Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => Custom Skins => Topic started by: USRanger on January 10, 2009, 01:54:01 PM
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Any of you that have played my offline missions knows that I create a custom map for each one, including terrain, objects, skins, effects, etc. Well, creating a custom map for a single mission takes a lot of time, so I don't put them out as fast as I'd like to. I've decided that if I'm going to put all that work into a custom terrain, it should be for more than just a single mission. I'm going to start working on 4 or 5 part campaigns instead of single missions. That will ensure that more of the map gets used and the time/effort are more worth while.
This is where I'm going to need some help from anyone that wants to. My first campaign will be a fictional Battle of Britain 1945, where D-Day was a huge failure, the U.S. has withdrawn from Europe to concentrate on the Pacific, and England and her allies are once again left alone to hold back the German onslaught.
I'm now working on a custom map of England, where the Germans have grabbed a small toehold on the southern coast and are attempting to push north. The RAF has to stop them and push them out of England forever.
Since creating England with custom cities, airfields and such will take up the majority of my time, plus making the actual missions, this is where I need help from the community. Since this is a fictional battle, I want to include all custom skins. The skins need to be fictional, yet not absurd, i.e. no hot pink doras. All submitted skins will be used and full credit will be given in-mission and in the read-me. So if you have a custom skin for any of these a/c, or would like to create one, I'd really appreciate it, as I will have to do it all myself otherwise and that will take too much time. Making all this a community project seems like more fun anyway
List of aircraft:
Spit8
Spit14
Typhoon
Lancaster
Mosquito
HurricaneIIC
109G14
109K4
190D9
190A8
Me262
B24 (German scheme, to simulate Germany developing a heavy bomber)
Here's some examples of the "type" of skins I need. Fictional, yet semi-realistic. Actual colors/patterns are left up to the skinners:
(http://img444.imageshack.us/img444/1019/262des10he7.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)
(http://img165.imageshack.us/img165/8730/568063blackbirddf6.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)
(http://img70.imageshack.us/img70/6199/ac4su37yellowsquadronoz7.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)
(http://img522.imageshack.us/img522/1212/durnfordx8uv8.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)
(http://img407.imageshack.us/img407/3918/fictionalwintercamogf1.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)
(http://img407.imageshack.us/img407/5999/hurricanernog3.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)
(http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/4479/rote3kg0.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)
As this is my biggest AH project to date, I would really appreciate any help I can get. If you would like to do one of the above listed planes, please post here stating which plane(s) you'll do. Thanks again!
:salute
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I can do a Luftwaffe B-24 for you Ranger. BTW why include the Hurri and not the Tempest or Spit 16?
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Sounds cool. Should you add the Ju88 to it as well? For smaller actions? As well as the B-25C perhaps? Do you plan to use this in an offline mission? Or put this up for an FSO?
:salute
(btw, your terrains are awesome Ranger!) :rock
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I have a suggestion for the RAF skins. Why not revert to the 1940 brown and green camo for all the planes, maybe with light grey underneath and 1945 roundels? There is a sort of historical justification for this. The brown and green scheme was employed early in the war as it hid planes much better when parked on the airfield. Once the threat of RAF fields being bombed or straffed receded the scheme was switched to grey/green which worked a lot better air to air. In the context outlined here RAF bases would likely be under attack again and the old camo scheme might be reapplied.
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I can do a Luftwaffe B-24 for you Ranger. BTW why include the Hurri and not the Tempest or Spit 16?
You may as well use a captured skin then. (http://img216.imageshack.us/img216/1665/scan101mq4.th.jpg) (http://img216.imageshack.us/my.php?image=scan101mq4.jpg) (http://img216.imageshack.us/img216/5851/scan102xe7.th.jpg) (http://img216.imageshack.us/my.php?image=scan102xe7.jpg)
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Something like this, Greebo?
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v621/jocko417/ahss103.jpg)
As you said, basically the SEAC scheme but with ETO day fighter sky recognition markings and codes.
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what game is that Rnger?
