Friday 2010-03-19 Screenshots and Discussion Thread

[Oleg Maddox]

Hi folks

Some notes:

1. Everything is WIP.
2. Text messages on screen are temporary (internal code commands), will be replaced with final ones closer to release.
3. Propellers are rotating. But not finalized yet.
4. No markings yet.
5. Clock on the tower will show in mission (game) actual time.

[lbuchele]

Amazing.
Can´t wait to see this in DX11.

[DJB]

Thank you very much. It's a good idea the text showing where the shots was taken (tools, engine...) and what system was used (Dx9, Dx10...):smile:.

[David603]

Wow. Love the shots of the CR.42 and Gladiator, first time we have seen those ingame.

If I remember right, these two planes will be AI only at launch?

[Oleg Maddox]

Amazing.
Can´t wait to see this in DX11.

in DX11 - more close to final at the moment we are working in XP and Vista.
But in general there will be not so much difference in DX10 and DX11. At lase with the release. Then... who knows what will be there new in DX11 in time of its life.

[NSU]

picture one: nice suns and shadow effects

[Insuber]

Excellent. Bravo!

[kendo65]

Thanks,

Interesting to see how things are progressing. Noticed improvements in the colours of ground terrain over the last few weeks (compared to early shots).

The Blenheim navigators table looks almost photo-real. Will be nice to see it in DX11.

[Oleg Maddox]

picture one: nice suns and shadow effects

I hope and think that we will have everywhere such good representation of lighting. We use real laws for modeling of light. And try to not overmodel some HDR and other modern features like I see overmodeled in some moder games.

[NSU]

I hope and think that we will have everywhere such good representation of lighting. We use real laws for modeling of light. And try to not overmodel some HDR and other modern features like I see overmodeled in some moder games.

yes, the simulation must be the first point!!

[rakinroll]

Oleg, these pics are great. Thank you.

[HB252]

Hi Oleg and teamwork guys!!! :grin:


Great work again.

Very nice JU 88.

Nice combat is next whit CR32 and indianers!!

The Cr32 look like got a fresh paint.

Good work!! :grin:

[Oleg Maddox]

Oleg, these pics are great. Thank you.

Sure in time of development progress we will see better and better like it was in the old Il-2 time

[Thunderbolt56]

Good stuff. That Blenheim MK-IV cockpit view is very nice indeed.

[Insuber]

Hi Oleg,

Are you already modeling the different weapons ? I'd like to avoid all the debates of Il2 regarding machineguns, cannons etc., and hence suggest you to use the "weapon effectiveness tables" of the quarry.nildram.co.uk site, by Anthony Williams, to balance each MG against the others.

Using a competent and public source will reduce the polemics, hopefully.

regards,
insuber

[Insuber]

HB252,

It is a CR.42 (radial motor), not a CR.32 (in-line).

Bye,
Insuber

Hi Oleg and teamwork guys!!! :grin:


Great work again.

Very nice JU 88.

Nice combat is next whit CR32 and indianers!!

The Cr32 look like got a fresh paint.

Good work!! :grin:

[virre89]

Epic work Oleg, still on track for 2010 release i hope :D

[Oleg Maddox]

Hi Oleg,

Are you already modeling the different weapons ? I'd like to avoid all the debates of Il2 regarding machineguns, cannons etc., and hence suggest you to use the "weapon effectiveness tables" of the quarry.nildram.co.uk site, by Anthony Williams, to balance each MG against the others.

Using a competent and public source will reduce the polemics, hopefully.

regards,
insuber

We prefer physics and look in comparison.
Yes we model already weapon.

[ChrisDNT]

"Noticed improvements in the colours of ground terrain over the last few weeks"

In this aspect, there is still a good margin of improvement : feeling of flying over England is still "WIP" (concerning the colors, the impression of cruising over the good but old Yalta map).

[major_setback]

Thanks for an excellent update.

The lighting is generally very good on all shots, with a nice balance between shadow and lighted areas. There are some nice hightlight/reflections on the Cr42 engine. I think we are seeing the clouds from a little bit closer today too.
The Blenheim is as good as I have expected from following earlier developments.

Ground textures (even if still WiP) are a lot more pleasant to look at today.

Everything seems to be progressing very nicely. :-)

[MikkOwl]

I hope and think that we will have everywhere such good representation of lighting. We use real laws for modeling of light. And try to not overmodel some HDR and other modern features like I see overmodeled in some moder games.
:D Haha, makes me laugh, because I just remembered I always react to the overmodeling of HDR and bloom in so many other titles.. I didn't spend much time thinking about how Storm of War used these things for realism instead. The spitfire video was a very nice representation of this I think.

The navigator/bomber position does look really amazing I must admit. The one thing missing to perfect the picture is rendering of the crew body, as it is one of the biggest indicators of scale. Not many objects in a WW2 airplane has objects whose size is well known to us.

A question: how is the simulation of the unstable nature of flying? In IL-2 in crew positions, and even the pilot, it is usually 100% perfect smooth flight experience with no shaking, if we are just flying straight. From flying smaller aircraft (Cessna 172?) I thought it is not such a constantly smooth experience. Can be a bit uneven, like driving a car over a road that is not 100% smooth. Sudden little movements in any direction. Also sounds are part of this, airplanes can make squeeks and rattles whenever they are moved suddenly.

