Author Topic: B-24j (Read 2799 times)

Serenity · « **on:** July 12, 2007, 11:21:29 PM »

Hey,

Ive decided to make my 3rd serious attempt at a skin. Ive been reading for days, and I think im finally able to give it a good effort. Im going to try a 486th BS B-24 Liberator. But I cannot make sense of the skin file! (Its REALLY hard to distinguish between parts of the aircraft). So, I was hoping one of you B-24 skinners might be so kind as to let me borrow a template to at least make heads or tails of this. Its my first skin, so im still experimenting with EVERYTHING. Thank you very much in advance.

CadetRobin@aol.com

Kermit de frog · « **Reply #1 on:** July 12, 2007, 11:42:14 PM »

Good luck Serenity.

Serenity · « **Reply #2 on:** July 12, 2007, 11:44:40 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Kermit de frog
Good luck Serenity.

Thanks. Im trying out my own template, but its not working. I hope someone can toss me one at least to find the basic OUTLINE of all the parts...

Larry · « **Reply #3 on:** July 13, 2007, 12:01:38 AM »

Check your PMs Serenity.

Serenity · « **Reply #4 on:** July 13, 2007, 12:57:43 AM »

Done. Thanks Larry.

So, any B-24 skinners have a template they can loan me? Im trying myself but im running into nothing but problems.

Citabria · « **Reply #5 on:** July 13, 2007, 01:11:37 AM »

sigh

how many times do I need to say it?

if you can't make the rivets and the panel lines how are you going to make a good skin anyways?

Avaro · « **Reply #6 on:** July 13, 2007, 01:20:48 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by Citabria
sigh

how many times do I need to say it?

if you can't make the rivets and the panel lines how are you going to make a good skin anyways?

Sad but true... =\

Serenity · « **Reply #7 on:** July 13, 2007, 01:22:45 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by Citabria
sigh

how many times do I need to say it?

if you can't make the rivets and the panel lines how are you going to make a good skin anyways?

I just need a guidline as to what is what part. I know there are a lot of planes (Like the Hurricane) that have different parts of the aircraft sharing pixels. Im making my own rivet and panel lines on my own now, but it would be REALLY nice to have a guidline. Im sorry, but this being my first skin, I kinda need all the help I can get.

Larry · « **Reply #8 on:** July 13, 2007, 03:40:31 AM »

Panel Finder

Save that and paste it over the skin. Then save it and go ingame to take some screenshots and match them up on the file.

By the way you do have the high res pack downloaded so the skin is 1024x0124 and you didnt have to resize it?

The Fugitive · « **Reply #9 on:** July 13, 2007, 07:44:05 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by Serenity
I just need a guidline as to what is what part. I know there are a lot of planes (Like the Hurricane) that have different parts of the aircraft sharing pixels. Im making my own rivet and panel lines on my own now, but it would be REALLY nice to have a guidline. Im sorry, but this being my first skin, I kinda need all the help I can get.

you could take the default skin, rename it, and draw numbers over each piece. Put the skin on a plane in the viewer, and make notes of "which" numbers are where. This would give you a better idea of where things are. After that, when doing your skin, you going to have to spend a bunch of time figuring "where" the edge of each piece is anyway. I don't think many of the skins paint "end" at the end of the piece, there is a bunch of "over spray".

Thats one of the problems of making a skin, is getting everything to line up right. Just experimenting.

Another problem, is it would take almost as much time to explain how to make a skin as it does to make a skin, thats why a lot of these guys don't explain much when you ask questions. The details add up, much like in the skins

I have read of some people get to 60 layers for a skin, dozens just for paint.... so you don't get that "blobs of color" look. Its not that they are being a pain in the butt about "hiding the secrets of skinning", it just a very time consuming thing to explain it all.

Spend some time learning your art program. Go to the skinners page, DL a plane "panel line" picture, crop out one view, and add layers, and paint it. Experiment with just trying to get a good picture out of that. Once you can get a nice picture out of one of them, you will have learned your way around your program better, learned some technics on painting. Then try a skin. I'm sure you'll find it a bit easier to do a skin.

Good Luck !

Krusty · « **Reply #10 on:** July 13, 2007, 08:52:58 AM »

You're going to have to scrutinize the skin all over anyways, to know where different parts line up, so you might as well do it the right way.

Take what you've got, make an outline around a part you're unfamiliar with. Fill it with a bright red. Find another part, fill it bright blue. Find another part, fill it bright green. Keep using bright but distinct color until you've got half a dozen or so. Then load up the skin viewer and check every angle (inside AND out) until you know where they are.

Once you know what goes where you'll remember it better than if somebody just handed you a file. Because if you just fill in a file saying "Oh, that's a turret frame" then never check the turret frame afterwards, well it's like painting blind.

I don't have a b-24 template. Sometimes I'll share fighter templates, but bombers are so complex I really think you've got to map things out yourself so that you know what you're doing. Fighters have far less confusing parts, so it's not as much an issue, IMO.

Kermit de frog · « **Reply #11 on:** July 13, 2007, 09:57:25 AM »

Serenity, as a starting guideline, here's what I do.

I first make sure I have profiles of the bird I want to do. Then I do research on the plane in general to understand the different parts on the plane and different types of materials. Then I look for museum pics to see what the rivets and panel lines look like on it. After I've gathered this info, then I'll start making a skin.

I first start out with just making sure I can get the colors as close to being correct as possible. Then I paint the skin 1 color (base color) and I do not just fill the entire file with 1 color, I actually try to only paint in areas that affect the outter skin of the plane, and not things such as engines, props, inner wheel wells and such things like that. Then I make the panel lines. After the panel lines are made I then do the camoflauge and use the panel lines as guidelines to help me get things right. Then I make the rivets. Then I'll do 3d shading, control surfaces. Then I'll do texture for the skin, grime, dirt, paint chips, paint fading and exhaust stains. Then I'll go back and work on the transparencies of the panel lines, rivets and everything else. Then I'll fix color transistions so that they blur better and then even tweak color levels. Then I'll make sure I do engines, wheels, props and letters, codes & noseart. I'm constantly also going back to redo things if they don't look right. Figure 80 hours to make a skin. I use photoshop so whenever I make a change, it only takes me 1/2 a second to see the change in the film viewer. Remember to use AH to see what it will really look like with the better lighting in the game.

ForrestS · « **Reply #12 on:** July 13, 2007, 10:18:17 AM »

Its eaiser if you use GIMP.

Larry · « **Reply #13 on:** July 13, 2007, 09:54:17 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by ForrestS
Its eaiser if you use GIMP.

Iv never used GIMP but I think PhotoShop or PaintShop Pro are better to use.

Serenity · « **Reply #14 on:** July 13, 2007, 11:09:22 PM »

I did the coloring thing, lol. Had a BRIGHT yellow, pink, blue, purple and green B-24 and just matched the colors to parts, lol. Starting on my panel lines tomorrow...

Thanks Kermit. Really appreciate it. The toughest part everytime I try this is just getting that coloring right...