Jump to content
Special Upgrade 4 Tech Tips

Bogdan

Members
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    557

  • Joined

  • Last visited

 Content Type 

Posts posted by Bogdan

    ** Mod posted ** winter StuG III ausf. E

    in Combat Mission: Barbarossa to Berlin

    Posted

    Glad you like this mod smile.gif

    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 :rolleyes::D ...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.

    0

    ** Mod posted ** StuG III E

    in Combat Mission: Barbarossa to Berlin

    Posted

    From missing-lynx.com :

    "Painting Panzers" The Post-Shading Way

    An Alternative Approach to Finishing AFV Models

    by James Blackwell

    German armour camouflage is another extremely controversial subject that can get people worked up into a lather very quickly. In my opinion, don't get too pedantic about matching paint chips. From studying the few existing wartime colour shots and the enormous range of variation that exists in the tones of monochrome photos, plus the variables involved in application of paint, and its weathering in the field, especially in wartime conditions, I just don't believe there is a "right" colour, especially in scale. Once a vehicle rolls out of the plant many harsh and diverse factors affect it. Sun, snow, sand, mud, field-applied finishes, heavy combat plus general wear and tear means that almost anything goes. Under these circumstances RAL colour chips are little more than helpful guidelines.

    More here .
    0

    ** Mod posted ** StuG III E

    in Combat Mission: Barbarossa to Berlin

    Posted

    Originally posted by Limey:

    Well maybe it isn't an accurate colour (too light) but I choose mods for their in-game appearance and the level of artistic skill achieved in applying the finish. I really am not very interested in historical accuracy which I think is a blind alley in a game where there are so many compromises that reduce historical accuracy already.

    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 :D ) 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 smile.gif 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 smile.gif 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 tongue.gif )... ...since it is not my "mother language" :D Then, if someone felt criticized (in negative way) by me, be SURE it was not volontary smile.gif

    Good day folks !

    0

    ** Mod posted ** StuG III E

    in Combat Mission: Barbarossa to Berlin

    Posted

    Originally posted by Limey:

    Bogdan. There is a set of 5 colour photos of Dunkelgrau panzers FROM THE RUSSIAN CAMPAIGN on the back of a book called 'German Tanks of World War Two' by George Forty. Bear in mind that the techniques for processing colour photos cannot have been that good & even nowadays you can get inaccurate colours in photos........but 4 of the photos show a dark grey very similar to the colour used by BFC (and, incidentally, by MikeyD for his Stugs and AF for his Marder). If anything this dark grey would appear to have a hint of green in it. This is confirmed by the fifth photo which is of a IVD or IVE. It is matt, quite light and a definite greenish/grey. In fact very like the colour and level of darkness chosen by BFC for their IVC, IVD, and IVE. Don't assume BFC got it wrong. I think they got it spot on! You would only get an appearance of blue on a very shiny brand new vehicle where the finish was so dark it has a bluish appearance.

    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...

    You may be able to criticise the colour but you cannot criticise the extremely high artistic standard panzermartin achieved in creating his mods.
    Oh, I never wanted to criticize any modders around here ! smile.gif I know my english is not so accurate... :rolleyes:

    M. Hofbauer:

    Those highlighted main areas are a bit too bright *for my taste*. The darker color appeals more to me.
    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 ! :D

    Cheers !

    0

    ** Mod posted ** StuG III E

    in Combat Mission: Barbarossa to Berlin

    Posted

    (copy of my post of the other topic, in order to centralize all the messages...)

    Originally posted by John Kettler:

    Bogdan,

    Recourse to my rather limited armor camouflage and markings sources showed a StuG F still sporting a Panzer grau overall scheme during the Don battles in summer 1942. I therefore concur with the Panzer grau recommendations for your StuG E. What you can do, though, is what the Germans did to tone down and blend in the easily spotted Panzer grau--smear mud on the vehicle. No, I don't mean dust and grime; I mean mud deliberately applied over the paint and allowed to dry. I believe the Squadron PANZER COLORS guides will have a bunch of examples.

    Regards,

    John Kettler

    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 :rolleyes::D !

    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... :

    pjtige-2.jpg

    cbpz4d.jpg

    But if you still want an old good grey StuG, I'm your man ! :D

    Best regards.

    0

    Question for grognards : which is the best/realistic camo scheme for a StuGIIIE ?

    in Combat Mission: Barbarossa to Berlin

    Posted

    Originally posted by John Kettler:

    Bogdan,

    Recourse to my rather limited armor camouflage and markings sources showed a StuG F still sporting a Panzer grau overall scheme during the Don battles in summer 1942. I therefore concur with the Panzer grau recommendations for your StuG E. What you can do, though, is what the Germans did to tone down and blend in the easily spotted Panzer grau--smear mud on the vehicle. No, I don't mean dust and grime; I mean mud deliberately applied over the paint and allowed to dry. I believe the Squadron PANZER COLORS guides will have a bunch of examples.

    Regards,

    John Kettler

    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 :rolleyes::D !

    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... :

    pjtige-2.jpg

    cbpz4d.jpg

    But if you still want an old good grey StuG, I'm your man ! :D

    Best regards.

    0

    CMBB barb wire bug?

    in Combat Mission: Barbarossa to Berlin

    Posted

    Originally posted by Kanonier Reichmann:

    Bingo! I would have thought everybody by now would have realised that when you lay wire you turn the terrain underneath it to clear terrain. That's why your LOS improves dramatically when drawing it across wire obstructions compared with the surrounding woods, scattered trees, brush tiles etc. It's really quite simple, wire converts any terrain below it into clear except there is now a substantial movement penalty for infantry, wheeled vehicles can't cross and tracked vehicles (except halftracks) can cross but with a movement penalty and an increased chance of immobilisation compared with the normal (but converted) clear terrain underneath.

    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 !

    sperre_klein_valkenisse_landfront_hockerhindernisse_2.jpg

    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.

    0

    Question for grognards : which is the best/realistic camo scheme for a StuGIIIE ?

    in Combat Mission: Barbarossa to Berlin

    Posted

    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 :rolleyes:</font>

    At the end, I put a balkenkreuz and a tactical number (back of the hull).

    Here is the main BMP file as screenshot :

    8460.jpg

    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 smile.gif

    Best regards,

    Bogdan

    0

    Question for grognards : which is the best/realistic camo scheme for a StuGIIIE ?

    in Combat Mission: Barbarossa to Berlin

    Posted

    Ok Tooz, I agree with you too smile.gif

    I have already prepared some blue/grey layers to see how it looks like with... tongue.gif 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 :D

    PS for Paulus : No, I don't have any "account" at Appui-Feu, but I visit this website very often smile.gif

    Yours,

    0

    ** Mods posted ** Early Marder III -- Early Panzer IV ausf. G

    in Combat Mission: Barbarossa to Berlin

    Posted

    Thanks Lee smile.gif but this mod took me approx. 10 minutes to copy the "Marder II brown mottled layer" to all the Marder III's BMP files... :rolleyes: 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 ]

    0
×
×
  • Create New...