It’s been a minute huh?

I won’t throw names around in case they don’t want the attention. but there are 2 specific people that have provided some guidance and motivation to pick this up again over the last week or so, so thankyou both very much.

Still no guarantee this project will ever be finished, at least by me, but this week I worked on the center CMS and ADI panels, fiddled with texturing and materials, toyed with cockpit geometry (obviously needs more work) and generally just tried to remember how to Blender as it’s very much a perishable skill and I had NFI what I was doing anyway.

For anyone interested, I think I’m going to post weekly/fortnightly progress updates.

This week I’ve worked on the hydraulic guage panel, throttle, autopilot panel, RWR and VHF/UHF Panel.

I think the hydraulics, ap, and vhf/uhf are pretty ok for now, although I’ve had to guess at some of the switch and dial shapes. I might have to redo the MFD frames as I’ve learnt a bit about different modelling techniques this week and I’m not sure if the topology on these is amazing.

Throttle is obviously a work in progress, and everything else is just for roughing out sizes and layouts.

Constructive criticism more than welcome.

https://github.com/MC-Deedle/FalconShaker

Latest Release: v1.4

Python-based haptic driver software.
Releases as zipped exe for convenience.

This software allows a user to route haptic feedback from Falcon BMS shared memory to a sound device of their choosing, and customise feedback levels for instances such as cannon fire, weapon release, landing gear positional changes, damage taken etc.

Primary limitation at this point should be that all sound effects are mono, and a couple are not yet implemented (such as air brakes, ejection).

Not feature complete yet, but I’ll continue to support this at least until the point that I’m happy with it. Should be quite stable, but happy for others to report issues.

This software is not supported by, endorsed by or otherwise associated with the official Falcon BMS development team so if it breaks, please don’t hassle them.

So, technically this week I didn’t do much on the cockpit, but I did put a lot of effort into the aircraft model, including a lot of control surfaces, details like CMS dispensers, wing lights, fiddly joining meshes, added some more detail around the gun, started building out the rear landing gears, etc.

From which I derived the wing model.

To which I added the hardpoints.

Which still need a small amount of adjusting.

And obviously texturing.

Wen BRRT?

This week I’ve added the Armaments Control Panel, Circuit Breaker Panel, Caution Light Panel and have made a start on the Fuel Quantity/Selector Panel, as well as roughing out some general geometry for the cockpit.
Update: I got lucky and had a few more hours to play around with tonight, so added some Fuel Selector Panel details, and the Altimeter. Much Yay.

I’m continuing to load the model into BMS VR, and the size and positioning of all panels and the geometry rough out feels very good.

Goals this week:

• Finish the subcomponents of the Fuel Quantity/Selector
• Add some depth to the front mounting panel for the Center instrument cluster.
• Probably work on the Landing Gear panel assembly.
• Tweaks to cockpit geometry
• HUD??

Things I’m not happy with but am not prioritizing:

• No materials or textures added yet. Probably start some basics next week. I have no idea how to texture things. Plz send help.
• Base of the Armaments Panel switches. I might add that to my to do list this week if I get time, but it’s more of an annoyance than an absence.
• Fixings for some of the panels.
• Inaccurate Switch/Dial shapes.
• No Hot spot functionality. Will start trying to figure this out probably next week.
• No DOF. Will probably try to tackle the basics of this with the hotspots.

HUD rework coming along nicely.

So to recap this week, I’ve spent a lot of time on the HUD and the external plane model. I think the plan from here is to tidy up the external cockpit geometry as part of the external model, and then use that as a base for the cockpit-specific model.

In response to @I-Hawk recent post on modelling guidelines.

I’ve (very) recently started some work modelling the A10C cockpit. I’m new to blender, but have some experience running a SW based CAD department in a previous life.

At this stage I’ve used modeling the MFCD as a way to get familiar with blender, the basic requirements for exporting and loading the models into the game, texturing (send help) and roughing out the basic geometry of the pit so that it “feels right” in VR.

The project is a combination of just wanting to fly ground attack TEs for fun with a bit more eye candy as well as maybe a bit of a “build it and they will come” way of encouraging someone to want to pick up the avionics side.

That being said, I don’t like waste and so if there are some guidelines I can follow to maybe one day have the work incorporated into the main game, I’m happy to work to them, or at least try.

Also if anyone has some decent models of the ejection seat and joystick that they are willing and allowed to share it would be much appreciated. Oh and any reference pics? It’s very hard to find good ones that aren’t just screen shots of that other game.

I think I’m done with the HUD model. I’m a bit disappointed with the amount of detail that you can’t see from the pilots POV

Well that’s why we don’t make plans.

This week I’ve worked on the UFC, digital clock and that “bit that sits on top of the front panel” (not super happy with it - need to adjust some depths), as well as trimming the front panel.

I’ve also started work on the ADI, but it’s not much to look at at the moment.

Goals This Week:

• Improve the top panel(?). Add buttons/switches, rotation.

• ADI. Spending a lot of time looking at reference images and videos.

• HUD

• Maybe a simple panel or two.

Needs more BRRRT

Submitted a PR to fix the hotspot transformation issue.

The transformation matrix is demonstrably not compatible with hotspots and the 3dButton.dat file format. I’d be interested to know if this is also causing some of the other geometry issues.

@Tumbler31 what’s the merge policy btw? Is my PR ok to merge now?

Kinda off topic, are your hotspots clickable in the correct position?

Also what version of the exporter are you on?

@Scorpion82 I think another question is how complex does a model need to be? I’m pretty happy with my wing model (not the texturing) and imho it’s light years better than the current a10 wing model and has working weapon slots, ailerons, spoilers, rudders, turbines.

At least for my personal installation it adds value.

I’d really like rtt model compatibility, and I’m working on fixing the button exports. These two things would get my pit to where I’m personally happy to fly it over the current a10 pit.

Releases: https://github.com/MC-Deedle/BMS-Tactical-Reference-Exporter/releases

Tactical reference output from latest public release:
https://github.com/MC-Deedle/BMS-Tactical-Reference-Exporter/tree/main/dist/output

Repo for the software that generates this:
https://github.com/MC-Deedle/BMS-Tactical-Reference-Exporter

Downloadable .exe if you would like to run this on whatever version of BMS you have: https://github.com/MC-Deedle/BMS-Tactical-Reference-Exporter/blob/main/dist/tacref-exporter.zip

Code mostly generated by Claude.

Ok, here we go.

Releases: https://github.com/MC-Deedle/BMS-Tactical-Reference-Exporter/releases

Tactical reference output from latest public release:
https://github.com/MC-Deedle/BMS-Tactical-Reference-Exporter/tree/main/dist/output

Repo for the software that generate this:
https://github.com/MC-Deedle/BMS-Tactical-Reference-Exporter

Dowloadable EXE if you would like to run this on whatever version of BMS you have: https://github.com/MC-Deedle/BMS-Tactical-Reference-Exporter/blob/main/dist/tacref-exporter.zip

What the output looks like

Thanks Claude.

@oakdesign tacref uses both.

Anyone know where the tacref images are stored and whether they are an open or proprietary format?

Claude first attempt. Leave feedback and I’ll increase promtivity. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1IfHIZa8VJwQY9_88ptOez6Va3HpumjMK/view?usp=drivesdk