All 3D modelers Attention!

[ccc]

Well, this is a good time to announce that I have been working with Fred
"Baldeagle" Balding on porting my LOD Editor over to the PC side. Fred has
done a wonderful job and the program is currently in beta testing. Fred
figures maybe another week or so and then it should be ready for the public.

So soon enough, the PC pilots will have the ability to do what we have been
doing on the Mac side. The only string attached is that I can use any of
the new models created from the PC side for use on our Macs!

Rick "Dragon"

[MAVDON1]

CCC,
That is fantastic news! I am really looking forward to this now. I have decided on my first "ease me into it" project will be an accurately modelled / skinned BLU-76 for the Vietnam theatre.
Yeah, yeah, I know - wot as pussy, that should take all of 15 minutes! But I want to take my time, get some good coaching, and practice and a good rep, which is the important thing to do - don't want to have people saying there are problems with anything I do cos the idea at the end of the day is for others to ENJOY my work, not put it aside cos they can't get it to work.
So anyone who has any links for learning this game step by step please let me know - here or by e-mail (mavdon1@aol.com)
Also, CCC, I have found a problem with the modelling on the F-4 Phantom in the Vietnam & Korea theatres (maybe someone already seen this) - the pylons are incorrectly positioned - I have a few pics to confirm, but have no idea how to get them up on the net for all to see. Anyone want to give me a clue? Or I could even e-mail them for someone else to do it. Any help on any of the above will be gratefully accepted.

Regards, Don Mac

[ccc]

the phantom modified by Ripper, is done by byte-editing. tough job indeed.
He manipulated deafult vertices to model additional gun fairing, so you cant expect a perfect model.
I think Dragon got some magic to inert additional vertices for this, or wait to see what LODeditot can do!

[ccc]

For you dont subscribe f4newsletter or didnt read it yet...digest here
=================

*** News from the coding front ***

by Julian "Codec" Onions

This week´s news is slim, as I haven't done much having taken a long weekend to work on
Falcon, only to get home and find that the family has other ideas...
but the garden is looking nicer
The lodeditor is getting a little better, but I think Dragon is going to beat me to it by
a long way. So fairly soon we'll be able to edit and construct and
tweak models.

Things are all sort of coming together now, we almost have a complete kit of tools. We
have a program to transform 3ds models into Falcon format, but with
errors. We have some f4patch plugins to add new models to the F4 database, and now tools
to fix up the broken models imported into Falcon.

So pretty soon we should be ready to roll.

==============

Be sure to subscribe f4 newsletter..this SPECIAL column for Julian is must-read!

[ccc]

Attention!!!
http://home.woh.rr.com/rprior/macf4/

==================
News: (5/13/01)

1. LOD Editor: Been working hard on the LOD Editor. First off, Fred "Baldeagle" has ported my program over to the PC side and we expect the initial release within a week. That should generate some new models from the PC side. Secondly, I have managed to draw the models with the Browser as if they were in Falcon! This means they are textured and shaded! This will aid in the texture making process plus the texture mapping process. I expect the update to be released also within the week. Below is a screen shot from the LOD Editor.

[ccc]

**ATTENTION**

LODeditor is about to release!!!

Ready yourself, Read this excellent tutorial by Jerry!!

http://pookieweb.dyndns.org:61127/LodEdit.htm

http://www.delphi.com/falcon4/messages/?msg=17668.1

[ccc]

For those who still hesitate, be sure to check Dragon's update on new LodEditor!

http://home.woh.rr.com/rprior/macf4/
=======================
New Functions:

1. Editing now takes place in memory. Although you wont see much of this, it really made all the other functions possible.

2. As you edit, you choose when to save the model. And this could be in the LOD file or as an external file.

3. You can edit an external file or even start from scratch with a blank new model.

4. You can add any type of node in any location.

5. You can delete any node.

6. You can add/remove vectors, normals or textures.

7. You can add/remove vertices from any draw node.

8. You can change any draw node polygon type.

9. You change the type of nodes.

10. You can cut, copy, paste and insert nodes from the tree list.

11. Support for larger screen resolutions.

Basically, you have complete freedom in what you can edit! I expect another week or so doing some final clean up on it and then I will get it out for release.

[T_Rex]

*string of expletives*

Can't really think of anything else to say, except that this sim will live forever.

T

PS I guess I can think of something else to say: I can now write of another 1000 hours of my life off to F4 non-flight time!

[WOLF-257]

Cool,now I can finish that Mig-21/F-105 conversion.I've been talking to ComGP about it and the direction I'm going might be easier than using the F5.I've got the fuselage stretched to about the right length and it's about the right height from top to bottom.The ability to add verts will make creating the intakes a lot simpler and I need to add some nodes to fill out the lower part of the fuselage.That is if I don't completely lose my mind and try to rebuild the whole thing from scratch.Now that I think about it,it might be easier to do just that instead of trying to modify the existing plane.

[ccc]

Wolf,
Its not a good idea to model f105 from mig21. Take a closer look at front section of mig21, you'll learn its consist of many discontinuous vertices/polys.
I've tried to do more variants of mig21 or other nose-air intake a/c, like A7 or F8, the result is disappointing.
If you want a rough F105, based on F5 is the best choice. If you want a more serious one, you may try building from scratch

[Dragon]

How would you like this chasing you around the airbase???

Actually, it is an example to show that I have the ability to copy node branches from one model and insert them into another model!

[Tazz]

That's cool So we can expect to see a new version of LE soon?

[Dragon]

Well, my Mac version is pretty close to release. Doing some final debugging. Fred still has some new functions to port over and we have some debugging yet to do before we can beta test it.

LE underwent a total code rewrite so it will take some time getting all the bugs out. I am more familiar with it so I can do that much quicker than Fred and I dont have means to a PC to help that much. We have some time this weekend and we are hoping to have a beta version available sometime next week. But with debugging, you never know how long it will take.

[ccc]

Hey Dragon! you shouldnt show that classified toy of USAF to the public, its top-secret!!

According to insiders, enemy a/c got nowhere to evade this new missile, airborne, on taxiway, or in shelter!

ya, i'd like to try this new function ASAP!!

[Dragon]

Yes, the single wheel design is quite suited for most types of terrain. On a flat concrete surface, it can reach amazing speeds! Even on rough surfaces, it is quite agile.

It's only limitation is its slow speed capability, or when it switches from forward to reverse. The weapon will often teeter on the single wheel causing it to lose tracking.

Keep in mind, it is a prototype and we are just now finding out it's strengths and weaknesses.