[Il2Pongo]

These shots make the aircraft look much more solid then previos ones. Is it the markings being gone? The CR and the JU88 look like you could pick them up. The brightness in the Cr42s inner cowl makes it look like there is a light in the engine. The 190 in IL2 had the same effect.

Very impressive. Thanks for the update.

[Flanker35M]

S!

Nice shots! Hmm..that Blenheim makes me wonder ;) Finland has one restored Mk.IV on display, really nice looking plane when was there. Very nice shots!

[PeterPanPan]

Lovely shots Oleg. 2 things in particular:

1. Is that a seagull I see in the 2nd pic?

2. I wonder if Big Ben etc. should look a little dirtier, given this is 1940?

Cheers

PPanPan

[kendo65]

"Noticed improvements in the colours of ground terrain over the last few weeks"

In this aspect, there is still a good margin of improvement : feeling of flying over England is still "WIP" (concerning the colors, the impression of cruising over the good but old Yalta map).

Agreed, but it's going in the right direction. Doesn't look as 'cartoony' as the very early shots that provoked such hair-tugging anguish. Maybe still a bit too washed out or 'pastel-shaded' looking from higher altitudes, but lower altitudes seem to look better balanced (eg last week's Tiger Moth pic, this week's from the Blenheim).

I'll leave it to Oleg to tell us why that might be ...;)

[Dano]

1. Is that a seagull I see in the 2nd pic?

It's something attached to the wing spar if I'm looking at the same thing.

[BigC208]

Lighting is getting realy good. Someone said something about light in cowl of the Italian Bi-plane. That's sunlight reflecting of the spinner and reduction gear housing, gotta luv it. The detail level is reminding me of 1/32 scale, high quality Tamiya models.

[jocko417]

Looks good! I am happy to hear about the lighting model, too many titles are bloomed to death these days. Speaking of lighting and shadows....

Camouflaged RAF biplane fighters were painted in a 'shadow scheme' so that the top wing wouldn't cause a huge difference in camo colour appearance due to the shadow it cast on the lower wing and upper fuselage. I'm on the road now but I'll post a scan of what I'm talking about when I get home. Until then, let me just say that the upper surface of the lower wing of a biplane fighter would have been painted in camo colours of a lighter shade than the upper surface of the upper wing.

The colours were official and were (in the case of the Temperate Land scheme like the Gladiator is finished in above) Light Green and Light Earth, to compliment the Dark Green and Dark Earth used on the rest of the aircraft.

The examples following are swatches from the Simmers' Paint Shop website, keep in mind these are modern FS595 colour equivalents, not the original, official colours, as they don't exist in any colour charts anymore.

Dark Green:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v621/jocko417/DG.jpg

Light Green:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v621/jocko417/lg.jpg

Dark Earth:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v621/jocko417/de.jpg

Light Earth:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v621/jocko417/le.jpg


When painted in the lighter colours, the lower wing would appear 'the same' as the top wing when in shadow. You can see the effect in the Gladiator screen shot the shadow makes on the lower wing, the camo colours look too dark in the shaded portion and stand out too much. This is something the skinners (myself included) will be on top of once the sim is released, but I thought you'd like to know.

Thanks for all the updates!

[Abraxa]

Hi Oleg, very nice models!

The camo on the BoB CR42s is quite controversial. Several variants of the same, basic scheme appear in the documents.

The colours look fine and correct, if you're still using the RLMs that I sent you.

Personally, I would go for a more common pattern on the default CR42 skin. For sure, the contour of the mottling should be more blurred, as I suggested for the BR20.

Moreover, there are few details of the fuselage of the model that may be improved.

Feel free to contact me via email, if you need some help.

Cheers

Andrea aka "Abraxa"

[Zappatime]

These show nice progress Oleg, another week gone and another tantalising glimpse; I love the cockpit of the JU-88 German bomber, it looks very 'busy' in there, wish I could zoom in more to get a better, close up, look ;)

[MikkOwl]

When painted in the lighter colours, the lower wing would appear 'the same' as the top wing when in shadow. You can see the effect in the Gladiator screen shot the shadow makes on the lower wing, the camo colours look too dark in the shaded portion and stand out too much. This is something the skinners (myself included) will be on top of once the sim is released
I find it very unlikely that any colors would accomplish much between upward facing clear sky and surface facing, even less that it would make the upper and lower meld together. The sky is REAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLY bright, and the whole upper hemisphere illuminates the upper surfaces. It only helps a little bit. Works better with camuflage painted on faces.. :)

[Zorin]

Looking at the Ju 88, I do feel a bit disappointed in regard to the new skin size of 2048x2048. All the details appear to be rather blurred and it is not that much better than any well made Ju88 skin in Il-2.

It does look flashier with the lighting effects and all, granted, but yet not near what I had hoped for.

[jspec01]

Hi Oleg, thanks for taking the time to answer some questions.

