Graphics Modeling Discussion

[Fleet Command CC]

Well, if you don't ask, the answer is always "no."

My artistic ability is limited to stick people and stick animals. I don't suppose stick planes would wow the crowd.

Is there any way to extrapolate a 3D image from a photograph? I might be able to do that.

There is a program (3D Software Object Modeller Pro) that can do this, check out the web site below and give the trial version a try. The only problem is it costs £849 pounds, and if the program work all you would need is the models converted.

http://www.3dsom.com/index.html

[Mike D]

I would like to see a few new ground units.


two or three bridges, small medium and large perhaps or approaches and spans to make your own - I currently use the "pad" unit for this and rename them but actual bridges or bridge parts would be more interesting.

a rail yard and railroad target would be cool

electrical substations

central telephone exchanges

radio or communications tower



Again with those I currently use other buildings and rename them but having the units and more accurate damage for those particular types of targets would be nice.

I would love these but I need graphics.

[seanyw]

Hi Mike, I thought I ought to put this on this thread.

The models I've built and will need new units are:

QH-50 - for the Gearing DD
F-9 COUGAR and F-9 PANTHER - both for Argentina which means there'll also can be an Independencia CV and a Veintivcinco de Mayo CV (1968)
FOLLAND GNAT - mostly I built this for Indian air force
HAWKER HUNTER - STK and RCN versions for UK and just about everyone else in the world!
DASSAULT MYSTERE IV - I included this for Israel, but I believe others had it.
P2 NEPTUNE - Again Argentina, but also lots of others.
F-86 SABRE - Pakistan and Argentina and...
HAWKER SEA HAWK - India and that allows for the Vikrant CV
DeHAVILLAND SEA VENOM - Australia and that allows for the MELBOURNE CV (1965)
DASSAULT VAUTOUR - Again, Israel used these in 60's, not sure when the French got rid of them.
HANDLEY PAGE VICTOR - I included this mainly as a TNK, but it was still available as the B2 STK in the late 60's - only UK

The following I leave up to you:
SUPERMARINE SCIMITAR - Carried on as a TNK for the early Buccaneer Mk1s, but right on the edge of the '65 limit and they weren't used much as they tended to kill the pilot!
GLOSTER JAVELIN -The last squadron was still active in '65, but they were really hanging on.
WESTLAND WYVERN - A prop aircraft designed to torpedo ships that retired in '58... I don't expect you'll want to include it

I've listed some other models I'm going to start working on in the graphics design section.

I'm sure you have a shopping list yourself and if there's anything blindingly obvious I've missed, please let me know.

[Citadelvette]

Hi Mike, I thought I ought to put this on this thread.

The models I've built and will need new units are:

QH-50 - for the Gearing DD
F-9 COUGAR and F-9 PANTHER - both for Argentina which means there'll also can be an Independencia CV and a Veintivcinco de Mayo CV (1968)
FOLLAND GNAT - mostly I built this for Indian air force
HAWKER HUNTER - STK and RCN versions for UK and just about everyone else in the world!
DASSAULT MYSTERE IV - I included this for Israel, but I believe others had it.
P2 NEPTUNE - Again Argentina, but also lots of others.
F-86 SABRE - Pakistan and Argentina and...
HAWKER SEA HAWK - India and that allows for the Vikrant CV
DeHAVILLAND SEA VENOM - Australia and that allows for the MELBOURNE CV (1965)
DASSAULT VAUTOUR - Again, Israel used these in 60's, not sure when the French got rid of them.
HANDLEY PAGE VICTOR - I included this mainly as a TNK, but it was still available as the B2 STK in the late 60's - only UK

The following I leave up to you:
SUPERMARINE SCIMITAR - Carried on as a TNK for the early Buccaneer Mk1s, but right on the edge of the '65 limit and they weren't used much as they tended to kill the pilot!
GLOSTER JAVELIN -The last squadron was still active in '65, but they were really hanging on.
WESTLAND WYVERN - A prop aircraft designed to torpedo ships that retired in '58... I don't expect you'll want to include it

I've listed some other models I'm going to start working on in the graphics design section.

I'm sure you have a shopping list yourself and if there's anything blindingly obvious I've missed, please let me know.

Just a thought- You could use the F9F Panther graphic as a Banshee for the Bonaventure CV
and the F-86 could double as and F-1 (FJ-2 on) Fury too. Thanks seanyw, most of these models cover the big request list I sent to Mike compiled from the old forum. If anyone would like the list PM me.

As for the Scimitar all my books say OSD is '69 as TNK and back-up STK for Bucs, limited in fighter role b/c no radar.

My books also say that 60 Squadron at RAF Tengah, Singapore retired the JAvelin FAW.9 in 1968 although only four Squadrons flew it from 1964 on.

The US I belive had a few F-9s (Cougars) still in navy reserve service in the 64-65 time frame and trainer till 70s, can't find good dates.

Finland was the other big Gnat user and it also spawned the Indian Ajeet which served till '92.

Can't find French OSD on Mystere IV but India is '73.

French OSD for Vautour is 1979.

BTW:
My first version of the old forum list is over course posted in all its horrendous length on this thread and that Gnat graphic could just pass as a F-11 Tiger. F-86 could also be G.91. Switzerland used land based venoms until 1983 and Germany had the Sea Hawks till 1965.

