Pimp your icon!

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asuser
Sergeant Major - SdKfz 234/2 8Rad
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Pimp your icon!

Post by asuser »

Hello to all members,

who has always wanted to ask, what is most out of the unit icons in addition to the installation of new units, of course, here are presented some ideas. These ideas could also be used to allow visually different units drive onto the battlefield. As an example, I have the new model of the Tiger I Tank (Guille sorry that I have the tank so tattered) taken as a model. Following "updates" I've made as a part 1:

-Attachment of kill markings
-Place of turret numbers and set the cross insignia to the mainly used place
-Identification of the antenna (for command tanks, there were several of them)
-Inserting a commander figure
-Demolition/removal of parts like the side skirts
-Attachment of battle damage/hits from larger (front bow) and smaller (wheels) calibers

The result:
Tiger_I_Pimp.png
Tiger_I_Pimp.png (36.18 KiB) Viewed 16225 times
Certainly, there are other ideas, this is a start. Soon I show what you can do further in part 2 and also with aircrafts...so stay tuned...

Greetings from Germany!
Last edited by asuser on Sat Aug 17, 2013 8:58 pm, edited 1 time in total.
T2_2112
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Re: Pimp your icon!

Post by T2_2112 »

Nice icon, but i want to see the change in big icon too.
asuser
Sergeant Major - SdKfz 234/2 8Rad
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Re: Pimp your icon!

Post by asuser »

Hi T2_2112,

thank you for your feedback.

Sorry, but i have to say the same as guille1434 in his thread: The main focus of my modding work is to create new unit stuff for the battlefield. The big icons are also important, but you have to play with 3D models. I think my skills are limited to this area. For this work you could take the standard (big) icon and mask it for DCS. Then you have to copy the additional changes to this icon. Alternatively you can use a good picture from the internet or from a theme related book and scale it down to the right size or use a picture what do you like best...

Greetings!
asuser
Sergeant Major - SdKfz 234/2 8Rad
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Re: Pimp your icon!

Post by asuser »

Now we come to the second part of the pimp up of vehicles. Enclosed I have made the following changes from the original picture:

-Attaching camo foliage
-Mounting a anti-aircraft machine gun
-Attachment of track links for additional armour
-Presentation of a replacement pipe after heavy use, visible is the primer paint (Indian Red in DCS)
-Loading luggage
-Roping a tree trunk for independent franking in a swampy area
-Setting up of mechanized infantry

The result:
Tiger_I_Pimp02.png
Tiger_I_Pimp02.png (60.28 KiB) Viewed 16048 times
I hope I could give some suggestions. The introduced changes are possible in principle to all other vehicles or tanks of other nations. For this one you should be studying the historical sources. In the next part I will show some things with aircrafts.

Feedback welcome. Have fun!
nikivdd
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Re: Pimp your icon!

Post by nikivdd »

All look great :) I can't wait what you'll do to the StuG's (those are my favorites).
https://www.facebook.com/NikivddPanzerCorps
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCk2lyeEuH_hoA1s7tnTAEJQ
phcas
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Re: Pimp your icon!

Post by phcas »

Your graphic work looks great. Are you going to release some "ready to use .PNG" graphics? That will be great! :D greetings Caspar
MikeAP
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Re: Pimp your icon!

Post by MikeAP »

Wow. Fantastic looking icons!
asuser
Sergeant Major - SdKfz 234/2 8Rad
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Re: Pimp your icon!

Post by asuser »

Thank you all for your positive feedback!

I want to try to explore the limits of what goes with icons in this size and what not. I would like to orientate myself as accurately as possible on historical models or pictures.
Therefore, it would be great if I could get some more suggestions or wishes (eg, such as that of nikivdd - StuG's).

I am not satisfied yet with the load up view of infantry or grenadiers (tank riders). The tiny soldiers with specific uniforms and a camo coloured vehicel, oh man, difficult to display!

Playable .png I can publish, but first I want to improve my technique with the graphics software GIMP, and as I said, it would be nice if specific requests are expressed.

