VFAT Mod

[Airone]

Hi folks,

the deadline is approaching, so let us think about last improvments we can do for the best show ever.
I have several suggestions concerning mainly the VFAT mod, so I am firing up:  

1- Since we are going (trusting kato skills') towards a unique LockOn VAFT mod, which is the perfect "deal", I suggest that we decline this mod in three, but only considering the Textures point of view. I explain myself, last year, and especially for the joint flight, it was really hard for many PCs (especially mine   ) to follow this beautiful flights of nearly 25 planes, with some of them draped with their (nice) 2048 skins.

It would be great to have a unique mod, BUT with different textures: VFAT_2007_512, VFAT_2007_1024 and VFAT_2048. Hence, each pilot, client or spectators should view the show with its own possibilities and choose the right one. For the desired streaming  guys also, that should be intereting (courage Manu!

2- About the mod itself. Kato is able to merge some models on unique slots...But, I guess this will engage many works, so if we can help, Kato let us know. so if I am summarizing well:

[size=150:c15fa][color=#FF0000:c15fa]EDITED 26 october 2007[/color:c15fa][/size:c15fa]

F-15:      [color=#FF0000:c15fa]F/A-18A, F/A18B (VBA)   F16-C (VTB) [/color:c15fa]
A-10:      [color=#FF0000:c15fa]L39 (BJT) [/color:c15fa]
Mig-29A:      [color=#FF0000:c15fa]BAE Hawks (VRA)[/color:c15fa]
Mig-29S: [color=#00BF00:c15fa]Virtual Swifts[/color:c15fa], [color=#00BF00:c15fa]Virtual Ukranians Falcons[/color:c15fa],[color=#00BF00:c15fa]59th_reaper[/color:c15fa], [color=#00BF00:c15fa]APA Squadron[/color:c15fa],[color=#00BF00:c15fa]Dutch solo[/color:c15fa],
Su-27:    [color=#00BF00:c15fa]White Ravens[/color:c15fa], [color=#00BF00:c15fa]PSV[/color:c15fa],[color=#00BF00:c15fa] Virtual Swift[/color:c15fa], [color=#00BF00:c15fa]Dutch solos,[/color:c15fa] [color=#00BF00:c15fa]Taker(831th GvIAP of Mirgorod)[/color:c15fa], [color=#00BF00:c15fa]Virtual Russian Knights[/color:c15fa] [color=#FF0000:c15fa]but with SU30[/color:c15fa]
Su-33: [color=#00BF00:c15fa]Dutch solo[/color:c15fa]
Su-25: [color=#00BF00:c15fa]Chabal[/color:c15fa]
AI model:[color=#00BF00:c15fa] 4 F-14A, 1 F-4E, 1 F/A-18C[/color:c15fa]    (humancockpit=yes)

[color=#FF0000:c15fa]In red[/color:c15fa] own model,      [color=#00BF00:c15fa]In green[/color:c15fa] only textures

Since there will be several mod on one slot, we should think about the best compromise for the smoke pod (and it placement in the MEInit.xml)

3- Wil it be possible to have music on a separate channel of TeamSpeak like last year?

Looking forward to see you all,
Cheers,
Erwan "Airone"

[JaBoG32_Laud]

Nice overview!

Music should be no problem ( I expect it in the same room where the narrators are).

We should also think about including the "spectators-mod". Client version: full visible (for streaming purpose); Pilot version: non visible (exchange 3D-models if possible) -> best performance.

[Tailhook]

Don't forget ours.

We will just be using the AI models of the F/A-18C, F-14A, and F-4E. We have our own skins to go along with them.(I will be sending them to kato soon)

Our current status that should be able to fly.
1x F/A-18C (supposed to be F/A-18E)
1x F-4E (supposed to be F-4J)
4x F-14A (supposed to be F-14D)

[Airone]

@Viper,
 I guess then that you will be using the F15 slot, the busiest slot for Kato...   If so , i will edit my post.

[quote:46cb8]Client version: full visible (for streaming purpose); Pilot version: non visible [/quote]

Can you develop, you mean a VFAT_mod for pilots and another for spectators? It seems complicated to my poor mind, but I am not a specialist. If you can detail your view, that would be great.  

[Tailhook]

@Viper,
 I guess then that you will be using the F15 slot, the busiest slot for Kato...   If so , i will edit my post.

No, all Kato just has to do is throw in the textures. We are using the plain AI models.

[Kato VBA#4]

I started to gather all the various team mods and skins I could this weekend based on the teams that signed up in the VFAT registration thread. Very few of the skins Airone shows above are actually available for download on the team websites (or maybe they are, but I can't read Russian or Polish to find the links- lol).

So if the teams could send me direct links to their skins it would speed up the process.

Making 3 mods at different resolutions is a massive task, and I won't be able to make 3 different mods in time for VFAT. It might be possible to add a Modman "Low textures patch" if all the teams send me their own low resolution versions of the skins. In other words I won't have time to manually lower the resolutions of every skin in Photoshop myself in time for VFAT. So if eveyone is in agreement that there should be a low resolution patch, then the teams will have to change their own skins from 2048x2048 to 512x512, and send those to me along with the original 2048x2048 skins (or whatever resolution each team uses by default). We will still need the high resolution skins since many of us do have computers that can run it that way, and we'll need them for high resolution screenshots.