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Maybe you could use the 1945 RAF markings Jocko, yellow circles around the wing roundels, yellow wing leading edges and no sky band on the fuselage. But its Ranger's project, not mine. :)
I was going to do a full LW camo Lyric. Either the classic two tone green/black green splinter and light blue underneath or maybe one of the more funky bomber schemes the LW used late in the war.
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(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v621/jocko417/ahss104.jpg)
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Thx Greebo, the B-24 was my biggest worry if I had to do it myself. I'd really like to use totally custom skins, so if traditional RAF camo is used, could it be in a custom pattern, such a tiger stripe or something? I need a totally different look from the norm and worry using normal camo/colors for the RAF just won't "stand out". I didn't include the Spit16 or Tempest because I want to simulate a darker reality where the allies are beat down and development hasn't progressed like it did in real life.
1plus44, I didn't include the JU88 since they will have the B-24, but if someone wants to take the time to do a custom 88 job, I'd use it. The missions haven't been planned out yet, except for a basic outline in my head. Anyone who's put the time & effort of a skin in will see their work used.
Banshee, the pics are from IL-2 1946. You can use any custom skin you want in that game, so I knew I could find examples there of the kind of skins I'm looking for.
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The scheme above actually reminds me of the post-war desert scheme:
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v621/jocko417/ahss105.jpg)
Dark Earth and Light Slate Grey over Medium Sea Grey. Markings are 1:2:3 ratio post-war roundels in bright red and blue.
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Ohhh I like that! Beautiful!
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Just had a quick look on the web for He 177 schemes and there are some really interesting ones. Here's a few links:
http://hsfeatures.com/features04/he177jm_1.htm
http://www.ipmsstockholm.org/magazine/2006/03/stuff_eng_dacoba_he177.htm
http://www.spmodelismo.com.br/howto/am/profiles/he-177.jpg
http://kits.kitreview.com/mpm48058reviewbg_1.htm
http://www.luftarchiv.de/index.htm?/flugzeuge/heinkel/he177.htm
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Any of those would be awesome. Nice & evil looking. :t
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Ranger, I'd be happy to do a 262 for you. What is the due date?
ReDhAwK
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I'd say at least a month, probably two.
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The only 190s that i can find with a checker nose is 1,2,3/JG 1/I. But they are 190A-4,6.
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These were just examples of custom skins. The skinners can do whatever they like.
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ah, i see. the one he posted look like a "D" model and only found "A" models. too bad they have them on the "4" and "6"
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I'd like to get a 109G-14 skin like this(pic is a G-6):
(http://img107.imageshack.us/img107/3379/hansvonhammerijg66lk7.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)
I'll do it myself if I have to, but I'd prefer someone with more experience. Right now I'm working on the map, plus a German C-47 I'm going to use for an airborne invasion.
C'mon skinners! Haven't you ever wanted to make a skin all your own that hundreds will use?[/plead] Plenty of models to still choose from. ;)
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Oooo! This looks like a fun mission, I better either hurry up and get a new vid card, or set my graphics to the bottom :lol
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Started the map:
(http://img520.imageshack.us/img520/8217/englandbm1.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)
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Flipping awesome Ranger! I don't mess with the offline missions but this really looks cool. To bad the Royal Navy couldn't sneak an F4U in :D.
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It seems the Finns had one C-47 in their air force. I'm basing my goon on it.
(http://img156.imageshack.us/img156/8666/hanssinjukka01qx7.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)
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I think that's a DC-2.
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Ahh roger. Just looking for ideas to work from. Here's another I like:
(http://img105.imageshack.us/img105/2291/98958373ez2.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)
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I've already skinned that Finnish aircraft for Kanttori's map Ranger. You can download it here if you want to use it: http://www.ah-skins.com/skins/bombers/finnish.html
(http://www.ah-skins.com/skins/screenshot382.jpg)
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It seems the Finns had one C-47 in their air force. I'm basing my goon on it.