If it's not too early to ask, I was wondering what the "time compression" feature will be like in the storm of war series. Will it be like Il-2 with "2x, 4x, etc"? Or will we see features like "skip to next waypoint" or "skip to next encounter"?

For the Battle of Britian I'm sure the original way would be fine, but looking into the future where there might be long travel distances in different theaters, it would be nice to have a different option.

thanks!

[ECV56_Lancelot]

Looking at the Ju 88, I do feel a bit disappointed in regard to the new skin size of 2048x2048. All the details appear to be rather blurred and it is not that much better than any well made Ju88 skin in Il-2.

It does look flashier with the lighting effects and all, granted, but yet not near what I had hoped for.

Maybe its because of the distance of the ju88 to the camera. If you get closer you would see the details better and without loosing quality, instead on il-2 on a very close shot you see that the quality of some details its not so good. From distance, its doesn´t motter how good the sking and resolution is, it looks the same, but from up close it begin to show the diferences.

Nice update, and that last screenshot of the parliament, i dont know why but give me feelings of bombing that beatifull building :). Maybe it because i saw yesterday on tv the movie "V for Vendetta" :D.

[Blackdog_kt]

Very nice indeed. Can't wait to see some screenshots on higher detail or at least with AA/AF enabled.

Again, i'm looking at the small details. Notice the radio messages and you'll see the AI is calling out contacts ;)

[Sutts]

Thanks for the update Oleg. Those shadows really bring that cockpit to life...very impressive stuff. The detail on the bomb sight is amazing. Will be fantastic if it works like the real thing too.:)

One little observation I think I've mentioned before. The 1940s fields would not have featured modern day tractor "tramlines" - I think I can see some in the background of the Blenheim shot. At that time tractors were still outnumbered by horses and the tractors that were in use were definitely not applying sprays with large booms - this is what those parallel wheel lines in the crop are for.

The fields of the time would have appeared as a uniform crop with no parallel tractor lines. In case you plan to show bales and modern style square hay/straw stacks - these would only appear later. Wheat stooks are an important feature for a country scene around harvest time and traditional hay stacks too (large heaps of hay/straw - not baled). Lines of straw produced by combines would also have been rare or non-existant as the technology was only just becoming available in the states.

I included some pictures in this post:

http://forum.1cpublishing.eu/showthread.php?p=143189&highlight=tractor#post143189

I apologise if I'm stating the obvious here.

Anyhow, thanks again for the update. I'm very encouraged by the way the sim is looking.

[150GCT_Pag]

It's something attached to the wing spar if I'm looking at the same thing.

It's the pitot probe of the aircraft (two, one on each wing) ;)

[Sutts]

Anyone else noticed the references to individual engine plug failures in the Ju88 shot? Wow.

[choctaw111]

There are so many great details.
Thanks again for the update.

[tagTaken2]

If it's not too early to ask, I was wondering what the "time compression" feature will be like in the storm of war series. Will it be like Il-2 with "2x, 4x, etc"? Or will we see features like "skip to next waypoint" or "skip to next encounter"?

thanks!

Good question.
I loved Pacific Fighters theatre, but on my old PC it was tough to sit through the slideshow of 8x for several minutes.
This is connected to engine as well, I think. If 'skip to next encounter' is done, the engine has to work out what probably would have happened if the mission was flown in realtime, and then show consequences at next encounter.

[JtD]

Nice work again, the Italian planes do look nice!

-----
And since everyone is making smart ass comments about things that aren't finished yet anyway, I'd like to point out that the sun is coming from north of the Palace of Westminster which obviously is wrong!

[TheGrunch]

I'd like to point out that the sun is coming from north of the Palace of Westminster which obviously is wrong!
That one was in the model viewer, not the actual map, smartass. ;)

[Foo'bar]

Looking at the Ju 88, I do feel a bit disappointed in regard to the new skin size of 2048x2048. All the details appear to be rather blurred and it is not that much better than any well made Ju88 skin in Il-2.

It does look flashier with the lighting effects and all, granted, but yet not near what I had hoped for.

The planes in SoW do have much more details than in Il-2 wich all need their room on the texture map, think about all the details underneath the cowlings wich all want to be skinned. Beside that I believe that the Ju 88 skin layout isn't the same than in Il-2 where only one wing underside was there. In SoW the 88 will have for both wing undersides their own place on texture file. So the new skins with 2048² won't provide a 4 times higher resolution than 1024² though the file is 4 times bigger.

[Blakduk]

Thanks for the great pics- the close up of the Ju88 looks brilliant. I get a sense now of how the crew were crammed together in that space- when damaged bombers of this type crash landed extricating the crew was apparently quite traumatic.
From reading the screen messages i get a sense of how much more detailed the damage modelling and (i assume) the interaction with AI aircraft will be.
It also appears that ground controllers are giving information about altitude, numbers etc of enemy aircraft????

[Sutts]

Oleg,

That picture featuring the Blenheim navigators table got me wondering.....

One day do you think we'll be able to take on the role of bomber navigator and have access to the tools of the day to perform this demanding job?...giving the pilot heading updates, calculating wind speeds, performing dead reckoning tasks at low level etc.

