Getting Creative: Recon Photos in IL2
Most of us love immersion and go to great lengths to increase it: a HOTAS, rudder pedals, TrackIR, and other funky tools.
Another way to up the immersion level is bringing the mission planning physically into our hands, for example by creating a simulated recon photo, which we can use to plan our attacks and use while flying our mission. Superb for coops when the other pilots only know what the mission builder tells them. Also great for our own missions when we don't know exactly what to expect, using the hip randomization of Fog of War.
The following video shows how to use a static camera to create a simulated recon photo, and how to make it look a little more like a low-quality 1940s looking black and photo, using the free software Paint.NET. The last step is to print it out.
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How to take a recon photo: Summary from the Vid
That humble static camera strikes again:
- Populate the target area with sample objects that will be viewable in the screenshot.
- Place a static camera at an appropriate height above the target, say 5,000 meters.
- Point the camera toward the ground and setup for a screenshot.
- Use the Print Screen button on your keyboard (PrtScn) or FRAPS to get take a screenshot.
- You now have an image that can be drag 'n dropped into Paint.NET.
Now to the editing..
That old photo look: Summary from the Vid
Open up Paint.NET and drag the screenshot into Paint.NET, or use File | Open. Here are some editing techniques that, with a bit of fiddling can give the screenshot something like that 1940s look:
- Adjustment | Black and White
- Adjustment | Sepia
- Adjustment | Hue and Saturation
- Effects | Noise | Add Noise
- Effects | Photo | Glow
I don't have set values to apply. Just have a fiddle get creative! There's a tutorial on the Net somewhere about how do to this better than I've described above, but I haven't been able to find it again. Grrr. Suggestions welcome!
Adding text and circles: Summary from the Vid
Every decent image editor uses layers. Adding a layer is like adding a clear plastic sheet over a picture. You can draw on that sheet seperately, and hide or delete it without affecting the rest of the image. You can add more independent layers too.
When adding circles and text, do it on a seperate layer. Even use different layers for different parts of the annotation, because changing text in image editors is a just a pain in the butt!
Use the Oblong and Text tools, which are icons in the Tools floating window. Get it via Window | Tools if it's not showing.
Print it out
THe whole purpose of making the recon photo is to use it mission planning and to have it at your side during the mission. If you're in the market for a new printer, think twice about getting an inkjet. Do you really need color? A home laser printer which I can highly recommend is the Brother DCP7010. It's cheap to run, quick and deadly. I'll never buy an inkjet again.
Final thought
Don't let the seemingly long description above put you off. It's easy to make a really engaging recon photo that will make your flight sim experience one step closer to the real thing, and that's what most of us want.
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