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New DC-3 for X-Plane


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#1 CaptainG37

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Posted 06 June 2011 - 01:07 AM

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Edited by CaptainG37, 06 June 2011 - 01:09 AM.


#2 Mumbles

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Posted 06 June 2011 - 01:46 AM

The way new planes are looking for X-Plane, I may very well switch over....

Great lookin plane!

#3 jcovelli

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Posted 06 June 2011 - 10:34 AM

nice

#4 CaptainG37

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Posted 08 June 2011 - 06:36 PM

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#5 Atomic_Sheep

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Posted 09 June 2011 - 01:33 AM

 Mumbles, on Jun 6 2011, 04:46 PM, said:

The way new planes are looking for X-Plane, I may very well switch over....

Great lookin plane!

You do realise that the same software can be used to design planes for both?

#6 CaptainG37

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Posted 09 June 2011 - 02:58 AM

It's just unfortunate you will never see this kind of detail in FSX.
Once you go over 150 000 polygons in FSX, you start getting a slideshow.
The entire aircraft so far has just under 400 000 polygons and that's without the cockpit.  So far, I'm getting 60-70 fps in the sim on my 5 year old Dual Core.
With a bunch of 2048 x 2048 and 1024 x 1024 textures, animations and gauges, cockpit, mesh optimization, it'll hit about 35-40.

#7 Atomic_Sheep

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Posted 15 June 2011 - 02:57 AM

Go X-Plane! :hrmm:

#8 FSXman

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Posted 21 June 2011 - 12:06 AM

 CaptainG37, on Jun 9 2011, 02:58 AM, said:

It's just unfortunate you will never see this kind of detail in FSX.
Once you go over 150 000 polygons in FSX, you start getting a slideshow.
The entire aircraft so far has just under 400 000 polygons and that's without the cockpit.  So far, I'm getting 60-70 fps in the sim on my 5 year old Dual Core.
With a bunch of 2048 x 2048 and 1024 x 1024 textures, animations and gauges, cockpit, mesh optimization, it'll hit about 35-40.

This seems so true.  I'm finding that X-Plane is a powerful PC simulator with complex capabilities in flight dynamics, that has not received the attention from high end developers like the much less efficient and unstable FSX has enjoyed.  I think this is going to change drastically in the next year.
With first rate simulations like the Captain here is making and J.Rollon, and with X-Plane 10 coming out soon, I believe X-Plane will quickly become the preferred simulation.

Captain, these pictures from your DC-3 look fantastic!  You are a master and an artist for sure.

Edited by FSXman, 21 June 2011 - 12:09 AM.


#9 CaptainG37

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Posted 21 June 2011 - 03:07 AM

Thanx for the compliments.  

Great to see someone put in a decent amount of hours into it and seeing what it's capable of.  I still say the terrain LOD is underrated.  It's one of the highlights of the sim next to the core flight model.  
Hopefully others can see that x plane isn't as bad as people think it is.

#10 CaptainG37

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Posted 22 September 2011 - 06:33 PM

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#11 Daube

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Posted 23 September 2011 - 02:48 AM

 CaptainG37, on Jun 9 2011, 02:58 AM, said:

It's just unfortunate you will never see this kind of detail in FSX.
Once you go over 150 000 polygons in FSX, you start getting a slideshow.
Really ?
How much polygons are the PMDG planes and the A2A planes for example ?

#12 Jonay

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Posted 23 September 2011 - 03:25 AM

 CaptainG37, on Sep 23 2011, 12:33 AM, said:

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Is that all guess work/looking at reference pictures or do you have any specific dimensions etc?

#13 CaptainG37

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Posted 23 September 2011 - 03:36 AM

 Daube, on Sep 23 2011, 05:48 PM, said:

Really ?
How much polygons are the PMDG planes and the A2A planes for example ?

PMDG 737, from what I have heard, is about 250 000 to 300 000 polygons for the entire aircraft.  Consequently, they have recommended system settings of:

OS: Windows 7 64-bit
Processor: Intel Core i5 or i7 (Sandy Bridge core) or better
RAM: 4GB+
Video Card: Nvidia GTX560 Ti, 570 or 580 with 1GB+ of video memory or better

with the emphasis being on:
PMDG *highly* recommends the use of 64-bit versions of Windows due to memory limitations in FSX.

