Quick question on layers (Panel Lines, Rivets and Undercoat)

[Qrsu]

Hey guys,

Just started to skin for myself recently and am really enjoying it. I just have a quick question about layering and how most of you guys approach it. What I did for my first attempt was create a layer for:

1) Every section (IE StarboardWingTop; StarboardWingBottom etc)... here, I just lasso each part and lay down a base colour (eventually, I would have added another layer for each part when it came time to paint!)
2) Every section's Rivets
3) Every section's Panel Lines

I did this thinking that it would make it much easier to segment and manage... however, I noticed that the layers started to add up to an insane amount rather quickly thus making it a bit of a nightmare when trying to look for that one particular layer I wanted to edit.

Anyway, I figure that it's probably good to have individual layers for each rivet/panel line area when it comes time to create depth with shading and brightening. Is this the best method? Or should there be a lot less layers?

Just curious. 

[Krusty]

There are many many different paths you can take. I like to (generally, if I can) keep geographic regions together in my layers list, so that if I change one part of the upper left wing, for example, all the other parts are readily accessible and can be updated to reflect this change.

The complex interaction of layers means that you may want to do something with where panel lines and rivets are on top of markings but below the weathering. If you separate parts (wings, fuselage, etc) like I try to, then you sometimes run into problem where putting the panel lines and rivets at layer #10 works just fine for the wing, but the fuselage layers start at #20, and now is below them....

So the end result is I try to make my markings and my details, and all that in layer groupings. Then I try to put the overall panel lines and rivets above them all. This way (generally speaking) works pretty well.

If I need to move my panel lines down to be between specific layers, I will often do the following: Put the panel lines/rivets on top of everything, get all the settings/blendings correct, then create a layer mask that eliminates all pixes around the area in question -- let's use the wing example. So now I have panel lines on all parts except that wing. The pixels are still there, they are just masked. I copy the layer, and move the copy down to the layer hierarchy where I need it. Then I just invert the mask. Now I have 2 identical layers, only they show up in mutually exclusive spots. If I make any changes to the blending of the "top" panel lines layer, I know I also duplicate these changes to the "wing" layer.

If you see what I mean. That's much less common but I have done some things like that on a number of skins.

[Greebo]

I start with a layer for one of the base colours of the external parts of the aircraft. Later on I duplicate this layer for each of any other camo colours and erase whatever bits of it I don't need. Also I have base colour layers for the parts painted in primer and another for other colours (black tyres, propeller blades etc.) I don't create seperate layers for each part (fuselage, wing etc.) There would just be too many layers and it would slow me down too much, particularly when editing the skin. So almost all my layers are global, unless there is some specific reason to have seperate layers like different parts being out of scale to each other.

Panel lines I create with two layers. One has all the lines that are vertical or near vertical on the bmp, and the other all the lines that are or are near to horizontal. This makes it much easier to edit the position of the lines. Once those layers are done I make copies of the two layers and merge these copies into one. This merged panel line layer is then used to make the other panel line layers (drop highlights, hatch lines etc.) The original two are turned off and kept just in case I decide to change something later.

Rivets I do the same way as panel lines, one layer for vertical rows, one for horizontal. Then merge copies of these and use this merged layer to make other rivet layers.

From bottom to top my skins generally go: Base colours layers --> other camo colours layers --> insignia, markings and noseart layers --> weathering layers --> panel line and rivets  layers --> misc parts (landing lights etc.) --> 3D effects layers (shadows and highlights). This usually adds up to 70-80 layers, although 15-20 of these are those used just to make other layers, so are switched off and not visible.

[Krusty]

I make copies of the two layers and merge these copies into one. This merged panel line layer is then used to make the other panel line layers (drop highlights, hatch lines etc.) The original two are turned off and kept just in case I decide to change something later.

I will do this as well, but I will save the file before I merge, merge, then save again after I merge.

So, theoretically:

Create multiple layers to be merged
Save: filename_v1
Copy layers, merge copies
Save: filename_v2
Delete original multiple layers, continuing only with merged

This way I remove unused and hidden layers from the working file, but I can always open up "filename_v1" and copy those layers back over to the working file if I need to redo something.

It helps keep the active clutter down, but allows the option of editing my "source layers" later on, which I've had to do more than once.