Reporting for Duty

[Granty84]

Hi there all!

I'm new to the game but really enjoying things already and am amazed by how well organized and friendly this forum is.

Rather than miniatures, I'm more into producing some custom cards for the game so hopefully watch this space!

Best wishes,

Chris

[Flying Officer Kyte]

On behalf of the U.K. Squadrons may I welcome you to the Drome formally Chris.
I'm sure the rest of the chaps will be along soon to make your acquaintance.
Rob.

[Flying Helmut]

Hi Chris, welcome to the 'Drome!

Glad to hear you're enjoying the game already - that's the ticket!

Custom cards, eh? I WILL be watching this space with interest.

Onwards and Upwards!

[Teaticket]

Welcome to the Drome from across the pond on Cape Cod.

Oh boy, custom cards....WWI or WW2?

[Lt. S.Kafloc]

Full speed ahead and damn the torpedoes. Glad you could join us. And more than welcome to join us at our little shindig at Doncaster, weekend of 18-20 Sept 2015 inclusive.

If interested pm me for more details.

Neil

(oh and do you know where I can buy a decent aspidistra?)

[Warhawk]

Welcome to the 'Drome Chris!

[Boney10]

Welcome Chris, magic users of photoshop for custom cards are always welcome.
Good to see you here

[OldGuy59]

Chris,
Welcome from the far side of Canada, Vancouver Island.

Competition in card making, or someone to pick up the slack I've not been able to tighten up? Look forward to anything you do, and can give tips and hints, too. Lots of cards in my albums, but not anywhere near all the cards I've done. Latest batch is in the Official Ju-52 (1/200) Painting Thread:

First completed management card

A few more management cards

Firing arc cards

The above thread is actually a good one for teething pains on the unofficial card production process.

[gully_raker]

G'day Chris & welcome to the 'drome on behalf of the pilots who fly in NSW down in Australia.

Yes this is a really great place to visit & you wont find a nicer & more helpful mob anywhere on the net!

[Nightbomber]

Welcome from hot and sunny Poland, Chris.

[fast.git]

Welcome to the 'Drome, Chris, from across the Pond! Bring on the custom cards...

[BBSuds]

Welcome to the Aerodrome, Chris. ENJOY!!!

[milcoll73]

welcome to the drome Chris!!!!! i look forward to seeing your work!

[Naharaht]

Welcome to the Aerodrome, Chris, from here near Norwich.

[Stumptonian]

Welcome from the almost Left Coast of the USA, Portland, Orrygun* (*as the natives pronounce it)

That's left as in side, as opposed to wing.
Just keeping things clear for Mike

[flash]

Welcome to the 'drome Chris from a sunny East Sussex this morning

[Archidamus]

Hi Chris - welcome to the 'drome from here in a sunny Tunbridge Wells

[Guntruck]

Hi Chris, welcome from Essex

[Dowters]

Welcome indeed, the more cards the merrier I say.

[Ned2]

Welcome from Scotland Chris.
Look forward to seeing what you hope to produce.

[Ned2]

Welcome from Scotland Chris.
Look forward to seeing what you hope to produce.

[Granty84]

Thanks for the warm welcome chaps. It's been a while since I've done any PS/GIMP work but I've been working back into things. I've done a practice run on a WWII objective card, using a few of the resources I've found in the files area. I've submitted it for upload but here's a preview:


It's one of the two K5 (E) railway guns that shelled the Anzio beachheads during the allied invasion of Italy. I'll work on the other soon and also change the background to represent the Ciampino railyards where they were based. The low firepower represents small-arms fire from the operators. The battery had little protection other than a railway tunnel that the guns were pulled into after each salvo.

Let me know what you think!

Best wishes,

Chris

[Flying Helmut]

I think it's ruddy marvellous!

REP for that man!

[Flying Officer Kyte]

That is very encouraging work Chris.
You can never get enough different targets. They put new life into a scenario which would otherwise just be more of the same.
Rob.

[Jager]

Certainly has the start of an interesting scenario, Chris. Bomb the gun before it gets back into it's lair
IIRC, Hans-Ulrich Rudel encountered a similar situation in southern Russia (possibly Crimea), which he dealt with handedly with his Stuka.
Karl

[Granty84]

That was my thought too Karl. I'm planning to write a scenario and make a card with the tunnel in view too. If I remember correctly a flight of P-40s tried to bomb the battery but arrived too late. Unfortunately the Germans had left some decoys out to be bombed which resulted in intelligence thinking the battery had been destroyed. To make a point that they were still there, the battery sunk a ship the next day!

