Want to try my hand at skinning

[Pigslilspaz]

Any tips for someone trying to make a new skin? Also, what model would give me the best chance for inclusion?

[JOACH1M]

Krusty skinning tutorial

[Dragon Tamer]

Any tips for someone trying to make a new skin? Also, what model would give me the best chance for inclusion?

Don't make the same mistake I did, do any plane other than the B-29.  That thing is huge and skinning it makes you respect it more.  It's taken me 3 days just to get where I am with the fuselage, and I'm still not done.

Try doing a P-51 or another fighter for your first skin, even though these slots are full, it'll be a good way to practice with the different techniques used in skinning and the planes are relatively small.

[Krusty]

Make it a newer skin, one that's been updated to the latest "3G" standard (my term, "3rd generation").

while I think that skinning one of the older skins provides very valuable experience that will serve you well in the long run, it's also harder because of many flaws in the skins and how they wrap the bitmaps onto the plane shapes.

I would suggest BMF is hard to pull off if you have no experience. It took me several tries to come up with a decent system, and that's after I already had a dozen skins under my belt.

If you can, choose a skin that is painted (camo, OD, whatever) for a new model plane. Try one that isn't full up if you actually want to submit. If you're just practicing, choose any plane you like.

[SmokinLoon]

If and when I ever truely dive in to modeling skins, I will start with aircraft or vehicles that are used a lot and have no (or very few) alternative to the default skin, and like Krusty says the newer stuff is easier to work with.  I tried to work with the old M3 and got sea-sick looking at the stretched panels.   

The new M3 gets the nod first.  Then maybe I'll check out a RAF or RAAF skin for the P40B (an old graphics model yes, but worth the time and effort I believe).  My grandafther was escorted by RAAF P40's up and down the "slot" so I need to do some more research and find out which unit(s) that was. 

[VonMessa]

Any tips for someone trying to make a new skin? Also, what model would give me the best chance for inclusion?

Pick something that isn't full.

[Motherland]

Also, what model would give me the best chance for inclusion?

If nothing's changed, anything that's close to historically accurate will be put in game assuming that there are slots left.

[Krusty]

Well, you generally have to skin a historic paint scheme as it fought in WW2. It generally has to be a combat skin (i.e. no trainers, no state-side ponies, etc).

But that's not what he meant. He meant what model of plane, rather than what skin (at least that's how I read it).

[Motherland]

Well, you generally have to skin a historic paint scheme as it fought in WW2. It generally has to be a combat skin (i.e. no trainers, no state-side ponies, etc).

But that's not what he meant. He meant what model of plane, rather than what skin (at least that's how I read it).

What I meant was that you really don't have to worry about what plane it is (provided the list isn't full), there's a pretty slim chance that your skin will be rejected if it's... pretty historically accurate. He seemed like that was his concern.

[Krusty]

I was reading it the other way... but between the two of us I think we've got it covered.

[Pigslilspaz]

Thanks folks. Gonna take a look at some that I might want to do. Got many books with paint jobs so whatever model, I should be set.

[Krusty]

Note that a color profile is a nice starting point, but they are not always accurate, and are an artist's impression.

I've even done some myself! Doesn't mean they're historically accurate 

[Pigslilspaz]

I found that out last night, wanted to do White 11 for the LA-7 but can't find a definitive answer on the scheme.

[Krusty]

pics?

[Pigslilspaz]

Oops, meant 27, not 11. Was flown by Kozhedub, the allied ace of aces