[WIP] Type II Conning Tower and accurate scope positions

[postalbyke]

This will be my second project. I am trying to make a reasonably accurate conning tower interior for the Type II U-boat, using a schematic for IIa, as well as pictures from the inside of the Vesikko museum.

I would like to use some parts and pieces from Diving Duck and Flak Monkey work (including the "open conning tower hatch" mod (which is the inspiration for this work)) I will be contacting them soon if I don't hear from them here.

Please be patient with me, my "work" computer and my internet computer are separate, so screen shots will be rare, and my time on the internet is limited, so communication with me may be sparse or erratic.

[Fish In The Water]

Sounds like an interesting project. I'm sure lots of people will look forward to following your progress. Best of luck and good wishes for a successful outcome!

[postalbyke]

Thanks, FIW!

And now for my first problem!
I can't see my textures in S3D... any good guesses?
My models (and everyone elses) show up as black blobs in the preview window. I can see vertices and wireframes, but no colors or shadows

[Fish In The Water]

What mode is the preview in? Have you tried switching the channel to RGB?

[Magic1111]

Originally Posted by Fish In The Water

Sounds like an interesting project. I'm sure lots of people will look forward to following your progress. Best of luck and good wishes for a successful outcome!

Yes, 2nd this! Interesting project, good luck postalbyke!

Best regards,
Magic

[frau kaleun]

Originally Posted by postalbyke

Thanks, FIW!

And now for my first problem!
I can't see my textures in S3D... any good guesses?
My models (and everyone elses) show up as black blobs in the preview window. I can see vertices and wireframes, but no colors or shadows

Did you click on the little light bulb icons above the model preview? If not, try that.



I usually just click on stuff in that row until I see what I want to see. I can't tell you how often I used S3D before I even knew you could look at a preview of something in there.

[postalbyke]

Originally Posted by Fish In The Water

What mode is the preview in? Have you tried switching the channel to RGB?

I remember the buttons you're talking about, but I can't see them... I'm re-installing now to see if that fixes it...

Originally Posted by frau kaleun

Did you click on the little light bulb icons above the model preview? If not, try that.

I usually just click on stuff in that row until I see what I want to see. I can't tell you how often I used S3D before I even knew you could look at a preview of something in there.

Yeah, I'm just now beginning to see the "true power" of this little tool... I'm a button-pusher, so I found that early on, which is why it's such a shock now that I move to a new computer that I can't just click on the light bulbs and make things appear

edit: no dice on the re-install... oh, well! I can see well enough to get things where I want them, it'll just take a few minutes longer for textures :P

edit edit: downloading winXP SP3 to see if that won't help :P

[postalbyke]

I just got a bit of one-on-one time with Skwasjer, I think it's just my computer... I'll try to do textures, etc. on the common computer when I get the time :P

[postalbyke]

Working out some kinks, most notably trying to figure out the ambient occlusion layer... with any luck I'll soon be separating and installing some gauges (sp?)...
And hopefully I'll get some pics over for screenshots

Thank you for checking in!

[Hitman]

If you just would eliminate the big "standing" periscope and put instead the same model as in the control room, you would already have done a huge step towards a more accurate Type II conning tower

[postalbyke]

I know, right? but the conning tower is also oriented toward the bow of the boat relative to the CR hatch, and the tower itself is only large enough for the scope and a few gauges, so I'm trying to fix that.
I have today off, so I'll try to get some serious progress (between my two year-old and my better half )

So far I have a smaller tower, a floor, and a hatch without paint or shadow.
Next on the list is the scope, taking apart some lights and gauge sets, and installing those.

I'm still waiting for permissions to use the up/down scopes and parts of the open conning tower hatch mod, so I'll install them, but I'll hold off on a release until I receive those (or build an alternate without them)...

[postalbyke]

Alright! I found out I didn't find a way to make two raising/lowering peri's, so back to the drawing board on that...
And I've started UV mapping the interior (still deciding whether or not I want a green stripe in my CT ala' Vesikko)
I've moved the moving peri to the CT (since I rarely use the obs anymore) and I'm going to start work on making some gauges work in my new favorite room!
After gauges, maybe some cheap shadows... and some lights to cast them!

[postalbyke]

Screenies!

I'm still working on making both scopes work, and I haven't figured out how to make good shadows... But I've gotten the attack scope to move and turn to bearings Thanks go out to Diving Duck and LucaGaeta

[Hans Witteman]

Hi mate,

Nice to see you getting your hand dirty in the wonderful world of modding i would really like to help you more on your project but for the moment i am pretty busy with our own.

Keep reading, search every damn post even on other site, send some money to advanced modders some here are pretty cheap to get!
Just joking eh eh keep it up and one day you will become hook to a point you will look back and say what have i did with my life... I'm getting old and i might not finish my work before i go to Valhalla and best of all i did it without a pay check.

Irony is so fun some time i couldn't resist.

Keep up the good work mate.

Best regards Hans

[Fish In The Water]

Originally Posted by Hans Witteman

...keep it up and one day you will become hook to a point you will look back and say what have i did with my life... I'm getting old and i might not finish my work before i go to Valhalla and best of all i did it without a pay check.

Sounds great! Where do I sign up?

But seriously, few people are lucky enough in life to actually pursue their passion. So if you're willing to sacrifice in certain areas to do what you love, who's to say you're wrong?