Who's Office might this be?

[Airspeed]

Hi Dave,
That's an engrossing project you've been working on!
Fine tuning always seems to absorb more time than actually doing your hobby, doesn't it?
I think it must be human nature. Watching kids at play, they'll often spend ages setting up the positions of their playthings, and making the rules. By the time they're ready to start, they've moved on to another game.

[DaveB]

Yes.. engrossing and sometimes frustrating but ultimately rewarding. I've not had the brushes out for years.. I think the Rapide set for FS9 were the last I worked on.. perhaps the Haltons.. I dunno but it was a long time ago. I didn't fancy FSX and working upside down or flipping maps but it's not so bad once you get used to it. Specular maps and bump maps are a law unto themselves mind you but the beauty of FSX is the texture.cfg and fallback textures so it's not necessary to make a complete set of maps for each paint.. thank goodness

ATB
DaveB

[DaveB]

Rob..

I've been looking at an assortment of shots of ASU helicopters (inc G-NMID) and found a reference to the colour on the Northumbria site stating they're blue so I'll take that as 'official' However, it's such a dark blue it often looks black. I've several phots of G-POLA and you'd lose money that some didn't show it as black! I guess it's like the uniform colour in that it too is blue but really doesn't look it. Point is, the reference paints I started these repaints from are probably all wrong.. the blue is just too light

Mike.. this is one of those 'frustrating' moments

ATB
DaveB

[PaulC]

Dave,

Keep it simple, stick with the classy and suave GYPOL, that's definitely blue!

[DaveB]

Thanks Paul. I wonder if it's the 'right' blue but there you go. I didn't do that one so it's fine I've taken one shot from a selection of G-NMID and pulled an RGB of 15-18-33 from it. This looks black initially but in volume, it's not a half bad v/dark blue. In the process of making up my own 'Police' psd's for the 135 but I'm not sure how far I'll get with them. I often say something is 'ok' and I'll 'leave it' but it bugs the hell out of me so I end up doing something about it. NMID and POLA may well end up getting a complete revamp and the paint is barely dry

Talking of POLA.. not seen or heard her over here for a while. I take it the cold weather is keeping the crooks at home in your area too?
ATB
DaveB

[PaulC]

Talking of POLA.. not seen or heard her over here for a while. I take it the cold weather is keeping the crooks at home in your area too?

No! They don't do day's off up here! It's up and about as usual. It was a bit fog-bound last week but nice and clear now.

As far as all your RGB things, you might as well have been talking Greek! I've never attempted a paint job, wouldn't know where to start. I am beginning to consider a foray into small scenery projects. Such as helipads or a farm strip but again, lots of reading required as I know NOTHING about it!

Paul

[tonymadge]

Dave G-POLA is out and about when wx permit's, the colour is a very dark blue I know as I have washed the bloody thing enough times It does look black in certain light but its blue

[DaveB]

Cheers Mate I'll try and get my blue dark enough to look one or t'other THEN have a go at making proper Alpha's for it. None of the published paints have an alpha channel.. idle gits I pulled the alphas off one of the defaults yesterday and the old blue shined like a good'un. However, it sent the yellow black so I'll have to have a rethink

Who invented alpha channels anyway. They should be shot!

ATB
DaveB

[DaveB]

OK.. after loading the test paint up first time, it was obvious I'd forgot to flip it A quick flip and save as dds and this is the result. The new dark blue is obvious and uses an RGB of 15-18-33/OF1221. No proper alpha on it yet. Excuse the pink.. this is off the PK. I appreciate we're in the days of equal opportunities but the Police haven't gone as far as pink helicopters yet.. thank the lord!



It looks bluer than I thought it would but is much closer than the original. Yay/Nay/indifferent?

ATB
DaveB

[tonymadge]

The blue on the oors looks about right the other blue is too light