(http://img156.imageshack.us/img156/8666/hanssinjukka01qx7.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)
It was a DC-2, former KLM airliner. So unfortunately, it probabaly wont make it as a MA-skin even tough Greebo did an awesome job at it!
EDIT/Sorry, I missed jocko's comment and your reply. :salute /EDIT
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Yeah, none of these skins will be for MA use. All skins will be fictional. The skinners are free to be as creative as they want to be.
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I've skinned the Luftwaffe B-24, the scheme is based on this KG100 He 177. It was the most interesting scheme I could get to work on the B-24, which has a lot of mirroring issues with the way HTC have done the de-icing panels.
If you PM your email address Ranger, I'll post the files to you.
(http://www.gfg06.dial.pipex.com/screenshots2/LW_B24_SC1.jpg)
(http://www.gfg06.dial.pipex.com/photos/he_177_01.jpg)
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Nice Greebo :)
Where can I download Templates at? I wanna just kinds fool around with skinning (nothing serious) but just give me something to tool around with
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I've skinned the Luftwaffe B-24, the scheme is based on this KG100 He 177. It was the most interesting scheme I could get to work on the B-24, which has a lot of mirroring issues with the way HTC have done the de-icing panels.
If you PM your email address Ranger, I'll post the files to you.
(http://www.gfg06.dial.pipex.com/screenshots2/LW_B24_SC1.jpg)
(http://www.gfg06.dial.pipex.com/photos/he_177_01.jpg)
That's sweet greebo! Does the B24 skin allow for spirals on the spinners?
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That's sweet greebo! Does the B24 skin allow for spirals on the spinners?
I doubt it..the spinners on the B-24 are very small :)
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Awesome Greebo!! Will do. :aok
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Ahh roger. Just looking for ideas to work from. Here's another I like:
(http://img105.imageshack.us/img105/2291/98958373ez2.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)
Thats JG53
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Glad you like it guys. As the spinners are mirrored side to side a spiral isn't possible and as Banshee says, they are very small anyway.
There are some templates at the following site:-
http://www.ah-skins.com/templates.html
However be careful to check that the template works in the viewer before spending a lot of time making a skin with it. Out of date templates never get deleted on this site so some of the ones you see are for the old shape of that particular aircraft and will be useless for the current version of AH.
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Thanks Greebo. I didn't plan on doing anything worth submitting so old/new templates doesn't make any difference to me.
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Thanks Greebo. I didn't plan on doing anything worth submitting so old/new templates doesn't make any difference to me.
It makes a lot of difference, old templates don't work on the new models.
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Yeah, none of these skins will be for MA use. All skins will be fictional. The skinners are free to be as creative as they want to be.
Apologies for my ignorance. :( Didn't pay enough attention in which thread I was at the time.
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Here's something you might be interested in:
(http://hsfeatures.com/images/finnishmosquitodp_1.jpg)
http://hsfeatures.com/finnishmosquitodp_1.htm (http://hsfeatures.com/finnishmosquitodp_1.htm)
Allthough, if the plan would have somehow materialized the Finnish "Vihuri-Moskiitto" would have been a glass-nosed fast bomber version, probably close to a B.Mk.IV with DB605s instead of Merlins.
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Howdya like this, Ranger?
(http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t5/AK_Comrade/spechtprev.jpg)
(http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t5/AK_Comrade/spechtprev2.jpg)
(http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t5/AK_Comrade/spechtprev3.jpg)
Didn't go overboard, but some of you may notice something about the markings... I ran with the 'D-Day failure' thing a little bit.
I'll be adding a killboard once I decide some... things ;)
K4 will be based on the same principle, but the markings will be different and of course I'll change up the camo scheme a bit.
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Here ya go Ranger. I named her Darby ;) The tail number would numerically spell out Darby anyway. I always wanted to do a white tailed 262. Thanks for the chance. Hope you like her. PM me your addy and i will send you the bitmap. 1 meg file.
ReDhAwK
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Those look awesome fellas! Thanks for taking the time to help me out with this. <S!>