tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186296772011-04-22T04:00:26.152+10:00Adventures in 3D modelling and the creation of virtual aircraft for Microsoft Flight Simulator and Combat Flight Simulator series. The initial focus being on the Bristol F2B - 'Biff'. (robby88)Robnoreply@blogger.comBlogger1611100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18629677.post-63534422193267917992008-12-28T17:58:00.002+10:002008-12-28T18:03:30.047+10:00

Here are some preview images of the Sopwith Snipe for FSX. Currently I have five variations, though whether all five make it into the download or as an extra texture pack depends on the size of the zip. CheersRob

Robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18629677.post-18009817927438389052008-12-25T08:14:00.002+10:002008-12-25T08:26:10.226+10:00

I'd just like to wish all my readers and those who've downloaded the Biff a very merry Christmas and a happy and prosperous 2009. Take care and enjoy the holidays. May you have many enjoyable hours with your favourite simulations and games.PS - don't neglect important things such as families.... and .....hey a bit of exercise and life away from a computer is good too. Guess what my new year's

Robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18629677.post-57369477696155574672008-12-25T08:07:00.003+10:002008-12-25T08:26:58.966+10:00

As I'm now on the road to recovery I've resumed working on the Snipe. I'd say the generic base texture on the external model is almost finished. Just got to sit on it for a few days to make sure I'm happy. I hope to have a flight model ready for others to test within the next week. I'm going to experiment with ways of instrument lighting and also look at implementing a simple gravity tank system.

Robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18629677.post-48780227652204416202008-12-15T09:25:00.002+10:002008-12-15T09:34:45.107+10:00

Just a quick post to say that I am now home from hospital. I still have a period of recovery ahead during which I can't place any weight on the wound for more than a few minutes. That means I can't sit upright for any length of time. I can stand and walk ok. I still don't have the verdict on the success of the surgery or likely prognosis. Updates will be posted on my cancer blog. http://

Robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18629677.post-26637521599626219892008-11-12T19:42:00.004+10:002008-11-12T22:31:10.734+10:00

I had hoped to have the Sopwith Snipe finished before surgery which is now scheduled for next week but illness caused by the after affects of radiation therapy combined with infection I've only had a small amount time to work on it. Model wise I've got to animate the steerable tail skid and add a couple of control wires and animate the pilot who's originally from the Biff and set up for that. The

Robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18629677.post-13379642175598014642008-10-20T12:18:00.001+10:002008-10-20T17:13:41.611+10:00

I have had to take an enforced break from any modeling actvities this last week due to the ravages of sarcoma and its treatment combined with infection.However all is not bad. I managed to get a few hours work on the Snipe yesterday, and to say I am pleased with progress is an understatement. The exterior model is coming along nicely and I'm very pleased with the cockpit. I have decided to create

Robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18629677.post-39303620812741475532008-10-12T22:40:00.008+10:002008-10-20T17:15:00.182+10:00

I was hoping to blog the progress on the Fokker D.VII as I work on it. Anyway first up one has to make a number of design decisions.I am only a couple of days work into the project. Day 1 was mainly refreshing and reviewing my earlier research and reference material of which I have a great deal.Day 2 was mainly spent scanning drawings and measuring them in Photoshop. For reference in 3DS Max I

Robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18629677.post-73635964167999718612008-10-09T17:02:00.002+10:002008-10-09T17:30:49.352+10:00

With having cancer in the form of sarcoma it's difficult making long term plans, however I can still model albiet in a stop/start and, at times, a haphazard manner.At long last I've decided that the Fokker D.VII will be the next serious project for FSX, on completion of the Snipe. It's an aircraft I have started a couple of times before only to later scrap. And it's a good thing too as my

Robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18629677.post-71915040962486022092008-10-02T19:12:00.002+10:002008-10-02T19:21:32.442+10:00

Just three pics of the cockpit. I have a few days break then resume work the exterior next week. From now on the cockpit is mainly tweaking and fixing. Notice the lamp wires....? :) cheersRob

Robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18629677.post-14719369427762866322008-09-17T10:14:00.003+10:002008-09-17T10:33:05.759+10:00

Hi reader(s) :) LOL - I'm having a bit of respite from radiation therapy and have manged to complete a bit more work on the Snipe i.e. the placards etc. I'm happy with the results. It's now more or less refining the cockpit textures and materials. The exterior model is fairly generic at the moment - I have a few bits and pieces to complete such as the tail skid bungy, and making the skid

Robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18629677.post-61942569667659434962008-08-07T19:46:00.002+10:002008-08-07T19:54:03.924+10:00

I just thought I'd post the latest WIP pics of the Sopwith Snipe cockpit. I'm at the detail, dirt and specular stage of the cockpit now. These pics are all in simulator shots in FSX in DX10 mode. Hopefully the visuals will be complete soon. Yes that word again.... soon lol. I'd like to have the Snipe finished visually by the 21 August.... we'll see. After that sound and flight modeling. Hopefully

Robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18629677.post-58030911569373692572008-07-14T19:38:00.003+10:002008-07-14T19:54:28.713+10:00

It's been a long time since I checked the download statistics of the various versions of my Bristol F2B. There are 3 versions - FSX, FS2004 and CFS3. The Flight Simulator versions are further broken down into 4 packages each. I was a bit surprised at the download numbers and their break up. Anyway as at 14 July 2008 ........FSX - Base package = 17,224FSX - Total all FSX

Robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18629677.post-60861483283181996762008-07-06T21:33:00.005+10:002008-08-20T09:56:28.460+10:00

Having cut my teeth in modeling for CFS3 I am a staunch believer in 3D gauges. Indeed I do not anticipate creating 2D gauges until I come to HUDS, MFD's, GPS etc. For ordinary needle based instruments I find them smoother and simpler to implement with little or no impact on performance (fps), especially for WW1 & WW2 fighters. The Sopwith Snipe uses 3D gauges as did the Biff. My other planned

Robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18629677.post-19706092751710784372008-06-30T09:02:00.007+10:002008-08-20T09:59:38.262+10:00

While my personal news last week was not good I'm continuing on with my 3D endeavours. They're therapuetic in themselves. It's going to be difficult to plan ahead at times.My focus is on finishing the Sopwith Snipe for FSX which is in the middle of texture and material development stage.I have had 3 weeks away from the Snipe to finish water and terrain mesh for the CFS3 ETO enhancement project.

Robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18629677.post-51005745594515001392008-06-25T13:59:00.003+10:002008-08-20T09:48:34.311+10:00

.......I won't be posting much here. It's a case of here we go again with cancer.For updates please check Rob's Cancer Journeyhttp://sarcomabattle.blogspot.com/Hopefully I'll be back.Rob

Robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18629677.post-54571173203462086572008-05-22T19:05:00.002+10:002008-05-22T19:14:34.501+10:00

Just to show that I'm really working on the revived Snipe again here are a few WIP pics all in FSX in DX10 preview mode. As you can see I've still a fair bit of work to do on the textures and materials. I've ear marked a few parts to change also. CheersRob

Robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18629677.post-32045419409702672462008-05-21T09:06:00.007+10:002008-08-20T10:02:45.015+10:00

That's something that I'd like to know, now that I've revived the freeware FSX version. It would take a while more to convert i.e. part names, animations, model structure, LODS, damage model. Those possibly interested can PM me - robby88 - at Sim-Outhouse. I'm not sure if OFF Phase 3 will allow for 3rd party aircraft. Thus I need to know if there's any interest before going to all the trouble of

Robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18629677.post-41940358867509835402008-05-05T13:32:00.003+10:002008-06-08T13:53:00.024+10:00

After a night of agonising & loosing much sleep (LoL), hours of reading and a morning of web browsing I decided on the Sopwith Baby. At the end it was a toss-up between the Baby & a DH.2. As I preferred to make a seaplane, the baby won out. A few tentative aircraft fell by the wayside due to lack of information especially engine control & fuel management e.g. the Short 184 and Curtiss HS-2L.

Robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18629677.post-48643526632792852392008-05-04T12:45:00.004+10:002008-05-19T18:12:25.894+10:00

These last few days I have been working on and reviewing the Sopwith Snipe and also formulating possible future projects. Thus I've withdrawn both the Snipe [now rescinded ..see below] and Fokker D.VIII from my freeware lineup for the time being. These aircraft will be tentatively part of themed WW1 multi-aircraft packs, each focusing on aircraft of particular manufacturers. There is a very nice

Robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18629677.post-9077552951719128452008-04-29T16:12:00.003+10:002008-08-20T09:47:53.549+10:00

Due to delays caused by personal factors, the desire to create aircraft for other eras, and the desire to create payware aircraft I'm reducing my WW1 freeware lineup for 2008 to just the Sopwith Snipe and Fokker D.VIII. I still hope to create a freeware F6F-3 and F-84, mainly as learning experiences before creating payware aircraft of these and later genres.I may move forward on creating low cost

Robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18629677.post-65926668142876231942008-04-21T11:38:00.005+10:002008-08-20T10:06:00.859+10:00

I've mentioned this aircraft in previous blog posts. Anyway today celebrates my return to aircraft modeling after radiotherapy (I've been busy on CFS3 terrain work for a couple of weeks). Today I refreshed my memory on where I was at with the Fokker D.VIII, created new wheels and refreshed some minor smoothing issues on the prop. Most of the work so far is in the Oberursel and prop - about 2 1/2

Robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18629677.post-55691851394199070922008-04-15T22:16:00.003+10:002008-04-21T11:58:09.918+10:00

I've been having a bit of a break from modeling this past month. After radio therapy in February and a computer upgrade I've been finding it difficult to get back into modeling in 3DS Max. I suspect there may be further interruptions coming up on the health front. :(I have spent a bit of time flying in FSX these last 4 weeks especially with some great recent releases such as FTX AuBlue, the

Robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18629677.post-16101330789517259042008-03-02T13:33:00.002+10:002008-03-02T13:37:31.709+10:00

Just a quick post to say that I'll be off-line for a couple of days on Monday & Tuesday, if anyone's trying to contact me. I hope to be up & running again by Tuesday night.Rob

Robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18629677.post-13036730369280323002008-03-02T06:30:00.022+10:002008-03-02T17:06:52.034+10:00

I can't say this blog has too many readers, about 10 a day, unlike my other site, The Wing Fell Off which has exceeded 100 day. Having had cancer over the past year, and now hopefully on the recovery trail, has taken time away from activities such as 3D aircraft creation, which has only really resumed in a focused manner since the end of December 2007. (I'm still restricted from sitting long

Robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18629677.post-29181527125814674132008-02-27T12:33:00.003+10:002008-04-21T12:05:59.898+10:00