@nikivdd: Do you have certain wishes for StuG's?:
-Camo schemes (summer/winter)
-Division marks
-Battle hits
-Version III/IV, AT/Aty
-Special loads (detection flag for recognition foe/friend, ammo crate...)
-Special track/chain type (eg. eastern front in winter)
-...


Greetings from Germany!
guille1434
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Re: Pimp your icon!

Post by guille1434 »

Very good and eye catching work, Asuser!
You are full of graphical skills and original ideas for making this game more interesting!! :-)

And as anybody can imagine, you can mod the game to use the switch button in game to change between a foliage camouflaged and a clean vehicle configuration, or between regular or winter camo...
But, better still, it would be GREAT if game developers add a User Interface (U.I.) button called "Change camo paint" or "Add Detail"... This button would work as the current "switch" one, but it will change in game only the icon for showing the unit in the map. As an example, inside your "graphics/units" folder you create a folder called "Winter", and inside it you copy all the icon files with winter camo paint that you want to make "camo switchable" or in another folder called "Foliage" you copy the icons with added foliage camo, or sandbag extra protection, or mounted infantry... or whatever you like, making those units "triple switchable" --> Regular basic camo paint ---> Whitewash for winter ---> Foliage added for camo in summer.

It would be a very nice "eye candy" touch!

Without his permission, but I am sure Asuser would not care, I made an icon for that beautifully made Tiger I with added foliage camouflage... I just completed the four icon images and modified a little the gun barrel shadow to show the foliage shadow also. Maybe someone find it useful... :mrgreen:
I hope you don't mind, my friend... 8)

Congratulations for a very nice work!!
Attachments
Tiger_I_(foliage).png
Tiger_I_(foliage).png (36.2 KiB) Viewed 15982 times
T2_2112
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Re: Pimp your icon!

Post by T2_2112 »

WOWW, awesome. Wait for more with IV H, Panther G
nikivdd
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Re: Pimp your icon!

Post by nikivdd »

asuser wrote:
@nikivdd: Do you have certain wishes for StuG's?:
-Camo schemes (summer/winter)
-Division marks
-Battle hits
-Version III/IV, AT/Aty
-Special loads (detection flag for recognition foe/friend, ammo crate...)
-Special track/chain type (eg. eastern front in winter)
-...


Greetings from Germany!
I prefer the StuGIIIG , StuH42 (both in AT/ART mode). A detection flag is an interesting feature as long as it is within the boundaries of German law. The foliage, as presented by the Tiger I is absolute top. I usually prefer that things are kept simple and not overwhelming, that is why i am not so much in favor of division marks and little men for which you need a magnifying glass.
https://www.facebook.com/NikivddPanzerCorps
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCk2lyeEuH_hoA1s7tnTAEJQ
MikeAP
Master Sergeant - U-boat
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Re: Pimp your icon!

Post by MikeAP »

Can we see some allied units?
Tarrak
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Re: Pimp your icon!

Post by Tarrak »

I usually stick to stock icons where possible to keep the game maintenance as low as possible but damn that Tiger with the foliage looks so cool i am tempted to use it. :)
asuser
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Re: Pimp your icon!

Post by asuser »

Yes, that it is I want to accomplish! It seems that it can befriend several players with this new ideas.

@ Guille: No problem, you can do everything anyway! It is only to be considered, that the right and the left sides have a different look with camouflage (not mirrored!), except maybe the barrel! :wink:
Your suggestions for improving the game are great, full support!

@ nikivdd: Ok, these units are a specific request. I'll see what I can do so with the StuG. I need a little time for it ...now there comes the fighter planes first...

@ MikeAP: Yes, allied units are also planned. A specific request, which units are to be shown would be even better for me!

Ready to go... :)
MikeAP
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Re: Pimp your icon!

Post by MikeAP »

Make some Shermans! Please!
guille1434
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Re: Pimp your icon!

