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DC-8 50 series update

M

Michael2

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ca-britishcolumbia
My old thread with the same title is apparently too old to post in, so I am starting this new one.

I have begun texture mapping that bits that are finished, starting with the fuselage. In this case, the exterior skin is complete; I still need to model an interior. Aside from the interior, I still have to finish modelling the flaps (about 90% done) and the landing gear (about 75% done).

The textures shown on the fuselage are a work in progress and as of yet show no detail such as panel lines, rivets etc. Gmax rendering is pretty hideous -- I guess I should do another export into FSX and see how things are looking there.

10686165486_7876075762_h.jpg
 
Thanks Bjorn. I haven't tried the plugins. I did look into it once but it seemed a bit complicated and I felt my time would be better spent on modelling.
 
Looks very nice! Appears to have an interior modeled for the cabin.

I would recommend that with a tubeliner..IE an airliner, we really dont need a transparent cabin. Good textures work very well for windows and cut back on poly's significantly with respect to not having to model a cabin interior.

Justflights latest offering of the DC-8 seems to be suffering from some frame rate problems, most likely partially due to the modeled cabin interior. That plus the texture sheets are all gigantic at 2048x2048. IMHO that is mostly overkill. Even things like wheels, smaller bits, engine interiors are on these giant sheets. No need really for things other than the exterior fuselage and posible the wings.

just my two cents worth, keep up the great work. I would be interested in texturing this bird...Im a huge fan of the DC-8's...all of them, but particularly like the -50 series.
 
The windows are transparent, but the cabin isn't modeled yet. What you see inside is just a box I was using as a tool for the window spacing. I forgot to delete or hide it before I took the screenshot.

I plan on a very basic low poly cabin, not something you would really want to see from the interior. If I end up with performance problems I could always scrap it and go with painted windows, but that's not my preference. My overall poly count is pretty low at the moment by today's standards. I have tried to use a high density of polys only on the rounded bits where they are needed.

I am very conscious of the need for good performance and am taking some care to texture in the most efficient way possible.
 
Michael2 said:
I plan on a very basic low poly cabin, not something you would really want to see from the interior. If I end up with performance problems I could always scrap it and go with painted windows, but that's not my preference. My overall poly count is pretty low at the moment by today's standards. I have tried to use a high density of polys only on the rounded bits where they are needed.
Click to expand...

You can control visibility of parts with a custom string of letters (e.g. 3DCAB) in the "title=" line of each repaint, provided the relevant parts have been appropriately visbility tagged.
As for the windows, you can create three sets. One with a regular glass material for the 3D cabin, one with an entirely opaque glass material for the cabinless model and one being plugs and using the fuselage material for freighters.
 
Here's my model, still only partly textured. This is P3Dv2, but it looks essentially the same in FSX, except the self shadowing isn'st as dark. I've been taking a break from coding gauges to working on the materials and textures trying to get a convincing looking bare metal. Still no panel lines or detail, except some on the engines.

12090290255_b51d9cd432_o.jpg
 
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Oh MAN,

she looks so beautiful!!!
I don't know why, but i like DC8's much more then 707!!!

Edi
 
EduHir said:
I don't know why, but i like DC8's much more then 707!!!
Click to expand...

Same here. Must be the narrower fuselage and longer landing gear.

Hard to imagine that the 8-61/63 was, for two or three years, the biggest commercial jetliner available (259 pax)...
 
You are way ahead of me Michael, good work! Our 3D model still has a long way to go ... I've only been working on the virtual cockpit. Lot of people must be wondering what happened to my project, ha ha!
 
I wouldn't say I'm way ahead. I'm at the point now where it's hard to say how far I've got as I keep switching from working on the VC to external model to flight model to texturing... Anyhow, the next screenshot will probably be of the VC.
 
Very nice, looking forward to see the completed airplane. I hope the interior will be as nice as the exterior. Been looking for a nice looking DC-8 for a long time. Would love to see a cargo version, maybe Fineair and Burlington liveries?
 
It will be a good looking interior. As good as I can make it.

I don't see why there shouldn't be a cargo version. I've been given many pictures of a freighter interior, so I know more or less how it should look.
 
Michael2 said:
It will be a good looking interior. As good as I can make it.

I don't see why there shouldn't be a cargo version. I've been given many pictures of a freighter interior, so I know more or less how it should look.
Click to expand...

A good looking interior, eh? Will it have a pax cabin like captain sim does?
 
Very nice, you could try using reflections in FSX material settings for bare metal! :)
 
I wasn't planning to model a detailed passenger cabin that would contain interior viewpoints. Just something basic to view from the exterior. Firstly for performance and secondly so it gets finished. This a project by one individual with a day job.

In terms of reflections and bare metal, I haven't finalized the reflection values yet. Most of these aircraft had highly reflective polished bare metal on leaving the factory but didn't stay that way long. I am going for a somewhat oxidized look. That said, I think I will be increasing the reflections a bit.

The VC has come a fair way since the screenshot above and now has a working autopilot and radio navigation. However, I need to finish the entirely of the VC before I can begin baking textures so it looks a little bland at present. I am now taking a break from the VC to finish up the wing -- flaps and spoilers aren't quite done.

Pretty slow going at the moment as this is summer and there is a lot to do outdoors. Just returned from a one week vacation as well.
 
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