Now in no way am I criticizing PMDG for this.  They have to work within the limitations of the host platform.  Which leads me to my changed statement.
FSX developers are now exploiting the polygon count but posting recommended system specs like the one I posted along with them.
So, in saying that, I will change what I said about "NEVER" seeing that kind of polygon count, but developers are now pumping up the recommended system specs.  Those of which MOST simmers don't have.
As far as A2A, I have no idea what their aircraft polygon count is.  I did get my hands on 1 of their aircraft meshes and it actually wasn't that much in the poly count.  Just over 31 000 (including the cockpit and panel).  I cannot say which one it was but it is quite easy to take an FSX aircraft and import it to a 3D program and have a look at the mesh.  It's been going on for quite a while.

If more FSX developers DO create high poly count add ons, then I'm all for it.  It's about time.  But given FSX's memory management, or lack thereof (hence the recommended 64 bit OS to avoid OOM's and CTD's), I can't see it happening to too many add ons.

#14 CaptainG37

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Posted 23 September 2011 - 03:50 AM

 Jonay, on Sep 23 2011, 06:25 PM, said:

Is that all guess work/looking at reference pictures or do you have any specific dimensions etc?

I don't have ALL the dimensions.  I have a main panel diagram with the gauges that has an overall measurement from side to side and top to bottom.  I modelled that and then modelled the gauges that were drawn on it, so if the gauges were drawn correctly on the panel, and the panel measurements are accurate, then the panel and gauges are accurate.  I have 21 technical diagrams for the exterior and 13 for the interior.
So I can safely say it's not ALL guesswork but there is SOME guesswork.  I'll probably go over the whole thing and make sure everything is scaled properly in proportion to the exterior, but that comes later.

#15 wynthorpe

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Posted 27 September 2011 - 01:48 PM

 CaptainG37, on Sep 23 2011, 09:36 AM, said:

PMDG 737, from what I have heard, is about 250 000 to 300 000 polygons for the entire aircraft.  Consequently, they have recommended system settings of:

OS: Windows 7 64-bit
Processor: Intel Core i5 or i7 (Sandy Bridge core) or better
RAM: 4GB+
Video Card: Nvidia GTX560 Ti, 570 or 580 with 1GB+ of video memory or better

with the emphasis being on:
PMDG *highly* recommends the use of 64-bit versions of Windows due to memory limitations in FSX.

Now in no way am I criticizing PMDG for this.  They have to work within the limitations of the host platform.  Which leads me to my changed statement.
FSX developers are now exploiting the polygon count but posting recommended system specs like the one I posted along with them.
So, in saying that, I will change what I said about "NEVER" seeing that kind of polygon count, but developers are now pumping up the recommended system specs.  Those of which MOST simmers don't have.
As far as A2A, I have no idea what their aircraft polygon count is.  I did get my hands on 1 of their aircraft meshes and it actually wasn't that much in the poly count.  Just over 31 000 (including the cockpit and panel).  I cannot say which one it was but it is quite easy to take an FSX aircraft and import it to a 3D program and have a look at the mesh.  It's been going on for quite a while.

If more FSX developers DO create high poly count add ons, then I'm all for it.  It's about time.  But given FSX's memory management, or lack thereof (hence the recommended 64 bit OS to avoid OOM's and CTD's), I can't see it happening to too many add ons.

I thought i7's are pretty much standard now! Most people i speak to on forums have at least an i5, but most seem to be Sandy Bridge now.

With regards to the DC3! Looks awesome, not my type of thing really but is very nice.

Edited by wynthorpe, 27 September 2011 - 01:49 PM.


