AH-64 Pack

[purepassion 22]

Not in my thread.

haha im relieved! ;)

[Darkhorse 1-6 16]

So how long til we can crash it in the Takistani mountains? :p

[nodunit 397]

Takistan mountains? Why not also Chernarus, or perhaps the desert planes, surely if you are capable of crashing into a mountain a tree wouldn't be more difficult.

Edited March 18, 2011 by NodUnit

[avengerzx 10]

Tora Bora has some decent mountains too :D

[purepassion 22]

So how long til we can crash it in the Takistani mountains? :p

http://knowyourmeme.com/i/29355/original/U_MAD_obama.JPG?1260037596

:D

[purepassion 22]

Just a little motivation for you there Nod !! :pet12:

Edited March 27, 2011 by PurePassion

[Darkhorse 1-6 16]

lol.

@PurePassion - The Crashing thing was a joke, as long long ago on several distant, faraway pages of the thread known as "Ah-64d" there existed a suicidal cult, intent on doing nothing more than crashing NodUnit's Apache into mountains/trees/buildings/cows/chickens.

:don 14:

[purepassion 22]

lol.

@PurePassion - The Crashing thing was a joke, as long long ago on several distant, faraway pages of the thread known as "Ah-64d" there existed a suicidal cult, intent on doing nothing more than crashing NodUnit's Apache into mountains/trees/buildings/cows/chickens.

:don 14:

i knew this aswell ;) :p

[guttersnipe 1]

@NodUnit - very nice looking project, looking forward to it's release.

Realise you're up to you're ears in scripts & configs etc but just wanted to make a sugguestion - or even a general question - would it be possible to add an action to the gunner's seat which enabled an ai pilot to fly in a loop/figure of 8 over a target area ? - much like the option in RUM assests (open a map with clcikable target/intial/exit points) or similar to the Ac130 script?

Main reason I ask is for single player mode - I've always found it very frustrating that in a playable pilot/gunner helo, when switched into gunner (to enjoy all the fun of FLIR/guided Hellfires etc), the ai pilot tends just to grind to a halt unless following a (very fixed) pre-defined way point.

I've tried using RUM assets's call CAS strike from the gunner's seat from the assigned helo & it works ok-ish, but very long winded to call in combat, but just wondered it a precoded unit might have the ability to fly a figure of 8 over a given grid ref.

Understand if this isn't your bag, but maybe someone reading might be able to suggest a solution.

Good luck with your release !

[nodunit 397]

lol.

@PurePassion - The Crashing thing was a joke, as long long ago on several distant, faraway pages of the thread known as "Ah-64d" there existed a suicidal cult, intent on doing nothing more than crashing NodUnit's Apache into mountains/trees/buildings/cows/chickens.

:don 14:

That one would be Franze's apache ;) He did most of the work on that one including model, many textures and the coding. And here I thought I held the wreck record when I snagged my landing gear on a bush.

@Guttersnipe: Nope not up to my ears at all (truth be told the model hasn't "shipped" yet due to OCD), in fact the script and coding area is none of mine, that is all Franze, that said I'll leave any and all coding questions to him for the best answer.

On a related note

Edited March 28, 2011 by NodUnit

[purepassion 22]

On a related note

:D nice one! :p

[nodunit 397]

Sorry no update just yet, I'm working on cleaning up and revamping the pilots control consoles somewhat for the D model but a peek at block 3 cockpit will be coming soon.

Now on to the real reason for this bump post. I'm looking for ways to reduce polycount but keep the appearance you've seen in the renders, the EFABS are my first test, as you see them the chamfers have 4 or 5 segments perhaps even more to get that crisp look. So imagine the front of the EFAB here http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee200/NodUnit/Model%20work/AH-64D/P-Efabwire.jpg to have double the segments basicly.

By themselves the EFABS equal 4-500 tri's a piece (barring some poly cutting near the nose), I'd like to lower that as much as I can, even willing to drop down to 1 segment chamfers (which leads to 1 side being 184 tri's without the above mentioned poly cutting) after some luck with normal map baking BUT this is where you guys come in.

If I were to use a simple low poly mesh of the EFAB, with shading errors by itself, painted over with a normal map, would those shading errors be visible when in the shade? There are many area's I feel could be cut down in polies and substituted with a normal map (some for even better results) but I'm very timid of the lighting defects.

Edited March 30, 2011 by NodUnit

[Cyteless 10]

Best of luck on reworking the cockpit. Hopefully nothing will crop up to complicate matters!

[nodunit 397]

Oh plenty of complicating but I'll get that ironed out eventually. Right now I'm working on cleaning up my file, triple checking to be sure I need that extra clone of another objects or if it is finished and what have you.

