WIP: F-14 B/D
-
Freaking amazing!
What skins are you going to offer with it?
All deployed squads that used the Delta cat plus VX Evaluator squadrons (operated the last ever built Tomcat [F-14D BuNo 164604]) and Grim Reapers will be available skins including helmets, drop tanks and squadron specific LANTIRN pods.
To make it a bit more interesting I have modeled the antennas next to the intake which is the only external distinguishing visual separating the D from the B so that I can offer some popular additional squadrons that only Bravo cats had the pleasure of wearing.
-
i wonder hows the polycount on that? I went sky high with the Phantom thats why i ask. Ikaros AUP model is at 97k (lol) and the normal E will stay just above 94k, therfore i still wonder are you gona be able to port the whole model to 3ds to work with dofs and switches? or is any lod exporter for blender?
Anyway keep it up!!!The AC as is excluding ordnance, afterburner, vapor and deformation stands at 65k tris. That number is highly unlikely to be reduced to sth less than 45k. Cutting that number again by 15k to meet the 30k requirement would imply A LOT of concessions in terms of detail and overall appearance. There’s just a bit too much moving stuff and complexity in the design of this aircraft. That being said when I build the LODs I’ll see what’s possible in terms of tris reduction.
If you add every last detail we’re talking about less than 90k which AFAIC is extremely efficient for a model with this kind of functionality and authenticity.
As far as porting goes you can import a million poly model and it works flawlessly. There is no LOD exporter for Blender but it won’t be necessary as the model can be transferred to 3Ds with the click of a mouse and it keeps its geometry, objects, object names and relations 100%.
-
If you give him more details again and again he will never reach week 3!!!
Outstanding work Stingray62.
That model has a completely different basis, he modeled the panel lines and rivets (which he has to) which isn’t necessary here plus I won’t model any hydraulic lines or other tiny high polycount stuff that can be textured. If you take that away there isn’t much detail I haven’t modeled……except the refueling probe :D. That being said I have gotten around to the hook so you can imagine what’s next :D.
I doubt that model has anywhere less than 230k tris.
-
-
Maybe good to know: when you export the 3ds to LOD all poly’s with more than three vertex’s will be reduced to/made into triangles. For example; a nice 8 sided tube with closed ends is in 3ds Max 10 poly’s (eight 4-vertex rectangles and two 8-vertex poly’s). This will end up as a 28 poly LOD.
Also each moving part will have it’s own set of dof’s/switches emanating from the root. And each switch or dof will count too in LE. -
Maybe good to know: when you export the 3ds to LOD all poly’s with more than three vertex’s will be reduced to/made into triangles. For example; a nice 8 sided tube with closed ends is in 3ds Max 10 poly’s (eight 4-vertex rectangles and two 8-vertex poly’s). This will end up as a 28 poly LOD.
Also each moving part will have it’s own set of dof’s/switches emanating from the root. And each switch or dof will count too in LE.Thanks Jan, very good to know.
I actually planned to triangulate the entire model before exporting to 3Ds, wouldn’t that solve that issue? The model is actually built with that in mind that eventually everything will be in triangles.
Sent from my STV100-4 using Tapatalk
-
Thanks Jan, very good to know.
I actually planned to triangulate the entire model before exporting to 3Ds, wouldn’t that solve that issue? The model is actually built with that in mind that eventually everything will be in triangles.
Sent from my STV100-4 using Tapatalk
Triangulating is beneficial if you want to have a better idea about the poly count the model will have in the end (if you have a poly limit for example). And I prefer to triangulate curved surfaces by hand so I am sure 4+ vertex poly’s are broken in the right way to avoid lighting issues.
-
Triangulating is beneficial if you want to have a better idea about the poly count the model will have in the end (if you have a poly limit for example). And I prefer to triangulate curved surfaces by hand so I am sure 4+ vertex poly’s are broken in the right way to avoid lighting issues.
Yeah I know that issue all too well…it never quite goes the way you’d want it to :).
-
Triangulating is beneficial if you want to have a better idea about the poly count the model will have in the end (if you have a poly limit for example).
One can also use the “statistics” tab on the view port of 3dsMax to display a running tally of polys, tri’s and vertices.
-
I thought I saw a bump on a previous image……
-
Yeah prolly one of those weird internet anomalies, thought I saw that bump as well…
That pic of the kit model inspired me to fix the rear end where the stabs connect to the fuselage so I fixed that part. It actually goes straight down from the shoulder and only below where the stab sits it angles down toward the engine pod. Finalizing geometry and optimizing right now. About time to deal with textures and materials. Been looking into the 3Ds side of things so the transition goes smoothly. Maybe I can get this out before the DCS boys roll out their 1 million poly model :D.
In the render you can see the areas that need work. Lots of materials are messed up at the moment. I’m giving all objects their correct names and merging the objects and materials cuz I duplicated tons of them. The names and materials can also be imported into 3Ds. I will use some modifiers to simulate the load of the airplane on the tires. Also started to remodel the nozzles so they can open and close as intended.
-
Yeah prolly one of those weird internet anomalies, thought I saw that bump as well…
https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4259/35006990066_7a7dc6ac1b_b.jpg
That pic of the kit model inspired me to fix the rear end where the stabs connect to the fuselage so I fixed that part. It actually goes straight down from the shoulder and only below where the stab sits it angles down toward the engine pod. Finalizing geometry and optimizing right now. About time to deal with textures and materials. Been looking into the 3Ds side of things so the transition goes smoothly. Maybe I can get this out before the DCS boys roll out their 1 million poly model :D.
In the render you can see the areas that need work. Lots of materials are messed up at the moment. I’m giving all objects their correct names and merging the objects and materials cuz I duplicated tons of them. The names and materials can also be imported into 3Ds. I will use some modifiers to simulate the load of the airplane on the tires. Also started to remodel the nozzles so they can open and close as intended.
Don’t worry about the DCS design- it’ll be very fun and pretty but the long range intercept capability needs a lot of work in the engine. BMS will be great fun to train managing a large area of airspace with a flight of 4 Tomcats. I loved flying one in Allied Force and basically controlling 150 sqnm area without needing to refuel and keeping the are clear of everything. Just a great feeling of total superiority with great response speed- range, and weapons employment.
-
I think the only real plus to the DCS F-14 will it not being tied to the Falcon flight model…but I agree…this’ll be fantastic!
I wish we could pay you, sir!
-
I think the only real plus to the DCS F-14 will it not being tied to the Falcon flight model…but I agree…this’ll be fantastic!
I wish we could pay you, sir!
Thanks for the kudos man, keeps me going that stuff!
There’s been lots of work on the flight model by some guys here so it’ll be very different from the 16 and somewhat close to RL, I’ll see to it that we get as close as possible within the engine limitations.
-
Nice.
Just go ahead.
WE need this legend!!!
Nikos. -
at one time was there not an f-14 tomcat 3d pit that was working pretty good?
-
Speaking of “the engine”: is there any difference in the BMS flight models between the A and the B/D (e.g. TF30 vs F110)?
-
yes AFAIK.
-
The aircraft FM defines the engine:
A = Engine type 10 (FM states TF30)
B/D = Engine type 9 (FM doesn’t state engine)C9
-
So what’s the latest good news?
I know we all have real lives, but given how things have kind of ground to a crawl over with DCS (both hornet and tomcat)…I figured there was a chance this might beat them to the punch.