It would really be fantastic to watch the mission unfold from the front end of a low level bomber with all the pressure of spotting land marks such as road and rail junctions, coastline features etc. and keeping the mission on track.

I've seen footage of a low level mossie raid and it gives me goose bumps. Would be great to get a feel for what it was really like.

No pressure, just something that I think would add another dimension to the sim in a future release.

Thanks!

[No457_Squog]

...One day do you think we'll be able to take on the role of bomber navigator and have access to the tools of the day to perform this demanding job?...giving the pilot heading updates, calculating wind speeds, performing dead reckoning tasks at low level etc...

I still have my fingers crossed that features like these would be included. It would be spectacular if the Navigator was permitted to actually use his chinagraph/ruler to plot courses and then using a simple "Navigator > Pilot" communications menu - instruct the pilot to change course.

Like I said - I still have my fingers, toes, arms, legs & eyeballs crossed for this sim :)

[SlipBall]

Very nice and thank you! The air chart look's so real, that I feel I could reach out and pick it up...all looking very good, thanks again:grin:

[Cobra8472]

Hi Oleg,

Appreciate the development update.
Not many developers who are so in touch with the community since day 1 of development :D

I'm wondering if you are planning to implement flat bottoms into your cloud rendering system?

Using textures with flat bottoms on the lower sprites of a cloud has a desirable effect.

A simple shader which darkens the sprite based on Y-position within the cloud is also a suggestion from my side. Hence the bottoms of the clouds would become darker than the top. (effect is visible in my old cloud rendering system; http://www.dackard-3d.com/clouds_1.jpg , http://www.dackard-3d.com/clouds1.jpg)

Obviously I realize all elements of the engine and simulator are still heavy Work in Progress however.The cottonball clouds of IL-2 are a bit of a pet peeve of mine. :)

[Flyby]

Oleg,
Since there will be implementation of DX11, at least in modest ways at the beginning, I assume you've done some testing on the only DX11 cards available (ATi). What I wonder is this: how will "water=3" be rendered on an ATI card now, if at all?
thanks!
Flyby out

[Avimimus]

Sure in time of development progress we will see better and better like it was in the old Il-2 time

What Oleg is talking about:
http://www.combatsim.com/memb123/htm/sept99/il2-update.htm
http://www.combatsim.com/memb123/htm/jan99/IL-2.htm

[Sutts]

Hi Oleg,

Appreciate the development update.
Not many developers who are so in touch with the community since day 1 of development :D

I'm wondering if you are planning to implement flat bottoms into your cloud rendering system?

Using textures with flat bottoms on the lower sprites of a cloud has a desirable effect.

A simple shader which darkens the sprite based on Y-position within the cloud is also a suggestion from my side. Hence the bottoms of the clouds would become darker than the top. (effect is visible in my old cloud rendering system; http://www.dackard-3d.com/clouds1.jpg)

Obviously I realize all elements of the engine and simulator are still heavy Work in Progress however.The cottonball clouds of IL-2 are a bit of a pet peeve of mine. :)

Very nice clouds Cobra, I see what you mean about darkening the bases. I'd love to fly past huge towering cumulus clouds one day, the type that make the sky seem vast and your plane tiny.

Perhaps one day....

[Necrobaron]

What Oleg is talking about:
http://www.combatsim.com/memb123/htm/sept99/il2-update.htm
http://www.combatsim.com/memb123/htm/jan99/IL-2.htm

Ah, the good ol' days. We've come a long ways. Great update, Oleg...;)
________
SILVER SURFER VAPOR (http://vaporizers.net)

[Skoshi Tiger]

Hi Sutts,

I can only talk from an Australian Point of View, but there were a range of horse drawn mechanical harvester available from the turn of the centrury. As a lad in Western Australia, it seemed like every farm had it's mechanical graveyard with at least one old horse drawn Sunshine harvester.

http://museumvictoria.com.au/sunshine/displayimage.asp?iid=10479

http://museumvictoria.com.au/sunshine/imagedb/aa010479.jpg

Now I'm not sure how that translates to 1940's England with the smaller acreages, traditional farming practices and a larger labour force (In Australia at the time (as now), if you were not an efficient farmer your not a farmer!), And I have no idea how common it would be in England at the time.

This style of equipment produces a more regular patterns after the harvesting process.

It's amazing where these discussions will lead. :)

Cheers


Thanks for the update Oleg. Those shadows really bring that cockpit to life...very impressive stuff. The detail on the bomb sight is amazing. Will be fantastic if it works like the real thing too.:)

One little observation I think I've mentioned before. The 1940s fields would not have featured modern day tractor "tramlines" - I think I can see some in the background of the Blenheim shot. At that time tractors were still outnumbered by horses and the tractors that were in use were definitely not applying sprays with large booms - this is what those parallel wheel lines in the crop are for.

The fields of the time would have appeared as a uniform crop with no parallel tractor lines. In case you plan to show bales and modern style square hay/straw stacks - these would only appear later. Wheat stooks are an important feature for a country scene around harvest time and traditional hay stacks too (large heaps of hay/straw - not baled). Lines of straw produced by combines would also have been rare or non-existant as the technology was only just becoming available in the states.

