F/A-18X Black Wasp

[nodunit 397]

Nice try, I see your EA-18G :P

Nice model, I really like how the conformal fuel tanks chamfer flows smoothely along the back of the body and pinches together at the front and back for a nice tight highlight.

The raw detail on the landing gear is amazing as well with all the joints and absorbers.

I'm looking forward to see what you're going to do with the cockpit.

Of if you have that big singular display and it doesn't have multi page purpose (that is multiple pages on the one), I'm gonna be very dissapointed.

Normally I'd be very nice but since you entered the contest, I have to say critique it in more..blunt manner.

Your texture could use some tweaking, I see you have some grit (or is that the AO bake?) along the tail fins but the front under the leading edge is deprived of much detail.

Some lines for panelling and rivet lines with gunk and burn marks, something light and feathery to make it look flown but no so old like an F-18C, or just enough to make them visible.

http://airwingmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/F18-Advanced-Super-Hornet-1.png

http://htka.hu/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/F-18_Hornet_CFT-600x450.jpg?577e1b

This can be achieved by drawing black lines on a transparent layer and then setting their visibility to about..30-60% varying, you can also get some nice weathering effects by using the paint brush that looks like a bunch of random leaves and then using the blur filter but only use it at 5 pixels or so, the idea is to get a nice tight line of grit with some random variation but not have it all over the place. After that run a sharpen filter to solidify it more then adjust the opacity.

The nose cone sticks out compared to the rist of the aircraft, you have this nice smooth transition along the canopy but when you reach the nose suddenly the edges explode outward, I know this would require more or less having to rebuild and remap the central part of the aircraft but a more smoothely rounded profile would greatly boost its appearance.

Edited August 17, 2014 by NodUnit

[saul 24]

Oh NodUnit, what would I do without you ;)

3rd Person textures as of when these pictures where taken were just decals and basic colors with ambient occlusion. Using Substance Painter for the actual textures once I finish the panelling and rivet work. Good call on the nose btw, I'll see what I can do about that. Can't have a pointy nose after all, peeps get annoyed by that.

Stay tuned as the game plan is to have the external textures finished this week.

[nodunit 397]

Ah okay, I didn't see any WIP label so I wasn't sure if it was the final or beginning, will be keeping an eye out to see what you add to the bird ;)

About the nose, I don't know if it is the angle but I think one of things throwing it off is how quickly the nose tapers off to a sharper point and that said point may be too small.

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_yzqxKNgc4T4/TQbYI0bWIEI/AAAAAAAAAb8/AQ7T487JokU/s1600/F-18C_VFC12_00_AFW_NOSE.jpg

Maybe scale up the very tip of the nose and add a few more segments to thicken the transition a bit more.

From a front view the cylinder edges forming the nose are very pronounced, especially with that white scheme and it kind of detracts from the new and freshness of the model.

There are these great new details in the wings, tail fins, the landing gear and canopy but then you get to the nose and suddenly it seems to revert to the old.

If the nose and the body down were given more sides then it would not only improve the visual in terms of texture (less sharp turns) but it would also capture the lighting far better for a nice smooth gradient rather than "stretching" the shading as it seems to be right now.

Here's an example of how to quickly re-build the nose and get a really nice smooth transition. (NOTE you may have to click the magnifying glass twice to fully view the pictures)

Firstly start with an 8 sided cylinder and then shape it to the nose.

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee200/NodUnit/nose1_zpsa22cded3.jpg~original

Then apply a subdivision modifier, in 3dsmax this would be either meshsmooth or turbosmooth, set the iterations to 2 and you should end up with something like this.

Be sure to cant the end of the nose forward slightly because this will alter the way light flows across it, this will be the reference mesh

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee200/NodUnit/nose2_zpsad96ab84.jpg~original

You can see how the modifier smoothed the nose out with all the extra segments, it also made a nice 'nipple' at the end of the nose which can clearly be seen on all variants.

http://d1ax9dx3gero0.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/USN-Gopro-f18-hornet-f14-tomcat-ea18-growler-6.jpg

http://images.defensetech.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/FA-18-490x350.jpg

Create a cylinder ranging from 16-20 sides.

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee200/NodUnit/nose3_zpsd0152453.jpg I would personally say go for 20 to achieve max roundness for lod0 and use 16 for lod1.

The goal is to shape this cylinder to our reference nose, adding in segments but only where needed to smoothen out the transition.

Always remember that the more segments you have the smoother the lighting, if you leave too large of a gap then the lighting will "stretch" and form a sort of odd triangle.

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee200/NodUnit/nose4_zps8d72299f.jpg~original Here is the side by side comparison of reference nose vs 20 sided, we leave a few extra segments around the end to get the same shading to achieve the "nipple". You can probably weld a few of the verts together more towards the front so that the cylinder isn't as round there and have it taper off but only do so when you know it will not interfere with the lighting.