Now my lad's gone for a nap, I'm going to get on with a three card set of the Mohne dam for a dambusters scenario...

[Tonx]

Welcome to the Aerodrome Chris from Derbyshire. Great to have you on board.

Enjoy the REP point for your railway gun card which I am about to send you

[Flying Officer Kyte]

Might even be a use here for our 617 Bombers.
How about the Tallboy attack on the Saumur tunnel.
Rob.

[fast.git]

Nice! That railway gun is a great first offering!

[Granty84]

Foray no. 2 complete.

A three card spread for the Möhne dam. This was the first target of Operation Chastise by the RAF. Thanks to Google maps for images of the dam. Although it took 18 printed screens and much pasting together to get a decent sized amount of the surroundings to fill out the three cards! I stuck in the barrage balloons as these were clearly on photos from the aftermath of the attack but I was unable to get a good image of the torpedo nets so I have left them off for the time being. Hopefully I'll come across a good image to use.



Thanks for all the encouragement and rep points for the previous card.

Karl- I've looked into the Rudel encounter but have yet to dig up any information. If you know what Russian artillery he destroyed I could try to make something up. Having not been a history student for a LONG time I found Rudel's story a very interesting one to say the least. A real role-model when it comes to someone not giving up on what they want to do despite the knock backs.

[Hedeby]

Hi there all!

I'm new to the game but really enjoying things already and am amazed by how well organized and friendly this forum is.

Rather than miniatures, I'm more into producing some custom cards for the game so hopefully watch this space!

Best wishes,

Chris

Welcome aboard Chris - we can always use more Chris's

[Granty84]

Crumbs!

Forgot to also post the card I made for Upkeep:



I can see some interesting rules being made for something like this, given it needed such a low attack vector.

[Hedeby]

Thanks for the warm welcome chaps. It's been a while since I've done any PS/GIMP work but I've been working back into things. I've done a practice run on a WWII objective card, using a few of the resources I've found in the files area. I've submitted it for upload but here's a preview:


It's one of the two K5 (E) railway guns that shelled the Anzio beachheads during the allied invasion of Italy. I'll work on the other soon and also change the background to represent the Ciampino railyards where they were based. The low firepower represents small-arms fire from the operators. The battery had little protection other than a railway tunnel that the guns were pulled into after each salvo.

Let me know what you think!

Best wishes,

Chris

Blimey that's the way to announce yourself, well done Chris

[fast.git]

Welcome aboard Chris - we can always use more Chris's

Totally.

Nice to be back - have I missed much?

Welcome back, btw.

[Ned2]

I'm loving the cards. Wish I had some kind of useful skill to pass on to others on the Drome, but I have no skill or patience when it comes to anything technical! Keep up the good work- any chance of something exciting for WW1?

[LTJG NSCC]

Custom cards are a great benefit of this site! Thanks for your hard work and creativity -

[Granty84]

Nathan,

I racked my brains for a WW1 objective and nearly went for another Krupp artillery piece- a Paris Gun- but ended up getting inspiration from the Foster's Heavy Tank card someone has made and went for another super heavy prototype that was developed from the designs of the Foster- "The Flying Elephant". I must admit the card is a bit ropey compared to the others- try finding a decent overhead image of a prototype tank that was never actually made!

I will rattle out a K-Wagen card if you like.



Best wishes,

Chris

[Ned2]

Thanks Chris. It has given me some ideas for games...

[tikkifriend]

Bienvenue from Brittany Chris. Some great cards you are knocking out there. Rep.

[Granty84]

Hi all!

Got up early this morning and rattled together a card for Charles Carpenter's (aka Bazooka Charlie) L-4 Grasshopper "Rosie the Rocketer" which was armed with 6 M-9 Bazookas and provided vital anti-tank air support during the Battle of Arracourt.

I've dug up a few conflicting facts as to whether Maj. Carpenter was acting under 1st Bombardment Division or the 4th Armoured Division and also whether Rosie was a L-4 H or L-4 J model. I've gone for 4th Armoured and L-4 H as these appeared to be more widely stated but if anyone knows better give me a shout and I'll make the necessary amendments.