[Mudslide]

Hi Mike, I thought I ought to put this on this thread.

The models I've built and will need new units are:

F-9 COUGAR and F-9 PANTHER - both for Argentina which means there'll also can be an Independencia CV and a Veintivcinco de Mayo CV (1968)
FOLLAND GNAT - mostly I built this for Indian air force
HAWKER HUNTER - STK and RCN versions for UK and just about everyone else in the world!
DASSAULT MYSTERE IV - I included this for Israel, but I believe others had it.
F-86 SABRE - Pakistan and Argentina and...
HAWKER SEA HAWK - India and that allows for the Vikrant CV

Jumps for joy.

[Mudslide]

I would like to see a few new ground units.


two or three bridges, small medium and large perhaps or approaches and spans to make your own - I currently use the "pad" unit for this and rename them but actual bridges or bridge parts would be more interesting.

a rail yard and railroad target would be cool

electrical substations

central telephone exchanges

radio or communications tower

I would love these but I need graphics.

Good idea for the bridges.

You could use the pad for a rail yard/rail head also. I would like to see maybe a road/highway junction

For electrical substations, use one of the pill-boxes or a command center.

Same with central telephone exchanges although there is a "Comm Complex" already in the land units you can use

For radio or communications tower, use the "Radar Tower"

Is there any way to "clean up" the data base a bit? It would be nice to have the unit/classes alphabetized. I'm not talking about ship hull numbers, just the ship classes and other class types.

Also, can we do something with the ground units?

The basic maneuver unit for any county is the battalion. I'm thinking you could adjust the score and firepower rating(?) (or damage rating) to modify what already exists. Just some typical organizations:

Artillery:

Anything 155 mm or less is commonly 6-tubes per battery, 3 batteries in a battalion.

Over 155 mm is 4-tubes per battery, 3 batteries in a battalion.

Some countries, mostly NATO countries (including the US) had a composite battalion of 12-tubes 155 mm and 4 tubes 203 mm organic to divisions.

After 1986, the US increased to 8-tubes per battery for 155 mm and smaller and replaced the 203 mm with the MRLS and eliminated the composite battalions.

Air Defense:

Generally 4 or 6 launchers per battery. Battalions were 3 to 5 batteries depending on the system and whether they were organic to a division or corps level.

Missile Artillery:

Soviets/Russians 2 launchers per battery. Sometimes 2 per battalion. The other countries 2 to 12 launchers per battery, system dependent (ie Lance 4 launchers per battery, 8 for Pershing I/IA, 12 for Pershing II, but Germans 6 launchers for Pershing I/IA)

Tanks:

M60s 17 per company (3 platoons with 3 tanks in an heavy section, 2 tanks in a light section plus 2 tanks in headquarters section), 3 companies per battalion (with 2 tanks in HHC). M1 Abrahms, 4 tanks per company.

Infantry:

Generally 3 companies per battalion, and usually with an anti-armor company.

Cavalry/Recon:

Varies greatly, but generally a cavalry troop or recon company has 12 APCs/IFVs and 8 tanks/light tanks.


I'm thinking it would reduce a lot of the screen clutter. In a scenario involving the 11th ACR, you'd be looking at 300+ "X"s on the screen, instead of maybe 13 to 15.

[Mike D]

Good idea for the bridges.

You could use the pad for a rail yard/rail head also. I would like to see maybe a road/highway junction


Is there any way to "clean up" the data base a bit? It would be nice to have the unit/classes alphabetized. I'm not talking about ship hull numbers, just the ship classes and other class types.

Also, can we do something with the ground units?

The basic maneuver unit for any county is the battalion. I'm thinking you could adjust the score and firepower rating(?) (or damage rating) to modify what already exists. Just some typical organizations:

Actually I created the generic pads so things like bridges can go on them. All land units nees to go on on of the pads or else they tend to sink into the ground visiually. So if anyone needs copies of the pads for your graphics then let me know and I'll send them to you.

I would love to organize the db alphabeticly but that would take litrally months. It would be a totally manual process of deleting all the unitd and re adding them. In theory I could write a program to dump each table individually into a spreadsheet then I sould sort the spreadsheet, clear the table and then load the spreadsheet into the table. But I just don't have that kind of time. Would be nice though.

If some graphics designers want to do company sized graphics I can add them into NWP but as far as SAMs they are pretty well covered. Reguardless of the unit size, kill the radar and you've mission killed the whole unit so in this case size doesn't matter.

[seanyw]

I've also completed models for the following:

F102
F106
Gannet AS4
F101
AIM-4G
AIM4-F

All new units for FC and will need adding

Also, could you give me an e-mail address to send the J3D files to as they're all ready now.

[Mike D]

I moved several posts and created a new sticky thread specifically for modeling discussions.

[Mike D]

I've also completed models for the following:

F102
F106
Gannet AS4
F101
AIM-4G
AIM4-F

All new units for FC and will need adding

Also, could you give me an e-mail address to send the J3D files to as they're all ready now.

If you've got them in .j3d format then send them to me at mjdobbins@austin.rr.com with any instructions or notes.