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[ggrewe]

Amazing detail Karla, love your work & really looking forward to this new project   

[karla]

All the bits are coming together now. The hull was modified mainly around the bow and all the discharge piping was redone. Quite a lot of the work has been on textures - in fact all the texture maps have been modified one way or another. Unfortunately, I don't think I'll have time to add jet blast deflectors, rotating radar, FLOL etc., but I'm sure that the new BHR will still be useful to many.

I'll continue refining everything for a few weeks but I have yet to test it out in IL2 DBW. This is because I find it very difficult to copy the output from the BuggyBuggy .msh exporter in GMax Listener because of the Discreet built-in limiter. I've used Linux/Ubuntu and all of the GMax grabbers - Yagg, GMaxMshGrabber etc - but none work under my O/S.

My current workflow is as follows -


IL2 - BLENDER MESH CONVERSION PROCESS

Ubuntu 14.04 64 bit
Wine and PlayOnLinux to run Windows programs*
Win XP to run YAGG v 1.0.0.2** with GMax v 1.2** (GMax runs under Ubuntu; couldn't get YAGG to target GMax Listener output)
Blender 2.49b
MS Visual C++ 2008 SP1 Redistributable
Python 2.6.2 msi
Blendy Blendy Exporter
Gimp 2.8

MeshConv v1.18*
   .msh >> .3ds (0 -1 1 -1, Shorter to 10 characters)

Gimp v 2.8
   create texture maps
   always, always vary hue, tone, saturation (there are no surfaces in the world that are uniform)
   use many named layers eg . basic colour, modify colour, scuff marks, weathering, panel lines, separate items, twiddly bits, labels, shadows
   save .xcf often
   export as .tga texture map (no RLE compression)

Blender v 2.69 2.49b*
   .3ds >> import (size constraint OFF, image search OFF, apply transform OFF, -X Forward, +Z Up)
   use separate object names
   check unwanted geometries
   check normals orientation
   remove double vertices
   triangulate quad faces
   save final working file
   repeat for each entity in whole model
   use UV maps and Gimp in iterative process
   finally, join meshes to create single mesh0
   duplicate main model and simplify to create LOD models if wanted
   duplicate model and simplify for shadow model if wanted
   add simple boxes as collision models if wanted
   should have one node, lod(s), one shadow, one collision and a single mesh object
  .blend >> export .3ds (selection only ON, -X forward, +Z up)
   Blendy Blendy Exporter

GMax v 1.2**
   add '3dsimport.ms' Script 3DS Importer v1.0a Chris Cookson to gmax/scripts folder
   add 'Buggy Buggy IL2 Exporter V2.52a.ms' .msh exporter to gmax/scripts folder
   use scripts (Utilities/MAXScript/3DSImport/Import3DS..)
   .3ds >> import (import keyframes OFF, import lights OFF)
   add the material/texture map (Material Editor/New/Standard/Maps/Diffuse/Bitmap/select/Apply)
   use scripts (BuggyBuggy/Export IL2.msh/Select by Name/Pick)
   .3ds >> export .msh (do for LODs, shadow and mesh - each entity in the model)
   use MAXScript Listener (MaxScript/Open Listener)
   use YAGG**
   >> .msh textfile

Gedit (text editor)
   .msh edit (check against working .msh file; remember to use correct material name)

IL2 1946 DBW 1.71* 4.12.2m
   test

[EDIT 1Mar15: update end process]
[EDIT 17Oct14: update workflow]

[AG-51_Razor]

Beautiful work Karla! The Bony Dick would be proud.

[BravoFxTrt]

+1, you go Karla.

[karla]

Bon Homme Richard created in Gimp Blender with Cycles renderer.

Thanks, you chaps.

BHR has been tested in game and - surprise to me - it works well. I've overcome the last hurdle of grabbing GMax exported .msh data by resurrecting an old PC and re-installing Win XP - just so I can use YAGG. I previously tried cutting and pasting data but, after 20 minutes and less than 1/10th the way through the first file it was obvious it was too laborious. There are over 3.3 million vertices in the model and I am amazed that the game ran at all. Still got to add and test it with LOD and collision models though.

I'll take a couple of weeks adding and correcting details, refining texture maps and testing in game.

I'm simultaneously trying to create a static scene with CVA-31 for my desktop; see http://blenderartists.org/forum/showthread.php?351121-Aircraft-Carrier-US-Essex-class-Ca-1970

[EDIT 20Oct14 - corrected Gimp to Blender]

[singüe]

fantastic!

[duffys tavern]

Wow! A lot of "sweat equity" in this baby and you're willing to share with the rest of us. What a generous spirit. Thank you very much.

[BOYAN]

Amazing....just amazing... With new A-4 Skyhawk from FM, it will be pure joy and eye candy flying...

A couple of questions if I may... Are you perhaps planning to add jet blast deflectors, rotating radars and optical landing system in the future?

And a small suggestion... Would you consider adding a ship`s name to the stern? Like the Yorktown and long hull Essex classes have in game... BHR had it like this:

[steven197106]

Will this be a  wide carrier, on the Hancock  like all il2 carriers you a aircraft in pairs, but in BOYAN picture looks like Four  A-7 across the flight deck

[Screwball]

Really beautiful work karla, thanks for keeping us up to date.

To save creating a new account somewhere else: for realism on your blender desktop image, I would seriously consider not viewing her at sea at all. With clear decks etc, she won't look realistically operational (even when full in Il-2 the fidelity of what can be achieved on the flight deck won't match the fidelity of your model). May be less glory, but still a great deal of romance in images of vessels laid up alongside a dock or at anchor, or being towed to their final resting place... Just a thought.

Screwy

[karla]

@ Boyan: JBDs may be added (western may help here). I'll look into SPS43A radar rotation. FLOLS doesn't seem to be possible just yet. A moderately resolved name is on the stern (I'd already referred to yours and other images).

@ steven197106: Not sure on scales but the A-7 had a very small wingspan. CVA-31 will be the same size as my previous two HD carriers, CVAs 19 and 34.

@ Screwball: You're right but carriers are sometimes caught with their decks clear. Also a rendering of running seas in Blender will be difficult but, as I mentioned elsewhere, I'm not working too hard on creating a 3D image - it's just a minor distraction.

Thanks again.

[BOYAN]

Thanks for replies Karla! JBDs would be so cool! Maybe FLOLS could just be modeled without actually working, perhaps with some green lights attached...

Anyway,  I was also wondering will you perhaps be changing the shape of the upper bow section, since BHR was the short hull ship, and Oriskany and Hancock are long hulls. Western`s original SCB-125s have that short hull bow...

This is BHR`s in RL: