Pimp your icon!

[ThvN]

Nice work with those icons! And as silly comment, the ultimate 'pimped' WW2 tank I ever saw has to be this:



http://ww2db.com/image.php?image_id=7969

Yes, that is a captured Japanese tank carried on the back of a Sherman, which already has wooden 'armour' (against magnetic mines I think) and what seems to be a deep-wading kit as well. [Insert Xzibit meme about putting a tank on your tank, etc.]

[asuser]

Wow ThvN,

what values would you give this secret weapon to the eqp file? Nice picture anyway...

Guille1434: I updated the badge panel with various airborne badges (real/future), so check it out please.

Greetings!

[asuser]

So, now I've been trying to pimp a plane icon. As a template I have the Fw 190A and the somewhat improved version from another thread (I think from Guille1434) picked out and i made the following changes:

-Color spinner with the famous white spiral lines
-Color chipping and battle scars
-Engine thruster plumes
-Digit and squadron leader mark
-Colored tape-recognition (eg Reich Defence) and rudder
-Boost National Emblem
-Apply kill markings on the fin
-Painted engine cover
-Marking machine guns in the wings
-Attaching an external load (Torpedo, yes indeed, FW 190 could carry one!)

FW_190Pimp.png (14.44 KiB) Viewed 8830 times

Here you can see quite clearly the maximum area, which is still feasible for these small graphical images.

Feedback welcome.

[T2_2112]

So, now I've been trying to pimp a plane icon. As a template I have the Fw 190A and the somewhat improved version from another thread (I think from Guille1434) picked out and i made the following changes:

-Color spinner with the famous white spiral lines
-Color chipping and battle scars
-Engine thruster plumes
-Digit and squadron leader mark
-Colored tape-recognition (eg Reich Defence) and rudder
-Boost National Emblem
-Apply kill markings on the fin
-Painted engine cover
-Marking machine guns in the wings
-Attaching an external load (Torpedo, yes indeed, FW 190 could carry one!)

Here you can see quite clearly the maximum area, which is still feasible for these small graphical images.

Feedback welcome.

Torpedo and bomb, we can use for F,G version. NICE improve anyway.

BTW, can you pls FIX the 109 icons from Bebro's Airplanes. He made GREAT icons, but everytype look like the same. Here the site NOTE the dif each version

http://fiches.fra.free.fr/

[wastel]

Looks very nice,
but the 190F/G schould have a more different camo than the fighter version (actuall built by you is a fighter unit too)
Much easier to different them on the battlefield with different camos.
http://rafiger.de/Homepage/FBMuseum/Inf ... allery.htm some nice 190F/G Skins

Greetings
Wastel

[asuser]

Hello T2_2112 and wastel,

Thank you for your feedback. You are absolutely right, the gaming fun increased when the units look different and also distinguishes between a fighter and a fighter-bomber plane. I know that too, I also experiment a lot with different paint schemes for the DCS program. The contribution here has become more fixated on what types of things are to make graphically to improve the icon. For a more detailed illustration of different items please check also from time to time my badge thread.

Greetings!

[asuser]

And the lucky (first) one is MikeAP:

Here are some examples of the Sherman tank:

With a Special camo scheme from DCS i made the following updates:

-Sandbags load
-Welded armour plates
-Roping tree trunks
-Hedgerow cutter with luggage
-Wading kit for Normandy and Pacific landings
-Mineroller T3E1 (sorry it's to big for an icon?, the other mineflail is in the Allied Corps package?)

sherman01pimp.png (95.35 KiB) Viewed 8739 times

I hope that i can give some ideas for further improving. My friend Guille, you can upload your sherman too! Whats your opinion to the mineroller, really too big?

Is there a specific version we should develop to a useable icon/unit for the game?

Feedback welcome. The next things to make are the StuG and the Elephant/Ferdinand...

Greetings!

[guille1434]

Very good detailed icons Asuser! I like them very much!
Just a little note... Maybe they will look better still if we try to match the green tone of the tank and the mineroller and the deep wading equipment also (they look a little bit lighter in tone). It is not very important, just an opinion...

But this is an excellent job! Keep it up my friend...

By the way, anything that is more than 148 pixels long will be too big for the game to correctly display, I think... What a good thing would be to add support for double size icons just like in Pacific General (game devs: take note please!). But... as it would be a pity not to be able to field that mineroller tank, here is a quick icon made using Asuser amazing graphic...
a) Reduced to 90% size (only way to squeeze the icon in the 148 pixel "window").
b) "Quick" shadows added.
c) Made the rollers a little darker, to match the tank hull color.
d) Added a M2 .50 cal AA machine gun...
Voilá!
Now, the only thing pending is to make a suitable mask to use with the DCS software...

This special tank unit surely deserves its place in the game, and in my opinion, at least the hedgerow cutter, and the deep wading equipped units, also. They could be useful to visually identify a special unit in the Allied order of battle. Another use can be made of the welded additional armor plated Sherman, to identify a different variant of the tank, as in the game there is only one icon, and this tank was made in a lot of variants...
The log laden and sandbag protected icons can be useful for a Pacific theater mod, as tanks over there were usually modified by troops in the field in that way. In conclusion, with a little imagination we can give use to all those excellent graphics.

