First EA

[crashed again]

Which way should hierarchy go? Surface -> frame, or frame -> surface

Here is a good place to start if you are making a plane, spells out all you need to get it into the sim.
enjoy
crashed

 

[Cowpig]

Thanks, but you're a little late for the party. I already read over that a couple times. Again, thanks though.

 

[Cowpig]

Should I map the ribs first before combining?

 

[dhk79]

A suggestion for mapping the ribs, is make one rectangle of wood grain on your TGA and when you map the ribs vary the position, scale, and orientation slightly on each. That way they will all look a bit different but won't take up much room on the map.

 

[Cowpig]

Explain?

 

[flexible]

After you map the ribs, when you move them around on the Mapping templet, instead of lineing them in a row, as thoe you were going to paint them defferant colors. Just stack them one on top of the other, but don't line them up nice and neat, just throw them in a pile, turned every which way. Them when you paint, Copy and past a sploch of wood texture on the stack. This will show up on you're model in RF, with the wood grain going all deferant directions.

 

[dhk79]

Flex has got it, however, for ribs you want the grain to mostly go down the ribs as that would be how you build it in real life. The point being you do not have to stack them exactly or lay them all out side by side, you can do something in between to give a little realism.

Attached is a small wood grain I whipped up. Use it to play around with and see what you think.

 

[Cowpig]

Can I do the wood grain look in the .tga?

 

[Cowpig]

When I go in Gimp, I can go on the background with the paint/picture, or in this case, wood grain, right?

 

[Maj. Numbskully]

you mean to color outside the lines ?....yes
but you can also use the magic wand tool and select the spars/ribs and keep things nice 'n'tidy

 

[dhk79]

FYI that wood grain was made with two layers. A solid base color and a semi-transparent grained layer over that. I'm sure you can do the same in GIMP.

 

[Maj. Numbskully]

A trick I have used in the past is to make all of the spars clear
then make a separate layer of the wood grain underneath them
that way you can turn and position the wood grain layer so that the wood grains are right where you want them

 

[Cowpig]

Before I map, I'm making a motor. Current progress on it:

Thanks to Flexible for his motor-a great guide for me.

 

[JCHarrist]

Nice job. That's looking really good.

 

[Cowpig]

I want the axle to be chrome but can't seem to get it. Help please.

 

[Maj. Numbskully]

are you really gonna see it anyway?..the prop hub is going to cover most of it

 

[Cowpig]

Yeah. Right. Guess I'll just forget it.

 

[dhk79]

I want the axle to be chrome but can't seem to get it. Help please.

These are the settings I use for chrome, actual mileage will vary.

 

[Cowpig]

I'll try it.

 

[Cowpig]

Apparently you have better mileage. Or I just have to see it against another color.