Hello, comrades!

Today, we continue to tell you about the development of the "Korea. IL-2 Series" simulator. On February 28, in Dev Blog #24, we showed you for the first time what the Il-10 ground attack aircraft will look like in the game. Later, in Dev Blog #36, released on June 20, we showcased the high-poly model of the aircraft cockpit. We have already mentioned that the modern process of producing visual cockpit models involves creating ultra-detailed models, which are then "baked" into normal texture maps and shading maps. The 3D model itself is simplified in the process: the number of polygons is reduced from millions to hundreds of thousands. As a result, this process not only allows us to retain the incredible visual detail that was previously unimaginable in real time, but also, oddly enough, to make it even more detailed. Today, we will take a closer look at the process itself and its nuances.

Excessive detail in a 3D model complicates its "mapping," i.e., the application of texture to it. A significant portion of the texture is wasted due to the need to leave gaps between different elements. In addition, for example, if the heads of small screws are made three-dimensional in the model, they will take up texture space twice — on the panel itself, into which they are screwed, there remains a space under the screw that is invisible to the eye, and then on the screw itself. The same happens with all other small 3D elements located on the surface of larger ones. Nevertheless, in some cases, the use of 3D elements is justified and improves visual perception, especially when using virtual reality goggles. For this reason, the process of creating a "low-poly" model from a "high-poly" model is a rather lengthy and labor-intensive stage that requires an understanding of the specifics of graphics engines, artistic vision, and much more.

Once the low-poly model is ready, the next step is to map it. Here, it is crucial to understand what is in the foreground and what is secondary: you need to have a good understanding of how the player’s attention is distributed across different elements. What will the player look at in more detail, and what will they pay less attention to? Moreover, these attention patterns differ significantly for players with 2D monitors and players with VR headsets. Elements that the player looks at or notices more often should have increased texture density (also known as a denser texel). Elements that are in the background or located outside the area of increased attention can have less texture detail. This texture mapping is the art of compromise and anticipating the focus of players' interest, without which it is impossible to achieve high performance in real time.

Once the mapping is complete, the texturing process begins. It is not enough to paint each element the correct color: you need to create a realistic texture for each object, as well as for the cockpit as a whole. To do this, you need to consider how pilots and technicians interacted with the cockpit in reality — where did they grab with their hands, where did they touch with their feet, or even with their heads. You need to imagine where technicians most often would reach with a rag to wipe a particular spot, and where they do so less frequently.

Why is it important to imagine this? Can’t you take photos? Although modern photographs are of sufficient quality to capture all these details, they do not convey the fundamental nature of the operation of military equipment at that time. The pictures are either of restored examples, which are not authentic, or, conversely, of ones in an excessively worn condition, which could not have been the case when they were new. Therefore, to obtain an accurate picture of a military object at the peak of its operational condition, it is necessary to sift through tons of information — to examine historical photographs, observe the materials as they appear in museums now, and compare them with modern pictures.

As a result, it’s as if the artist lives in the cockpit to create an image of the working conditions. Additionally, in a modern PBR texturing pipeline, artists must have a clear understanding of how to create shading settings for each element in the cockpit using PBR textures, as well as how to simulate wear and tear not only in the texture’s color channel but also in the PBR material.

Once the low-poly cockpit is ready, technical artists create the markings for texturing and apply these textures. All instruments in the cockpit, as well as all other moving elements, must be animated, i.e., the ranges and nature of the element’s movement between its extreme positions must be determined. There is also a significant amount of artistic work involved here, as the movement of many elements incorporates various details and features, the implementation and emphasis of which in the animation create an additional sense of liveliness and realism in the aircraft cockpit.

Attention to detail, understanding the kinematics of each element’s movement, recognizing the imperfections in the cockpit’s design and mechanical diagrams, and the ability to creatively interpret and implement these features in game animation are all essential components of the technical artist’s skill set and artistic vision. In addition, it is the technical artists who "break" both the cockpit and the external model of the aircraft, again thinking about how to show a particular damage most realistically and interestingly.

In this short essay, we have outlined the amount of work that went into the Il-10 cockpit between June 20 and the present day, from the high-poly screenshots of the cockpit to its final appearance with the in-game model and textures. We will continue to tell you about how a modern simulator is developed.

Subscribe to our channels, we will show you many more interesting things: YouTube, Facebook, Reddit, X, and Discord. Stay in touch!