F/A-18 C/D aircraft mod and textures (FSX/P3D)

[PhantomTweak]

Hi, Peter!
I just now tried to DL the 2.3.3 update and the link seems broken, either that or I am...I tried the D model 2.3.3 and it worked fine, as did the C model 2.3.2.
Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Pat☺

PS: I still can't get the AOA gauge to show up in the 2D cockpit either
PSB

[Montie]

Is it possible to add reflections/glare to the canopy?

[hd764jvgd843]

Pat:
I get the same error, server response seems to time out. Give it a few hours or a day and check the link again.
Update 2.3.3 is only a sound fix, so you might neglect that or simply copy the sound folder from a different version, since they are all the same.
Currently I am busy with textures for the next release - haven't yet touched the sounds again which I was not really satisfied with, and which I will do last.

Montie:
I'd like to intensify the reflections/glare of the NH version canopy from the inside (VC) too, but I haven't found a way yet. You can find in the main folder 'Texture' a few files named CP_F18_Glass... which will change the canopy color and brightness, etc. both from the outside and inside.
From the outside the canopy glass looks ok to me, but from the inside VC I'd like to have more reflections, like in the fsx VC, when one flies and turns and these reflection give you a really good visual impression of actually being in a cockpit covered by a glass canopy when in fact you are not.
In case you'd like to do some experiments and post your results, help would be very welcome, because I am currently busy with other stuff going into the next release. You will notice the glass files for the C and D version are slightly different, trying to achieve the same look, because the two-seater VC cockpit was not properly finished and will look slightly different.

Best regards, Peter

[PhantomTweak]

Thanks Peter. Appreciate the answer. If it's just a sond adjustment, I'll use the D models version. Should be identical, I think you're saying. I already had the other two updates in.

Just a heads-up, and it's a minor detail and probably makes no difference, but to my knowledge, which is admittedly dated badly, canopies are plexiglass (perspex for our friends over the pond, which I prefer as it doesn't indicate "glass"), not actual "glass". It may make for different reflective qualities, I don't know, but I would think it does...
Pat☺

[hd764jvgd843]

A small teaser for the coming update, to shorten the wait a bit. Having just finished USNTPS scheme and CONA VFA-106.
Peter

[PhantomTweak]

Looking great, Peter! My goodness, I am never sure just WHAT paint I want to fly sometimes, there are so many...
Pat☺

[Azframer]

Some where along the 3rd page I did not keep up with this thread for a while and it has exploded. Now I see Peter has a D model, that has my interest peaked now so I downloaded all for it and it looks as if I have to put it all together and each version will have it own folder, or am I missing something. I looked for the actual model config and I don't see them anywhere. I was hoping I could see that and be able to see how he did it. I wanted to see if the extra stuff was gone from the D cockpit in his model config and I am not sure how to put all this together.

I am lost now. If there is a page where it is explained point me to it.

Rick

[hd764jvgd843]

Hi Azframer,
inside each airplane mod's 7z folder there should be a readme that will tell you what goes where.

The folder structure for the NH mods has been changed to incorporate features like unique MOIs, weights, loadout for each model version. This required referencing/aliasing each texture for each model version, thus the additional folders and texture subfolders for each model version.
For each model version there will be a separate cfg (and .air file) with the unique settings and texture references in the respective model version folder.

For the D version model only Clean/BA and Trainer versions are available.

I hope this helps you understand what was done and why,
Peter

P.S. I will consider putting some extra explanations in the next readme, so it might be easier to understand why there are additional folders present, in order to avoid confusions.

[Azframer]

I just tried to install it as per my understanding of the instructions and clearly I am missing something, no plane showed up. I will just continue working with Jimi's Hornet, I was just looking for a clean non Blue Angel to fly without the extra things in cockpit I could never figure out how to get rid of when using Jimi's Hornet. I've asked a couple of times how to get a Clean D and no one would answer if it were even possible.


thanks for your time anyhow
Rick

[PhantomTweak]

Clean as in no BA "stuff" in the cockpit? Stop watch, inverted time indicators, etc? All that stuff is integral to the VC of the BA models. Pick any other plane, and they aren't there.
I have been sticking to the Clean and Training versions of Peter's NH, and have no problem with it. Look on page 1 of this post. There are 2 main Zip files per aircraft, one for the "Plane", one for the textures (Paint jobs and aircraft.cfg files). Just DL both zip files (the D model is the same as the C model and right below it), and then unzip them into the Simobjects/airplane folder. If you need them, unzip the effects files to the, oddly enough, Effects folder. For the D model they are airplane_v2.3.0_FA-18D_NH.7z and textures_v2.3.0_FA-18D_NH.7z. Also, there are the small updates to the main plane, update_v2.3.1_FA-18D_NH.zip, and so on. If you only DL the Plane zip file or the textures zip file and install, nothing will show in the Change Airplanes display. Gotta have them BOTH installed. You also need to have the little Show All Variations box checked.
When I go to use free-flight, I select Boeing, NH Models, then choose the paint I want to use (Usually VMFAT-101, I used to work there) in the Clean configuration (no external stores or tanks, no pylons) or the Training version (no stores, centerline tank, pylons) for more time aloft practicing BFM before I start FCLP  bounces or carrier traps.
I apologize, I didn't see your earlier requests. I hope this helps some...
Pat☺

[Azframer]

I have all the files, just not sure how they should be structured folders and files. I tried unzipping them into FSX main folder but that did not work out deleted that then I unzipped into a new folder on desktop to see how it unpacked, and that did not look to good but tried it anyhow nothing showed up but the C model I already had.
Jimi makes it easier to install unzip and plug into  airplane folder copy effects to main effect folder,  If it was supposed to look like what Jimi's files and folders I might be able to piece it together. I am just not getting it. Iff it was supposed to look like the NH C model I might be able to get it., Maybe I will try to do that I guess.

