Author Topic: Request to Superfly and Natedog about AH2 skins... (Read 550 times)

Dux · « **on:** June 09, 2003, 10:31:29 AM »

Guys...
I assume (hope) that modifications, reskins, and customs terrains will be just as big a part of AH2 as it is for AH1 now, with SEA events, scenarios, the Combat Theater, etc.

With this in mind, could you consider making the skins on the default aircraft and vehicles more modification-friendly? By this, I mean using different textures for left and right fuselage, left and right upper wings, left and right lower wings, etc. Even if the design you choose is a mirror-image on all sides, please use separate textures. Also, please don't use colored polygons; use textures, even if (for instance) you have a completely black spinner. Reskinning the current planeset can be frustrating and nearly impossible in some cases. The all-blue planes are notorious in this respect, and have limited the skinning options for many scenarios.

I realize you all must be rather far along with AH2 by now, but hopefully you can consider these requests.

Thanks!

ps. I know and understand perfectly why the old planes were skinned that way... I would have done it exactly the same way... but hopefully systems have come far enough in the last 3 years that this should not be an issue anymore.

BenDover · « **Reply #1 on:** June 09, 2003, 10:35:08 AM »

Higher Res Skins would be a great option aswell.

ramzey · « **Reply #2 on:** June 09, 2003, 10:51:47 AM »

im with you Dux, and no more markings.bmp texture;)

Dux · « **Reply #3 on:** June 09, 2003, 11:05:24 AM »

FWIW Bendover, we already have a "higher res" skin option... all the planes we have now will support higher res skins... it's just that not everybody's video cards may support them. So it's more a minimum-requirements issue than a skinning issue.

BenDover · « **Reply #4 on:** June 09, 2003, 01:32:22 PM »

We do?

ramzey · « **Reply #5 on:** June 09, 2003, 01:39:15 PM »

yeap, whatewer u wish, even x10 larger textures then FB have
but i dont think even strongest PC can work with this

ramzey

brady · « **Reply #6 on:** June 09, 2003, 02:00:04 PM »

Ya I am with Dux and Ramzey on this, they have worked so hard to realise some great skins for us in the Events and the CT but some of the skins are buggered beause of the above mentioned issue's.

Dux · « **Reply #7 on:** June 09, 2003, 02:40:49 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by BenDover
We do?

Yeah, someone had shown a great example of this in the Terrain Editor forum a while back. I wish I could remember who did it, but he made a beautiful Tempest skin... he had a normal-res version and a higher-res version for comaprison.

This capability has always been there, but HTC (quite understandably) requested that skinners refrain from this because it may make some older PCs crash (and piss off customers).

gatso · « **Reply #8 on:** June 09, 2003, 03:59:25 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Dux
Yeah, someone had shown a great example of this in the Terrain Editor forum a while back. I wish I could remember who did it, but he made a beautiful Tempest skin... he had a normal-res version and a higher-res version for comaprison.

That was me

Typhoon JP504 I made for Betown. It was flow by (if I remember correctly) his Grandfather. Tempest EJ625 was flown by Kiwi Jack Stafford. Scored a 1/2 kill on a 262 on Christmas day 1944. This pair can be found in a few of the more recent CT maps. Hungary by 10bears and a mid europe one by ASW at least.

Slightly unfinished this one because I felt a standard squadron 'hack' would be more appropriate for CT / SEA maps rather than a famous paintjob like Clostermann's. I didn't get round to polishing it off but it shows the capability off pretty well. 1st is 1024x1024 textures, 2nd is current standard 256x256.

Gatso

gatso · « **Reply #9 on:** June 09, 2003, 04:07:56 PM »

Oh yeah, almost forgot to say I of course 100% agree with Dux and Ramzey

Gatso

Dux · « **Reply #10 on:** June 09, 2003, 04:08:03 PM »

That's the one! Beautiful work, Gatso.

ramzey · « **Reply #11 on:** June 09, 2003, 05:05:22 PM »

once i post example of new and old skin for p47 D30
one was standard 256x256, secound 512x512
its still less then have FB , but its diferent style of fit UV maps
FB have one large bitmap /1024x1024 as i remember/ + damage bitmap. Current AH base on 2 or 3 bitmaps 256x256.
One is wings secound rest cfu + details fit in free space.

Smart move was abdon old UV mapping + 3d objects coloured /109g6 flower, p38/and divide skins in to parts, thats give new planes better textures u can see on Kate, A20, Val ..........
I not try insult anyone, sorry for my words if they are rude, i have nothing bad and not critique this work.

But good for one plane painting-camo. Possibly on begin HTC not have in plans add custom skins. We get this possibility meanwhile and thats good

My worse nightmare is markings.bmp;)
Anyway i have som templates for allmost every plane i skin. Thay are not so detailed /i explain once why/, but som are beter then current one and mostly 512x512. I bet HTC have same.
We can deal with this;)

regards
ramzey

Kweassa · « **Reply #12 on:** June 09, 2003, 08:25:53 PM »

I whole-heartedly agree!

I'm not good as ramzey, gatso or Dux when it comes to skinning, but I've had my share of dabble wif those textures, and by golly, some of them were nightmares.

markings.bmp files are nightmares, and so are some of the 'new types' of skins - such as the P-40B I worked on with kanttori's Fin-Rus terrain.

It was rather ingenuous that Nate and Supe found a way to work around the resolution limit with those types of skins(typically the P-40B) - by using enlarged markings with parts of the skin BMP file that are not used.. however, when someone tries to change it from the default paint scheme, it becomes hell!

ramzey · « **Reply #13 on:** June 09, 2003, 09:42:45 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Kweassa
I whole-heartedly agree!

I'm not good as ramzey, gatso or Dux when it comes to skinning,

i bet i make worse:D

anyway im courious on one thing
Possibly HTC test how slow wil work PC with 512x512 textures, but we can try make one terrain with large textures. Even should be enough to extend current one. Launch bomber raid or just test it on furball on sea:) To see how much this slow PC we current have. I mean aircrafts skinns.
My PC drop rate mostly when bombers drop bombs or when i enter big formations of bombers. Im not expert in 3d but i supose its something with polygins, not sure about textures.

ramzey

BenDover · « **Reply #14 on:** June 10, 2003, 01:59:10 AM »

Holy Crap!!!

Look at the detail!!!