Author Topic: Preserving quality skins embedded into AH2 terrains  (Read 1310 times)

Offline Devil 505

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Preserving quality skins embedded into AH2 terrains
« on: June 13, 2016, 09:23:48 PM »
As most of us know, AH2 allowed replacement of a plane's default skin with another skin by incorporation into the terrain itself. Often times it is a skin representing a scheme for a substitute aircraft for special event. Other times, a skin is from the actual aircraft being skinned and would be accurate for the given terrain. It is these accurate skins that need to be added to the proper game before the move to AH3 and are lost forever.

Here are two skins created by Cactus for events in 2014 which were placed into the maps. A P-51D and He111.

In my opinion, this P-51D is the best skin I've seen for the 51D and is only seen in the Germany terrain.




This winter schemed He111 is a beauty, and only in the Germany Winter terrain.




Cactus did superb work on these and AH3 would benefit by their inclusion. But how do we make sure that these quality skins get included in our game? As far as I know, Cactus is no longer active - I hope that I'm wrong. The easy solution would to be to have him submit them himself, but if that is not possible, is it appropriate to have another skinner submit them? This seems to be the next best way, but I hesitate to endorse it on the grounds of apparent plagiarism. Cactus deserves the credit for making the skin, not the uploader - which is the current system. Do these skins fall into the proposed skin adoption system? I doubt that system will be ready before AH3 is released. In my opinion, the worst thing is losing the skins. 
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Offline hgtonyvi

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Re: Preserving quality skins embedded into AH2 terrains
« Reply #1 on: June 14, 2016, 12:34:06 AM »
Yea that P51 and thos 111 are awesome looking.

Offline Vraciu

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Re: Preserving quality skins embedded into AH2 terrains
« Reply #2 on: June 14, 2016, 03:55:28 AM »
Wow. Nice.
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Offline BFOOT1

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Re: Preserving quality skins embedded into AH2 terrains
« Reply #3 on: June 16, 2016, 10:22:42 AM »
That P-51 skin has been around since 2012 that I know of. During the DGSII Scenario, the fighter group that I flew with was the 355th Fighter Group, and that was our skin. I am personally attached to this skin as it was my first scenario where I actually contributed and did some good.
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Offline Nefarious

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Re: Preserving quality skins embedded into AH2 terrains
« Reply #4 on: June 18, 2016, 02:49:27 PM »
I believe the He 111 is also in the Black Sea Winter Terrain.

Perhaps, they can be re-added into AH3 terrains via the Terrain Team.
There must also be a flyable computer available for Nefarious to do FSO. So he doesn't keep talking about it for eight and a half hours on Friday night!

Offline Devil 505

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Re: Preserving quality skins embedded into AH2 terrains
« Reply #5 on: June 18, 2016, 05:35:11 PM »
Perhaps, they can be re-added into AH3 terrains via the Terrain Team.

Perhaps, but it would be best to have them in the general skin roster.
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Offline Nefarious

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Re: Preserving quality skins embedded into AH2 terrains
« Reply #6 on: June 18, 2016, 05:48:10 PM »
Perhaps, but it would be best to have them in the general skin roster.

I agree.

Just suggesting that it should be possible to carry them over to AH3 through the Special Event Terrains. I don't know the exact process of extracting them but I'm sure the TT can use them in the rebuilds of the terrains so they are at least preserved somehow.

If they can be submitted for the Main Arena, that's great too.

There must also be a flyable computer available for Nefarious to do FSO. So he doesn't keep talking about it for eight and a half hours on Friday night!

Offline Easyscor

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Re: Preserving quality skins embedded into AH2 terrains
« Reply #7 on: June 19, 2016, 03:31:57 AM »
All the original source bitmaps for the skins are placed inside the texsrc folder in the terrain project. As the terrains in question are still active on the server and the skins are working, then the bitmaps are available. If the skins don't qualify for the MA, the same procedure should work but with updated bitmaps for the new terrain system. IF the skins qualify for MA inclusion, then you could request a release from htc best done through the CM Terrain Team.

Skins included in a terrain don't need to follow the strict requirements for consideration by htc. The P51 slots were probably full but I'm surprised Cactus didn't submit that beautiful He 111 skin to htc if it qualified for the MA.

So either way, someone will need to update the skins to the new system and resubmit them to either htc, the CMs, the AvA Staff or all three. My preference is always to submit them to htc whenever they qualify but please keep the AvA staff in mind for specialty skins. Especially winter and desert skins.

« Last Edit: June 19, 2016, 03:33:51 AM by Easyscor »
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Offline Vraciu

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Re: Preserving quality skins embedded into AH2 terrains
« Reply #8 on: June 19, 2016, 06:51:24 AM »
Are the fuselage panel lines the result of bump mapping?   Love that shadow effect. 
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Offline cactuskooler

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Re: Preserving quality skins embedded into AH2 terrains
« Reply #9 on: December 16, 2016, 05:57:20 PM »
Nice to see interest in these old skins. I'll see what I can do with these.  I've been out of the loop for a bit so I got to find my sea legs first.

The P51 slots were probably full but I'm surprised Cactus didn't submit that beautiful He 111 skin to htc if it qualified for the MA.

Correct on the 51.  I have no idea why I never submitted the 111. 

That P-51 skin has been around since 2012 that I know of. During the DGSII Scenario, the fighter group that I flew with was the 355th Fighter Group, and that was our skin. I am personally attached to this skin as it was my first scenario where I actually contributed and did some good.

Ahh DGSII, great times.  I did make the 51 for that scenario. 

For old times sake, here's me buzzing you  :)


Also skinned this gunless recce 38 for DGSII.



Are the fuselage panel lines the result of bump mapping?   Love that shadow effect. 

Bump and spec maps, both new fangled tech back then.
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Offline Devil 505

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Re: Preserving quality skins embedded into AH2 terrains
« Reply #10 on: December 16, 2016, 06:29:55 PM »
Glad to have you back Cactus.  :cheers:
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Offline SFRT - Frenchy

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Re: Preserving quality skins embedded into AH2 terrains
« Reply #11 on: December 17, 2016, 08:23:44 PM »
Wow, these are top notch.  :O
Dat jugs bro.

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Offline Devil 505

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Re: Preserving quality skins embedded into AH2 terrains
« Reply #12 on: December 17, 2016, 08:43:10 PM »
Wow, these are top notch.  :O

Indeed, HTC needs to cull the herd of some of the lesser D Pony skins to make room for this one and Oboe's stuff too.
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