Aces High Bulletin Board

General Forums => Custom Skins => Topic started by: toadkill on August 07, 2006, 11:52:52 PM

Title: little help
Post by: toadkill on August 07, 2006, 11:52:52 PM

making a cool hurry black hurry 2c skin. its 37th RAF sqn. served 1942.

http://wp.scn.ru/en/ww2/f/79/9/7/15_b2 (http://wp.scn.ru/en/ww2/f/79/9/7/15_b2)


but i ran across some snags, when i try to load up the skin it only shows up clear

(http://www.picturehosting.com/images/toadkill/ahss25_1.jpg)

(http://www.picturehosting.com/images/toadkill/ahss26_1.jpg)

(http://www.picturehosting.com/images/toadkill/ahss27.jpg)

i assume this is because its in 24-bit bmp format.  1024X1024.

im using photoshop 6. it wont let me save the picture asan 8 bit bmp though.

(http://www.picturehosting.com/images/toadkill/untitled_3.jpg)

plz advice?

forgive my nubism, note ive just started on this skin. only half started

Title: little help
Post by: Kurt on August 07, 2006, 11:55:06 PM

You can't use pure black because it is transparent in Aces High.. (in the templates notice that everything unused is black)

Besides, airplanes aren't that pure black anyhow, so set it to a REALLY deep grey and it will look fine.

Photoshop will let you save it as an 8bit... You have to set the color mode to Indexed.  This setting is under Image --> Mode

AH only uses 256 color so indexed is your only option...

I edit in RGB mode and then set to indexed to save the 8bit BMP.

Title: little help
Post by: toadkill on August 08, 2006, 12:01:41 AM

ty, but its not pure black. its something like 5-14 in each red green and blue


now its half started, and i'm not giving up again (started making one, but i felt to noobish, so i gave up)

(http://www.picturehosting.com/images/toadkill/ahss28.jpg)

needs alot of work, but if you all out there are willing to help me, we can get it done together ..........  sniff sniff...... *tear* :cry

Title: little help
Post by: Saxman on August 08, 2006, 12:09:21 AM

Wonder Woman needs to get her cloaking device fixed. :D

Title: little help
Post by: toadkill on August 08, 2006, 12:10:43 AM

something tells me i messed something somewhere up. i went into MA and it said i had to dl all skins over  
:cry :cry :cry :cry

Title: little help
Post by: rogerdee on August 08, 2006, 09:29:42 AM

did u have to down load skins or reload the cache?

are u using ah skin viewer  to view your work as u do it  and is it the latest version?


Also if you go to ah skins there is  a template  for the panel lines for the hurricane  which will help you

Title: little help
Post by: toadkill on August 08, 2006, 09:52:27 AM

it said i had to DL skins all over. (all skins were red)

Title: Moving right along
Post by: toadkill on August 08, 2006, 12:51:34 PM

(http://www.picturehosting.com/images/toadkill/ahss36.jpg)
(http://www.picturehosting.com/images/toadkill/ahss35_1.jpg)
(http://www.picturehosting.com/images/toadkill/ahss33.jpg)
(http://www.picturehosting.com/images/toadkill/ahss32.jpg)
(http://www.picturehosting.com/images/toadkill/ahss30.jpg)

i need to find a better picture hosting people.i keep getting lots of X

Title: one last question, maybe not
Post by: toadkill on August 08, 2006, 02:59:45 PM

(http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j193/toadkill_photos/ahss37.gif)

as you can see the bottom of the left cannons appear white. i cant tell in photoshop were it is i need to paint to change this

heres my wing
(http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j193/toadkill_photos/TemplateHURR1WGcopy.gif)

once again i thank you for your help.

..... wait, i dont have a serial number, anyone know of a bird that flew with this skin? if not, i can change it to a red nose.


final pics. i could use some advice also on how to dirty up a
black plane

(http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j193/toadkill_photos/ahss43.jpg)
(http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j193/toadkill_photos/1051b14a.jpg)
(http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j193/toadkill_photos/1826f2c1.jpg)
(http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j193/toadkill_photos/ahss41.jpg)

there finally got all pics in, after  like 8 edits, darn im a retard:lol

Title: little help
Post by: USRanger on August 08, 2006, 03:05:20 PM

Toadkill, use Imageshack.us, a very good free hosting site.  Simply pick the picture to upload then copy the "Hotlink to Forums(1)" link, then paste it here.  It's real easy & ya get great quality pics.


http://imageshack.us/

Title: little help
Post by: toadkill on August 08, 2006, 03:11:52 PM

i moved to photobucket from that crappy one. but i'll keep imageshack in mind incase i ever need it

Title: little help
Post by: rogerdee on August 08, 2006, 03:22:53 PM

ok your lettering is to big  and the white bit on your wing  u will find on the left of the bitmap  above  the bottom wing

Title: little help
Post by: toadkill on August 08, 2006, 06:43:43 PM

ok. the cannons are like that on all hurrys, so.

