photo here, isn't it? Very small changes between them, both versions looks great. It's a matter of taste, at the end.
I'd be happy (happier) with the group that you posted on the mod thread.

I think their appearance would suit slightly better for the open terrain situations, the first (upper group) yes looks a bit greener and cleaner, maybe more suited for urban apparance; as if army got out of their barraks with newly washed tanks, entered the capital and staged a coup, or for crowd control, etc.

I wonder if it could be possible to put some coloured numbers and/or insignia on them?

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edit: OK... I was writing about the "two groups ACPs picture" above rockingmtranch's post. You must've posted while I was writing The last picture, the immediately above this post now, looks a bit better. It's difficult to judge, for all look very good, but the most recent group looks like overall better in my eye-opinion (creating new terminology here )

[Matt_B]

that last picture looks really good. i'd say add a touch of black to the camo (as in the bmp reference photo) & maybe a bit more mud splashed around the wheels.

for mud, you could have a layer that's dried (lighter than the camo & not affecting the bump map), & then some fresh crap which is darker & has a slight bump effect.

you could even have some funky stencilling that shows the vehicle has nuclear/biological/chemical protection, or some graffiti. add a bit of character.

[EggChen]

I'm having to lay off the dirt and mud, unfortunately some parts of the texture used behind the wheels are also used elsewhere on the body, so you get these horrible stright lines of dirt!!

Anyway, have tried to add a bit of character to this one, and a Ukrainian military symbol (Thanks Matt) .... I'm hoping to get decent versions of a Green, Brown and Urban APC... like this one below.

Nightwatch - You have any requests for the logos?? I found a nice "Wolfpack" one, used in the example below, and I also have a Snake and Axe logo to use on the other two APC's.



Edit: In game shot...

[Nightwatch]

This new one looks even better, APC somehow fits the environment around it better with this camo. Nice shade of green for that camo.
Wolpack, snake and axe insignias are all great choices.

In game shot says it's the winner, fits perfectly to the scene, much believable/real looking than vanilla ones.

[EggChen]

2nd version, Brown Tiger Stripe....

[Nightwatch]

That's a very good version, too. I think this one has more hardened battle-look.

Also, while you're improving ACPs. what do you think about the numbers on them. All ACPs on vanilla come with the same number 811, or mirror it, 118.
It's impossible to give every single spawning ACP a unique number, but can they be erased suucessfully in any way. In my opinion, I'd find it a better reason if the ACPs came without numbers, but with insignias only, as if pointing to their units.

[EggChen]

Well I can remove the numbers completely... the problem with them as you have guessed is that the number is mirrored on the other side of the APC, so 808, 801, 800, etc are all OK... but still don't look perfect when reversed.

I'll do a couple without numbers.

[EggChen]

Little problem, the numbering is bump-mapped, and lets just say my previous attempts at creating bump-maps have been "less than perfect".

Now, I am using the Eggchen Neighbourhood Watch binocs here, but the pictures should give you an idea how close you would have to get to notice the bumpmaps... what do you think? Carry on without numbers?

[Nightwatch]

The residue of the numbers (correct terms?) are not so noticeable, particularly from a normal distance. And even at close range, the reaning traces can be recognised as some special military coding of the ACPs. after all, military vehicles (particularly the combat vehicles) are not numbered for civilians to recognise and note theiridentities, I'd guess.
Trying to put the situation in a sort of believable/acceptable perspective

Now on this side there are ACPs which all carry the very visible same ID number all around the Zone, and on the other side there are (the possibility of) ACPs which do not have shared ID numbers but may have some slight undefineable markings.

Well, I don't know what everybody would think on this, but I think I'd like to choose non-numbered ACPs. The traces left behind the numbers do not seem to be quite visible on the photos.

[EggChen]

OK, no numbers it is.... got the Urban one and Brown Tiger version almost done, just need to find a nice scheme for the third and we are all set.

[EggChen]

OK, I liked the tiger stripe effect, so I redid the urban APC...

So I now have this one below, and the brown tiger version above... any preference for the third and final version? Green and brown forest type camo?

[Nightwatch]

Looks prefect
For the third one, you say: Green and brown forest type camo? Sounds great, you know this better than me, whatever you say better, that's the one.

[EggChen]

Done, you got mail

[Nightwatch]

I had to go out quickly, came back now and got the mail, and replied. Thanks.

[EggChen]

I may have something else for you

I have discovered how to remove the car parts spawned when you destroy an APC, but more than that, I had an idea... I can spawn another "dead" APC instead... this was just a test using the same mesh..



Ignore the fact that it is on its side, the "alive" APC was like that when I destroyed it (I had "pepped up my grenades"). Anyway the idea was, if I could do a good enough burnt out texture, the APC could be replaced with a dead one. That APC spawned in exactly the same position as the original APC. That combined with the auto-remove setting and you could have a dead APC as a momento of your efforts, until you change level...

Next, I'm going to do the same with a chopper and see how that turns out

Edit: I had another thought about the APC "deathlight".. what if I made the fire play for a bit longer, say 15-20 seconds. So by the time the particles have gone, so has the light... may just work... currently testing how long the light stays present....

Edit2: The heli carcass is a no go I am afraid, because the mesh has an animation, it seems I can use any part that does not have an animation. Unfortunately those downed choppers on levels are not normal meshes, but level objects. If anyone knew how to convert those into a mesh I could spawn a dead chopper where one crashed... shame. Still can do the APC though.

Edit3!! : Anyone reading this, the object in question is "musor\trash_mi24_2"

[Nightwatch]

A very interesting development

OK now I read both of the edits.

Well, ACP thing is very good, I am trying to understand it fully. dead/burnt-out ACP spawns at the same location where the ACP is hit, you say. Is this the case for "stationary" ACPs, or will this "same-spot-spawning" work also for the moving ACPs, as you know most of ACPs move, apart from the blockpost ones?

On the light issue on ACP debris, the light remain more than 15 seconds, I guess, tbh, I haven't measured the time before. But when you walk to the hit site, the light is there and stays there quite a long time.
Would keeping the flames upto that lenght of time hurt the performance, fps? I'd guess not, becuse I've noticed that Firebites did not hurt the performance, but then again, I had previously opened some resource windows for them, which they filled.

Helicopter bodies, well, yes, I read the edit... anyway it was a good idea, but creating a full body -if it had been a full body- would not quite fit as a lot of times choppers disintegrate, blown to pieces in the mid air after being hit by a missile.
But if the moving ACPs will allow spawning "dead" ACPs, then it'll look really cool.

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edit: dezowave team is redesigning levels, I'd assume they may have experience in those mesh matters.