Best wishes,

Chris

[Jager]

Now that would be an interesting plane for a scenario; at about 85mph and only 765lb.
In a far more desperate vein, the German use of the Bucker Bu-181 trainer with panzerfausts to try and take out some of Patton's tanks in '45.
Karl

[Granty84]

Hi Karl,

I don't think it would be fair to make the Grasshopper without making the Panzerjäger version of the Bü181. Looks like this is my next project!

Just been into town to do some shopping and bought a magazine with an interesting article about a Grasshopper bringing down a Fieseler Storch with the pilot and observer blasting away with their Colt .45s. Very interesting when you consider the Storch had a significantly greater top speed and operating ceiling.

[grumpybear]

Hi and welcome from Alberta

[Granty84]

I'm still working on that Bu 181 Panzerjager, trying to clean up and paint a top down blueprint which was making me lose the will to live.

I took a break and made up a Ju 88/Bf 109 Mistel 1 combination using MAX HEADROOM's Ju 88 and one of the official Bf 109s (not a F-4 but close enough). I'm not totally sure how useful this might be but I think it could prove to be good for a scenario or two.

I figure the Mistel 1 once released would carry on in a straight line and lose altitude at a fixed yet pre-decided rate. I'm not sure how one could go about attributing damage to which aircraft. I've gone for the principle that a pilot would probably go for the largest target- the 88.

Let me know what you think...

[Prodromoi]

Welcome welcome.

[Jager]

I'm still working on that Bu 181 Panzerjager, trying to clean up and paint a top down blueprint which was making me lose the will to live.

I took a break and made up a Ju 88/Bf 109 Mistel 1 combination using MAX HEADROOM's Ju 88 and one of the official Bf 109s (not a F-4 but close enough). I'm not totally sure how useful this might be but I think it could prove to be good for a scenario or two.

I figure the Mistel 1 once released would carry on in a straight line and lose altitude at a fixed yet pre-decided rate. I'm not sure how one could go about attributing damage to which aircraft. I've gone for the principle that a pilot would probably go for the largest target- the 88.

Let me know what you think...

Looks very good, Chris.
Clipper (our resident elf wrangler and modeling genius) did the mistel a while ago, but I don't think anyone got around to making rules yet. More to think about
Karl
PS: if you want true inspiration for card, go to Clipper's profile: http://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/mem...87-clipper1801
And click of "Latest started threads", and sit back for a couple hours

[OldGuy59]

I'm still working on that Bu 181 Panzerjager, trying to clean up and paint a top down blueprint which was making me lose the will to live.

I took a break and made up a Ju 88/Bf 109 Mistel 1 combination using MAX HEADROOM's Ju 88 and one of the official Bf 109s (not a F-4 but close enough). I'm not totally sure how useful this might be but I think it could prove to be good for a scenario or two.

I figure the Mistel 1 once released would carry on in a straight line and lose altitude at a fixed yet pre-decided rate. I'm not sure how one could go about attributing damage to which aircraft. I've gone for the principle that a pilot would probably go for the largest target- the 88.

Let me know what you think...

Chris,
Quite nice work! I'm trying to find the "How-to"s I used to start making cards. I also downloaded some of the PSD layered files as templates. One of the threads I used was this one:

How to edit a plane image

The biggest thing I've learned is to use layers. Bottom layer(s) for colour scheme(s), a few layers for specific squadron markings, a few layers for details (cockpits, engine bits, props), a layer with a line drawing of the plane for panel lines (adjusted for contrast and colour depending on the paint scheme), and at least one layer for shading (light and shadow). For the Mistel, you could more than double that, but I flattened the two plane images, and added a shadow mask (of the fighter) layer to give the 3D shadow on the JU-88 below.

I look at existing cards, at pictures of actual planes, trying to see where the shine and shadows fall to help with the shading layers. I use soft-edged brushes and drop the opacity and fill of the brushes to very low levels, and make many passes over the same area to get very gradual edges (for round parts, at least). Sometimes, like the Mistel, or for biplanes or float planes, slightly blurred masks of the higher shape helps make a good shadow.

PS: Found it! Steve's [Guntruck] How-to is the one I started with: How to make custom cards in Photoshop

[Granty84]

Hi chaps. Thanks for all the advice and suggestions. I'm currently on holiday up in Yorkshire but will sit down and have a big read once I'm back home. Rather looking forward to getting back now!