Spearhead

[max power 21]

I like your work a lot, Col. Faulkner.

Have you experimented with normal maps and your barrel shrowds on the smg? I think a deftly done normal map could lend the illusion of thickness. You would have to make it have an inner surface, though, so you don't see through the back faces on the other side.

[Col. Faulkner 0]

I like your work a lot, Col. Faulkner.

Have you experimented with normal maps and your barrel shrowds on the smg? I think a deftly done normal map could lend the illusion of thickness. You would have to make it have an inner surface, though, so you don't see through the back faces on the other side.

There is a normal map on it. That's what generates the highlights around

the "holes". The barrel jacket is just a plain cylinder in the model. The

normal maps are made by running monochrome drawings through the

Photoshop plug in. I don't have the tools to make them any more

sophisticated than that.

Or do you mean I should use a normal map as well as transparent

textures? I always get a horrible jagged white line around the holes

whenever I try to make the holes transparent. I'm not sure what causes

it. Maybe because the transparent areas are too small on the texture?

[da12thMonkey 1943]

I always get a horrible jagged white line around the holes

whenever I try to make the holes transparent. I'm not sure what causes

it. Maybe because the transparent areas are too small on the texture?

Are you saving your alpha texture with the _ca or _co prefix?

Saving the alpha texture as _ca.paa in Texview rather than _co.paa gives better results as _co only creates alpha channels that are either 100% opaque or 100% transparent. The intermediate greys that give the holes roundness will be discarded and made either completely opaque or transparent which gives the pixelated appearence on round edges. _ca will have softer edges because grey pixels produce intermediate translucencies, so the roundness remains.

You'll get some aliasing at the edge of the texture regardless due to .paa compression but it's not as bad as with the _co rendering.

Anyway; you've done a great job on these mate. They've come a long way.

[Stewy 1]

Incredible stuff as always Colonel! Am a massive fan!

[Col. Faulkner 0]

[...]

Saving the alpha texture as _ca.paa in Texview rather than _co.paa gives better results [...]

Ok, thanks for that info. I'll do some more experimenting.

[max power 21]

There is a normal map on it. That's what generates the highlights around

the "holes". The barrel jacket is just a plain cylinder in the model. The

normal maps are made by running monochrome drawings through the

Photoshop plug in. I don't have the tools to make them any more

sophisticated than that.

That's the only method I know of of generating normal maps without actually modelling a barrel shrowd and transfering normals from one model to another.

Or do you mean I should use a normal map as well as transparent

textures? I always get a horrible jagged white line around the holes

whenever I try to make the holes transparent. I'm not sure what causes

it. Maybe because the transparent areas are too small on the texture?

It's possible. Upsampling generally does bad things to your texture, but the highlights and stuff appear to be pretty smooth so I am hoping that with the .ca filename extension it will give you better results. You want a slightly aliased edge on the alpha channel to reduce the blockiness, but not a feathery transition. It should be fairly bold.

[Col. Faulkner 0]

I tried, but so far couldn't manage to make the SMG

barrel look any better. Either the transitions are still

far too noticeable or the effect just doesn't look like

a thick pierced steel tube at all. At least it's still a

good ArmA representation of the real SMG in the sight

picture, sounds and kick.

Some of the 1980s-era Spearhead stuff is now almost

finished. I long ago had to readjust my expectations

about quality but it still looks OK enough to play an

ArmA-style wargame with. Certainly not the best, but

not the worst either.

I've now created properly textured (and LOD modelled)

soft headress for all the infantry regiments I intended

to have, and also added some paras (which I hadn't

originally intended to do):

[clickable thumbnails]

The Gordon wears by far the coolest-looking capbadge

in the British Army, adapted from the Marquis of

Huntly's clan chieftain crest, worn over a patch

of govt. No.3 (Gordon) tartan. On some occasions

the stag's head badge was removed leaving just the

patch. The "Tam O' Shanter" Highland soldier's bonnet

is worn in one of a multitude of personal styles.

The Blankshire Regiment is a fictional regiment

(although the name has been used as a placeholder

in real British Army documents and ex. briefings

for many years). I made up the "Britannia" capbadge

worn here (adapted from the real-life WW1-era Norfolk

Regiment badge).

For any eventual public release, however, I'll probably

swap this out for a Scots Guards capstar. The beret

is already shrunken and shaped in a typical guardsman

style.

