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[dpaige7]

In cod i like how the patches of missing paint are more reflective like the canopy. Anyway of adding patches of ?glass? over patches of aluminum to make it more reflective than the paint in 1946?

   Feelin pretty stupid now! Obviously i don't fully know or understand the inner workings of this sim or how to convey in terms a modder will understand.
   What i mean to say is.... On a plane - It would be nice to have the bare aluminum(where paint has weathered away) shine more brightly like the glass. Maybe that makes more sense! Bare with me. Thanks!

[Herra Tohtori]

What I wouldn't give for proper specular mapping with environmental reflections... and while we're at it, throw in some normal maps as well.

[Herra Tohtori]

I'm not sure whether you're actually ignorant of what a normal map is, or just playing a joke.

Normal maps are textures that change the normal vector of the surface as far as lighting is concerned. Hence, their name.

What this means, well, the brightness of surface in computer graphics largely depends on its normal vector's direction relative to the light direction. If normal vector is opposite to the light vector, you get full diffuse intensity; at 90 degrees (perpendicular) or more you get zero diffuse intensity (surface illuminated by ambient light only). At non-modified areas, the normal vector is always perpendicular to the mesh surface normal; however, if the normal map modifies it by for example tilting it towards the light source, then that area of the surface gets brighter, and vice versa.

In other words you can use normal maps to include small surface details that are too vertex-heavy to include in the actual model mesh. They are a widely used and well documented feature, and IL-2 already supports them to some extent; water and terrain graphics can use Dot3 maps which are tangent-space normal maps.

Not sure if normal maps can already be used for aircraft, it would be pretty badass especially with higher texture size limits.

[max_thehitman]

Like I said,
Anything is possible 

[dpaige7]

Feelin pretty stupid now!   What i mean to say is - It would be nice to have the bare aluminum(where paint has weathered away) shine more brightly like the glass.

[Ass Eagle]

No need to feel stupid. I didn't know sh*t about skinning less then a year ago..

You would need proper alpha channel embedded for the IL2 skins for global lighting, ie: Alpha-channel contains universal Gloss Reflection information, and ignores the individual characteristics of different camouflage variants of one model. Alpha-channel is used for the surface characteristics (reflection and specular levels). Something not possible with current IL2 skin .bmp format iirc.

[Herra Tohtori]

Additionally, proper "polsihed aluminium" sheen would require an entirely additional graphics component: Environmental reflections.

Anything's possible, but with limited access to source code it is quite unlikely to happen.

[dpaige7]

Thanks for breaking it down for me fellas!  I understand a little more the limitations.  I do use white to simulate this effect. Wanted to take it to the next level due to my petty dissatisfaction. I will just have to make better use of what is at hand.

[Ass Eagle]

Take a look HERE

[dpaige7]

Thanks Max! I appreciate the help!    I actually have quite a few. I have found some pretty stunning skins!  It's pretty amazing what some of these guys can do. My current obsession is taking these beauties, converting them to 2048, then adding more rivet work, weathering, muck, and fine tuning tuning to be smoother and more clear from cockpit. Thanks also to Ice and Hera!!!

[dagwood]

What a great project - and an interesting, informative thread. Thanks and good luck to all.

[Uufflakke]

Besides focusing on planes and the gloss and skins on the last ROF screenshot look at the Monopoly houses, the broccoli trees, bright blue water and cotton ball clouds. 
Nothing matches.

Just my opinion.