Free Money? No! A Blog post about Flight Simulator X
A blogpost, that I might add, which has nothing to do whatsoever with free money in any way shape or form.
In the bunco squad we call this "bait and switch."
Sim-Outhouse got a few screenshots of FSX the other day, and one of the fellows who frequents over there (MCDesigns; aka "Michael") noted...
"Still concerned with the prop blur on the bell..."
...which is in reference to the fact that the Bell 206B we model has two blades, while in the screens it looks as if it has four. You can see a different version of the "more than two blades effect" at the FSInsider site. In the example just linked, it would appear that there are five blades...
So what's up with that? In an image from the previous version of FS you can see that we modeled the two blade effect. (hat tip to Avsim for the image).
Here then is the repy I gave to Michael:
"Hi Michael,
We've done several versions of the Bell over the years, and one of the things that's felt particularly anemic to my eyes has been the prop effect.
We've always used a two prop blur effect, and the thing is, it just doesn't look like what you see in real life. Sure, when you see a photo of a 206 prop, you see two blades.
We've tried a few different effects, and have settled on the effect you see reflected in the shots floating around. I know that it looks a little off in a static screenshot, but I hope you'll like the result when it's in motion, in the sim."
So what do you think? Should we model to what people might expect-- the reality as seen from a photo? Or should we err on the side of what we think looks more real in action? I think that there are valid reasons to do both, but at the end of the day customer expectation has to play a part.
In the next couple of months I'll get some video out that shows the effect in motion, and that should help folk make up their minds. But in the meantime, don't be afraid to chime in. What do you think?
PS:
Here's Michael's answer:
"Very true Jason, a real pic looks pretty much like 2 blades with even less of a blur than in the current texture and when spinning, looks like the new blur. I am a heli fanatic and have repainted nearly every model that has been in FS since FS2002 and the rotor blur has always been something I am very critical off. If the new one is still based on a texture, then we can alter it for personal preference once it's released, so no worries."
And you can read the whole thread here.