Skyhigh, it will be an all new cockpit. Here is the back story:
Originally, all of our cockpits were created using two graphics images, the X.tpc file for the gauges and instrument panel, and the V.tpc for the left cockpit half, right cockpit half, both wing views and the gun sight. A typical tpc file would look like this:
The image is 256x256 pixels, and 256 colors. Eventually we discovered we could map each 3dz file to it's own tpc image, and in fact use different naming conventions to an extent. This has been utilized for a long time in creating what we think of as Hi Res skins. Captain Kurt took it to the greatest extreme when he created his P-40. He used separate tpc files for each side, the wings, and the gunsight. Here is his right side of the cockpit:
You can immediately see that the detail is greatly enhanced, but the image is still the old 256x256, with 256 colors.
In the 1.28 series, we were finally able to address the use of bmp files, at 512x512 - four times the size!- and using 16 million colors! This has only been utilized to a small degree, by just a few skinners, but the results have been amazing. It has led to being able to have every plane is the squadron having different markings. Check out Iron Mike's amazing stuff for a look at that.
These larger files also work in the cockpit, but unfortunately the needles and sprites for the gauges are way too small and misaligned:
Recently, I was able to edit several source files that allowed me to create the proper gauges:
Iron Mike has graciously accepted the challenge to create new graphics for the Mosquito. We have been discussing how to proceed when I went back to the files created by Captain Kurt, and since I had created all the new gauges I need for the Brit fighters, I thought I would experiment in the Hurricane slot since Kurt's files were already set up there. So I threw together a simple side panel for the Hurricane, in 512x512bmp, 16 million colors, and got this:
You can see the larger size means a ton more detail is possible. But if I use the old style of 3dz, the mapping typically looked like this, because SO much was crammed on a small file:
So, if we rethink the process, and use large panels, we can drastically reduce the complexity and get some really great results:
So here is where we are at. We can have really awesome cockpits, but since they need new cpt and vcg files, and the cockpit editor (which is actually built into the game) only works in the 1.2x series, everything must be built to 1.28 standards, with all new files. Some of the hi res stuff has the basic framework, but this is all going to be new. It can then be easily converted into 160, but that exe will need a mod as well -AND at the moment, this is NOT backwards compatible because of the requirements for the gauge needles and sprites.
If you know how to paint, I've got some work for you. If you don't we can teach you! 3dz expert? Come on down!
Chees,
CJ