Subscriber Modifications

Battle of Britain "Wings of Victory"
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rogeroger
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Re: Subscriber Modifications

Post by rogeroger »

Thanks Boreas :)
I'm busy with creating cockpit fx files for the other aircraft as well.The effect is more noticible in some than in others .It looks the best on the Spitfire.
I don't know about fx files but I’m wondering wether the same sort of thing would work on the multi-skin external aircraft textures (the non-cockpit reflection in your video also look very good but I'm guessing they are to do with SweetFX).

I disabled multiskin and what you see is the higher contrast default skin which I will later upload with some other stuff. No reshade was used in the video. I'm also doing a stock terrain rework using a mix of your version7 and version 5 terrains. An unfinished version was used in the video without fartiles.


There are aircraft fx files, and if you delete or move them for a specific aircraft type it loses its individual multiskin textures and markings. So it looks like the FX files were originally created for aircraft multiskin textures because they dont seem to have the same reflective qualities as the default skins. I've recently altered the multiskin aircraft texture shadows in the fx files so there is a slight improvement . Unfortunately, specular shine cant be improved much, which is badly needed on german bomber multiskins.

I've boosted the contrast on default skin dds's as well, and the german bomber's default skins look better with their specular shine.

The fact that aircraft types lose their multiskin textures when the fx files are removed can be used to our advantage. It means that we can select which aircraft types have multiskin textures and which do not.


For instance, I fly the RAF campaign as a spit or hurri pilot. I fly in tight squadron formation and individual squadron skins and markings are highly visible, so I'll keep the multiskin textures for RAF aircraft.

I would also keep multiskin's for german fighters , because their great individual skins and markings are also noticable in a dogfight and their multiskin textures dont look that bad without shine.

On the other hand you dont really get too close to the german bombers to notice individual markings, and their multiskin textures dont look that great without specular shine. So, I remove their fx files to a safe place, and they automatically use the default skins which actually look great at a distance with their shine . This should also improve framerates in missions with huge bomber formations. It's ultimately your choice.

Later I will provide a list of aircraft fx files and where they are to be found.

HE111 HIGHER CONTRAST MULTISKIN TEXTURE (ONLY THE LEAD HEINKELS HAVE THE STRIPED MARKINGS )
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HE111 HIGHER CONTRAST DEFAULT SKIN TEXTURE
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rogeroger
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Posts: 271
Joined: 13 Aug 2016, 15:04

Re: Subscriber Modifications

Post by rogeroger »

STOCK TERRAIN REWORKS
Green fields have darker more solid colours. Anything is better than the original stock pastel colours. I used a mix of Boreas version 7 and 5 stock terrain fields as a base from which to work.


VERSION1 : Darker fields


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VERSION2 :Fields are slightly darker than version 1 and some light coloured fields were replaced with brown or darker fields. This is my current favorite.

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get it here:
http://www.mediafire.com/file/eh5bmha2i ... ERRAIN.zip




Optional Reshade for the stock terrain, basically just FXAA.
http://www.mediafire.com/file/0lcddwcci ... eshade.zip
Last edited by rogeroger on 13 May 2018, 19:16, edited 3 times in total.

rogeroger
Staff Sergeant
Posts: 271
Joined: 13 Aug 2016, 15:04

Re: Subscriber Modifications

Post by rogeroger »

graphics update:

Shadow effects have been adjusted on multiskin aircraft fx files to give more shadow to the multiskin aircraft textures, specially noticeable under the wings.
BEFORE
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AFTER
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Default aircraft skins have been reworked, check readme for more details.
Reworked default german bomber and stuka skin colours to make them more hisorically correct (default skins only, not multiskin textures).

Fx files have been created for cockpit textures, to create a sun reflection effect, check readme for more details.


Most building fx files have been adjusted to reflect more light.


get it here :

http://www.mediafire.com/file/9qyc6j318 ... update.zip
Last edited by rogeroger on 13 May 2018, 19:22, edited 1 time in total.