Sorry man I was lucky to pull off those 2 textures I did.

Rick

[PhantomTweak]

Let me look. I never DL'd the D model. I'll double check it's file structure and report back tomorrow about 1200 PST.

Peter broke the aircraft into different folders, one for the main textures common to every paint, the Panel, and the .air files, and then a folder for every version, Clean, Training, A-A loadout, etc etc. Each individual version folder has the thumbnail to that particular version, like the thumbnail for the A-A missiles, and the aircraft.cfg file for that version (Clean, Training, etc etc). This reduces the overall HD space required for all the different versions, and lets each one have it's own aircraft.cfg so WE don't to get into the aircraft.cfg and // out or un-// lines to make the plane  that version.
The Airplane zip file will have the main folder (FA-18_NH), and one for each of the rest: FA-18_NH_Clean, is one folder, FA-18_NH_Training is another, and so on. Just unzip the zip file into the main FSX folder (C:\game\FSX, for example) and all the proper files shouldwind up in the right places.
In the Textures Zip file, there are numerous textures folders, a main one Texture and then one for each paint job. Unzip the Textures into the main FA-18_NH folder, and voila! All is as it should be.
I will double check the D model, and make sure the folder structure is the same. Tomorrow
Pat☺

[hd764jvgd843]

Hi Azframer,

hope this screenshot helps a bit.

Peter

[Azframer]

Okay I think I figured it out now, I went with what I could figure out from your capture and tried again. When I opened change airplane display and they were all there, all grey with textures not showing. I got ticked off and deleted them and started all over from scratch, instead of unzipping into FSX main folder I unzipped to a folder and put each into its own folder. That is when it dawned on me when I deleted I was close, no textures were in the proper folders so the models just showed gray.
Oh well I got a handle on it now I believe. I am going to go ahead and get all planes installed as is. I like the fact that we will have BA in D model for all the planes numbers because when pilots are rotating in they fly say #1 as a D model when taking new leader up to fly a show with proper number displayed. I have seen a D model fly in 1 and 4 position at the same time as well as a 5 and 6 at the same time. Any other time they just do #4 D model during a show as a single D model in formation. They will fly a D model as #7  if one of the other planes have a mechanical issue. I am sure they fly 2 and 3 as D model I have never seen that one myself.
Thanks for your time Peter.

Rick

Edit= I got it and all is golden.I did have a blue cockpit, not as bad as with Jimi's Hornet more like strips on seats and under HUD. I created a folder in main Texture folder in FA-18D_NH_BA and FA-18D_NH then moved texture CP_F18_4_N.dds to new folder and Blue is gone.

[hd764jvgd843]

Hello all,
concerning the current project update I have something rather unpleaseant to report. A 'screw up' or you might call it 'one backup too far'.
Here is what happened:
Last night I tried out a new demo version of a game and it seems, as far as I can tell, that the install must have gone into the wrong folder, my main game folder instead of the desired subfolder, which I didn't notice at the time. When I decided that I didn't like to keep the demo and uninstalled it later that evening again, the installer seems to have removed EVERYTHING from the folder it was installed to, not just its own files/folders, including all current flight sim installations and mods along with all other games having been installed in the main game folder. That wouldn't have been a problem since I keep daily backups that run after midnight. But as I didn't notice my mistake and didn't check the main game folder again before the backups ran, the nightly backup than synced the empty folder and effectively deleted the most current backups too, as I realized this morning and what I habe been able to tell from the logs so far.
Long story short, around one month of small changes/improvements, additional textures etc. just went down the drain in one night, including the most current backups. Nice! Will have to make sure I do not stumble over my own feet again! - Yeah, I can hear you all thinking 'use incremental backups, as I do....'. Sorry, I have seen these go belly up in the past too often ending up with 'frankenbuilds' due to some mix-up and having have to revert to the last full backup anyway. Probably, just this time they would have been the lifesaver. Excuse me ranting, I will stop it now!
My current degree of frustration just shows me how much I have become to like this project. Having already begun restauration from around one month old backups I keep on external drives, it will take me some time to get up to speed again due to the amount of data loss, so please do not expect new stuff anytime soon. Will keep working on it and keep you updated on the progress, as usual.
Besides, I already call it the summer of data loss, since just a month ago one of my large backup drives went belly up due to a hardware fault, barely four years old. On the other hand my trusty/rusty array of about ten-year old IDE drives that most of the time have been running 24/7, and I now use just for backup, seems to be unbreakable, haven't yet lost a single drive so far.

Wish you all a nice and trouble-free weekend!
Peter