[guille1434]

And just another variation on the "Pimped up" Sherman tank...
This is a Sherman with a very generous quantity of track links added for additional ballistic protection on the glacis, side hull and turret...
I hope you like it... Give it the use you wish! And enjoy!

As always, feedback is very much welcomed!

[T2_2112]

asuser and guille1434, ur guy make this game UP one level

[guille1434]

Thanks T2_2112! And best of all, we are also having a lot of fun!

[MikeAP]

And the lucky (first) one is MikeAP:

sherman01pimp.png

Greetings!

WOW! Absolutely fantastic work! The detail looks great.

[asuser]

So after a few days of experimentation, here are my recommendations for nikivdd and the favorite vehicle, the StuGIIIG. If you look at the image of vanilla StuGIIIG, there are some points that could be improved. The gun barrel has different thickness on each side, the muzzle brake is undefined, there is only the early version available (late version has the Saukopfblende) and in my opinion, the side skirts cover too much from the overall image. I've adapted these points in the first two pictures. Furthermore, it can make even more updates:

-Attach kill marks (these could also applied at the end of the barrel) and vehicle numbers
-Of course, the camo foliage
-In front-line duty the recognition flag for the air forces, was placed over the vehicle, could also used for reconnaissence units

By the end of the war the StuG's were used more and more mainly for defensive task and tank hunt, below are icons for the entrenchment value / function where the unit get better defense values.
-Version 1 for the deep digging in the open field (called AT shelter)
-Version 2 for the deep digging near the forest

StuG_IIIGPimpfinal.png (117.9 KiB) Viewed 8563 times

In addition, there are new badges in the badge thread for famous StuG brigades. Now comes the question again, what of these examples is to be developed in a playable unit? Well, nikivdd, are you satisfied?

Greetings!

[asuser]

Question to Guille: Could you make the Aty version for the new StuG III G please? Additional updates are possible...

Question to nikivdd: Do you need also the updates for the StuH? Feedback welcome.

Greetings!

[nikivdd]

Very impressive result, if i would have to chose, i wouldn't be able to. The entrenched version is a very cool idea. StuG IIIx has always been my favorate developed unit, from supporting infantry to tank destroyer. Yeah, and i also like the StuH 42
I don't know if you will pimp all the vanilla units but your icons make things much more vivid.

[asuser]

Hello nikivdd,

thank you for your feedback. You're one of the old veterans of the PC theme and of the DMP website? Your praise makes me very happy...

With Guille I have often discussed, which of the vanilla units can be updated. In the end, each unit could get some improvement. We still have many ideas in a common mod in planning. Besides, we also ask in the forum for wishes of the members. It is of course a goal to get more details and realism (also increase the eye catching factor if possible). Let's see what else we can do for all...

Greetings!

[stan23]

Asuser
Just to throw in my 2 cents, I really like the one with the unit numbering and kill rings (I like the kill rings a lot) you really have an eye for detail. Keep up the excellent work!
Greetings from VA.

[guille1434]

Very good "pimped" StuG III vehicles! Again, it is nearly impossible to choose one of the different options, thar are all very well made! For in-game functionality I would pick the entrenched StuG... You can make this unit switchable. When "switched" to wait in ambush... it could be given higher Ground Defense value, may be also +1 Initiative (more probability of shooting first in an ambush), and of course 0 Movement, when switching back to is "mobile" state and leaving the ambush site, the values are restored to the original ones.

[asuser]

After some days of intense work here are further examples of updated StuGIIIG as a Aty version with different modifications. With friendly help from Guille here are also special updates for the camouflaged needs of a supportive Aty unit:

-Version with deleted skirts Early
-Version with deleted skirts Late
-Version with new added skirts Early
-Version with new added skirts Late
-Behind a wooden obstacle (like famous Panzersperre)
-Below camo net (lower visibility)
-Below camo net (higher visibility)
-Inside a Aty shelter with 360° fighting sight
-Same heavily camouflaged

StuG_IIIGPimp02final.png (216.11 KiB) Viewed 8381 times

Thats not all of the work: In the next days you get new full playable AT/Aty unit versions of the StugIIIG - check the Guille thread please! The same modifications we could make for the StuH. In the meantime i would make some interesting things with the Elefant tank (wish from Guille), or better Ferdinand - how it look as the vanilla unit in PC. As i played the game the first time I wondered, thats not the Elefant, there is something missing!

Does anybody has further good ideas so please make a call. Feedback very welcome.

Greetings!

[guille1434]

Marvelous new "arty" StuG IIIG "pimped" icons! And it is truth... An early/late version of the Stug IIIG pack, switchable to direct and indirect fire modes is coming to the "multipurpose units thread"!
By the way, it is an EXCELLENT idea to provide different icons for the Ferdinand and for the Elefant (which was a retrofitted Ferdinand) tank destroyers! Thumbs up!