#16 Jaggyroad Films

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Posted 27 September 2011 - 02:59 PM

 CaptainG37, on Sep 23 2011, 04:36 AM, said:

PMDG 737, from what I have heard, is about 250 000 to 300 000 polygons for the entire aircraft.  Consequently, they have recommended system settings of:

*SNIP*

So, in saying that, I will change what I said about "NEVER" seeing that kind of polygon count, but developers are now pumping up the recommended system specs.  Those of which MOST simmers don't have.
As far as A2A, I have no idea what their aircraft polygon count is.  I did get my hands on 1 of their aircraft meshes and it actually wasn't that much in the poly count.  Just over 31 000 (including the cockpit and panel).  I cannot say which one it was but it is quite easy to take an FSX aircraft and import it to a 3D program and have a look at the mesh.  It's been going on for quite a while.

If more FSX developers DO create high poly count add ons, then I'm all for it.  It's about time.  But given FSX's memory management, or lack thereof (hence the recommended 64 bit OS to avoid OOM's and CTD's), I can't see it happening to too many add ons.

Many aircraft are well into the 400,000+ range. One example is the Aerosoft F-16, among many others too numerous to list.

A2A's polygon count is rather low. They rely heavily on textures. The VRS Superbug is also low on the polygon side.

A higher polygon count does not a good plane make. It just means there are more polygons.

#17 CaptainG37

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Posted 27 September 2011 - 06:29 PM

 Jaggyroad Films, on Sep 28 2011, 05:59 AM, said:

Many aircraft are well into the 400,000+ range. One example is the Aerosoft F-16, among many others too numerous to list.

A2A's polygon count is rather low. They rely heavily on textures. The VRS Superbug is also low on the polygon side.

A higher polygon count does not a good plane make. It just means there are more polygons.

I have to say I disagree with you on this.  It's too generalized.  A simple cube, with 6 sides does not look as good as a cube with multiple bevelled edges to give it a rounded (chamfered) edge look.  Yet those bevels create many more polygons.  Sure, someone can add a few hundred loops to an object and say it has more polygons without using those extra loops to add detail, but to get specific detail, a developer needs more polygons.
I'm genuinely curious about the Aerosoft F-16 now and I might see if I know someone who can do an import and see.
If the Aerosoft F-16 is truly at 400 000 polygons, I have to say, it's not modelled very efficiently.

#18 CaptainG37

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Posted 27 September 2011 - 06:52 PM

I have to say, I never would have believed it.  339 000 polygons for the Aerosoft F-16.  
And I can see where they did it.  Lots of sub-d.
My bad.
:hrmm:

EDIT:  Just having a look at it.  There are a LOT of duplicate meshes in the F-16.  Not sure what they are for, but taking them out, it will leave only about 100 000 polys.  
Modelled efficiently, but the duplicate meshes leave me curious.

Edited by CaptainG37, 27 September 2011 - 06:57 PM.


#19 Jaggyroad Films

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Posted 28 September 2011 - 12:59 AM

Another company that utilizes a very high polygon count is Milviz. Or, at least they did in the past. Here is another example of a very high polygon count from the company CR-1. I believe it was around 300K - 400K. Not 100% sure though, but I believe that's what Tom said. http://cr1-software..../ford-trimotor/

I would still put up any A2A aircraft against some of the best industry wide. Even a very high polygon count can't make up for a lack of good texturing. It's a balance. More is not always best.

Regardless, your DC-3 looks excellent so far. If you ever decide to sell it commercially, let me know and I'll advertise it. :hrmm:

Edited by Jaggyroad Films, 28 September 2011 - 01:00 AM.


#20 CaptainG37

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Posted 28 September 2011 - 01:53 AM

 Jaggyroad Films, on Sep 28 2011, 03:59 PM, said:

Another company that utilizes a very high polygon count is Milviz. Or, at least they did in the past. Here is another example of a very high polygon count from the company CR-1. I believe it was around 300K - 400K. Not 100% sure though, but I believe that's what Tom said. http://cr1-software..../ford-trimotor/

I would still put up any A2A aircraft against some of the best industry wide. Even a very high polygon count can't make up for a lack of good texturing. It's a balance. More is not always best.

Regardless, your DC-3 looks excellent so far. If you ever decide to sell it commercially, let me know and I'll advertise it. :hrmm:

It will be sold commercially.  I already have 2 projects being sold commercially with the Saab coming up soon and then the DC-3.  
I had a look at your site, also.  I might be in touch.  You make good videos
B)