Bogdan

Very nice work I will upload it after work... ...but what happened to your winter tracks BMP files ? It looks strange on the preview :confused: Is this a mod in progress ?

Done Sir

Glad you like this mod As you can see above, I have removed the "petrol blue" layer and kept the textured metal-grey one. Then I began the whitewash effect but under the white color, the vehicule is light grey. Someone will surely say it is too light ...but I kept in mind the idea of an old StuG, which rolled over 2500 kilometers in the muddy-dusty steppes of Russia before its crew quickly applied a whitewash when the first frozen days came... Cheers.

Hi everybody ! Here is the winter version of my StuG IIIE mod : Uploaded at the usual place : cmmods.com I'm actually thinking about making a second version of my StuG IIIE, but more black... Cheers !

Interesting quote. Then is this winter StuG IIIE realistic or artistic ? Best regards.

From missing-lynx.com : "Painting Panzers" The Post-Shading Way An Alternative Approach to Finishing AFV Models by James Blackwell More here .

I agree with you. Then the equilibrium is a good color with a good way of applying it ! Some masters do that... (Gautrek, Kingfisher and many others)

Mmmh... I agree that CMBB or any other wargame will never be a realistic tactical simulation : it's utopic. But, keeping in mind the fact that it tries to represent reality, a good camo scheme or a nice dunkelgelb color is still a kind of "target". Modders, scenarios designers, modellists use to approach to the nearrest the reality. We all know that a panzer on CMBB is light, I mean it is a graphical representation of a WWII vehicule, made of colored light. Like a plastic model is still made of plastic and enamels... On the other hand, a REAL panzer is made of steel and paint... This game is not reality (Fortunatelly ) but a representation. And even if it is a representation, you still could tend to have the good color, the good camo scheme. Of course, all this depends on your personnal sensibility, your taste Someone wouldn't take care of an exact panzergrey, some other would. But IMHO, CMBB is very accurate and it is better to continue this approach of the best realistic tactical simulation by doing realistic mods and/or scenarios : accurate and near of reality. It is why I launched a topic about a good camo scheme for the StuG IIIE : I was wondering about making a realistic mod. Because I'm not a grognard, I asked what would be the better to do. Thanks then to guys who post me something here In fact, I prefer to submit to you the stuff which is on my deskboard because I want it to be good and acceptable in game for its realistic and nice looking. There again, your feeling about my work is always very interesting. It doesn't bore me to do five times the same panzer. On the contrary, it's still a pleasure :cool: Last, I know my english is a REPRESENTATION of my ideas (a kind of simulation )... ...since it is not my "mother language" Then, if someone felt criticized (in negative way) by me, be SURE it was not volontary Good day folks !

You're right. I've checked my G.Forty's book and will take it as a source for a second version of the mod... Oh, I never wanted to criticize any modders around here ! I know my english is not so accurate... M. Hofbauer: Ok. And if I remove all the light grey areas, do you think the overall dark-blue-grey is good ? If not, I will change this main color. Thanks for your post again : I was wondering which color would be historically accurate for this assault gun... ...you answered me ! Cheers !

Wooot !! :eek: Very nice work but please, send us a BIGGER screenshot to admire your talent Best regards

So then, how can you qualify the official CMBB dark grey color used for "Panzergrau" ? Too light, too dark ? Here is the original CMBB StuG IIIE : Best regards.

Woo, easy ! So, my mod is too or not too dark, pink, blue, black or mauve :confused: ???

(copy of my post of the other topic, in order to centralize all the messages...) Thanks for the post John. In fact, I think the panzer grey color depends many of the color settings of monitors. I agree the fact that my mod is a bit blue. First, I used a completely grey scheme and found it too light : the vehicule looked like it was in greyscale mod ! I then added a deep blue layer (mix of blue and black) in order to find a correct color. Ok, maybe it is a bit too blue ! I had a look at many plastic modeling websites, military books (Panzer colors for example) and other sources on Internet. I found that panzers were not so grey, but much more "petrol blue" or even black ! I've read in a book about early war campaign (Poland, France...) that some tank crews painted their tank with gaz (word ?) in order to create a black effect. You must know that I didn't want to obtain a pink/mauve effect but I would prefer a grey/blue painting rather than a completely grey appearance, just to say that it was the historical "panzergrau"... Please tell me if I'm wrong but, even if this habit of darkening the panzers was forgotten in 1941 - 1942 (period of availability of the StuG IIIE), the panzers were totally grey only at the exit of the factory ! They quickly looked dusty and muddy, even rusted with time. Here are some photos that helped me to find a good color... : But if you still want an old good grey StuG, I'm your man ! Best regards.