I included some pictures in this post:

http://forum.1cpublishing.eu/showthread.php?p=143189&highlight=tractor#post143189

I apologise if I'm stating the obvious here.

Anyhow, thanks again for the update. I'm very encouraged by the way the sim is looking.

[Richie]

There are a couple of things I notice that I really like one is nothing really but on the Ju-88 it's nice to see round cowlings and not the 16 sided ones we have in IL-2. Those look great. The other is the glass I like the look of it very much. Someone mentioned a Seagull before, I have a pic of a SOW Seagull somewhere, I'll try to dig it up.

[Igo kyu]

I can only talk from an Australian Point of View, but there were a range of horse drawn mechanical harvester available from the turn of the centrury. As a lad in Western Australia, it seemed like every farm had it's mechanical graveyard with at least one old horse drawn Sunshine harvester.

Now I'm not sure how that translates to 1940's England with the smaller acreages, traditional farming practices and a larger labour force (In Australia at the time (as now), if you were not an efficient farmer your not a farmer!), And I have no idea how common it would be in England at the time.

This style of equipment produces a more regular patterns after the harvesting process.

It's amazing where these discussions will lead. :)
Yeah, it's nice to ramble a bit sometimes. :grin:

I don't know about the war, I don't remember it :???: :).

I was born in 1954 and lived in the country as a child. By the time I was taking notice (probably 1957 at the earliest) it was all combine harvesters, tractors, and mechanical balers. There was ploughing using horses, as a sport, but the real thing was always done using tractors by that time (a team of horses could pull one plough, a tractor could pull four at once). There is a tractor in the Airfix kit of the Stirling that looks a lot like the farm tractors in my day, as the current tractors do (except front wheels seem bigger now), I presume the engine capacities and power have increased.

Bales in those days were rectangular, now they're round, that's quite a recent change, in the 1980s or 1990s in Britain?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baler

Wikipedia says 1937 for small "square" bales, so they may have begun to be used in the war, or maybe they were available in the USA only?

[AndyJWest]

The 'Women's Land Army' at work, presumably in WWII:
http://www.reading.ac.uk/merl/imagelibrary/images/wla/P%20FW%20W48_9%2035_17605.jpg
Looks like a mechanical baler to me...

[KG66_Phantom]

Very Impressive as always Oleg

[lbuchele]

Il2 is very CPU demanding.When I see graphics like this I wonder if SOW will be more GPU linked ,showing benefits from a SLI system for example?

[AndyJWest]

Il2 is very CPU demanding.When I see graphics like this I wonder if SOW will be more GPU linked ,showing benefits from a SLI system for example?
Um, sorry, TLA (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three-letter_acronym) overload...

[major_setback]

Tractors were around then. You would see tracks in a field, if nothing else then from tractors of lorries carrying off the hay/crop/straw.

Land Girls WWII:

http://img.scoop.co.nz/stories/images/0807/bc45d04fa131eb0d9c77.jpeg

http://landarmy.org.uk/pic4edit.JPG

1939:

http://cache1.asset-cache.net/xc/3134359.jpg?v=1&c=NewsMaker&k=2&d=45B0EB3381F7834D432684767D98E9D0BF3CEC184338961E 8D143FD4AE7FC81B

1942:

http://cache4.asset-cache.net/xc/79667332.jpg?v=1&c=NewsMaker&k=2&d=77BFBA49EF8789215AB089EE596C658826454849B438EF29 DC0A63EF028BE2A3734446D9B1386347

Bails, 1943:

http://cache2.asset-cache.net/xc/3344399.jpg?v=1&c=NewsMaker&k=2&d=45B0EB3381F7834D92E38EB52FE0A836E49587224BACFB64 8D143FD4AE7FC81B

Mechanical bailer 1943:

http://cache1.asset-cache.net/xc/3135133.jpg?v=1&c=NewsMaker&k=2&d=45B0EB3381F7834D6D569889CC4B56179427DA83C2A3993E 05AFC5CF6109BBC7

Traditional way 1943:

http://cache2.asset-cache.net/xc/3320713.jpg?v=1&c=NewsMaker&k=2&d=45B0EB3381F7834DB1E0C14D4D3961039CD85585A60BC25B 05AFC5CF6109BBC7

1942 bailer (stationary but mobile):

http://cache2.asset-cache.net/xc/3321494.jpg?v=1&c=NewsMaker&k=2&d=45B0EB3381F7834DE8E0893B8AF0E630ABD050D811B3DE1C E23FEF406871B787

1942:

http://cache1.asset-cache.net/xc/3336563.jpg?v=1&c=NewsMaker&k=2&d=45B0EB3381F7834D941ABD62CA9F8DBD873E669E4EFC5383 05AFC5CF6109BBC7

1942:

http://cache1.asset-cache.net/xc/79036491.jpg?v=1&c=NewsMaker&k=2&d=77BFBA49EF87892155F29F61288AC1CAD7B79E532DE21099 1DE5C5BD1E690975F4CFCD939224E6EC