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PV
BDG
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Joined: 13 Nov 2004, 08:21
Location: Lost in the tundra, Canada

Re: Subscriber Modifications

Post by PV »

Very nice, excellent. Things are getting more photo-realistic.
I also like the darker more saturated fields look.

rogeroger
Staff Sergeant
Posts: 271
Joined: 13 Aug 2016, 15:04

Re: Subscriber Modifications

Post by rogeroger »

Thanks Pv :)

This was my first attempt at terrain modding a few months ago, converting rowan Bob1 terrain for use in Bob2. I didn't post it because I thought you guys would have seen it as a step backward. :)

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The terrain is of low resolution, but I always liked the field shapes and colours. I wanted this palette for Bob2 terrain but didn't know how to go about it at the time. I suspect that the Bob2 stock terrain was an attempt to give Bob2 a different look. Unfortunately, different isn't always better. I'm glad that I finally have a stock terrain that I'm happy to use.

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PV
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Joined: 13 Nov 2004, 08:21
Location: Lost in the tundra, Canada

Re: Subscriber Modifications

Post by PV »

I generally agree about the original Rowan terrain; it was
discarded because of low resolution, but the replacements
had to be generated from non-copyright imagery, and they
went with what they could get. I wasn't involved, so I don't
know what their sources were, but I was never happy with
the degree of busy-ness that the new textures had; they
were much less generic than the Rowan ones, which made them
often poorly suited for many of the locations they had been
placed, and greatly increased the visibility of "checkerboarding"
where Rowan's tiling had been somewhat lazy and too large
regions had been tiled with one texture. The dark painted forest
patches were particularly bad for that. I was also not happy
that several different texture numbers were assigned virtually the
same texture image. We only had about 28 to work with all together,
and I was always hampered in modding the terrain by the very limited
variety of textures I could place, so throwing away any variety in
the small selection we had to work with just seemed crazy to me.

We discovered that img0031 was only used in a very small number of
places, so we went around and swapped out most of those, and
I cobbled up the current version of strip fields for use in France, but
it's obviously a very token offering. I could use about ten new and different
textures, but we don't have the skills to add them to the program, and
swapping out some of the current ones would require an immense amount
of effort editing the whole terrain to free up their availability.

Boreas
Technical Sergeant
Posts: 500
Joined: 07 Jan 2007, 21:45

Re: Subscriber Modifications

Post by Boreas »

I had a couple of brief looks at the new terrain and graphic updates rogeroger and like them quite a lot. I would want to tidy up some of the close-to terrain detail and noticed the spit's spare gun-sight bulbs have black squares around them but overall l it all looks very good to me, especially with the improved lighting effects. It might look even better with your reshades but I tend to try to avoid using enb effects.

I made some templates to allow more specific editing of the spitfire skin colours if needed.
http://www.mediafire.com/file/fzd2dd36y ... plates.zip

Boreas
Technical Sergeant
Posts: 500
Joined: 07 Jan 2007, 21:45

Re: Subscriber Modifications

Post by Boreas »

Apologies, this is a corrected tile 22 for my terrain with less trees which now has the same alignment as the original stock terrain.
http://www.mediafire.com/file/lbls4i3u7 ... rected.zip

rogeroger
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Posts: 271
Joined: 13 Aug 2016, 15:04

Re: Subscriber Modifications

Post by rogeroger »

Thanks for the feedback Boreas. :)
I had a couple of brief looks at the new terrain and graphic updates rogeroger and like them quite a lot. I would want to tidy up some of the close-to terrain detail and noticed the spit's spare gun-sight bulbs have black squares around them but overall l it all looks very good to me, especially with the improved lighting effects. It might look even better with your reshades but I tend to try to avoid using enb effects.


Unfortunately Fx files do cause some problems with dds transparencies. There is the same problem on my system with the spitfire primer button. Removing spitalp.fx should fix these problems with no real effect on the cockpit lighting mod as Spit3.fx provides for most of the lighting effect on the cockpit frames.

I purposefully modded the the terrain for use without shaders, though I still use fxaa for anti-ailiasing. The lighting effect does look a bit better with reshade but the clouds seem to look better without hdr and bloom.

