805 NAS Buffalo

[Greebo]

Amazing.  Is it hard to get the panel lines to match between layers?  Visualizing the process makes me think it would be tough.

It is not that hard really. This is how I do it using Paint Shop Pro but I imagine other programs would work in a similar way.

What I do first is save a copy of my finished skin file, in this case "B239.psp" as "B239_B_a. psp". I make the bump map the same way except saving the file as "B239_B.psp".

I then make this new file into a greyscale image by selecting Image/Greyscale in the menu. Now I have a multi-layered exact copy of my skin in the greyscale format that the spec map needs to be. Next I make the background layer black and the various paint and materials layers that I don't delete above that white. The opacity of each of these layers is adjusted to get the shade of grey I want, so the camo paint layer might be 8% opacity, the tyres 4%, the bare metal 50% and so on. Above these are weathering layers, panel line layers, rivets, small parts and so on. Most of these are turned black and the layers' opacity adjusted to taste. Paint chips are turned white and turned down to around 40-50%. Once I'm happy with the result I save the file as a bmp and check the effect in the viewer and readjust the layers as needed. Then I keep doing this until it looks right, with a final check in the game.

What helps me do this quickly is that I plan the basic skin with the spec and bump maps in mind. So for instance I have a layer for holes in the skin and another for landing lights etc. On my early skins I'd have combined these both onto one layer. However in the spec map the holes need to be black as they don't reflect light at all and lights close to white as the glass reflects very well. So making them seperate layers in the base skin file saves some time in making the spec map.

[Vraciu]

It is not that hard really. This is how I do it using Paint Shop Pro but I imagine other programs would work in a similar way.

What I do first is save a copy of my finished skin file, in this case "B239.psp" as "B239_B_a. psp". I make the bump map the same way except saving the file as "B239_B.psp".

I then make this new file into a greyscale image by selecting Image/Greyscale in the menu. Now I have a multi-layered exact copy of my skin in the greyscale format that the spec map needs to be. Next I make the background layer black and the various paint and materials layers that I don't delete above that white. The opacity of each of these layers is adjusted to get the shade of grey I want, so the camo paint layer might be 8% opacity, the tyres 4%, the bare metal 50% and so on. Above these are weathering layers, panel line layers, rivets, small parts and so on. Most of these are turned black and the layers' opacity adjusted to taste. Paint chips are turned white and turned down to around 40-50%. Once I'm happy with the result I save the file as a bmp and check the effect in the viewer and readjust the layers as needed. Then I keep doing this until it looks right, with a final check in the game.

What helps me do this quickly is that I plan the basic skin with the spec and bump maps in mind. So for instance I have a layer for holes in the skin and another for landing lights etc. On my early skins I'd have combined these both onto one layer. However in the spec map the holes need to be black as they don't reflect light at all and lights close to white as the glass reflects very well. So making them seperate layers in the base skin file saves some time in making the spec map.

Great info.  I use PaintShop also.   Glad to see it can achieve these results.  

Been doing all mine in bmp.   Will try psp next time.

[Greebo]

You need your working file to be in "psp" format in order to make a multi-layered image, it should also be in 16 bit colour (Image/Increase Colour Depth). Only once you are ready to view it in the viewer do you then save a copy as a bmp. This bmp has to be converted from 16 bit to 256 colours in order for the skin viewer to see it. You can do this conversion in Paint Shop Pro but there is a freeware program called Bright that does a much better job of it.

[Vraciu]

You need your working file to be in "psp" format in order to make a multi-layered image, it should also be in 16 bit colour (Image/Increase Colour Depth). Only once you are ready to view it in the viewer do you then save a copy as a bmp. This bmp has to be converted from 16 bit to 256 colours in order for the skin viewer to see it. You can do this conversion in Paint Shop Pro but there is a freeware program called Bright that does a much better job of it.

I won't lose anything converting to psp from bmp I hope.  Been doing the max color count and then reducing for the game skin file. 

[Karnak]

I can see your point of view Karnak, the Finnish variant had a better performance than any other Brewster used in WW2. However I checked with HTC when the B-239 came out and they are OK with any Buffalo variant being skinned on it.

Yeah, I know.  I just disagree with them on that.  Pretty strongly.  I'd like to see the F2A3 added for the US/Commonwealth and Dutch skins and scenarios.

[Shifty]

Looks Finnished to me

Nice one Danny 

Great job once again Greebo! 

[Greebo]

Yeah, I know.  I just disagree with them on that.  Pretty strongly.  I'd like to see the F2A3 added for the US/Commonwealth and Dutch skins and scenarios.

If they were going to introduce another Brewster the RAF Mk I would be the logical one as it saw far more action than the US variant. It isn't as simple a job as it might seem though. Apart from the flight model and protection changes, the 3D model would need to be altered as the non-Finnish Brewsters had a different engine and a longer nose. It would see next to no use in the MA compared to the much lighter Finnish one and there are limited scenario options for it as well.

Vraciu,  the problem with working directly on a bmp is it saves the file as one layer only. To skin effectively you need to seperate all the paint, markings, panel lines etc into seperate layers and lay them one above the other to make the whole image. That way you can edit the position of say a panel line without touching the camo paint or whatever. Working in 16 bit colour and then reducing it to 256 colours after saving as a bmp is also much better than trying to work in 256 colours directly. Bright does such a good job of colour reduction you have to look at before and after images side by side really closely to see the difference.

[Saxman]

Still wish they'd move to DDS images in full RGB instead of staying with indexed BMP files But whatcha gonna do.