Essex 1941:

http://cache3.asset-cache.net/xc/3335155.jpg?v=1&c=NewsMaker&k=2&d=45B0EB3381F7834DBF82194721FA9BA65CE7E4ED36262FAF CA52222F25EC092C

1939:

http://cache1.asset-cache.net/xc/3134597.jpg?v=1&c=NewsMaker&k=2&d=45B0EB3381F7834D979B17E5131A71BF771E4423DE993034 5223CE6E4BAF89B1

1939:

http://cache3.asset-cache.net/xc/3405091.jpg?v=1&c=NewsMaker&k=2&d=45B0EB3381F7834DB22F5C658C8A45704C6E8753569D024C 87347052288BB462

1939:

http://cache1.asset-cache.net/xc/3329942.jpg?v=1&c=NewsMaker&k=2&d=45B0EB3381F7834DA6BC496E3E7EBF2D87A211451AB3A8A3 11D40A26B3E28636

1939:

http://cache4.asset-cache.net/xc/3325634.jpg?v=1&c=NewsMaker&k=2&d=45B0EB3381F7834DA3D4DC4E64A387EFBEE9AEFD5735736C E23FEF406871B787

1939:

http://cache2.asset-cache.net/xc/78946332.jpg?v=1&c=NewsMaker&k=2&d=77BFBA49EF87892155F29F61288AC1CA619ED8FD46937480 BB1C681C95B69044734446D9B1386347

1942:

http://cache4.asset-cache.net/xc/79667334.jpg?v=1&c=NewsMaker&k=2&d=77BFBA49EF8789215AB089EE596C65881C6F04527E4A18AB DC0A63EF028BE2A390A08357F5753DDF

1942:

http://cache4.asset-cache.net/xc/3097340.jpg?v=1&c=NewsMaker&k=2&d=45B0EB3381F7834DCBBE4590BB6C3751AD7CDB18E633E9DF 207CAAE8C4C94190

unknown date:

http://microsites.lincolnshire.gov.uk/upload/public/docimages/Normal/e/g/m/ML8478.jpg

http://www.galaxy.bedfordshire.gov.uk/webingres/bedfordshire/vlib/0.wla/0.images/luton_hoo_harvest_group.jpg

http://www.prints-online.com/image/land-girls-wwii_1608243.jpg

Harvesting oats 1941:

http://images.easyart.com/i/prints/rw/en_easyart/lg/8/7/Women-s-land-army-harvesting-oats--1941-MirrorPix-87621.jpg

[Avimimus]

I can see where this is going:
First you want some discarded farm equipment to make crash-landings dangerous.
Then you'll want some working tractors.
Then you'll want some working tractors with girls on them.
Then you'll want some haystacks. Finally, you'll want some leave.

[Doogerie]

I think it looks as if the game is almost done now and i am just wondering how meny month away it is?

[Kurfürst]

Great job on the Blenheim cocpit! I especially like the map, it makes the whole thing look much less "sterile".

Though I noticed on that first picture (Blenheim) that the terrain textures are rather low resolution. I am not sure if this was because using low settings for terrain, or is this how it will be in the final, but I would really prefer if BoB:SoW would ship with really large resolution textures, even if current PCs cant handle it, and will use medium settings. BoB:SoW will probably have a lifespan of 5 years like Il2, and later on likely there will be no capacity to do this again (ie. add high res textures for ground)... but PCs will be able to run it by that time.

[Foo'bar]

;)

http://fooblog.mexxoft.com/wp-content/01.jpghttp://fooblog.mexxoft.com/wp-content/lanz_4.jpg

[rollnloop]

http://forum.1cpublishing.eu/attachment.php?attachmentid=2087&d=1269007255

Planes, cockpits, sea looks gorgeous, terrain looks bad (and distant terrain doesn't fade enough), clouds look IL2 like, inferior to Il2 modded.

Oleg, i really hope you can do something for these aspects and you'll show us some fantastic terrain features in the next months.

[LukeFF]

Planes, cockpits, sea looks gorgeous, terrain looks bad (and distant terrain doesn't fade enough), clouds look IL2 like, inferior to Il2 modded.

Oleg, i really hope you can do something for these aspects and you'll show us some fantastic terrain features in the next months.

Everything is WIP.

:rolleyes:

[Dano]

Though I noticed on that first picture (Blenheim) that the terrain textures are rather low resolution. I am not sure if this was because...

3D tools/model viewer.

[Sutts]

I'm not after functioning farms guys and I don't dispute the fact there were plenty of tractors working the fields in those days.

All I'm saying is that:

1. Baled hay and straw (round or square) would largely not have been seen
2. Lines of straw in fields would only come later with the introduction of mobile combined harvesters
3. The evenly spaced tractor tramlines that are apparent in the Blenheim shot would definitely not have been seen - these are for the efficient application of fertiliser and sprays on a large scale with 20-30 meter booms. This technology has only been around since the 80s really.

There were machines that could help with the harvest but they were very different from today.

Binders would cut the wheat/barley/oats and tie it up into neat bundles which were dropped on the ground. Workers would then stand a few of these bundles together to form stooks which would aid further drying and keep some of the rain out. These stooks would have been a major feature in fields around harvest time (see picture in previous post).

