New Unit: Rafale

[BeBro]

This is a special thanks for Steph, without his SBB tool unit creation would need much longer for many of us who can´t directly render into the flc format

As said I tried to make it not as big this time, but is still bigger then eg. my Mig21, because the plane is bigger than the MiG in reality. Hope you´ll like it.

This is the version for the Armee de´l Air (the French air force)

Download: http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads4/Rafale_AF.zip (ca. 350kb)

Make sure you dl the improved .ini file for it some posts below.

This is the version for the Marine (the French navy)

Download: http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads4/Rafale_M.zip (ca. 310kb)

Differences: other color scheme, death anim changed.


Death anim preview:

 

[Eliminator]

First Nice m8 nice!

 

[Nder]

unbelievable!

 

[Penguin-Camel]

Wow

Another great Jet BeBro

 

[Steph]

Many thanks, it is really cool. Now with this, the Leclerc and Balou's para, I can make lots of French flavour units in Steph's mod!

 

[BeBro]

Well, sorry, I made again a mistake in the ini-file (I specified the default anim for both default and run)

Here´s the correct file ....

The Marine version will come hopefully with a correct ini from beginning on

 

[Eliminator]

Me got a questin.

How long does it take to make a unit like that? And how do u make it? I realy wanted to learn that.

u first make a 3D unit in Civ scale? and then convert it to FLC?

 

[OmniMower]

Fantastic death animation BeBro!!! .... another great work by you!

 

[BeBro]

How long does it take to make a unit like that? And how do u make it? I realy wanted to learn that.

u first make a 3D unit in Civ scale? and then convert it to FLC?.

Depends a lot. Sometimes I find models on the net, then of course everything´s much easier. Sometimes I start with models from the net, then modify them or add stuff.

If I do have to model the unit myself, I start with simple 3d forms. My modeler can manipulate those forms in various ways, eg. for a canopy I can create a ball. I cut off the lower half, then I reshape it that it gets longer. For a little missile I create a cylinder manipulate the central point of its covering surface so that this cylinder looks like a rocket, then I add little stabilisator wings.

In this way I create the entire model - the final model consists of a lot "sub-models" or sub-objects for all elements (hull, wings, weapons, etc.). Every sub-object can have more sub-objects (thing of it like a windows-folder/subfolder hierarchy). That is very important for creating animations. Maybe I should make a tutorial about modeling?

Once the model is finished, I set up camera perspective (to get the Civ3 style isometric view), then I texture the model or its objects separately. Finally I resize the entire model to fit best. The size is related to the output parameters - when I render in 120x100 it is of course different as if in 160x140.

Then follows the animation. With keyframe animation, you just move you model into different positions and make "snapshots". Means if you have an anim of 20 frames, you define keyframes where certain things happen. For an attacking jet this could be eg. frame 1 (missile under the wing), frame 3 (missile is started) and frame 9 (missile leaves the visible zone). You define those three keys, then your 3d software calculates the other frames in between. In reality, it is more difficult, because there are more elements to animate (eg the jets afterburner flames, the flames from the missiles engine), but since all these elements are different objects, you can animate them easily in a similar way.

For some things (like eg. an explosion effect as on the Rafale) I use the FX options of my 3d program. Fire and smoke I sometimes add manually to the storyboards with a paint software.

Once I rendered all frames for all directions (every frame saved as bmp pic) I use Steph´s SBB to create a storyboard which can be read by flicster. From there you can export it as Civ3 unit anim in flc. If I can work continuesly, I need one or two weeks for all, maybe longer, if model and anims are more complex.

 

[ocedius]

Woah! Nice blowy-upy effect!

 

[Lynx-Eyed]

Thank you so much, BeBro!!! I was waiting such a long time to finally get a french jet plane for the modern age. I always requested a Mirage, but the Rafale is perfect!!!!

 

[BeBro]

I also finished the marine version now. A link to dl it is edited into the first post here

Here´s an attack preview (drops external tanks, then fires missile)

 

[John Falkner]

Great work!

Up to now the french are using your tornado versions, but this plane will do this job much better.

I see you care about the size - thank you

Sorry for nerving, but could you resize your Eurofighter and your Su27 (a bit). I´ll finish my mod at the end of the week and give my friends the copies. It would be cool with YOUR perfect units.

See the reply at your SU27 post that i have written a few minutes ago.

 

[BeBro]

Well resizing would require it to render all anims again, converting them to storyboards and then to flcs. I can do it, but I doubt that I have the time before this weekend....

 

[John Falkner]

No hurry Bebro, i´m very thankful that i have your units!

But if you say you will do it for us, i´ll wait with finishing my mod. Its worth the time!

I think the anims and such are ok. It is only the size when you see a plane over a city or an airport. But i don´t know if you must do the renderings in any case?

I prefer the F16,F18 and the F14 as a standard size, but you are right that the SU27 is a big one. Anyhow it would be great that all planes are suitable.

 

[kemal69]

Just wanted to say that you have done a great job on these units Very professional

 

[Kyborgi]

I'm not sure since I haven't seen the plane in real life but I think that the navy version looks more like air force version as the pain is just plain gray but air force version has blueish camo.

 

[Shady]

I still think a Mirage would be useful for earlier era fighters.

 

[Shady]

I still think a Mirage would be useful for earlier era fighters.

 

[BeBro]

Originally posted by Kyborgi
I'm not sure since I haven't seen the plane in real life but I think that the navy version looks more like air force version as the pain is just plain gray but air force version has blueish camo.

Well, at first I thought this too, but in the preview thread http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=56543&pagenumber=1 Steph posted example pics, and the version for the Amee de´l Air had such a blueish camo, while the Marine version appeared lighter and more grey-blue