The para from the year 1980 (obviously of 1 PARA,

from his red drop zone flash) is wearing his new

G.R.P. ("Glass Reinforced Plastic") helmet, cammed

up with the issue DPM cloth cover, a scrim face veil

and the black rubber top of an old NBC welly. These

new plastic lids were first issued to the parachute

infantry battalions in about 1978.

The beret is worn in the sloppy, "Lancastrian flat hat"

style favoured by some paratroopers in the 1970s and

1980s.

The 1977 pattern airborne troops' zip-up smock is worn

with jungle DPM trousers and normal ankle boots and

puttees (British paratroopers were never issued special

"jump boots"). Webbing is personalised, and the 1944

waterbottle and carrier, much favoured at that time by

paras, marines and S.A.S. (and pretty much anybody on

jungle deployments), replaces the 1958 waterbottle and

pouch.

I'm pleased that I managed to get the variety of DPM

colour schemes looking reasonably authentic. The para

smock is differently coloured than the normal combat

jackets and the jungle trousers are different again.

I wish I could get the pockets and buttons looking

better though.

Bandoliers carry 7.62mm rifle rounds in stripper clips;

50 to 75 rounds (or more) per bandolier, for recharging

SLR and LMG mags during halts. The GPMG numbers have

their own special GPMG link bandoliers. I'm not making

festoons of belted link on the GPMG gunner figures. Not

saying that it was never done, but it was frowned

upon to have anything except the currently loaded belt

hanging off you. Link was supposed to be carried in

bandoliers or pouches.

[Fuzzmaster 21]

Looks really good for me :)

[Stewy 1]

Sensational as always mate ;)

[max power 21]

Your initial expectations must have been fairly high for these models and textures not to meet them. I think they look spectacular, especially for someone who has essentially taught himself game modelling and texturing techniques.

[NeilReed101 0]

Hey Col. Gotta say golden age of ArmA seams to be continuing over here. who needs Arma2 when we have such great stuff comming out. Very nice work on the brits , reminds me of of watching who dares wins as a kid! which is a good thing, those soldiers look tough as old boots , if you need any voice acting for them pm me .

regards

Neil

[Stewy 1]

Those screenshots are absolutely killer Colonel! I loved the "stand to" at dawn with the SLR...takes me back! :)

As always, a massive fan and VERY keen for release when it's ready Sir!

Cheers

Stew

[domokun 515]

@ Col Faulkner - I second Max's thoughts and also offer my support if you need a plummy voice over

[Col. Faulkner 0]

I'm still doggedly thrashing away at this stuff. A couple

of weeks more and some of it might be fit for a release

(if anyone is still interested in ArmA I addons).

NeilReed101, domokun, thanks for the offers. I haven't

thought very much about missions for these yet, but if I

need a voice that I can't do myself then I'll get in touch.

In the meantime, some more pics:

[Clickable thumbnails]

Infantrymen kitted out for an operation at night (eg.

a recce patrol, an ambush, a "commando" raid or setting

up an OP).

They wear minimal webbing; everything except ammo and

water is left behind in the company defensive position.

Woollen cap comforters, as worn here, normally replaced

steel helmets when out patrolling at night. Steel helmets

restricted your hearing and could make noise.

Also, when preparing for such an operation, any items

that rustle or rattle were discarded from pockets (checked

by the patrol commander making you jump up and down like

a demented headbanger before moving out) and no loose kit

was allowed to hang off you, as it might catch on twigs

or wire or might fall off and be lost or compromise your

patrol.

An infantryman in kit typical of c. 1982-1985. The GRP

helmets and high-leg combat boots were already in

service in 1982 but not yet widely issued.

A half-section patrol of scottish infantrymen (specifically

Gordon Highlanders, as indicated by the No.3 tartan patch

on their bonnets - the silver "staybrite" cap badges

are removed to avoid reflections). They are kitted out for

a short patrol of one or two days ie. not long enough to

need bergans (rucksacks). The patrol commander looks ally

in lightweight jungle trousers and Derry patrol boots.

A Royal Marine commando of about 1972 in RN pattern

steel helmet and post-war Denison combat smock. In those

days, usually about 10% of commandos were parachute trained.

Those possessing this qualification wore the same jump

wings as army personnel. On the other arm is the red dagger

formation sign of 3rd Commando Brigade.

