I saw a very nice looking model on the market, but knowing the author to be somewhat lackadaisical with his mapping I wrote first and asked "are the engine grilles individually mapped on either side of the nose or are they mirror mapped". The kind gent replied "Individually mapped"... So I bought the model with the intentin of doing some EagleSkinning on it.I unwrapped the box and took the model flying - very nice so far. Then I looked at the paint kit and did some colouring in...(All Images below are clickable to open large versions if you want to see the real detail...)Left side: Right side: Texture sheet: Oh yes - he individually mapped the louvres - but only 18, so he has mirrored the 18 on the opposite side.So if you wanted to do a simple "red bull" type noe art: If you are a model developer reading this then take a painter's plea to heart "Ask US about the mapping before you make a dog's dinner of your model."I have had to critique every model from this developer in the past for one inaccuracy or the other and I hoped that because he has gone solo this time that he had changed and "gotten better at it".

It gets worse......much worse:

Now before anyone accuses me of unfair treatment of the developer, I will add that a 3D modeler has far more developed tools at his disposal than us mortal texture painters. We can only paint a two dimensional texture sheet. The modeller can paint or drape a photoreal texture over his 3D model BEFORE he extracts the UVmaps to 2D texture sheets. I cannot afford 3DS software.So we third-party painters have to use the mapping the modeler gives us. Like these:

Do not forget to take your tiny green pills Chris.I really think you need them now.This is driving a painter into madness.Well done job nevertheless ( as usual )CheersLeen

On the bright side - The Alabeo Sukhoi is rather fun to fly! So I have to "force myself"...