A nose such as this would only set you back 220 faces.

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee200/NodUnit/nose5_zps7e19375b.jpg~original The one on the left has 2x less segments as the first in an attempt to save on polycount, in this case it wasn't worth it as the loss of the segment up front means a loss in definition of the end, and the loss of segments further down means not only is it less smooth which could be overlooked but you can see the shading is spread a bit more and stretching.

Edited August 17, 2014 by NodUnit

[chortles 263]

I hope the flight model is just the same. =D

In real life it's supposed to be ever-so-slightly different due to the nature of CFTs (i.e. they can't be jettisoned mid-flight) but within the aerial simulation limits of RV4 they'd probably be indistinguishable, at least not so much as to offset the range advantage of the Black Wasp... though to be quite honest, most Arma maps/scenarios don't simulate the advantage of having a buddy store either, much less two CFTs, due to terrain size/scale.

Nice try, I see your EA-18G :P

Ironic considering that IRL some of the capabilities are supposed to go hand in hand with the Growler or the Next Generation Jammer...

P.S. For anyone who is wondering, the "F-35 style" cockpit with the single big panel is also part of the Advanced Super Hornet concept.

[CyclonicTuna 87]

P.S. For anyone who is wondering, the "F-35 style" cockpit with the single big panel is also part of the Advanced Super Hornet concept.

For both the pilot and gunner :)

http://s017.radikal.ru/i435/1111/5c/e560d882f7d1.jpg (874 kB)

[John Spartan 89]

@All - yes it will have nice big working screen...

[mistyronin 1181]

@All - yes it will have nice big working screen...

Just wondering... Will it be interactive? I mean can you select map, camera, etc.

[John Spartan 89]

@MistlyRonin, I know it's annoying to hear bro, but you will have to wait to see the concept in game...

[mistyronin 1181]

@MistlyRonin, I know it's annoying to hear bro, but you will have to wait to see the concept in game...

Ah, no problem! I don't mind waiting, I was just curious :)

[saul 24]

Textures for the 3rd person model are starting to come together.

http://i.imgur.com/OoS3FuS.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/PEXQmZ8.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/jLIjuNw.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/ma27wGG.jpg

Stay tuned for more.

[CyclonicTuna 87]

Textures for the 3rd person model are starting to come together.

http://i.imgur.com/OoS3FuS.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/PEXQmZ8.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/jLIjuNw.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/ma27wGG.jpg

Stay tuned for more.

Gah! So sexy. Are those flare dispencers on the top, between the tailrudders? And I love the detaill you've got going with the wear and stain on the bottom. USS Freedom on the side, that's also cool :p One question though, where are the conformal fueltanks. Or is this a diffrent version of the future/advanced hornet that doesn't have those?

[saul 24]

That is just the model pieces using that texture. Don't fret the fuel tanks and all will be there.

[CyclonicTuna 87]

That is just the model pieces using that texture. Don't fret the fuel tanks and all will be there.

Ok, just asking :) Keep up the great work!

[Wiki 1558]

OMG! So beautiful!

[eymerich 11]

Textures for the 3rd person model are starting to come together.

http://i.imgur.com/OoS3FuS.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/PEXQmZ8.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/jLIjuNw.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/ma27wGG.jpg

Stay tuned for more.

Absolutly brillant and awesome!!

[granola muncher 10]

Looking amazing... and a better/updated carrier. Seriously, you guys are my arma heros. I can't wait (but gladly will) to play with them! Keep up the amazing work. (ps-will you still be able to access the real life liveries like on the superhornet as well, or is it going to be the stunning skin shown in the pics)?

[saul 24]

The F18X will come with two textures initially which will be our futuristic montage to Arma 3 NATO aircraft and the generic US Navy colors. No units are planned at this time do to time constraints but we have some interesting ideas for making it happen.

[saul 24]

Update :D

Edited August 28, 2014 by Saul

[bullet purveyor 85]

Wow that thing looks stunning. Can't wait to fly it. Keep it up guys :)

Judging from your previous project I'll bet this will be more then good looks, some fancy new features coming along?

[jeza 5416]

Excellent stuff you guys!

[starky396 1]

Will there be an option to choose whether to remove the conformal fuel tanks?

[chortles 263]

Nice try, I see your EA-18G :P

Ironic considering that IRL some of the capabilities are supposed to go hand in hand with the Growler or the Next Generation Jammer...

[CyclonicTuna 87]

Wow! This is just starting to look better and better. Keep it up :D!

Will there be an option to choose whether to remove the conformal fuel tanks?

Uhm... they're conformal.

[CaptainAzimuth 714]

the conformal means it's part of the aircraft. If you don't want them, you'll have to go back to the standard F/A-18.

[sanguinius51 11]

Do you have any plans to add a two-seater variant, with a TGP, or will you just stay with the single-seater?