Work in progress. Atlantis new skin.

[Moe]

I want to start every thing by its basics. It,s more easy. This way of work gives me certain "training" and then it will be more easy repainting more complex models (in this case, Fleet or Ultra). First, I want to see how is the result in stock ones. Then, I will paint the ones everybody use. This take more time but the final work in Ultra or Fleet will be better in this way. I will use 90% of this stock reapint in fleet or Ultra.

 

[DaveS]

I want to start every thing by its basics. It,s more easy. This way of work gives me certain "training" and then it will be more easy repainting more complex models (in this case, Fleet or Ultra). First, I want to see how is the result in stock ones. Then, I will paint the ones everybody use. This take more time but the final work in Ultra or Fleet will be better in this way. I will use 90% of this stock reapint in fleet or Ultra.

OK. Makes absolute sense, but I want to warn you: The only thing that SSU, the default Atlantis and the Shuttle Fleet have in common is the orbiter mesh.

Other than that, they use different SRB and ET meshes with completely different modelling and texturing techniques, so what you learn by texturing the the default ET and SRBs meshes might not be true for the Shuttle Fleet or SSU.

For example: The Shuttle Fleet ET and SSU ET was made by me with the SSU ET being made about 1½ years after the Shuttle Fleet ET, so it's more detailed and accurate as I learned alot in both meshing and texturing after making the Shuttle Fleet ET.

The Shuttle Fleet SRBs and SSU SRBs are another story althoghter, they have different authors, namely me for the SSU SRBs and Donamy for the Shuttle Fleet SRBs.

So there's alot of differences here, so you might have to relearn everything again.

 

[Moe]

Yes. You´re right. Mesh and texture mapping is absolut different, but this is not a problem.

For example: If I want to put a phototexture to the wing of the shuttle, I choose a proper photo (or photos), I trim it, I soon stick it and finally I paint upon the photo. It´s simple.
The complicated thing is when I want to paint a cylindrical surface, because there are no flat photos of a cylindrical body. In that case, the hardest work is to obtain a flat map of all the surface of the cylinder. This is a "frankenstein work" or "mad" puzzle. If I have done this work yet, is very simple to be adapting it part to part to the mapping of any mesh, Ultra, Fleet or any other.

I don´t know if you can understand what I´m trying to explain, but belive me. It´s really easy.

 

[DaveS]

Yes. You´re right. Mesh and texture mapping is absolut different, but this is not a problem.

For example: If I want to put a phototexture to the wing of the shuttle, I choose a proper photo (or photos), I trim it, I soon stick it and finally I paint upon the photo. It´s simple.
The complicated thing is when I want to paint a cylindrical surface, because there are no flat photos of a cylindrical body. In that case, the hardest work is to obtain a flat map of all the surface of the cylinder. This is a "frankenstein work" or "mad" puzzle. If I have done this work yet, is very simple to be adapting it part to part to the mapping of any mesh, Ultra, Fleet or any other.

I don´t know if you can understand what I´m trying to explain, but belive me. It´s really easy.

I understand it fully. I have the same issues when initially texturing a mesh.

 

[Apollo 11]

Once again, Excellent job moe! Keep up the good work!

 

[Moe]

Wellwell.... stock ET and SRBs finished. I will work now in DaveS hires ones. When these models are finished we will decide how everything will be published.

 

[DaveS]

Nice job! Just a heads up on my SRBs, there two meshes and associated textures, one for the left SRB which you have already worked on and one for the right SRB.

The primary difference in the SRBs is on the Forward Skirt, the right SRB lacks the black photo ID band.

And on the ET see you decided to go with ET-125, the ET used for STS-122/1E. For mine, could I suggest you make it ET-128, that's ET that is used for the STS-124/1J mission later this month?

 

[Moe]

ET-128. Ok. I´ll try to make it.

 

[Apollo 11]

Congrats.

Why wait to release though? When will it be ready?

 

[DaveS]

Why wait to release though?

I'm not Moe, but I'll take a shot at explaining.

Right now what the screenshot shows is the new textures on the default Atlantis ET and SRBs.
The meshes and textures for both Shuttle Ultra and the Shuttle Fleet are very different from the meshes and textures of the default Atlantis, so he must make them fit all over again.

The application of the new textures onto the meshes for default Atlantis was just a test, so the new textures are not ready yet.

 

[Moe]

Right, DaveS. This is the reason.

 

[Apollo 11]

Oh, right. But what if some would like to use them for the default.(like me). I just prefer the challenge of acheving orbit w/o autopilot.

 

[Moe]

Ahá. Ok. No problem. Tomorrow I will upload these textures for default Atlantis. But please, remember these textures are a simply test.


EDIT: Wow!!! This is OH really speed..... :lol:

Ready to download Stock ET and SRBs replacement textures. But, repeat: This is only a simple test.

[ame="http://www.orbithangar.com/searchid.php?ID=3365"]Standard ET and SRBs replacement textures[/ame]

I hope you like it.

Regards.
Moe

 

[Moe]

Houston: I have a problem.

I´m trying to paint ET-128, like DaveS suggest, but I don´t find documentation, photos or diagrams of the thing. It´s really hard because this mission (STS-124) is still on the ground and nobody has taken good ET photos. I only have one, and is not good:

http://www.nasa.gov/images/content/226736main_crawler-lg_full_full.jpg

Probably, ET-128 looks slightly different than previous ET-125 and I want to paint it with all possible precision.

The last good covered mission (for my painting intentions, of course) is STS-122 (day launch and good ET shots) using ET-125.

If anybody have ET-128 photos or diagrams, please, send it to me or put here the link. If not, maybe, I will made ET-125 better.

Thanks.

 

[DaveS]

Houston: I have a problem.

I´m trying to paint ET-128, like DaveS suggest, but I don´t find documentation, photos or diagrams of the thing.

Check out the KSC Media Gallery: http://mediaarchive.ksc.nasa.gov/

Go Advanced Search Option and select External Tank from the top-most drop-down menu and then click Go.

 

[DaveS]

Hey. How is the work going for the Fleet and Ultra?