Just to clarify what I hope to achieve completion wise with respect to the previous post. I'm aiming for the Sopwith Snipe & Fokker D.VIII at the end of April. I'll probably focus on the Albatros D.Va for completion too. All the others will be ongoing too, but the main focus will be on the above 3, otherwise I'll end up with a nice collection of partially completed meshes.I worked on the F6F-3 on

Robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18629677.post-62673025064781047882008-02-20T08:49:00.002+10:002008-02-20T09:06:32.354+10:00

Just a quick note to say that while I've been quiet on my blog recently I am still working away on a number of 3D meshes of various aircraft.Recently worked on models, include - Junkers D.I, Fokker E.V/D.VIII, Albatros D.Va (all new 2008 mesh), Clerget 9B engine, Oberursel URII engine, Sopwith Baby (all new 2008 rebuild), Sopwith Triplane, Siemens-Halske Sh.III engine, SSW D.III and of course

Robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18629677.post-38622986390752806302008-01-17T19:36:00.000+10:002008-01-17T19:55:59.331+10:00

I was considering changing the focus of this blog and moving to a new blog at MS Live Spaces. However I did not like having banner ads at Live Spaces. I did post earlier that I was changing the scope of this blog and moving virtual aircraft creation elsewhere. I have now deleted that post and this blog continues on in its original scope in the short term.However change will come. I would expect

Robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18629677.post-27283590351519062662008-01-17T18:51:00.000+10:002008-01-17T19:54:27.956+10:00

I originally established the Aeroplane Art web site with the intention of promoting and supporting both future payware & freeware add-on aircraft projects for the Microsoft Flight Simulator and Combat Flight Simulator franchises. Unfortunately during 2007, cancer was diagnosed in my right leg, an advanced myxoid liposarcoma, which is not very nice to have (understatement). This of course, meant

Robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18629677.post-56714681277749581812008-01-05T17:34:00.000+10:002008-01-05T17:38:34.093+10:00

The new WIP at one day's work, looking a bit cryptic. It's summer here, and after a week of rain comes the steamy heat.... slowing me down now. Tomorrow some texture work on the Snipe. Hopefully the heat will ease up. Phew.....!!cheersRob

Robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18629677.post-23703675872323015202008-01-05T08:38:00.000+10:002008-01-05T08:47:30.339+10:00

Along side the Snipe I'm doing other stuff, when I can. Doing new things keeps one fresh & existing skills intact.Here's a WIP pic... just the wings so far, but I am able to use the Oberursel & UC parts from the Dr.I. I haven't decided on the target sim for this as yet...probably FSX, maybe CFS3. Largely a RT modeling exercise for now.cheersRob

Robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18629677.post-53360118737080253102008-01-04T18:15:00.000+10:002008-01-04T18:32:15.009+10:00

At last the fruits of my labours are delivering satisfaction as the Sopwith Snipe cockpit takes shape. These are WIP pictures taken in cockpit in FSX at different times of day. Many of the textures are just templates and much work on the materials remains. This is just the groundwork. CheersRob

Robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18629677.post-84740449847776802302008-01-02T10:09:00.001+10:002008-01-02T10:41:55.976+10:00

Happy New Year everyone!! May 2008 be rewarding to you all. (PS - Slightly late as it's 2nd January here in Oz.)I'm now back with 3DS Max & Photoshop and slowly making progress.A few posts ago in my post 'Time to down tools', I posted a list of projects I hope to tackle during the course of 2008. There's others in progress too that may join that list.Anyway first up will be the Sopwith Snipe. The

Robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18629677.post-20855784077953324702007-12-31T19:54:00.000+10:002007-12-31T20:14:35.119+10:00

Now that I have resumed working on my projects, here's a WIP of the Snipe virtual cockpit. I've fixed a few things and am now working on the textures. As you can see it includes much of the external aircraft. Much of what is shown here are texture templates, some parts being colour coded on my texture sheet. Some of the textures will take some puzzling out, as it is many months since the parts

Robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18629677.post-14210617301224787382007-12-31T10:58:00.000+10:002007-12-31T20:15:45.177+10:00

I seem to be on the mend from surgery (though there's still a bit of a caveat hanging around with infection), and gradually resuming interests in hobbies etc. I've been picking away at the Sopwith Snipe trying to pick the threads of where I was at before surgery, and develop renewed interest in the project. I'm also picking away at modeling bits & pieces for various projects such a Clerget engine

Robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18629677.post-35549519739543933132007-12-01T09:18:00.000+10:002007-12-31T20:03:28.459+10:00

I was pleasantly surprised to receive an email informing me that the FSX Biff is featured in the PC Pilot Winter Special. Hopefully I'll be able to pick up a copy in a few weeks myself, when it appears on newstands here. The Biff was download of the month in PC Pilot earlier this year.The other good news is that I am home after 3 weeks in hospital, having major surgery on my leg. The road to

Robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18629677.post-61545424500645839762007-11-01T19:48:00.000+10:002007-11-01T20:26:20.128+10:00

I'd like to post some exterior shots of the Sopwith Snipe (FSX). The exterior model is nearly complete... a bit of dirt to be added and unit markings.... probably a No.4 AFC aircraft to begin with. The cockpit will have to be completed after surgery... which means way in the future :( cheersRob

Robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18629677.post-45313184513330157132007-10-28T09:34:00.000+10:002007-10-28T09:53:11.873+10:00

In an earlier post on optimising & painting the Sopwith Snipe I mentioned that I initially could not see the benefits of my attempts to optimise for draw calls on the Snipe. This was in FSX SP1. I also posted on 2 Oct that I could see benefits but I could not discuss at that time. The reason for this was I was testing both FSX:Acceleration & its SDK which was covered by NDA which is now lifted.

Robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18629677.post-13951774554798246092007-10-21T07:57:00.000+10:002007-10-21T08:27:45.092+10:00

Well it's now time for resection surgery. I've been told this will happen either this Thursday or the following Tuesday. Thus I have to down tools (3DS, Max Photoshop) the time being. How long I will be out of the loop I do not know. It will possibly be a couple of months before I can sit down for any length of time at a desk.I had hoped at one stage to finish the Sopwith Snipe before surgery.

Robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18629677.post-9134377334573465192007-10-13T08:34:00.000+10:002007-10-13T08:40:07.440+10:00

A great blog and certainly worthwhile checking out, (especially if one is a 3D content creator for games/sims) - Mike Porter, lead vehicle artist with Microsoft Aces studio.http://portergraphic.spaces.live.com/default.aspx?wa=wsignin1.0Mike's blog features excellent tutorials and tips. Great stuff!!!!cheersRob

Robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18629677.post-13029536959212183062007-10-02T10:47:00.000+10:002007-10-04T21:45:27.975+10:00

Due the uncertainty of my personal situation , I am mainly just 3D modeling for relaxation at the moment. This means working a 1 or 2 days for a couple of hours a day, on any given aircraft and then jumping to something else when I tire. I've shelved my scenery explorations for a few weeks.I did spend a couple of days working on textures & materials for the FSX version of the Sopwith Snipe,

Robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18629677.post-78799741358549470202007-09-23T14:28:00.000+10:002007-10-02T11:12:10.535+10:00

I've started working on a couple of new aircraft for CFS3/FSX - a F6F-3 and Curtiss SB2C-4. I'll be starting a TBF or TBM soon too. Not sure which version yet. I've heaps of ref material for these aircraft, one of the reasons I'm making them.PS - I'm also trying to decide on a P-39 version.Don't expect these soon....2008 sometime.Rob

Robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18629677.post-34082941786059327362007-09-05T07:00:00.000+10:002007-10-02T10:47:12.622+10:00

I am still undergoing cancer treatment & don't have much time for hobbies, but enjoy them when I can.I've worked a little bit on the Sopwith Snipe for FSX. I reduced the number of materials on the model to reduce the number of gpu draw calls as per Adrian Wood's blog. I did not notice any increase in performance by doing so, even though I would have reduced the draw call count by about 30+ draw

Robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18629677.post-17064912461598622312007-08-20T08:18:00.000+10:002007-08-20T08:45:37.722+10:00

I haven't really carried out much work in virtual aircraft creation in the last couple of weeks save for reviewing where I am at with the FSX Sopwith Snipe. I have mainly been concentrating in getting to grips with the CFS3 scenery SDK & terrain creation, with partial success so far.I also have started radiotherapy which has been pretty painless so far, though I have been told things will get

Robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18629677.post-40852519959954422432007-07-28T16:58:00.000+10:002007-07-28T17:16:36.704+10:00

Now that I am branching out into terrain & scenery creation, much of the past week has been involved in that pursuit. As I mention in my other blog that project will involve at least one PTO aircraft, at this stage, tentatively a Nakajima A6M2-N Rufe. I'd love to attempt a Betty or Emily but I don't have much interior reference material on these as yet.This week's aircraft creation activities

Robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18629677.post-68103125624398731782007-07-23T07:27:00.000+10:002007-07-23T07:31:30.704+10:00

I have decided to start another new blog devoted to scenery/terrain creation for CFS3 & FSX. It will also cover my explorations in the world of GIS.http://scene-explore.blogspot.com/This blog will primarily focus on aircraft creation & modeling.Rob

Robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18629677.post-49252354037677016662007-07-20T12:23:00.000+10:002007-07-20T12:46:40.696+10:00

Continuously working on the Snipe was turning into a bit of a grind and created a need to refresh oneself. I spent a day working on a Clerget 9B engine for inclusion in a number of WW1 projects, however the continual focus on WW1 also requires a bit of a break. Add these factors to MS/Aces lack of interest in a new combat flight sim and the impressive recent release of Mediterranean Air War, MAW,

Robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18629677.post-40700132060284556282007-07-15T19:01:00.000+10:002007-07-15T19:14:42.720+10:00

It doesn't look like I've done a great deal to the Sopwith Snipe since Tuesday, but I have. I have remapped the external fuselage, decking & cowl at least twice and each time re-rendered the ambient occlusion maps. That of course meant redoing the external airframe for the interior model too.I think I can say I can move forward now and concentrate on painting/rendering the textures, though I

Robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18629677.post-54914335392981454502007-07-10T20:41:00.000+10:002007-07-10T20:46:16.940+10:00

Making the most of my time at the moment & thought I'd show a couple more WIP pics, one in games & one in 3DS Max. The textures are slowly taking shape. Much more to do. Rob

Robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18629677.post-23408805077225278952007-07-10T11:56:00.000+10:002007-07-10T11:57:05.663+10:00

The name says it all - Music from around the web.http://musicexplorations.blogspot.com/Enjoy! :)Rob

Robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18629677.post-25934174632688431722007-07-09T19:46:00.000+10:002007-07-09T19:51:10.457+10:00