A static threshing machine (powered by steam or tractor) would then be pulled to the field and the stooked crop would be untied and thrown into the top of the machine. The grain would be threshed out and poured out into sacks while the threshed straw would be dropped out and piled up loosely into pitched stacks (see picture in previous post). These loose stacks would also have been a common sight.

It is possible an odd early baler may have come over from the States but this would have been very rare indeed.


I know some of you could care less about such details but I think it makes a big difference, especially for those interested in producing period correct footage. The enlarged, neatly tended, tramlined fields in the Memphis Belle movie were a dead giveaway. Using plain fields instead of tramlined ones has got to be easier anyway hasn't it?

This really isn't a criticism, it just may not be obvious to people who haven't worked in agriculture.

[Insuber]

I know that everything is WIP, but pics are posted here to get constructive feedback I guess.

The planes in first CR.42 image look impressive, almost photorealistic, except for a certain glossy aspects which resembles enamel or plastic, but that's on my screen. Can anyone else confirm? Other than that, the look of those planes it is really beatiful. One of the best screenshots posted as far!

The Gladiator is good, you can almost see the fabric, but imho it is less impressive, the skin looks sort of flatter.

Sea surface is really god from that height, even thou i'd add some more reflections as it's a sunny day.

Can't comment the clouds, they look too much WIP ... :)

Regards,
Insuber

[Insuber]

We prefer physics and look in comparison.
Yes we model already weapon.


Oleg,

Sorry to bother you again, if I understand correctly, you model the physics of projectiles impacts against various parts of the plane, as you explained some time ago. It's OK, can't do differently as far as I know.

But when you say that "you look in comparison", did you mean that the A Williams (or other) tables will be used to check tests, and balance -fine tune the damage models?



As an engineer by education, I like the TinyTim approach to evaluate the relative strength of the weapons, in a simple and objective way:

http://forums.ubi.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/23110283/m/9271044048/p/2

Regards,
Insuber

[Freycinet]

Moreover, there are few details of the fuselage of the model that may be improved.

Feel free to contact me via email, if you need some help.

Cheers

Andrea aka "Abraxa"

This is the place to mention your comments Abraxa.

[jocko417]

Oleg, here's some printed examples of what I was talking about regarding the 'shadow compensating scheme' on biplanes:

First example is from CAMOUFLAGE AND MARKINGS No.2: The Battle for Britain - RAF May to December 1940 ISBN 0-9539040-0-8

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v621/jocko417/shadow1.jpg

Note that this version also takes into account the shadows on the fin and lower fuselage, something never compensated for on monoplanes, and wasn't as popular as just changing the colours on the lower wing.

Next is from BRITAIN ALONE June 1940 to December 1941 ISBN 1-904643-06-X

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v621/jocko417/shadow2.jpg

Again, lower wing finished in lighter versions of the top surface camo colours.


I find it very unlikely that any colors would accomplish much between upward facing clear sky and surface facing, even less that it would make the upper and lower meld together. The sky is REAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLY bright, and the whole upper hemisphere illuminates the upper surfaces. It only helps a little bit. Works better with camuflage painted on faces.. :)

It is important to note that the Temperate Land scheme used by the RAF from the Munich Crisis until after the BoB was not intended to help the aircraft blend in while in flight - it was purely a defensive paint scheme to make aircraft less visible while parked around the airfields during refuelling, etc. It wasn't until 1941 and the adoption of the grey/green Day Fighter scheme that the camo was meant to make aircraft less visible during flying operations.

[major_setback]

I'm not after functioning farms guys and I don't dispute
the fact there were plenty of tractors working the fields in those days.

All I'm saying is that:

1. Baled hay and straw (round or square) would largely not have been seen
2. Lines of straw in fields would only come later with the introduction of mobile
combined harvesters
3. The evenly spaced tractor tramlines that are apparent in the Blenheim shot would definitely
not have been seen - these are for the efficient application of fertiliser and sprays on a large
scale with 20-30 meter booms. This technology has only been around since the 80s really.

There were machines that could help with the harvest but they were very different from today.

Binders would cut the wheat/barley/oats and tie it up into neat bundles which were dropped on the ground.
Workers would then stand a few of these bundles together to form stooks which would aid further drying and keep
some of the rain out. These stooks would have been a major feature in fields around harvest time
(see picture in previous post).

A static threshing machine (powered by steam or tractor) would then be pulled to the field and the stooked
crop would be untied and thrown into the top of the machine. The grain would be threshed out and poured
out into sacks while the threshed straw would be dropped out and piled up loosely into pitched stacks
(see picture in previous post). These loose stacks would also have been a common sight.

It is possible an odd early baler may have come over from the States but this would have been very rare indeed.


I know some of you could care less about such details but I think it makes a big difference, especially for those
interested in producing period correct footage. The enlarged, neatly tended, tramlined fields in the Memphis Belle
movie were a dead giveaway. Using plain fields instead of tramlined ones has got to be easier anyway hasn't it?



This really isn't a criticism, it just may not be obvious to people who haven't worked in agriculture.