Here is a picture of the cockpit I mentioned before, accidentally deleted the floor armor and the seat cushion among a few other things...

(Before) http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee200/NodUnit/Model%20work/AH-64D/Work%20In%20Progress/dpit2-1.jpg?t=1301515207 and now after http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee200/NodUnit/Model%20work/AH-64D/Work%20In%20Progress/r3.jpg?t=1301518031

Also a shot at the left hand console, removed the chamfer (will be replaced by normal map) and got smoother curves that take even less polies still.

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee200/NodUnit/Model%20work/AH-64D/Work%20In%20Progress/r4.jpg?t=1301518030

But seriously if anyone has had any expertise in testing out the way normal maps behave in arma's shadows in showing the true model and would be willing to share it, I would greatly appreciate it. Otherwise proxy's are going to come into the works.

Edited March 30, 2011 by NodUnit

[PuFu 4600]

But seriously if anyone has had any expertise in testing out the way normal maps behave in arma's shadows in showing the true model and would be willing to share it, I would greatly appreciate it. Otherwise proxy's are going to come into the works.

Your question is about the way normal map behaves in BIS world, when there is no direct light on it? or did i get that wrong?

[nodunit 397]

Nope you have it, I've seen it appear by help of the reflection map but my goal is to make the reflection map weaker than it is used on default vehicles aka barely visible much like the specular.

But my concern is that if I use normal maps to paint over simple smooth shaded area's that the defects will show when it is in shadow.

Edited March 30, 2011 by NodUnit

[[frl]myke 14]

Nope you have it, I've seen it appear by help of the reflection map but my goal is to make the reflection map weaker than it is used on default vehicles aka barely visible much like the specular.

But my concern is that if I use normal maps to paint over simple smooth shaded area's that the defects will show when it is in shadow.

I'm not a pro like you are but whenever such a question comes to me, i create a little addon with a small model which can serve as testbed ingame. Nothing fancy...look at this ugly bastard i've made for testing purpose only:

Yw9NZY7D8_M

Ugly as hell but it was quickly done and i could test what i wanted to test.

That's the advice i would give.

[max power 21]

The strength of the reflection map seems to be managed by the specular properties of the rvmat and smdi map. Things like this are easy to tune once you have it in buldozer.

You can put your whole model in shadow by making a simple box with a shadow lod and making a building out of it, then setting buldozer to use the building as a 'background model'.

I've only tried this using CWR building assets to create backdrops but I think this should work.

[purepassion 22]

hey Nod just a little sidenote for you

something caught my eye:

http://www.abload.de/img/ah-64g7y8.jpg

maybe you also knew this and just didnt finish it yet

sry for making your to-do-list longer ;)

just keep focusing on the cockpits!

really looking forward to them!

but take all the time you need to make it the way you want it, and the finished product will be totally stunning

I already know it will!!! ;)

[PuFu 4600]

the reflection map weaker than it is used on default vehicles aka barely visible much like the specular.

This is something i don't get. The SMDI controls the areas where the reflections/specularity occurs. Its levels can be controlled separately, but will remain proportionally with the levels read from the map (unless there is no such map use, which means everything will be treated just the same).

back on the topic

regarding normal maps: i understand where you concert comes from, but remember that the normal maps need to have a light in the scene in order to bake them. So the baked geometry show even in dim light conditions

I think what you want is the .AS map (ambient shadow as BIS calls it, or ambient occlusion), allowing you to bump the ambient light per your needs.

But my concern is that if I use normal maps to paint over simple smooth shaded area's that the defects will show when it is in shadow.

I am uncertain why you would be reluctant about the use of normal maps, or what you mean by showing defects

[max power 21]

Also don't forget that the reflectivity is also controlled by the fresnel function, both globally and per angle.

[PuFu 4600]

Also don't forget that the reflectivity is also controlled by the fresnel function, both globally and per angle.

more on what max is saying here over at biki

[nodunit 397]

I'll be sure to read up on that thanks, been awhile since I've been in bulldozer and messed with rvmats..the last time was to make vehicles in arma2 less shiny which I think I will be doing again, those glossy tanks are starting to get on my tits.

[hankyanik 10]

I have been putting off posting for a while now. This add on is grabbing my attention like no other. Being a cobra enthusiast i am looking to get this system, with in realistic settings, in the cobra. However i am only a fledgling in mod making. here's the question, will this be open source or will it be locked. If locked will there be work on a Cobra? GREAT work by the way Apache looks great. Thanks in advance!

[purepassion 22]

@ hankyanik

what do you mean?

this is going to be an free and open source addon of an monster quality ah-64 family