UV mapping that is :) .... however we'll get there. Still working on the Snipe. Time's a bit limited & will become more limited given my situation, however the Snipe is taking shape. I re-mapped the external model...mainly the fuselage and of course this meant re-doing parts of the VC also. Ambient occlusion rendering is a slow business but as one can see the results in the cockpit are effective

Robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18629677.post-72788486638133789952007-07-01T17:53:00.000+10:002007-07-01T17:59:22.616+10:00

Working on the 3D stuff is excellent therapy. This weekend's WIP - Ambient occlusion mapping on the Snipe & the external model of the Me P.1112 ready for cockpit work.... CFS3 will be first for the Me P.1112. The P.1112 must be my quickest model yet... 4 days work so far. Compare to hundreds of hours in the Snipe... though the Snipe has required much research. This week back to all the medical

Robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18629677.post-28371675605927622412007-06-28T12:28:00.000+10:002007-06-28T12:32:35.709+10:00

....of the FSX Sopwith Snipe before I paint & apply full FSX materials. The glossy specular will be all gone. I'm not sure whether I can finish before radiotherapy starts.... we'll see.The VC is also all UVW mapped & ready for painting too. I'm doing the animations just now.Hopefully I will have the opportunity to finish the CFS3 version later this year also.Rob

Robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18629677.post-23496598326435880752007-06-22T18:56:00.000+10:002007-06-22T18:59:35.502+10:00

Just to show that the Sopwith Snipe has not been forgotten, .... a WIP image. Most of the cockpit area has now been UV mapped save for the instruments and a couple of other parts. Now comes the tedious bit of painting all the parts. It will still be a while before it's complete.Rob

Robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18629677.post-37770395370962081322007-06-22T13:46:00.000+10:002007-06-22T13:58:25.970+10:00

Here are a few WIP pics of meshes under construction including the frequently disappearing Albatros. Hopefully these won't disappear this time.The Dr-I will possibly be payware. Anyway they are a long way away and much still to be done, rigging, engines etc. I have to create Clerget & Mercedes engines before I can progress with some of these. I have resumed work on the Snipe again. I can't say

Robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18629677.post-67153997510663803962007-06-22T11:33:00.000+10:002007-06-22T11:42:34.084+10:00

I have created a new blog relating to a recently diagnosed liposarcoma in my thigh. I will still post here from time to time on virtual aircraft creation.http://sarcomabattle.blogspot.com/Rob

Robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18629677.post-29382998600578234092007-06-16T08:09:00.000+10:002007-06-28T13:08:14.112+10:00

I just noticed that a few of my images hosted on Imageshack linking through to my blogs have disappeared. I've sent an email to ImageShack seeking the reason.The images are all WIP images of various meshes... various of the Sopwith Snipe, all my Albatros mesh previews and Spad S.7. There are possibly some others.A mysterious form of censorship or malfunctioning ImageShack?Life is full of

Robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18629677.post-76333811450758353542007-06-16T07:41:00.000+10:002007-06-16T07:47:57.165+10:00

I received the results of the tumour biopsy & it's cancer after all. Not good news :( It's a liposarcoma.I have quite a schedule of treatment to undergo starting soon. 5 Weeks of radio therapy followed by resection surgery & a long period of rehab & recovery. Once treatment starts I'll be out of action for a number of months.Rob

Robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18629677.post-52720969786141215802007-06-09T13:43:00.000+10:002007-06-09T13:48:04.011+10:00

I had minor surgery on my leg this week to take a tissue sample for biopsy. At this stage all that is known is that it is a low grade tumour. I'll find out more next Friday. I'm a bit sore & resting this weekend. The aftermath of surgery was a lot more painful than I thought it would be.Rob

Robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18629677.post-71997049223575968162007-05-31T06:57:00.000+10:002007-05-31T08:12:53.556+10:00

Virtual aircraft creation is again taking a back seat, this time, due to health issues.A large mass (tumour) last week was discovered in my right thigh. It is causing complications by compressing blood vessels and causing and a bit of thrombosis, thankfully in veins near the surface and not DVT, otherwise I would have been in hospital a while. I ended up unexpectedly in hospital to control the

Robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18629677.post-5999542565906473682007-05-19T17:41:00.000+10:002007-05-19T17:43:46.991+10:00

As I posted in Wing Fell Off, I started my new job this week so I now mainly a weekend warrior as to working on 3D. Here are a few pics of 4 current WIP meshes of aircraft destined for FSX.... freeware of course.Albatros DV/DVaSopwith Triplane.Sopwith SnipeSopwith BabyI'm not working to any definite timetable with these. They'll be ready in due course.Rob

Robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18629677.post-541217923063299622007-05-11T16:07:00.000+10:002007-05-11T16:18:39.499+10:00

That's right! The Biff Diaries is now returning after a brief period of hibernation.The FSX SP1 beta is almost there and I have freed up enough time to move forward with my pursuit of virtual aircraft creation to the extent I can start posting WIP updates here. I have also started a new job and this has provided some stability to make plans.The Sopwith Snipe is now back in WIP. The Snipe has been

Robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18629677.post-67650614032685097702007-04-01T15:32:00.000+10:002007-04-02T09:40:50.890+10:00

................more like hibernation.I'll be putting this blog to sleep for the time being. Any aircraft creation/modeling posts, if there are any, will now appear my other blog "The Wing Fell Off". This blog only receives 10 visits a day so it's no big deal..LOL. I'll sort of be going into hibernation too, from the aircraft creation perspective but not for too long. :)The reasons being

Robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18629677.post-83626777528995614102007-03-19T17:47:00.000+10:002007-03-19T18:10:05.946+10:00

Now that I have again temporarily put the Sopwith Snipe to one side for a few days I am shifting focus. With my ambition to create payware/commercial aircraft one cannot use the Flight Model Data Workbook or Airwrench for any commercial projects as their user agreements preclude such. (One can still use these for freeware releases and I still intend to produce a few along the way.)I will use

Robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18629677.post-56811904786590221072007-03-19T09:13:00.000+10:002007-03-19T09:43:13.817+10:00

You know the saying 'so near... yet so far....'. That's the way the Snipe is shaping out.I have encountered difficulty obtaining information related to cockpit details and the fuel system.I have good detail from a variety of sources of the left side of the cockpit and main instrument panel however little of the right hand side of the cockpit. I have managed to fill in many gaps but some details

Robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18629677.post-33708415509126232402007-03-16T09:45:00.000+10:002007-03-16T10:01:56.346+10:00

From the virtual aircraft creation perspective, most of this week has been spent working on Sopwith Snipe related issues. I have been working on uv mapping the virtual cockpit.Now I have paused to research a few cockpit issues and figure out how I'm going to handle cockpit instrument lighting. This is a little bit different from normal FS aircraft and I also use 3D parts rather than the FS gauge

Robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18629677.post-87388012873256941342007-03-16T09:29:00.000+10:002007-03-16T09:42:38.677+10:00

I was very surprised when I checked and talied the Biff's download stats the other day.As at March 9 2007 - 30,040 downloads of all versions over 3 platforms, FSX, FS2004 & CFS3. These are from Avsim, Simviation, Sim-Outhouse & Flightsim.comTotal FSX (all packages) - 17,103 (From 2 Feb 2007)Total FS9 (all packages) - 6,329 (From 18 Feb 2007)Total CFS3

Robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18629677.post-5973244984685445562007-03-09T17:53:00.000+10:002007-03-10T09:48:34.479+10:00

Now that I am back to aircraft creation after an enforced week's absence due to a Windows crash and other software related problems, I have again had to change priorities and focus on the Sopwith Snipe. It's fortunate that I managed to get the situation with Max 8.0 sorted out because if I had not, the Snipe and all my current WIP would have to have been shelved until MS update their SDK to make

Robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18629677.post-58708092260314835472007-03-08T06:35:00.000+10:002007-03-09T10:24:08.049+10:00

Now back up and the running with Max 8.0, many thanks to my Autodesk Reseller. :)

Robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18629677.post-16966921076394269572007-02-27T09:33:00.000+10:002007-02-27T10:22:21.925+10:00

I've made some tentative plans as the best way to move forward in the coming months.Firstly I'll stick to WW1 aircraft for now. I have some interwar aircraft planned but will leave then for the time being as with the Defiant & Luft '46 aircraft. I'm still after decent reference material on the Defiant BTW.I will also do one other freeware aircraft in addition to the Snipe, mainly for the

Robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18629677.post-3610788419339801252007-02-23T10:22:00.000+10:002007-02-23T11:29:12.294+10:00

A recent post at Sim-outhouse asks the question can one change the texture of a 2 blade prop version of the FS2004 Bristol fighter to a 4 blade prop version. Yes one can, but it's a little bit more complicated than just swapping the texture around. The 4 blade version has its own mdl and as the flight dynamics differ slightly from the 2 blade version, exists in a seperate folder.To add a 4 blade

Robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18629677.post-6348655711049345592007-02-22T09:58:00.000+10:002007-02-25T07:21:22.966+10:00

I notice a new forum at Military Meshes devoted to low poly modeling. The topic of polycount limits comes up frequently at design sites such as FsDeveloper.com and Freeflightdesign.com forums. So what are the polycount limits when it comes to creating virtual aircraft for the MSFS & CFS series?Firstly I would urge the reader to purchase a good book on creating content for computer games. My bible

Robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18629677.post-39843129179589741232007-02-22T08:41:00.000+10:002007-02-22T11:56:21.541+10:00

This morning I decided to check the download stats on the various versions of the Bristol F2B and received a few surprises.FS X version - first released on 2 Feb 2007 - Total downloads of Part 1 - 5,108FS 2004 version - 1st released on 18 Feb 2007- Total downloads of Part 1 - 1,835CFS3 Version - First released 30 March 2006 - Total downloads (11 mths)- 6,103I was really surprised at

Robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18629677.post-15991086737216512022007-02-21T15:33:00.000+10:002007-02-21T18:27:59.466+10:00

Continuing from my previous post - a major factor in deciding new projects is the availabilty of appropriate reference material, both visual and technical.When it comes to WW1 aviation we are fortunate enough to have Windsock magazine and Windsock Datafiles & specials published by Albatros publications. Most datafiles have an 'in detail' section many of which are invaluable when it comes to

Robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18629677.post-9453111358406802512007-02-21T14:29:00.000+10:002007-02-21T20:00:13.680+10:00

After the intensity of finishing off both the FSX & FS9 versions of the Biff I am having a bit of a break from serious aircraft creation. I'm still doing a bit of research & reading, visiting my meshes already started and maybe a bit of skinning, in otherwords dabbling, but only when I feel like it.I'll resume working on the Snipe sometime in the next two weeks. I face the challenge of instrument

Robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18629677.post-39128955895757385372007-02-21T10:41:00.000+10:002007-02-21T10:46:46.940+10:00

The Russian PC Games magazine 'Igromania' contacted me for permission to inlude the FSX Bristol Fighter on their cover DVD and, of course, I was happy to give them such.It will appear on the March 2007 edition cover DVD.

Robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18629677.post-43602148760259078672007-02-19T00:01:00.000+10:002007-02-19T00:03:14.055+10:00

The FS9 version of the Bristol Fighter is now available form Avsim.http://library.avsim.net/search.php?SearchTerm=Bristol+Fighter+F2b&CatID=fs2004ac&Go=Search

Robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18629677.post-24716899672607484302007-02-17T20:30:00.000+10:002007-02-17T20:32:48.541+10:00

I'll upload the FS9 Biff's either to Sim-Outhouse or Avsim on Sunday AEST (GMT+10). I was going to wait until I had set up my new website, but that looks like it will be a big job.I'll post the links in the morning.

Robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18629677.post-20607197842954011872007-02-13T09:05:00.000+10:002007-02-11T11:13:08.332+10:00

I've just uploaded the FSX version of the Bristol Fighter to Simviation. Hopefully it should appear there within the next 24 hours.I was going to do likewise at Flightsim.com and lo and behold it was already there. The phantom uploader strikes again! This has happened to other people also. There's no point in requesting its removal as I would have to upload again. However I will drop the

Robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18629677.post-27629191936732174382007-02-11T11:01:00.000+10:002007-02-11T11:12:20.655+10:00

........ will soon start rolling off the production line. I have been doing some work on the FS9 (FS2004) version this weekend.I have to say after doing the FSX version the FS9 version is something of a comedown, primarily in the cockpit area. The Biff was designed with CFS3 in mind and the limitations of the FS9 export tools were not known to me. This is very noticable in any cockpit round parts

Robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18629677.post-56784262900622890972007-02-02T16:30:00.000+10:002007-02-02T16:38:41.729+10:00

The Bristol F2B for FSX is now available from Avsim.http://library.avsim.net/search.php?SearchTerm=bristol+f2b&CatID=fsxac&Go=Search A few people have downloaded it already and the initial response has been enthusiastic.http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/showthread.php?t=35142http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/showthread.php?t=35149http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/showthread.php?t=

Robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18629677.post-18335872303888293802007-02-02T01:08:00.000+10:002007-02-21T19:56:52.264+10:00

Yep at long last... the first 2 of 4 parts uploaded to Avsim. They should appear in the next few hours. Off to bed..... it's late.cheersRob.

Robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18629677.post-32041325893875295422007-01-31T20:50:00.000+10:002007-01-31T20:54:36.597+10:00

Hopefully the FSX version of the Bristol Fighter will be uploaded to Avsim tomorrow. Other sites will follow in due course. In the meantime a couple of preview pics.

Robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18629677.post-5154262699497001212007-01-27T19:25:00.000+10:002007-01-27T19:33:38.591+10:00

Yep.... still not released :DI've created another 9 skins for starters, giving me 10 all up for the initial releases. Initial releases? Yep I've created some variations on the visual model so there will be more than one download when it is released.I've finished all the skins and can see a few bits and peices to fix up and also make some minor changes to virtual cockpit textures. Next up is a new

Robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18629677.post-63091843887128095812007-01-24T16:52:00.000+10:002007-01-24T16:57:17.844+10:00

What I had initially intended to complete for the FSX Biff is now complete. There was a delay of a couple of days due to code for the fuel selector switch not doing as I wanted. This morning I dropped the approach used by MS for their fuel selectors in FS2004/FSX and coded my own from scratch. It does what I want when I want.Presently I am doing a few skins and minor visual variations. So hang on

Robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18629677.post-15391149750752535412007-01-15T20:23:00.000+10:002007-01-15T20:40:50.936+10:00

The FSX version of the Bristol Fighter is almost complete and should be released sometime this week. I have just a couple of cockpit animations to figure out and we're there. The tedious job of converting all the LOD models is complete. I may create a couple of new skins I have in mind time permitting. The mdl files are some size. The mesh of the external model for all 3 sims, FS9/CFS3/FSX is

Robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18629677.post-33976198117959464362006-12-25T08:19:00.000+10:002006-12-25T08:32:37.813+10:00

I would like to wish my blog readers a very Merry Christmas and a prosperous and happy New Year.Hopefully 2007 will be very productive for me.2006 has seen me on multiple learning curves ...... completing the Bristol Fighter; doing my own flight modelling and texture art; learning and refining 3D modeling techniques; modeling and animating characters; xml parts animation for FS2004 and now FSX;

Robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18629677.post-38877614750539164422006-12-11T15:03:00.000+10:002006-12-11T16:07:21.204+10:00

Here are a few pics of the FSX version of the Bristol Fighter. The crew are complete. The external model and textures have been updated to FSX standard. I have some further work to do on the specular maps. I have only used a little bit of bump mapping on this occasion. Actually I'm not exactly impressed with bump mapping as at stands at present in FSX. One has to export the bump map from

Robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18629677.post-75048345617683093022006-12-05T11:04:00.000+10:002006-12-05T17:35:01.668+10:00

My two ww1 aircrew are just about ready to go into my FSX Bristol F2b 'Biff'. (external model ... not VC). They'll also follow in the external models of FS9 F2B version and one will go in the extrenal model of the Snipe - all versions. Afternoon update - one more pic.... and a slight addition.... those who know my surname will get it. ;)cheersRob

Robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18629677.post-22628854174713435212006-11-29T11:33:00.000+10:002006-11-29T12:05:12.866+10:00

As I continue to work on FS9 and FSX (Flight Simulator X) versions of the 'Biff' (Bristol F2B) I have been learning how to create new animated parts using xml code. A few days into this learning process the FSX SDK SP1 was released to beta test and straight onto coding XML animation for FS X.I have been using the Biff to give the FSX SDK a good workout. The external model FSX version of the Biff

Robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18629677.post-21396295050873282862006-11-20T22:31:00.000+10:002006-11-20T22:58:27.657+10:00

Very brief update. I am very busy as usual. I have been busy beta testing the FS X SDK beta update these last 10 days or so. I must say I am very pleased. In the field in which I am most interested, aircraft creation, we have much that is new, especially new animation procedures and a new materials system.There are no hard coded animations and every part that is animated has to be key framed. The

Robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18629677.post-64472745527130573872006-11-01T15:35:00.000+10:002006-11-01T15:49:34.752+10:00

Still to come for CFS3..... they haven't been forgotten. Don't know when they'll be complete though.Sopwith SnipeSopwith BabyBV P212.03Me P1112Boulton Paul Defiant.Maybe...... well a big maybe ............... some more Biff stuff too.... we'll see :)cheersRob

Robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18629677.post-62053888931077599562006-11-01T08:38:00.000+10:002006-11-13T23:20:05.971+10:00

While I currently have about 7 open projects for FS/CFS, since last weekend I have been primarily focusing on the Bristol Fighter for FS 9. I was not intending to do a version for FS X until next year. However with the remainder of the FS X SDK shortly being released and the FS9 F2B version being more more complete than I thought, I intend to move the FS X version forward and release both

Robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18629677.post-79500345152396857822006-10-26T20:28:00.000+10:002006-10-26T20:43:52.262+10:00

I've been busy in recent days modeling some crew members for my FS/CFS creations. I am totally new to modeling people or character creation. They're fairly low res with the exception of the goggles which are about 470 triangles. The heads otherwise come in about 900 triangles including helmets.Initially reduced versions of these will find their way into the external models of the Biff and Snipe

Robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18629677.post-90214420922917320632006-10-18T17:06:00.000+10:002006-10-19T12:26:22.606+10:00

3DS Max 9 arrived today. It's nice to be among the first to use this new version. I'd like to say yippee, as was the case when Max 8.0 arrived last year - but yippee's are on hold for the time being.Edit: Actually I was initially disappointed that there was a complete lack of documentation of new features. Previous versions included a new features guide. The new features guide in Max 8.0 was very

Robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18629677.post-1160268681779385142006-10-08T10:37:00.000+10:002006-10-13T15:29:48.451+10:00

I'm in the process of mapping the Me P.1112. Here's a Max quickrender which I find very pleasing.While it was fortunate that WW2 did not last any longer than it actually did it is a great pity that this design did not take to the skys. Whether the intakes would have been totally effective I don't know but this is a beautiful clean aircraft.That one can create facsimilies of these designs and fly

Robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18629677.post-1160192935967924922006-10-07T13:38:00.000+10:002006-10-13T15:29:48.376+10:00

Just showing off some WIP pics of the Messerchmitt Me P.1112 including 3DS Max quick renders and in game shots. Had WW2 continued into this aircraft would have been Germany's primary jet fighter. So far it's about 2 days work and only about 5000 triangles. Interestingly there is little difference in FPS, in CFS3, between this and the Snipe which has 69,000 triangles in the LOD100 mesh.The

Robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18629677.post-1160137972371201542006-10-06T21:41:00.000+10:002006-10-13T15:29:48.301+10:00

I have just, somewhat belatedly, come across a post by Winding Man at Sim-Outhouse, where he somewhat belatedly responded to my post of 21st August, relating to the perception of speed at low level in CFS3 and the OFF team's suggested possible solutions at that date. I am not going to enter any debate or retort on any possible issues. I don't really have any issues LOL. I leave it to the reader

Robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18629677.post-1159955284572990482006-10-04T19:40:00.000+10:002006-10-13T15:29:48.230+10:00

It's been a long haul but all the mesh creation and parts is now finished for the Sopwith Snipe.I've started UV Mapping and then comes the texture art. It will be a while yet.I can't say when the Snipe will be released. The CFS3 version will be first. As for FS X there is still no documentation pertinent to aircraft modeling and export in the final product. We have some cool tools for 3DS Max 7/8

Robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18629677.post-1159678634495228422006-10-01T14:47:00.000+10:002006-10-13T15:29:48.164+10:00

The last week has been busy from the modeling perspective. Not just one new aircraft started but ... two, and true to my word resisted temptation to work on anything related to WW1. All in all it was good practice. I also created tail surfaces for the Defiant. Now it's back to the Sopwith Snipe which I hope to have completed Oct/Nov sometime. The two jet designs will not be as detailed as my WW1

Robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18629677.post-1159177856252868542006-09-25T19:38:00.000+10:002006-10-13T15:29:48.101+10:00

This week to freshen myself up and to enhance my modeling skills, I've temporarily banned myself from working on WW1 aircraft for the week. The mesh of the Snipe cockpit is complete save for some light fittings and a pump.This week I've decided to to create a new mesh from scratch, of my very first project, the Blohm und Voss BV P212.03. Here are a couple of pics - I've still to do the vertical

Robnoreply@blogger.com