[WIP]SKIN: SH5 Tarnmatte Anechoic Coating

[TheBeast]

[REL]SKIN: SH5 Type-VIIC -Tarnmate Anechoic Coating - by TheBeast - June, 24, 2010

Current Status: RELEASE

This POST is for people that want to provide feedback, suggestions and any graphics editing advise. I am a nub when it comes to editing/creating graphics.

This MOD is JSGME ready!

PURPOSE:
This MOD will change the SH5 U-Boat Type-VIIC Stock Commissioning and Albrecht Skins. Eye Candy!

Parts of the Conning Tower will be a Tarnmatte type texture.
The Deck will be a weathered wood grain texture with slightly weathered metal deck plates.
The Body will be a Alberich type texture.
End result: Tarnmatte Anechoic Coating with weathered effect.

CREDITS:
- Danevang - This Skin is using Danevangs: Shadow Maps.
- JSGME - FreeWare JoneSoft Generic MOD Enabler
- DXTBmp - FreeWare Graphics Manipulator used to open DDS files and export your image or Alpha to your Graphics Editor in BMP format.
- Paint.Net - FreeWare Graphics Editor Application used to create this Skin.
- GoblinEditorApp - Used to quickly view image changes on the actual Submarine Model without loading entire game.




-=[ For additional views click here ]=-

Download Link:
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/downloads.php?do=file&id=3701


Change History:
6-25-2010 - Revisited rust FX changing Hue/Brightness in a few places
6-26-2010 - Added a little more rust to hand rail where they are welded to the tower.
6-28-2010 - Created Bump Maps for the Body, Structure and Tower.
6-29-2010 - Updated Download with up to date changes.

[Echolot]

Wow. Respect, TheBeast, this is VERY nice skin. I'm in love with it.

Is the mod folders name too long? Every time I start the ModEnabler it's in the list of nonactivated mods.

Nice job.

Gruß.

Echolt.

[TheBeast]

Originally Posted by Echolot

Wow. Respect, TheBeast, this is VERY nice skin. I'm in love with it.

Is the mod folders name too long? Every time I start the ModEnabler it's in the list of nonactivated mods.

Nice job.

Gruß.

Echolt.

It may be that I used "[]" brackets in the name. Try renaming the folder.

[Echolot]

Originally Posted by TheBeast

It ma be that I used "[]" brackets in the name. Try renaming the folder.

.

[SteelViking]

Yeah, I like it, classy looking. As far as advice goes, you could apply a bump map to it to give some depth to the weathered look that you already have. Just a thought. Good luck

[TheBeast]

Originally Posted by SteelViking

Yeah, I like it, classy looking. As far as advice goes, you could apply a bump map to it to give some depth to the weathered look that you already have. Just a thought. Good luck

Like I said, I am a total nub at this. I have been playing with the *_N.dds files but not really making any progress. If I recall from several years ago, Isn't there a tool to make bump map images.
I did make a template layer that maps all the vent holes. Maybe I can copy that layer to the bump map to be used as refference.

[conus00]

Skin looks great! The only thing which is bothering me a little is that, to my knowledge, no German submarine has ever be painted red under the waterline.

[TheBeast]

Originally Posted by conus00

Skin looks great! The only thing which is bothering me a little is that, to my knowledge, no German submarine has ever be painted red under the waterline.

I may have gone artsy on that but red does show as a dark gray in black in white photo's.
It would be very easy to replace that color as the red is its own layer. I did everything in Layers, THe red below whater line, the dirty white band between the red and darker top of saddle tanks, the top of the saddle tanks, the rust effect, etc.
When I finish, I plan to include the templates in the download.
Rare Color Photo

Same Boat in Black and White...

[SteelViking]

Originally Posted by TheBeast

Like I said, I am a total nub at this. I have been playing with the *_N.dds files but not really making any progress. If I recall from several years ago, Isn't there a tool to make bump map images.
I did make a template layer that maps all the vent holes. Maybe I can copy that layer to the bump map to be used as refference.

Actually, files with the _N.dds are called ocular occlusion maps. I am talking about simply adding a bump map to the texture itself using PS, GIMP, etc. It seems to me that it would make it look a little bit better. I have used them a couple times to make things appear to have a 3d surface. Of course, doing it via the occlusion map would be even better.

[naights]

Hi:

The easiest way to do that (basic) is converting actual texture to grayscale and then play with contrast and brightness, so in photoshop will be something like this:

- Open texture
- Duplicate Layer (background)
- Manual Grayscale = Edit>Fill>50% gray
- Image>Adjustements>Brightness/contrast
- Play with values

To do "N"ormal map (_"N".dds) files, the easiest way to do that with photoshop/Gimp is the Nvidia plugin to make the grayscale/diffuse layers in normal map layers (nvidia normal map filter), there are other external tools like crazybump, but most of them are not freeware.

If you use Nvidia plugin, be sure to check this:

Height Source = Average RGB
Alpha Filed set to 1.0
4 samples
Filter checked
Add Height to Normal Map
Play with SCALE Value

If you want for example add more depth manually (more detail) you can try something like this:

- Duplicate actual layer (normal map layer)
- Add Gaussian blur (filter>blur>gaussian blur) with small value, something like from 0.2 to 0.7
- Change Blending mode to Overlay

If you want much more detail, simply duplicate layer and play again with blur oo duplicate again to increase more detail.

