Always active skins...

[Swatch]

... but wait... before you flame me for suggesting this AGAIN... hear me out.

Ok, from what I've understood, the reasoning behind not forcing skin downloads is the size of the skins, correct?

Have all skins default to a 128x128 (or 256x256 if there is some minimum) resolution if the higher res skin is not downloaded.  A 128x128 skin would provide 2 things, a low performance solution and a rough color correct representation of what the person rolling that skin was going for.

A 128x128 skin should only be 132kb in size.  I'm not sure exactly the way AcesHigh handles its netcode and graphics code, but since people who DO have the skins can see the skin the other person is using, then I'm assuming every client has knowledge of which skin is being used.  And a 132kb skin shouldn't create a performance hit.  No longer will the GVrs complain about the 'gaming' of turning off skins.  And overall it makes it a better game in my opinion.

[CountD90]

and for those of us who use the 1024 skins????

[Swatch]

Then you've already got the skins.... did I miss something?


If you use 1024 skins and HAVEN'T downloaded them, then you'll have really poorly textured skins for other people, but the general visual effect will be there.

[Larry]

As it is now the plane models stretch a 1024x1024 .bmp file around that 3d model and that is what makes the skin. If you select 128 texture for example what that does is take that 1024 and shrink it down to 128x128 and then stretch it over the 1024px model. Even if they did this you really wouldn't get any better detail out of the skins. IMO just a waste of memory, and where are you going to find a skinner that will do four different versions of one skin?

[Strip]

Or just change the default skin?

[Swatch]

First off, a 1024px model doesn't make sense to me, and I do modeling and texturing, could you clarify?

Larry I think I wasn't being clear enough.  Have the 128 skins come with the main game download and have them be legitimate 128x128 pixelmaps.  When you download the higher resolution skins, the game will load those files instead.  For those who choose not to display others skins in hi-res, the physically (in computer terms) smaller 128 texture is used.

Now on the subject of reskinning, all you have to do is bring the current skin into an image editor, resize to 128x128, then reexport to a new file.  Piece of cake.  Or write a script to do it, run it, get a cup of coffee and come back to a finished job.

[Larry]

Planes in AH and modeled to accept 1024x1024 .bmps. They would have to code it so that that the models could accept 128, 256, 512, and 1024px .bmps. I really don't know how much work it would be to do that, but if you want to see what a 256px bmp looks like on a old plane modeled for 256x256 just take a look at the Ju87, C.202, C.205, etc. Even if they re-sized the new skins they wouldn't look that much different then those.

[The Fugitive]

The skins are on your computer, everyone has them....if they choose to download them. The reason you are allowed to "NOT" use the other skins and stick to default skins is due to computer power. Lower end computers will stutter when loading a skin (game has to hit the hard drive for the skin to be displayed because it isn't preloaded in ram to save space)

So by forcing others to have skins on all the time your forcing other to have games that might become unplayable.

[Swatch]

Planes in AH and modeled to accept 1024x1024 .bmps. They would have to code it so that that the models could accept 128, 256, 512, and 1024px .bmps. I really don't know how much work it would be to do that, but if you want to see what a 256px bmp looks like on a old plane modeled for 256x256 just take a look at the Ju87, C.202, C.205, etc. Even if they re-sized the new skins they wouldn't look that much different then those.

Ok, I see what you were going for.  In my modeling and texturing, that's not how it works (and I doubt its how AH works as well).  In modeling, your resolution is purely based upon vertices and triangles.  Texture coordinates are then applied to each vertex.  These texture coordinates are simply a value from 0->1.  No matter what size your texture is, the same coordinates are used for whatever texture you apply to the mesh (unless you change the values within the mesh itself).  This means a 128x128 texture can be applied to the same model that a 1024x1024 texture can be applied to.  A vertex that has a UV texture coordinate of (.25,.5) will access pixel (32, 64) on the 128 texture and pixel (256, 512) on the 1024 texture.  The triangle is then 'painted' by the interpolated image between the three texture coordinates.  Since on the 1024 texture you have more pixels to interpolate with between the three texture coordinates, you'll have a higher resolution image presented to you. The physical model/mesh remains identical.  I hope that helps you understand the way texturing and modeling 'usually' works.  Only HiTech or Pyro or somebody at HTC can verify that's what they do, but I suspect it is.

The skins are on your computer, everyone has them....if they choose to download them. The reason you are allowed to "NOT" use the other skins and stick to default skins is due to computer power. Lower end computers will stutter when loading a skin (game has to hit the hard drive for the skin to be displayed because it isn't preloaded in ram to save space)

So by forcing others to have skins on all the time your forcing other to have games that might become unplayable.

Right, and what I'm suggesting is that you make the 'required' textures small enough (in this case < 150kb) that the performance hit of loading that into memory is negligible.  (said that in the first post).  These small textures are really just placeholders until the person downloads the higher resolution skins.  Since these placeholders create almost no performance hit (and still only need to be loaded once, usually long before its a life or death situation) you can no do away with the option to "Turn off Other Player's Skins" and you've solved the problem of people using the default textures to 'game' the game.

[warhed]

So If I am running 1024 textures, and I don't want the added strain of having others' custom skins loading, I would be forced to have most all other planes and gv's using ugly 128 textures...

[Swatch]

No, you'd be in the same position you'd be in if you haven't downloaded the skins.  If anyone is rolling the default, then it will come through same as it would whether you have other's skins disabled or not.   And you can roll the default on any of the planes or vehicles, seeing exactly the same quality in your plane that you see now.

Heck, I don't care if they leave it an option.  That way you could download and use the higher resolution skins for yourself, but if you have "Disable other players skins" (or equivalent) selected, then the game will default to the 128x128 texture for all other vehicles and planes around you while you roll whatever higher-res skin you want to.

The end result is still the same.  The person who picks their skin in order to gain any advantages it might give (blue goon skin over water, green panzer skin on land, etc), no longer chooses their skin in vain.  These aircraft were painted certain camo patterns for a reason in real live, why shouldn't we take advantage of the same?

[Lusche]

I have downloaded all skins, because I use them on my plane and I do use them of course when capturing from the AH film viewer when making movies
I have "other players skins" disabled in game for performance reasons.

No to always active skins.

[Swatch]

Did you even read my alternative and reasoning?

Heck, I don't care if they leave it an option.  That way you could download and use the higher resolution skins for yourself, but if you have "Disable other players skins" (or equivalent) selected, then the game will default to the 128x128 texture for all other vehicles and planes around you while you roll whatever higher-res skin you want to.

You shouldn't see any more performance hit than you do just by the act of loading the guages in the cockpit.

EDIT:  Yes I can see now that I was in the process of expanding my message when you posted.

[Speed55]

You put alot of thought into it,  but i personally wouldn't like it.  I run the hi-res pack, and 'disable other player skins' for performance reasons too.
At least the way it is now, when fighting a hi res plane, even with the default skin, it looks fantastic.

 There is a pretty big difference between a zero(low res) vs hellcat(high res), or n1k(high res) vs hellcat(high res). 

From the homepage scroll down menu look at -Downloads-skins- hi res package- performance issues.