HMS Indefatigable (1784) frigate

[Martes]

Mostly for @Grey Roger, and a general disclosure:

I am ironing out some graphical bugs, appearing when seeing a ship from a distance (closely positioned faces begin to flicker - had to fix the wale along the side and now the decks seem to poke out...), and will be supplying the final release version as soon as I am satisfied with that

Various small parts will still flicker since it is impractical to make cuts in underlying boards for each and every of them, but something big should not have this effect, I suppose.

 

[Hylie Pistof]

I just discovered something that may or may not be global or a problem with my install, but when the triangular stay sails have the 1 and 2 locator swapped the animation no longer works.

Can you check this?

 

[Martes]

They flap the same as all others, and hoisting/lowering animation works normally, at least on my setup.

 

[Hylie Pistof]

Uh ohh. That means that my 1 day old install plus the last 2 installs are fracked.

 

[Pieter Boelen]

Uh ohh. That means that my 1 day old install plus the last 2 installs are fracked.

How is that effect possible?

 

[Hylie Pistof]

It no longer shows up in the system.log but in the past it said it could not find certain sail wmf files. I just checked my old beta 4.1 install and it is the same way. Methinks it is time to start a thread about this.

 

[Armada]

I've started importing this ship into NHR with her current paint scheme. Here's how she looks with normal maps and specularity applied:

Spoiler: Show images

I made a copy of the Posei_yel texture and changed it to a "Victory cream" colour, rather than using a planked texture, as it fits the UVs slightly better.

I haven't added sails or set up the guns yet, but she floats, which is a good start.

 

[Martes]

Wonders what good graphical engine can do to a model

I can hardly believe I actually taken part in that.

 

[Captain Armstrong]

Looking really spectacular!

 

[Martes]

A sudden question of sails configuration.
I am in no way specialist, so...

I did not include the driver sail (under the bowsprit) as I am under the impression they were rarely used together with jibs in general sailing conditions (at least if referring to contemporary pictures, that yard is usually bare), but lots of ships in the game do have both sail types active.

Do you want it added, or leave the configuration as is? I could also add two-three more staysails (two between foremast and main mast, and one between main and mizzen), although I am not sure, again, it is a good representation of relatively weather-universal sail config.

 

[Pieter Boelen]

@Armada, @Hylie Pistof or @Grey Roger, do you have any thoughts?

 

[Armada]

I did not include the driver sail (under the bowsprit) as I am under the impression they were rarely used together with jibs in general sailing conditions (at least if referring to contemporary pictures, that yard is usually bare), but lots of ships in the game do have both sail types active.

I get the impression that sail wasn't used very often during and after the Napoleonic era, but it probably depends on the ship type.
Regardless, sometimes these sails get in the way of the bow chasers, so you may want to keep it off for that reason.

I could also add two-three more staysails (two between foremast and main mast, and one between main and mizzen), although I am not sure, again, it is a good representation of relatively weather-universal sail config.

I would say stick to a configuration that sort-of makes sense in most weather, so more staysails might not be suitable. It's unfortunate that we can't furl and unfurl staysails manually, so it has to be a compromise.

 

[Hylie Pistof]

If the spar was there I stuck a sail on it.

 

[Martes]

I would say stick to a configuration that sort-of makes sense in most weather, so more staysails might not be suitable.

Very close to my assessment
And I will be more than glad not to make any changes to sail plan, really. But I had to ask.

 

[Martes]

About doing things properly, once again.

(Left) Figurehead it was attached (Right) Figurehead remounted
​

I suspect it's not the last correction, so I will be holding a bit with releasing a new version. I do have to hear from @Grey Roger about my last variant with interchangeable textures anyway.

 

[Armada]

The remounted figurehead on the right looks better to me. Looks more like it's sitting where it should be, rather than stuck on the end.

 

[Martes]

Looks more like it's sitting where it should be

That was the general intention

 

[Grey Roger]

I did not include the driver sail (under the bowsprit) as I am under the impression they were rarely used together with jibs in general sailing conditions (at least if referring to contemporary pictures, that yard is usually bare), but lots of ships in the game do have both sail types active.

A search for "driver sail" showed only references to something similar to a spanker. Presumably that is not the sail you mean.

A search for pictures of the real HMS Indefatigable, as well as HMS Victory which also had spars on the bowsprit, show plenty of pictures showing said spars and no pictures showing sails on them, even in those pictures which show most or all of the other sails set. So I'd leave it out.

The picture of the repositioned figurehead looks good.

I'm just back from holiday, so have a lot of catching up to do. That includes trying out the new model with the new textures.

 

[Captain Murphy]

That is actually just called the 'spritsail'. According to Harland's, prior to the 1700's and the use of staysails, the spritsail was a common headsail used for balancing the sail load forward and using it as a depressing or lifting sail as needed. After staysails became more common it was only really used for specific maneuvers, like running before the wind with studding sails, for a storm reefed foresail, and sometimes used as an anchor sail. Due to the difficulty in setting, furling, and reefing of the sail it fell out of favor in normal usage and was kept in place for only special cases, which is why almost all paintings show the yard crossed but no sails furled on it.

 

[Grey Roger]

I suspect it's not the last correction, so I will be holding a bit with releasing a new version. I do have to hear from @Grey Roger about my last variant with interchangeable textures anyway.

I've had a play around with the new version with interchangeable textures. I didn't find the texture to change for ths ship's underside, which needs to be there so that British ships can have copper undersides while French and Spanish versions have white.

The new figurehead placing will work with the statue type figureheads but not with the shield type, so there will need to be different models to accomodate both types, as well as different models to show full sets of gunports or the reduced set seen on the specific HMS Indefatigable. Now I wait for the final versions...