mjkerner

Yes, I always explode all mods and keep them in folders with my own variations or mixes for easy exchange in the z folder. Almost all of Aris' superb vehicles have variants. Most have only one or two, so I make sure to mix up my armor forces when I play QB's and sometimes go into downloaded scenarios and swap out models to get a good variety.

Really? Ignorance is bliss; I just copied the 100A and 100B brz files when I first downloaded the game and exploded them. When I started messing around with modding the uniforms, I just copied the naming conventions of the various images, and later did the same with the vehicle mods others were doing. I think Mainzelmann's Normandy Tiger mods does the same thing. Probably doesn't rank up there with Columbus' accidental discovery of America, though.

Not sure about the gear, Erwin, but it should work. One thing I'm not sure of is if the game chooses the images by lowest-level unit, mostly platoons, or not. In other words, if you have 5 different hull images, will you get those 5 different mods in each platoon, or does the game apply the randomness to the whole force in that scenario?

Hey Mord, be my guest. You've had experience modding CMSF, while I have not and you've got much more "street cred" than I do. Besides you have a much better knack for generating enthusiasm through these threads than me. LOL, I got a real kick out of your posts last night. When I release the HG Pz Division uniforms, I'll contact the Mord Marketing Department!

The mods I use of my own division patches mod hit 8 uniforms for US Paras and 12 for Germans. I far as I've been able to tell, it's unlimiuted. I've thought of making endless variations in order to get a high enough number to have individual uniforms for a full company...but that ain't gonna happen!

Good news, Mad Mike. I love the program, and had no trouble with all other campaigns, including Assault on Lucherburg, but with Die Letzte Hoffnung, I get nothing. Good to know there's a fix.

Glad to hear that, Mord, my friend. I thought that maybe I screwed up--a not unusual occurrence. lol. I tried it 3 times last night, and once I had one "plain" and four with the Indian head insignia, and the other two times it was 2 plain, 3 Indian head. With images, you have to name/number the mods the same as the base game does, in order to override the stock image(s), and then continue the sequential numbering. Most base game images skip the number "1" but some, like the multiple US and German uniforms, don't even have the name-with-no-number (like the one on the left in the pic above), but instead start out with the number "1".

"m4-75-mid-hull.bmp" on the left, "m4-75-mid-hull 2.bmp" is on the right. Mord, time to take your meds! Or am I misunderstanding the issue?

???? Mord, it works for me. I've been doing that will all SAris' mods. You can't mix different models, but within a model M4 75 Mid, for example it works. I just number the hulls sequentially like with uniforms, but come to think of it, I may have done turrets and hulls for the Panthers too. I'll go check. I didn't know you couldn't do that, and didn't know it was a big deal.

Erwin, yes you can do that.

Pkunzipper, you can add as many as you like. Presumably, if you made enough variants, every Ptruppen could eventually have their own unique uniform.

Synching problems happened alot in IL2 Sturmovik replays of recorded games. The "recording" was simply a copy of the computer code/calculations (sorry, I'm no techie) from that portion of the game/scenario, and that data would get misread at times.

That appears to be how EZ approached it. There are edging tools in the various graphics programs that will accomplish that for the crease areas. There are also other ways to lighten-darken areas--many different ways, in fact. But that's where the learning curve comes in. I used to make my own counters for playing boardgames in VASSAL using minimal Paint Shop skills, but the images used for 3D models shown under various lighting conditions does take a lot more skill. There are obviously a lot of experienced modders around here who could do this in a 1/10th of the time I am, but learning these techniques is a lot of fun. By the time we get to Russia, maybe I'll be one of them. Too bad you all are my guineau pigs!

Thanks for the feedback, Erwin, I need the perspective of others to get this to look right. You'll get no argument from me about dirtying things up. Some unit patches/collar tabs and such do show in photos and films, but they are certainly not as distinct as Osprey shows them...definitely muted. But like the shell casings on the floor of Aris' H/Ts...I want the up-close detail because I like to get to ground level and watch the show right in amongst the men. But my problem is getting the right balance of lighting and colors.

I read in an older thread something about if reinforcements are attached to an active on-board command, they'd stay put and not follow the AI orders for that command...or something like that. Sgt Schultz, LongLeftFlank, FredRock, FM Blucher or some one with alot of editor time will surely know.

nik, no sarcasm was intended at all. I had to look up the correct term myself, 'cause I couldn't remember, but the question was serious. Since you did use that order, I'm stumped!

nik, do you have "exit before" orders, too?

Thanks for the input, Erwin. That blue helmet is the third try...still too light, the same with the ammo pouches. It's the highlighting that is tricky for me, since I'm still learning the fine points of blending, etc., through trial and error. OTOH, I paint detailed 28mm miniatures (or used to until this game came along...I haven't picked up a brush in 4 months!) and I painted as much for close-up viewing and allowing some of it to show on the gaming table, and so I tend to exagerate the colors. North American Indians dressed and painted garishly and the camera has exaggerated the highlights, you get the idea in the pics below. I want to see some of the detail from a distance in this game as well, but there's the rub--too much off the realism mark. I have to unlearn the habit.

Yankeedog, I'm in and will gladly donate. Someone, at some point, has to do Arte Johnson's "Verrrry Intresting!" tagline though. While you're at it, it would be nice to add some voice variety to Mord's excellent American voices. He did such a good job that it's hard to improve on, but different voices would add variety.

Hey Mord, good to see you're back! I'm glad you like these...I've been modding uniforms primarily for my own use, but I hope the community likes them. I have more work to do on a number of little things, like should the collar rank tabs have a green backing with black piping, or the ones shown here; the German helmets are tricky since unlike the Ami helmet image, the right side is the only side that shows in-game...it's mirrored for the left side--stuff like that. Also, I need to get permissions from patboy (two helmets), and sdp (camo frock/tunic). Anyway, it should be done in a few days. Here's some more recent pics:

Nope, none by EZ--just the stock ones with armor division/Indendent Tank Battalion patches. After I finish some more German LW units (HG Pz Div is almost done), I do want to want to work on the tankers and also work on an Eisenhower jacket mod, which will use the tanker jacket.

Thanks von Albert. The more I play the more little things I see that could use a tweak. I'm finishing up a Herman Goering Panzer Division mod, and there are so many little details that I keep finding/tweaking, it about drives me nuts, especially as I am learning the finer points of Paint Shop Pro on the fly. Wiggum, you'll want EZ's US gear and boots too. I uploaded them separately at both CMMODS and the Repositry a while ago. G.Smiley, I think that must be a graphics bug. At least I haven't seen that and no one's contacted me about it.

It would be nice feature that I hope they include in a future module/game. The old "lobbing the satchel charge" trick, based on serious research by watching Sands of Iwo Jima, Battle Cry, Guadalcanal Diary, Pork Chop Hill, etc., was used extensively in my combat days--age 6-12, we'd lob a potato sack of dirt balls (individual dirt balls themselves were grenades), or better yet, rotten tomatoes or apples (Also handy grenades) into the enemy bunker complex (Danny Wallace's parents old backyard shed with very cool adjoining trench-like ravine). Casualties on both sides were usually horrendous, but much bravery was exhibited by all combatants at all times, with all deaths of the herioc variety. The arms race got serious when we graduated to BB guns (with goggles so no one shot their eye out!). Then girls got interesting...but I digress. Yes, we should be able to heave them around a bit more than now allowed.

GaJ, probably becasue they were in the middle of a firefight. I just finished some turns of Bocage au Faux 2 and several times when the blast teams had orders to blast, it didn't happen until the enemy firing at them were suppressed.

Actually, we are talking years here, not hours.