Airone - Your summary is similar to what I found this weekend when I was trying to download all the team skins - thanks for the summary. What you show there should be fairly straight forward to make into a VFAT mod. Interestingly, the hardest part (and possibly most time consuming) could be adding Viper's F-18, F-4, and F14, unless they use "humancockpit=yes", in which case there's no problem. Viper, let me know if that's what you meant when you said you fly the "plane AI models".

There could be a similar issue depending on how all those MiG-29's work too. Since i never fly the MiG-29, can someone tell me whether there are 2 flight models/cockpits (MiG-29A, and MiG-29S) or are these really using the same flight model in game with different skins? I may have to create a new MiG-29 model so that the VRA can use the MiG-29 along with the other MiG-29 users.

The 2 flight model/cockpits we are not yet using seem to be the SU-25T and SU-33. Hopefully we won't need to have anyone use those if they don't want to.

Smoke should be no problem, so lets deal with that after we have all the above aircraft flying in the mod - lol!!

[Tailhook]

Interestingly, the hardest part (and possibly most time consuming) could be adding Viper's F-18, F-4, and F14, unless they use "humancockpit=yes", in which case there's no problem. Viper, let me know if that's what you meant when you said you fly the "plane AI models".

Thats what we were planning on doing. We wanted to give you a break.

You guys will be using the modded F/A-18A model? What model is the F/A-18B going to overwrite?

[Manu]

Hi guys,

about the PSV, we are using 6 "textures slots" for the SU27. So there are 4  left if i'm right ?!.
So last year we used only one texture to free up the others.

We only have a 1024X1024 texture available.

Thanks

[Tailhook]

We only have a 1024X1024 texture available.

Any template bigger than 1024x1024 will slow down the lesser quality video cards so it should be good. Use, away.

[Kato VBA#4]

You guys will be using the modded F/A-18A model? What model is the F/A-18B going to overwrite?

It won't overwrite anything - the game treats it as part of the F-18A model, even though it uses different geometry. That's the beauty of the method I use to put in new 3D models - I can make them count as one. That's how the VBA F-18 and VTB F-16 will be done. This works well as long as someone has already made the new model in 3ds Max. If I have to make a new model from scratch, then it will take too long. The fact that you are using the "humancockpit=yes" method simplifies things greatly. In other words I don't have to make a new F-14 or F-4 model.

In game the difference is that your aircraft (F-18/F-14, and F-4) will all appear to be separate flyable models from the aircraft type drop down box, and the VBA F-18s and VTB F-16s will all appear as different skins under the F-15 slot. Clear as mud?

[Kato VBA#4]

Hi guys,

about the PSV, we are using 6 "textures slots" for the SU27. So there are 4  left if i'm right ?!.
So last year we used only one texture to free up the others.

We only have a 1024X1024 texture available.

I can add as many texture slots as we need, so don't worry about how many you use up. When you send me the link to your textures, please link all of them in a zip file or rar file - I may not be able to use a Modman (or Loman) file since Modman alters the textures when it compresses them.

1024x1024 is fine.

[Tailhook]

It won't overwrite anything - the game treats it as part of the F-18A model, even though it uses different geometry. That's the beauty of the method I use to put in new 3D models - I can make them count as one. That's how the VBA F-18 and VTB F-16 will be done. This works well as long as someone has already made the new model in 3ds Max. If I have to make a new model from scratch, then it will take too long. The fact that you are using the "humancockpit=yes" method simplifies things greatly. In other words I don't have to make a new F-14 or F-4 model.

In game the difference is that your aircraft (F-18/F-14, and F-4) will all appear to be separate flyable models from the aircraft type drop down box, and the VBA F-18s and VTB F-16s will all appear as different skins under the F-15 slot. Clear as mud?

Thanks for the clarification. I just knew that you were going to be doing some kind of wizard spell with all the models and create a .LOM to work with all of them on the F-15 side.

I cut you a break.

[Airone]

Hi alls,
[quote:8063e]In other words I won't have time to manually lower the resolutions of every skin in Photoshop myself in time for VFAT. [/quote]

Ok Kato, to sustain you effort, I propose to do the texturing part in psp. So make the mod, and I will prepare the lowest resolution package. It only means to reduce resolution of the temp textures files. I will surely use Modman 5.

For this puspose and to help you, I have created  a ftp connection so all teams could put their texture (and mod if needed), but maybe the Organisers Jabog (Laud?) can provide this FTP also. If not, I'll give mine without any problems and we should contact all teams to provide this as soon as possible. Which means this Friday evening (17th) as deadline considering Kato schedule.  

So administrators, would you mind send a PM to every member requesting their mod and different textures resolution for this friday, and in the meantime tell me if you can open a ftp account or not.  

Thanks in advance,
Cheers,
Airone

[Kato VBA#4]

 I will prepare the lowest resolution package. It only means to reduce resolution of the temp textures files. I will surely use Modman 5.

Airone - thank you very much for the help. However, the best thing to do would be to send me both the original high resolution textures in a non Modman zip file, and the low resolution textures you are about to make in a non Modman zip file. That way I can create all the mod files I need. Modman turns the textures into a format that must be adjusted, so a regular zip file would be better.

In addition, I propose we use the latest version of Modman 6 since it is compatable with both Wndows XP and Windows Vista. So unless there is a massive outcry for a reason I haven't yet thought of, the VFAT mod and texture patch will be Modman 6 compatible only. Modman 5 won't work.

Get Modman 6 from here:

http://www.checksix-fr.com/bibliotheque ... chier=5462

[Stryker]

Will installing ModMan6 overwrite ModMan 5? Will Modman 6 recognise mods made with Modman 5?