Post by guille1434 »

Asuser: yes, my fault, it was a quick work to allow people here to use that Tiger, wich looked awesomely handsome! I just inverted the figure (but puit the cupola in the correct position), I recon that I cannot put the foliage over the tank as you did, so this was a way of avoid ruining the icon, but also giving a "usable" image... :-)

An idea for giving use to "foliage camouflaged" units: Regular units (for example AT guns, and self-propelled AT) can be made switchable between the regular unit and the "ambushed" (camouflaged unit). In this last state the unit will not have movement, but it would have higer defense stats, and maybe for some of them, because having more fire accuracy in firing from a static position (not "fire and move") can be given range 1 instead of 0, meaning that they can make a first shot against enemy units without response fire (like a long range ambush)...
I read in the Armour Profile book about the Elefant SPAT that in the Russian front, where the terrain was open, they scored kills firing to unsuspecting soviet units from a distance of 4000 m or more... It seems that this vehicle, for example, not only had a very poowerful, long ranged gun, but also the sighting system able to direct fire to such distances... Just an idea to make AT guns (the towed ones, mainly) more useful in a core army! :-)

Mike AP: I founs a very good image of a Sherman with track links added EVERYWHERE on it as an extra protection... I will try to make an icon from that... That image looks great, in my opinion, I will try no to spoil it!
I have some old modelling magazines, where I can see Shermans used in the Pacific with very interesting additional protection added by the troops (I think they were used by the USMC). Those addition included wooden boards, concrete slabs, spíke beds (yes! to avoid japanese soldiers jumpíng on top of the tanks from trees!) a lot of weird stuff...
About what Nikivdd said:
[/quote]I usually prefer that things are kept simple and not overwhelming, that is why i am not so much in favor of division marks and little men for which you need a magnifying glass.[/quote]

I completely agree with him... Asuser work is right on the spot: His icons have very good details, but they are not "over-realistic" to the point of making them "out of place" in the game map. He has the gift... for the benefit of us all!!! :-)
T2_2112
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Re: Pimp your icon!

Post by T2_2112 »

guille1434 wrote:
An idea for giving use to "foliage camouflaged" units: Regular units (for example AT guns, and self-propelled AT) can be made switchable between the regular unit and the "ambushed" (camouflaged unit). In this last state the unit will not have movement, but it would have higer defense stats, and maybe for some of them, because having more fire accuracy in firing from a static position (not "fire and move") can be given range 1 instead of 0, meaning that they can make a first shot against enemy units without response fire (like a long range ambush)...
I read in the Armour Profile book about the Elefant SPAT that in the Russian front, where the terrain was open, they scored kills firing to unsuspecting soviet units from a distance of 4000 m or more... It seems that this vehicle, for example, not only had a very poowerful, long ranged gun, but also the sighting system able to direct fire to such distances... Just an idea to make AT guns (the towed ones, mainly) more useful in a core army! :-)
NICE idead . How about the terr ? Higher terr can give more adv ???
guille1434
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Re: Pimp your icon!

Post by guille1434 »

Yes, in theory, higher ground could give more advantages... But: There were no such terrain in most of Russian steppes (speaking about the example I mentioned) and I don't think it could be modded in game with the current rules (how can the modder make the game recognize when the unit is in high ground and changer its stats according}ly?)
guille1434
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Re: Pimp your icon!

Post by guille1434 »

And about that... Here is a pair of friendly askings to Asuser's icon factory: Would you consider make a "foliaged" version of the Elephant SPAT? :-)

And... what about making a good badge for German Airborne forces (in the style as the others you uploaded here)... The idea would be being able to create an "Airborne Corps" inside your core army, and to give its own identification (besides the parachute canopies in icons, of course) for Fallschirmjager units, airborne arty, the Borgward IV light airportable version (Note to all: "secret" project in the assembly liunes & testing grounds), etc... :mrgreen: :mrgreen:
asuser
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Re: Pimp your icon!

Post by asuser »

Hey, here's momentum into the thing! Desires about desires! I like it all to do, I just only need some time for it. The best I make is to publish a "to do list" so everyone can see when a specific wish already done. My currently order list looks like this:

-Aircraft
-StuG
-Sherman
-Elephant/Ferdinand

When it comes to a badge for paratroopers, please check from time to time my badge thread. I'm going to update all the things, when I have something new. For paratroopers there are good "Real" but also a good "Future" badge. Please stay tuned ... :D
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