Skinning Tutorial...

[BMathis]

 

Well I found this site: AHskinning

This includes Fester's using photoshop.

[Larry]

I started one a few times in the past but never finished. You might want to do a search for Krusty's or Fester's.

[BMathis]

Thanks Larry.  I had just found it.

 

[BMathis]

Actually Fester's just gives the basics to do each of the layers...  I'd like to know how, in detail - Start to Finish - a skinning project goes.

If anyone would be willing to help, I'd appreciate it very much. As I'm sure many others would as well...

[Motherland]

Actually Fester's just gives the basics to do each of the layers...  I'd like to know how, in detail - Start to Finish - a skinning project goes.

If anyone would be willing to help, I'd appreciate it very much. As I'm sure many others would as well...

You really can't. It's an 'artistic' process. You have to screw around to get the effects you want. To make the aircraft look the way you want it. It's very much trial and error.  You just have to 'dive in' for the most part.

[BMathis]

I understand it's an artistic process.  I guess I want to know how I see it in-game, once I've finished the artistic 'painting' on the panels?

[Motherland]

You can rename the folder in the next numerical value with the number of skins there are (ex. there are 15 P51 skins in-game, so you'd name the folder P51_16), and make a text file with your name called P51D.txt. This way you can see it in-game offline.
Or, you can just use the skin viewer, which is downloadable off of the website.

[BMathis]

I tried that, so I must be screwing something up.

[USRanger]

Alright, this is an example of a custom skin in my Skins folder.  Since the jeep has no other skins by me,  I create a new folder in my Skins folder and name it RV8_1.  If I made a second skin, that folder would be RV8_2.  Etc. etc.  In my RV8_1 folder I place any and only the .bmps that I edited for the RV8.  Things like cockpit .bmps don't need to be in here unless you are editing them also, so anything you want to stay default, just leave out of this folder altogether. So, inside this RV8_1 folder I have my edited RV81.bmp.  I also need one more thing.  A text file to make the new skin show up in the hanger drop down list.  You simply make a New->text document and inside it you type what you want it to be listed as in the hanger list.  Then, save the text document and name it the same as the original skin folder that you are working from.  Example:  The original RV8 folder is called RV8.  Even though my new skin folder is called RV8_1, I still want to name my text document RV8.
Now with these two files in my RV8_1 folder, I have a new Skin in my offline hanger and its called Winter camo by USRanger (what I named it).
Give it a shot.

[BMathis]

Thank you for taking the time to explain Ranger...You must know I'm a visual learner 
At least I got the drop down to show my RV... But here's what I saw.


I seem to be missing the important stuff 




Do I keep the Original RV8 folder there as well?

[Motherland]

Needs to be an 8-bit (256 color) bitmap.

[BMathis]

Needs to be an 8-bit (256 color) bitmap.

Roger. I'll change that and see what happens 

[BMathis]

Yes! hallelujah, it worked. victory, WOoooT!






Thank Motherland & Ranger for the help. I really do appreciate that. 

Mathis

[Motherland]

You may want to consider exporting it in .tga or a higher color bitmap and then using brighter (which can be found at simmerspaintshop.com ) to convert it to 256 colors- this will produce a better result.

[BMathis]

I will check that out.

Thanks again