[GD Mast 0]

Looking great! :cool: Been waiting for some new pictures.

[Stewy 1]

I'm still doggedly thrashing away at this stuff. A couple

of weeks more and some of it might be fit for a release

(if anyone is still interested in ArmA I addons).

Holy Cow - you bet Colonel! I can't wait for this A1 Addon!

Just a quick request, could you please make one of the characters a Medic? I can't wait to do some raids and ambushes - but if one guy gets hit we'd be up the creek!

No need to change the model, just in the config would be "perfick"

Thanks so much again for ALL of your hard work - can't wait! :D

Stew

P.S - Oh, and a just a quick question about the recoil - I know thw SLR kicks a lot, but is the recoil "resonable" enough so that AI won't blat a whole magazine on hitting one guy? (even on expert skill setting) Some addons weaps do that and it often cuts missions short because the AI have no bullets left :)

Edited October 5, 2009 by Stewy

[Fuzzmaster 21]

Don't worry, some people are still interested in ArmA I addons, and this one looks like a really good one :)

Many thanks for all your work, it looks really nice :D

[jojimbo 0]

nice job on that helmet scrim colonel,great job all round

[Col. Faulkner 0]

Holy Cow - you bet Colonel! I can't wait for this A1 Addon!

Just a quick request, could you please make one of the characters a Medic? I can't wait to do some raids and ambushes - but if one guy gets hit we'd be up the creek!

No need to change the model, just in the config would be "perfick"

Yes. Medics are always a bit crap because the game doesn't model

the real casevac chain, and because the "medic" units have "super-

healing-powers" and are stone-cold killers like the rest of the

AI. I reckon as a compromise I'll just make a couple of the unit

types in optional "medically qualified" versions and indicate this

for game purposes with an extra FFD on their belt or something (or

rifle butt, but that'll require me to do some more remapping).

P.S - Oh, and a just a quick question about the recoil - I know thw SLR kicks a lot, but is the recoil "resonable" enough so that AI won't blat a whole magazine on hitting one guy? (even on expert skill setting) Some addons weaps do that and it often cuts missions short because the AI have no bullets left :)

I haven't noticed the AI having any great problems "winning the firefight",

and the number of rounds they put down seems reasonable (testing against

standard BIS RACS and SLA troops).

They are configured to take careful shots at longer ranges. GPMG numbers

fire short bursts at distant targets and Bren and SMG gunners fire single

shots at long range and only start to fire bursts when close up. That

seems to work well, except that the "double taps" they are meant to

get off with the SLR at very close range are a bit too rapid. I think that

just needs a variable value tweak in the config to fix.

They are reasonably well bombed up (ie. they have a generous issue of

ammo and grenades) to start with, and if that's still not enough there's

ammo replen available from these nice British ammo cans (with added

labels on the lids for convenience in-game) :)

[clickable thumbnail]

[Stewy 1]

I'll just make a couple of the unit types in optional "medically qualified" versions and indicate this for game purposes with an extra FFD on their belt or something (or

rifle butt, but that'll require me to do some more remapping).

Thanks very much for the reply Colonel - but please don't delay the addon on my account - everyone here will hate me! :D

Good luck Sir and can't wait!

Stew

[Col. Faulkner 0]

Thanks very much for the reply Colonel - but please don't delay the addon on my account - everyone here will hate me! :D

Good luck Sir and can't wait!

Stew

Well, it won't be just on your account. I'll need to include some sort of

medics in any case.

[Col. Faulkner 0]

Still working on these, steadily going down the list of things that need fixed,

tweaked or redone (or reattempted). This is more or less the final quality of

these things now. The texturing isn't anything as good as I'd have really liked

but the stuff is all still very useable. I'm trying to get them all finished enough

to release them as soon as possible. Breaking my neck to make addons for

ArmA I seems increasingly silly, since almost everyone has apparently moved

on now.

There are squaddies and bootys from 1965 to 1985. Their clothing is

authentic and their weapons and kit have the proper period details.

[Clickable Thumbnails]

[Col. Faulkner 0]

[Clickable Thumbnails]

[Stewy 1]

since almost everyone has apparently moved

on now.

Still here mate and can't wait! They look very cool! Thanks for your hard work! I love the SLRs and the scrim on the helmets!

Stew

[Fuzzmaster 21]

Yes thank you really much for all of your hard work, all your units look really nice :)