Paul K 93 Posted November 15, 2009 Share Posted November 15, 2009 Does anyone know if there's ever been a bare metal template for repainting the Beaver X ? By that, I mean just the metal skin... no markings or airline logos on it. I'm going to buy Air Hauler soon, and set up my own little airline. The first aircraft will be the Beaver X and I'd like to do my own paint scheme on a bare metal finish. Any help or pointers gratefully received. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Hodge001 Posted November 15, 2009 Share Posted November 15, 2009 Hi I don’t know of any repaint that matches your description, most if not all tend to be of an actual example including logos, registrations numbers and everything else that goes on it. But if you have the paintkit, I think, and I’m going off memory here (not by best subject) that if you use a light grey as your base paint scheme and have an alpha channel that is also a very light grey in fact almost white, that you should end up with something close to bare metal. If you don’t have the paintkit then drop a line in the forum, and if no-one can come up with an existing repaint in bare metal then I’ll give it a shot, although I have to warn you I’m no repaint specialist, but I think I could manage an aircraft in a single colour (just about). Jim Hodkinson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul K 93 Posted November 15, 2009 Author Share Posted November 15, 2009 Hi Jim, Thanks for your very kind offer, but I really should get off my lazy arse and learn how to do one myself. Bare metal textures are something I'd like to become accomplished at. I notice that the newly released DC-2 has a bare metal template for downloading, as does the MAAM C-47 for FS9, and I always think its something that should come almost as standard with aircraft of that era. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Hodge001 Posted November 15, 2009 Share Posted November 15, 2009 Hi again Paul I think your right, a finish like that should really be a part of any aircraft of that era, but ubtil that happens we have to do as we are doing, and learn the basics of repainting, which in a way is no bad thing it all adds to the enjoyment of this hobby we have chosen, did I say enjoyment with repainting it could be confusion and frustration, I know I’ve been there. Just a quick update if your going to have a go, after playing around I have found that a blue grey base colour seems to work better than a base grey, all I have to do now is to work on the specular maps. Have fun. Jim Hodkinson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul K 93 Posted November 16, 2009 Author Share Posted November 16, 2009 Gaaa ! There's me supposed to be learning how to do this, and you've gone and produced almost exactly what I want overnight! Are you going to finish this, Jim ? Because if you are, I'll use it to get my Pacific airline started in Air Hauler, and learn the techniques on something else later, like the Catalina. I'd like her in bare metal too. Regards Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aerosoft Aerosoft Team [Inactive Account] 51558 Posted November 16, 2009 Aerosoft Share Posted November 16, 2009 Hi again Paul I think your right, a finish like that should really be a part of any aircraft of that era, but ubtil that happens we have to do as we are doing, and learn the basics of repainting, which in a way is no bad thing it all adds to the enjoyment of this hobby we have chosen, did I say enjoyment with repainting it could be confusion and frustration, I know I've been there. Just a quick update if your going to have a go, after playing around I have found that a blue grey base colour seems to work better than a base grey, all I have to do now is to work on the specular maps. Have fun. Jim Hodkinson Nice! Don't forget to send that to the download section when it is done, I want to fly that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Hodge001 Posted November 17, 2009 Share Posted November 17, 2009 Hi Mathijs Just a quick update, between Paul and myself we SEEM to be getting to grips with getting a bare metal texture onto the BeaverX, but as I mentioned to Paul I think that I may be getting a case of Bare Metal Blindness, a rare condition brought about by doing so many small tweaks to a texture to try and get the result that you want, and then getting to a point where everything is beginning to look the same no matter what you have done to the texture. Anyway, the screen shots below show what I think is a problem, in that the texture looks Ok when viewed with the sun behind the aircraft, but with the sun behind you then to me the aircraft looks like a highly polished white paint job, but I will find a compromise (I hate that word, but you have to do it at some point in your life) that will give an acceptable look from both and indeed all viewing angles. Here are the screen shots, and it’s back to photoshop for me. Jim Hodkinson By the way I have my setting set to a low value and no AA for faster loading times when I’m doing anything that might require a lot of restarts of FSX, so the BeaverX in the screen shots will not be a sharp around the edges as she should. And a quick tip, never try to send a zip file that has bare and beaver in the title. