Fuselage Band Not Lining Up - P-51D

[Vraciu]

Had this issue before and fixed it.  Then fixed it on the nose cowl colors as it was the same problem... But it is back again...

I have a black stripe that goes around the fuselage just forward of the dorsal filet.  It never lined up well but after a day of effort I managed to fix it.  Looked great I was happy.  Now, ten days later the band isn't lining up again and nothing I do seems to fix the problem.

Are the skins just slightly off or is something bleeding through?

I will gladly send my skin to someone for evaluation. 

I have a screenshot I can post as well.

Not sure if it is my card...the viewer....the data being corrupted.....

I am so exasperated at this point I could break my mouse.

[Dragon Tamer]

The band should not move, since the program looks in the same exact spot for the texture every time. The most likely cause of the problem is that somehow you are using an older version of your save file (prior to getting it lined up).

When I need to line up sections of the fuselage, I make a grid on the 2 sections i need to line up. I usually make it 2 to 5 pixels spacing (depending on the part and it's location) then just count how far the two sections are offset and adjust it appropriately.

[Devil 505]

You're probably off by 1 pixel. Look at the plane in game from the easiest angle to see which half is too far forward/back and adjust the skin accordingly. Really, there is no short cut here.            

[Vraciu]

I have tried it every way I can think of and it bleeds no matter what I do.  A pixel this way or that just shifts how it fuzzes out...

I agree somehow I shifted so etching but nothing is working.  All my backups are doing the exact same thing.  It is maddening....


Is it possibly the way the software merges the sides with the top of the fuse?

[Vraciu]

The first picture is what it looked like originally.   I was able to fix it so it PERFECTLY lined up.   Now it looks like the latter two shots and NOTHING I do fixes the problem.  It just shifts it around...

[Vraciu]

I drew a single pixel width red line on either side of the stripe to show how it is bleeding through.   I am befuddled....

[Devil 505]

Seems that the upper panel does not use the same pixel width. Make it like the first screen shot, then move the band forward on the fuselage sides to line up with the top. Also move the national insignia forward so that it doesn't overlap the band.

[Vraciu]

Seems that the upper panel does not use the same pixel width. Make it like the first screen shot, then move the band forward on the fuselage sides to line up with the top. Also move the national insignia forward so that it doesn't overlap the band.

Pixel width....

Okay.  Let me try that.   Not even sure how to change this setting.  PSP 5.1 (I so need to grow up and upgrade to something else).

The insignia only abuts the band on my end (the actual aircraft has the insignia right up against the band).  It doesn't overlap on my end but I will recheck.

[Devil 505]

Pixel width....

Okay.  Let me try that.   Not even sure how to change this setting.  

You cant adjust it. What I mean is that the two sections of the bitmap do not correspond evenly pixel to pixel. One piece is larger than the area it butts against on the other piece. There is no true fix, you have to line it up as best as you can.

To illustrate, here is a section from the 190A-5. The red lines meet when the bitmap is rendered in the game. Notice how much larger the upper panel is vs. the corresponding space on the fuselage. Hence, the upper panel is shrunk in game in order to fit, therefore in game the size of a fuselage pixel is larger than a upper cowling pixel.

[Vraciu]

I lined up the stuff with single-pixel lines....

I did notice that when I earlier tried to copy the rivet lines from the fuse sides to the top they don't even come CLOSE to lining up so I am wondering what I did to cause that....unless the skin is stretched to fit via the software.

[Vraciu]

You cant adjust it. What I mean is that the two sections of the bitmap do not correspond evenly pixel to pixel. One piece is larger than the area it butts against on the other piece. There is no true fix, you have to line it up as best as you can.

To illustrate, here is a section from the 190A-5. The red lines meet when the bitmap is rendered in the game. Notice how much larger the upper panel is vs. the corresponding space on the fuselage. Hence, the upper panel is shrunk in game in order to fit, therefore in game the size of a fuselage pixel is larger than a upper cowling pixel.

Ah!!!!!!!   Whew.   Well I thought I had it lined up once.  I wonder if I shifted the top while making the bottom match.

Any good ideas on how to camo this and keep the line crisp?

If not, do I worry about it?

[Devil 505]

I lined up the stuff with single-pixel lines....

I did notice that when I earlier tried to copy the rivet lines from the fuse sides to the top they don't even come CLOSE to lining up so I am wondering what I did to cause that....unless the skin is stretched to fit via the software.

Do the red lines match in game? If yes, then just add one pixel of black to the width of the small piece. If no, then the small piece is 6:5 ratio in relation to the fuselage. To ever make these equal, the band will be WAY too thick, just line up most noticeable of the lines then leave the other alone.

[Vraciu]

Do the red lines match in game? If yes, then just add one pixel of black to the width of the small piece. If no, then the small piece is 6:5 ratio in relation to the fuselage. To ever make these equal, the band will be WAY too thick, just line up most noticeable of the lines then leave the other alone.

(I forgot to upload it, which is why Devil is asking the question.  Not his fault.  Mine.)


Don't line up at all (color bleeding).   I could swear the bands looked perfect at one point....    (Sorry I forgot to upload it.  See the above post.  I edited it in.)

Thanks for the help, bud.