The texture shown in the first screenshot looks like it is from an aerial photograph. I imagine that the textures
used in BoB might be similar to those used for VFR scenery for FSX. If that is the case then each texture square
will be individual, and it would take forever to change them, and also would be difficult to make changes look
natural.

I agree - I would prefer not to have those tyre lines in the fields, but it wont matter much if they are there.




VFR scenery for fSX:

http://www.simshack.net/images/vfr-real-scenery-south-east-england-10.jpg

http://www.simshack.net/images/vfr-real-scenery-south-east-england-6.jpg


------

A question to Oleg:

Will the textures be repeated tiles, or all individual (from aerial photos of the area)?






------

[Skoshi Tiger]

I'm not after functioning farms guys and I don't dispute the fact there were plenty of tractors working the fields in those days.



Come on now! If we don't have working farms, how will we have farmers with pitchforks greeting baled-out German and Polish pilots??????? ;)

But your points are taken that we don't want evidence of modern argricultual practices onwards on the landscape and the textures used should reflect the practices appropriate to the times.

From the photo's shown (and we don't know when during the war the various photo's were taken ) it is apparent that a) There was an mixture of traditional techniques and equipment with more modern equipment being introduced, and b) Land Army women on tractors were fairly hot.


Cheers!

[Richie]

"Let's got for a roll in the hay". Did that come from Britain??

[major_setback]

;)

http://fooblog.mexxoft.com/wp-content/01.jpghttp://fooblog.mexxoft.com/wp-content/lanz_4.jpg

Nice tractors. I hope we will be able to drive them to a pub if we are downed in a field!:-)

[Flanker35M]

S!

So we are getting Storm of War: Battle of the Fields?! :D Drive the most devastating crop choppers of the era and annihilate your opponents with superior harvesting and fine tuned machinery! Let that neighbour behind the stone wall taste the bitter taste of failure against your perfectly honed farming skills and state of the art farming equipment. Now in DirectX 11 in a shop near you!

Errrm..I thought this was done already ;)

[Sutts]

Come on now! If we don't have working farms, how will we have farmers with pitchforks greeting baled-out German and Polish pilots??????? ;)

But your points are taken that we don't want evidence of modern argricultual practices onwards on the landscape and the textures used should reflect the practices appropriate to the times.

From the photo's shown (and we don't know when during the war the various photo's were taken ) it is apparent that a) There was an mixture of traditional techniques and equipment with more modern equipment being introduced, and b) Land Army women on tractors were fairly hot.


Cheers!


LOL:lol:

[Sutts]

Nice shots Rodolphe, thanks for posting.

I wasn't against all lines in fields since tractors/horses cutting hay, turning hay, binders cutting cereals etc., would all produce straight lines and blocks of colour in the landscape.

My main issue was the wide spaced uniform tramlines that could only be produced by modern agricultural methods. I think the appearance of round and square bales would also be a killer.

Now, this was all based on the assumption that fields would be put together from a standard set of textures. If this isn't the case and modern aerial photography is being used to put together the landscape then the effort required would be way too much and I'll just live with it.

The trouble with modern aerial photography is the fields have been enlarged and "squared up" considerably since the war and a good percentage of the hedgerows and lanes have been destroyed to cater for modern machinery. This results in a very different looking landscape to that which pilots of the day would have seen.

Anyhow, I think the points are clear and I'll shut up now.:)

[Abraxa]

This is the place to mention your comments Abraxa.

Hi Freycinet.
I already gave some help for the camo of the Br 20 and the exchange went fully via email, after collecting the info with the help of few qualified friends.
Quicker and easier. I'm sure I'm not the only one who worked that way.

Comments, suggestions, exchanges of documents, picts and screenshots on specific details would be slow, boring and essentially unfit for a forum.

It's up to Oleg anyway. However he decides is fine for me.

[Richie]

I was wondering if Luftwaffe fighters will have a greater choice of colours for their numbers? Blue, black, red, yellow, et.

[robtek]

There were only 4 colors used!
The colors changed during the war but there were always only 4

[Les]

...Now, this was all based on the assumption that fields would be put together from a standard set of textures. If this isn't the case and modern aerial photography is being used to put together the landscape then the effort required would be way too much and I'll just live with it...



Somewhere along the way Oleg said the ground textures will be tiled. I vaguely remember some earlier screenshots even showing such.

I highly doubt the default textures will be the VFR style photographic ones. Would be interested to know though if it will be technically possible for the 3rd party add-on makers to use those sort of photographic textures on the smaller maps they'll be allowed to make.

[csThor]

Marking colours for the Luftwaffe are part of my research. I have - as far as possible and as far as I could provide material - listed the historical markings for each Staffel. Where no material was found I applied the standard rules of the Luftwaffendienstvorschrift.

[Richie]

I guess blue numbers didn't come till later in the war.

[kapitansky]

Say me Oleg.... I dreaming? Your squadroon-work is exellent... ;)

[Bewolf]

Hm, maybe that was posted before, but did anybody actually notice the text in this screen?

http://forum.1cpublishing.eu/attachment.php?attachmentid=2089&d=1269007270

If that is how the radio works we will be in a real treat regarding communications.