Thanks for the post John. In fact, I think the panzer grey color depends many of the color settings of monitors. I agree the fact that my mod is a bit blue. First, I used a completely grey scheme and found it too light : the vehicule looked like it was in greyscale mod ! I then added a deep blue layer (mix of blue and black) in order to find a correct color. Ok, maybe it is a bit too blue ! I had a look at many plastic modeling websites, military books (Panzer colors for example) and other sources on Internet. I found that panzers were not so grey, but much more "petrol blue" or even black ! I've read in a book about early war campaign (Poland, France...) that some tank crews painted their tank with gaz (word ?) in order to create a black effect. You must know that I didn't want to obtain a pink/mauve effect but I would prefer a grey/blue painting rather than a completely grey appearance, just to say that it was the historical "panzergrau"... Please tell me if I'm wrong but, even if this habit of darkening the panzers was forgotten in 1941 - 1942 (period of availability of the StuG IIIE), the panzers were totally grey only at the exit of the factory ! They quickly looked dusty and muddy, even rusted with time. Here are some photos that helped me to find a good color... : But if you still want an old good grey StuG, I'm your man ! Best regards.

Thanks ! Promised, the winter StuG will be available tomorrow Best regards.

Originally posted by Kanonier Reichmann: Hello Gentlemen, I've made a Google search for "German fortifications" and "atlantic wall" and finally found a picture which could be taken as an example for the discussion... Even if this photos shows dragoon's teeth, just mentally replace these fortifications by barbed wire lines... In order to install this line of barbed wire, engineers had to cut all the trees to prepare the terrain ! Then, a tracked vehicle could easely pass through the forrest, gently rolling over the obstacles ! About LOS, this example perfectly demonstrate how a birbed wire or dragoon's teeth defence line increase this "value". Of course, it depends of the orientation of the observer : when he's exactly in the axis, he could see very far away, until the next tree zone or a curve of the defence line. I didn't make a search for the russian/east german line of fortifications along the "iron curtain", in order to find a more appropriate picture. But surelly these kind of obstacles existed. Best regards.

Effectivelly, the crew of this PSW painted the vehicle with a kind of broom/brush (word from my dictionnary :confused: ), made with wood branches. Yours,

You're welcome Tooz :cool: I'm actually trying to recreate a hasty whitewash effect. I remember a WW2 picture where a german driver painted his PSW with brush made of branches or so... More news tomorrow... Cheers !

Hello there, I have finally done the StuG IIIE mod ! The aerial recognition flag is in the ZIP package as an option (Thanks again to PanzerMartin ) I'm now beginning the winter version... Here is the screenshot : Available at cmmods.com Best regards [ July 28, 2003, 05:20 AM: Message edited by: Bogdan ]

Hi, Tooz and lcm1947 recently asked for a StuG IIIE mod. Please wait a few hours, I've got to create an aerial recognition flag and upload the entire ZIP package... ...more news during the week Cheers,

Hello ! I have done my choice concerning the camo texture of my StuG IIIE mod. I used the original BMP files (from CD) and prepared them for modding. I have create different layers : </font> A "pre-shading" layer where I spray a dark brown color to all the "lines" of the vehicules : hatches, angles.</font>A "light" layer where I put a light yellow color to all the middles of armor plates, in order to create some "relief" to the textures.</font>Two color layers to create the appropriate panzergrau, with some Photoshop effects.</font>A "Dust" layer where I apply a very light sand texture.</font>A "Mud" layer with two or three brown colors (only for the hull of the assault gun).</font>A "spots" layer used to create some... ...spots </font> At the end, I put a balkenkreuz and a tactical number (back of the hull). Here is the main BMP file as screenshot : I remember some of plastic model painting techniques and tried to apply them on Photoshop. For a winter version, I hesitate between two different ways to create a whitewashed texture. First, I can add the same "white clouds" layer I used for my Winter Marder mods. Or create a white layer. However, I doubt that many early assault gun were really painted in overall white during the first winters of the war (41-42). If somebody have a suggestion/idea, please tell me Best regards, Bogdan

Yes, thank you But let me finish my PBEM with Kerry from Warfare HQ (approx. 8 turns from the end...). Let's say... ...next week ? Cheers,

Brilliant I now can use all my 1:25000 maps of the Normandy region :cool: Thank you very much !!!

Ok Tooz, I agree with you too I have already prepared some blue/grey layers to see how it looks like with... A camo scheme would be ahistorical IMHO so, forget ! This vehicle is a bit m ore complicated for me than a Panther or a Tiger : there is many more textures that I don't localize very well on the assault gun. On Panzers, you can easely see where each BMP is on the 3D model, that's not the case here. The only solution would be to had a number ON the pictures and look then in the game where these numbers appears onto the StuG... :confused: Anyway, I will try to realise a good model and to add a "winter layer" for a whitewashed version. But, as I said before, the job is to create a good file for the modding operation : isolate the tools, the pink zones... In a book (Militaria "La Bataille de Léningrad" for Paulus ) I have seen some markings for this StuG, very simple numbers, a balkenkreuz on the side and at the back with a tactical symbol. All in white on the panzer grey. That's all folks PS for Paulus : No, I don't have any "account" at Appui-Feu, but I visit this website very often Yours,

Thanks Lee but this mod took me approx. 10 minutes to copy the "Marder II brown mottled layer" to all the Marder III's BMP files... It was nothing. The real job would be to completelly redo this vehicule using the CMBO BMP files. These textures are more accurate and detailled. Just have a look to a CMBO Wespe or Marder mod. Or to create a new Marder from scratch, using photo or what so ever :eek: Best regards, [ July 24, 2003, 07:58 AM: Message edited by: Bogdan ]