Boreas
Technical Sergeant
Posts: 500
Joined: 07 Jan 2007, 21:45

Re: Subscriber Modifications

Post by Boreas »

Editing templates for the terrain with fewer trees I made. These can be used to easily edit colours or replace textures.
http://www.mediafire.com/file/4b1vxryq2 ... errain.zip

Also a version of this terrain including further small corrections to tile 22.
http://www.mediafire.com/file/1wbt47d6z ... ctions.zip

Boreas
Technical Sergeant
Posts: 500
Joined: 07 Jan 2007, 21:45

Re: Subscriber Modifications

Post by Boreas »

I moded the spitfire skin used when the multi-skin is switched off. Will look at doing the same with the multi-skin textures.
http://www.mediafire.com/file/kf1e1fs16 ... n_mod1.zip

Image

rogeroger
Staff Sergeant
Posts: 271
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Re: Subscriber Modifications

Post by rogeroger »

I've been absent but not idle.

Postimage has had some domain problems and are now at /postimg.cc/. All images would have to be edited with the new address.

I've discovered how to manipulate the fx file values to create a "sunlight" type effect on the multiskin textures. Its a wip as I'm still trying to find a balance between morning and afternoon lighting, and it seems to work better at certain angles to the sun. Works better on some skins than others. I've modified most multiskin textures to accommodate the effect. Ive reworked most bomber multiskin textures to hopefully reflect more historical colours. Below is a he111 with the modded multiskin texture and fx file.


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I've done some terrain editing and have a version 3 of the "darker terrain" mod, it's less saturated with some brown fields replacing the lighter fields. Below is a hurri with the modded fx file and mutiskin texture with the new terrain in the background.
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I located the hurricane sight texture files and created a fx file which results in a nice cockpit "sunlight" effect. I've weathered the hurri cockpit frames, courtesy of some cloned cfs3 hurri textures.

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I've adjusted "sunlight" lighting on most ground vehicles, trains and ships and they are now more noticible and identifiable.

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I will later package these along with some some civilian building objects added in the portsmouth,weymouth and southhampton areas.

Boreas
Technical Sergeant
Posts: 500
Joined: 07 Jan 2007, 21:45

Re: Subscriber Modifications

Post by Boreas »

Very interesting that you have made the fx files have some effect on the multi-skin rogeroger and all the the other new content looks very good, especially the hurricain. I’m on the same page a bit in that I'm updating my spitfire template to include more detail for the roundels and other insignia, so will most likely finish that before checking whether there is anything further in that area that might be useful but am open to ideas.

rogeroger
Staff Sergeant
Posts: 271
Joined: 13 Aug 2016, 15:04

Re: Subscriber Modifications

Post by rogeroger »

Howzit guys,

Here is a video of work I've done with the hurri and me109 cockpit frames, multiskin and ground object "fx" files as well as a great photo-real il2 terrain called "Martins england fields" that I adapted for use in BOB2.

In the past I've not been a fan of 2D trees and buildings in terrains, but after using this set in my RAF campaign for the last few weeks it has really grown on me.


I've added some detail to the hurri and me109 cockpit frames .
multiskin aicraft, vehicles an ships "Fx" files have been tweaked to create more of a sunlight and shadow effect.

I'm almost done with the tweaking and hope to upload this soon.


download video here:http://www.mediafire.com/file/jaihlb4r7 ... 202018.zip

edit: my favourite reshade setting was used in the video to enhance colours and contrast.I will provide a few reshade options with the upload.

Image

rogeroger
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Posts: 271
Joined: 13 Aug 2016, 15:04

Re: Subscriber Modifications

Post by rogeroger »

Two more videos, the first has just fxaa and a small curves setting, and the second video is of a

reshade "sunlight" setting that emphasises the multiskin "fx" file adjustments. The third section of

the video was taken with the free flight afternoon setting, and looks a bit weird at certain angles. I

had to do quite a bit of juggling to achieve a balance between morning and afternoon lighting when

tweaking the fx file settings.

video:http://www.mediafire.com/file/2v3of133bf781x7/vids2.zip

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