Nvidia plugin download

http://developer.nvidia.com/object/p...s_plugins.html

Bye !!

[SteelViking]

Hey, thanks naights, I was wandering if there was a plugin that would allow GIMP to create _N.dds maps.

[Capt Jack Harkness]

Nice skin Just as a note of nomenclature, though, Tarnmatte was an anti-radar coating and Alberich was the anechoic stuff. Tarnmatte was only really used on snorkel heads, as they were the biggest radar reflector when at periscope depth. It also was made of rubber and rust, so I imagine it had a reddish appearance.



ref: http://www.uboataces.com/sonar-coating.shtml

Alberich, on the other hand, was black rubber that was tiled all over the boat and probably looked a bit like this:



To do a weathered alberich skin, I would do some peeled off tiles and some rust in the gaps, much like a lot of the Soviet SSNs of the 80's.

Anyhow, nice job and keep up the good work!

[TheBeast]

Excellent Info! Thanks for the input. I will check it out.

Originally Posted by naights

Hi:

The easiest way to do that (basic) is converting actual texture to grayscale and then play with contrast and brightness, so in photoshop will be something like this:

- Open texture
- Duplicate Layer (background)
- Manual Grayscale = Edit>Fill>50% gray
- Image>Adjustements>Brightness/contrast
- Play with values

To do "N"ormal map (_"N".dds) files, the easiest way to do that with photoshop/Gimp is the Nvidia plugin to make the grayscale/diffuse layers in normal map layers (nvidia normal map filter), there are other external tools like crazybump, but most of them are not freeware.

If you use Nvidia plugin, be sure to check this:

Height Source = Average RGB
Alpha Filed set to 1.0
4 samples
Filter checked
Add Height to Normal Map
Play with SCALE Value

If you want for example add more depth manually (more detail) you can try something like this:

- Duplicate actual layer (normal map layer)
- Add Gaussian blur (filter>blur>gaussian blur) with small value, something like from 0.2 to 0.7
- Change Blending mode to Overlay

If you want much more detail, simply duplicate layer and play again with blur oo duplicate again to increase more detail.

Nvidia plugin download

http://developer.nvidia.com/object/p...s_plugins.html

Bye !!

[TheBeast]

Originally Posted by Capt Jack Harkness

Nice skin Just as a note of nomenclature, though, Tarnmatte was an anti-radar coating and Alberich was the anechoic stuff. Tarnmatte was only really used on snorkel heads, as they were the biggest radar reflector when at periscope depth. It also was made of rubber and rust, so I imagine it had a reddish appearance.

ref: http://www.uboataces.com/sonar-coating.shtml

Alberich, on the other hand, was black rubber that was tiled all over the boat and probably looked a bit like this:

To do a weathered alberich skin, i would do some peeled off tiles and some rust in the gaps, much like a lot of the Soviet SSNs of the 80's.

Anyhow, nice job and keep up the good work!

Thank you for the advice and info. I don't think they would remove the Albreich Coating when applying Tarnmatte to Snorkel.

I actually read these refference a couple weeks ago. This article was my muse to make this skin. I had also read some other articles I found talking about the process of applying anechoic coatings and how some WWII German U-boat Chief Engineers requested the straps used to hold the rubber mats in place during the application process, not be removed from around the engine room and aft.
Sometimes during WWII, even U.S. Subs strapped rubber mats to the aft top deck to reduce noise output. Not sure about Sonar Absorbing ability.
Since I didn't have any textures or color photo's to go by, this is what I came up with. I did try to get that pealled away material look. Follow along the weld halfway from the waterline to the main deck near the bow.

Bottom line to this and the beginning of this epic adventure is... I was looking in the GR2 files for the FuMo-61 and FuMo-65 Radar Antenna and found this:
Coatings Info directly from data\Objects\Sensors\Uboat_Sensors.GR2 ( <-- merge Uboat_Sensors.SIM):

AntiSensorCoating @ Alberich Radar = 0 Sonar = -15 TextureSuffix = _albrecht
AntiSensorCoating @ Alberich_Improved Radar = 0 Sonar = -25 TextureSuffix = _albrecht
AntiSensorCoating @ Tarnmatte Radar = -25 Sonar = -25 TextureSuffix = _albrecht
AntiSensorCoating @ Tarnmatte_Improved Radar = -35 Sonar = -35 TextureSuffix = _albrecht

All four coatings are using the same Skin. The TextureSuffix would have to be edited in the .SIM if you wanted to have these coatings available in game as upgrades or they would all look the same and only the stat boost changes.

NOTE: data\Objects\Sensors\UBoot_Sensors.GR2 has a bunch of upgrades not available in game, including the Snorkle Mast. I was going to fix the bugs in data\UPCData\UPCUnitsData\Equipment.upc and data\UPCData\UPCUnitsData\UpgradePacks.upc when I got sidetracked on this. To much fun to be discovered...

[naights]

Hi:

Testing some new things, 2048 textures (1024 stock) and total new normal/bump maps, in goblin editor looks like this.



Note:

From my testings, I recommed low values for normal map, then paint the zones that you dont want to add "3d surface", for example most of the planar zones, with soft rounded brush with very low opacity and #8080ff color (more paint = minor 3d surface).

Going to test new things.

Bye !!