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul K 93 Posted November 19, 2009 Author Share Posted November 19, 2009 Here's what I am getting, Jim...broadly similar to you. First one is with the sun directly behind me Second one, from the other side, sun is off to the upper left Third one, same relation to the sun as picture 2, but the camera is higher White with the sun behind, and glittery in places. I wonder what can be adjusted to make it less reflective...a duller flat grey with only the barest hint of a shine. The shine soon fades on bare aluminium exposed to the elements. Can't really suggest anything because I'm not au fait with the process of painting, but happy to try it out for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Hodge001 Posted November 20, 2009 Share Posted November 20, 2009 Hi Paul My apologies for the late reply, a slight health reason, anyway I THINK I may have got there, I will send you a link for the files, and when it’s ready I will hopefully upload it to the forum downloads section. Jim Hodkinson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul K 93 Posted November 20, 2009 Author Share Posted November 20, 2009 Ah, now that looks great!! Jim, how easy is it to adjust the 'shine' ? Is it something that can be done once you are using the template to create you're own paint scheme ? I'd like to do a 'brand new' paint scheme, and one representative of a few years service, with the metal duller and less reflective. Is it possible for the user of this template to do that, during the painting process ? Hope you are feeling better, by the way. Regards Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Hodge001 Posted November 20, 2009 Share Posted November 20, 2009 Hi Paul Thank you for the concern, it’s just that I sometimes have to opt out for a day or two when I’m having to take a lot of painkillers (prescription ones by the way) Anyhow back to business. Firstly I have to apologies to any real repainters that may have been viewing this thread, I could well be doing it all wrong as this is really new territory for me, so try not to be to harsh As for adjusting the shine it is perfectly possible using the repaint kit, all I have been doing is trying out different approaches to the Alpha and Spec bitmaps to achieve the reflection and shine effects, although on this at least it’s not a true reflection as such, In fact I have just uploaded the repaint and as a separate file the two main parts of the paintkit which are the fuselage and wing, I have included the links in a PM so that you can see what I have been trying out, and have a play around with them. In fact this is rapidly becoming a repainters post, so it might be an idea to use PM’s until it’s finished, I wouldn’t like to clog up the forum. Jim Hodkinson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul K 93 Posted November 21, 2009 Author Share Posted November 21, 2009 Jim, here's how it looks for me. I think you've just about nailed it, if the shine could be reduced a little. I don't know if thats possible. Other than that, looking somewhat gorgeous!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Hodge001 Posted November 21, 2009 Share Posted November 21, 2009 Hi Paul I have been having a play around with the textures, and almost everything I have tried tended to bring the texture back to a polished grey, and I have to admit that looking through some photographs of bare metal DHC 2’s that they do have a highly reflective surface when viewed from certain angles, for instance on one photograph the reflective part was at the mid point of the fuselage when viewed from the front right hand quarter, mind you nearly all the photographs were of military versions, so they would probably have been bulled up by defaulters anyway. I think that the time has come to release the repaint on an unsuspecting world with an added note in the installation instructions that this is for the want of a better word a beta version or flying test bed, what do you think about it. Jim Hodkinson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul K 93 Posted November 22, 2009 Author Share Posted November 22, 2009 Yep, time to upload it, Jim...I assume the PH-AJU registration and emblem on the fin will be erased prior. Thanks for all your hard work on this. Vintage aircraft just look so good in a bare metal finish, or at least partly bare metal, and I really think you've done us Beaver owners a huge service. This will be my starting aircraft for Air Hauler, so now I must consider what I will call my airline, and what sort of emblem / logo it will sport. Well done, Jim, and thanks again ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Hodge001 Posted November 22, 2009 Share Posted November 22, 2009 Hi Paul I have added her to the file downloads, complete with Dutch registration, but I have sent you a link to a unregistered version by PM. Lets see how she gets on in the big wide world. Have fun. Jim Hodkinson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul K 93 Posted November 24, 2009 Author Share Posted November 24, 2009 Pictures are worth a thousand words. This is the bare metal template under the Californian sun at Edwards AFB. All bright and shiny, awaiting registration letters, a stripe or too, perhaps a logo or 'nose art'. Wonderful stuff, Jim. It'll be interesting seeing what Beaver X owners, here and elsewhere, come up with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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