Slitherine

Hello Speedy:

Indeed, it's a pity that the Sherman tank is not better represent in the game, because there were so many interesting variants of it... I will work on the icons you provided. The rounded, cast hull is very well made, but I would like to improve some details, like, for example, the turret of the early M4A1 which looks too small, and the very dark trackwork and suspension details. I like to make icons with more visible details in that part. I will try to make some icons and I hope you will like them.

Meanwhile, here is a copy of the icon mask making tutorial I downloaded and stored in .pdf format, complete with all the original images. It is very simple to follow the steps, and you will be making perfect masks for your icons in no time!

Thanks for passing by and enjoy!

Hello Speedy:

Finally, late at yesterday´s night I took the M4A1 icon and started working on it... Here is the result, I hope you like it like I do...
I did three separate versions: Us Army, USMC and Canadian.

And here are the base icon and mask for this tank...

Hello Guille

Great work and thanks for your help ! In fact I haven't done anything from scratch, I just took the in game icon of the M4A1, with the cast hull and the right turret but the wrong gun, so I just pasted the turret of the in-game icon of the standard M4 and pasted it on the right hull, the M4 turret is indeed small but my major concern was the in-game proportions the actual M4A1 looked way too small in comparison to the M4 version so I've re scaled it, for the HVSS version I just took the tracks part from the M4A3 and pasted it on the base cast hull from the M4A1 and made them fit. I also thing the in-game M4A3 icon is not a a proper one so I've made this serie based on a standard welded M4 hull as you can see below. Also, I was wondering, since the M4A1 was used by numerous allied countries if you could have the insignia masked in order to use the replace insignias function in the DCS.

Best

Hello:

Here is a new pack of soviet aircraft, including their landed icons for each variant... Enjoy!

Now, more on the Sherman...

Hello Speedy! Thanks again for the new Sherman variants... We are now having a more comprehensive lot of icons covering many variants of this important tank...
Bearing in mind what you said about the mask, I reworked them, with the following changes:

- I made a Sherman base icon and mask without insignia (so, anybody can paste any nation colors on it).
- Another Sherman with the vanilla star insignia (same size as the vanilla game icons).
- And, at last, an alternative mask compatible with the insignia changing function of the DCS software. You will have to test it, as I don´t use that function, because I like it more to "paint" national insignia by hand. Insignias look better when made that way in my opinion.

I hope those help you, and keep up the good work!

Many thanks for your excellent work.

[*]Hello Guille

Great work with the newest M4A1 pack. You surely made a point about the in-game M4 having a too small turret and you M4A1 icon really addresses it. Going through all the Sherman's versions in the Tank Encyclopedia there is a significant difference between the M4A1 (US) and the British MkII as you will see below. Since I intend to go through both US and British rosters, I think your icon set for the M4A1 would be perfect for the British Mk.II that seems overall a bit rounder (hull) with a bulge at the rear of the turret, so I think having your model as a base for the British Mk.II and eventually Mk.III and Sherman V would be a great. For an weird reason I'm still sticking on the in-game M4 base model for the whole Sherman line, in order to make them different as they were, from the British and Commonwealth ones (SA, Canada and Anzac namely), I really think that sticking to your model, due to your turret design, would be the most appropriate thing to do. Since you draw to my attention the really small turret for the US M4, I'm working on enlarging it, so I'll send soon a modified icon. In another order of idea, I just made my first icon with mask today for the M4A1(76)W based on what I've written in my previous post, the whole idea behind my work was about in-game proportions and it did inspired me to push forward with new models to do. I'm still having issues with those shadows ,these are basic attemps, I will solve it eventually. So here's my fist model with mask. Feel free to comment and give me some feedback with the Sherman turret I've mentioned above.

Best

Sherman turrets

Soemproblems with managing the thread, I'm not used to it. Here are the Sherman turrets:

Speedy:

Further research on the Sherman theme, I learned the following facts:

- In fact, the turret in my previous icons were a bit oversized, so I remade the base icon and masks, with a smaller turret, and also with some detail improvements. I uploaded the modified icons in the previous threads.

- The British variants of this tank, used the same cast hull (so there should be no difference between the hulls of US Army M4A1 tanks and their British counterparts) and also the same turret, but the British added an external metallic box on the back plate of the turret, so British tank turrets were longer than the American ones. Besides, British Shermans usually had sand shields over the upper run of their tracks, which the American ones lacked.

- Some comments about your icons: the shadows should pose no problem, you can copy and paste them from another similar icon (in this case there are several M4 vanilla game icons to copy their shadows from). You have to look at some details that are not symmetrical between the two left and right looking images of the icon. Typically, AA machine guns and turret roof cupolas, hatches, etc... are not centrally placed, so they will not look right when you horizontally flip the image. I know it is not a very noticeable detail when the icon is rendered in the game map, but, well, may be you want to pay attention to this detail.

- Of course, don't feel obliged to use or accept my suggestions (after all, they are only that, suggestions), you are making a very nice work with all those new Sherman variants. The important thing here is to have fun!

- The images you are uploading are truncated.

Note: I could not upload the new files on the previously post, so I attach them here... Enjoy!

A new Soviet air unit... The Polikarpov R-5 recon and light attack aircraft. It was in Red Air Force service in the Khalkin Gol incident, the Winter War, and the Soviet Invasion of Eastern Poland.

Enjoy!

More units to complete the "Cavalry Pack"... The Soviet cavalry icon group, this time adding the SE '39 and SE '43 versions including their dismounted switch.

Also, a new variation on the icon of the Soviet SE Guards, in 1939 and 1942 versions. Enjoy!!

Hello Guille

Thanks for your latest Sherman pack, great work ! I'm done with the M4A1(76)W, I've corrected the turret and included a plain icon so anyone can paste whatever insignia they want. Feel free to comment anyone.

Hello Guille

Made a few attempt for the British variant of the Sherman, just copying and paste job for the Sherman MkIII, based on the in-game M4 model but adding the small metallic box at the back of the turret. For the MkV I use an existing Firefly model for the turret. Let me know what you think. I still have to make the mask for the M4A3 Sherman variants. Afterwards, I plan on to start a new project called Allied units icons and masks on its own thread. If anyone thinks its a good idea or has an interest in it just let me know. These are not final models, proper insignias and masks will follow, just need some feedback.

Hello Speedy:

Nice British Sherman icons... I specially like the Sherman Mk.V you uploaded... about the Mk.III, well, I still think that the vanilla game turret graphic does not look right, but that is just my opinion. I think that to give more identity to British variants, we can add the lateral sandshields and make them look a bit more different from American Sherman tanks. Here is a profile and a quick made icon...

Hello Guille

What do you think about this one made from the M4A3E2 in-game model. A lot of things to fix on it it but what about the general look of it ?

Oh, yes! It looks very good!! Keep it up, I like your work and ideas very much!

Hello Guille

Thanks for your feedback, I've worked on a British Sherman MkII with the cast hull and the skirts, as in the reference you posted. Let me know what you think of it. I'm not good at building from scratch so I just play around with existing parts from various icons, but I think it won't look that bad in game.