(http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j193/toadkill_photos/ahss29.jpg)

(http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j193/toadkill_photos/ahss28.jpg)

(http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j193/toadkill_photos/ahss27.jpg)

Title: little help
Post by: Kurt on August 08, 2006, 07:44:59 PM

Wow Toadkill, Thats a lot of progress in one day.

Keep at it, its looking better in every post.

Title: little help
Post by: Guppy35 on August 08, 2006, 09:16:46 PM

Looks good Toadkill, but on the left side it should read LK-A with the roundel between the LK and the A.

the code for 87 squadron was LK
The individual aircraft letter for this bird was A

The size of the serial number BE500 should be a bit smaller as well.

Title: little help
Post by: toadkill on August 08, 2006, 09:36:11 PM

(http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j193/toadkill_photos/ahss33.jpg)

yeah. i noticed that like half an our after i posted those pictures, its fixed, and i reduced the serial number size, hope i made it small enough

Title: little help
Post by: Guppy35 on August 08, 2006, 09:43:21 PM

Mind if I go picky on ya one more time? :)

It just occured to me that the fuselage roundel is the post August 1942-45 roundel when you want the earlier version with the wider yellow band.

Also note in the image you posted that the codes are gray not white.  It's really looking good however.  The serial size looks a lot closer to what is in the image.

Title: little help
Post by: toadkill on August 08, 2006, 11:06:17 PM

fixed roundels. changed coding to ''light sky grey'' off of simmers site.

(http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j193/toadkill_photos/ahss35.jpg)
(http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j193/toadkill_photos/ahss34.jpg)

Title: little help
Post by: toadkill on August 09, 2006, 12:08:20 PM

feedback plz? think i should add some chipped paint? i did add some inperfections on the root of the wing, just about where people woud step to get in.

Title: little help
Post by: Guppy35 on August 09, 2006, 12:23:09 PM

Look a the photo of the real deal again.  Note the exhaust stain running back over the fuselage.  

Is there anyway to get the underside of the cannon fairing to be black as well?  Not sure why it's still white on the left wing cannons.

I'm the wrong guy to comment on weathering as I tend to like em looking less beat up then most of the skins I see in the game, but there should be some weathering.

Hopefully some of the skinners themselves can comment on that.

Title: little help
Post by: Kev367th on August 09, 2006, 12:38:19 PM

RE: The port wing underside cannon fairings color.

Bug in the skin I'm afraid, you can't change it (on the IIc at least).

Title: little help
Post by: toadkill on August 09, 2006, 01:34:15 PM

its difficult to make exhaust stains show up on a black plane. i also added a few more wing chips/smears, etc.

(http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j193/toadkill_photos/untitled.jpg)

even harder to make them show up on the bbs.........

Title: little help
Post by: Kev367th on August 09, 2006, 01:55:51 PM

Try making the exhaust stains a brownish color.

(http://www.ah-skins.com/skins/screenshot419.jpg)

Oil stains usually when recent are a dark brown color, going black as they pick up dirt.
Fuel dribbles usuall lighten the paint underneath.

For the overall color try not using a uniform black, try adding variation in the color like this.
This was done using a plugin for PSP called Murameister Clouds.

Title: little help
Post by: toadkill on August 09, 2006, 04:11:11 PM

added some "clouds". the clouds are "random" so its hard to control the amount of black, as oppsed to grey
(http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j193/toadkill_photos/ahss53.jpg)
(http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j193/toadkill_photos/ahss52.jpg)
(http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j193/toadkill_photos/ahss46.jpg)

made some lighter colored exhaust stains

and jes kev, posting that spitty makes me look like more of a noob :lol

Title: little help
Post by: Kev367th on August 09, 2006, 10:37:11 PM

Sorry wasn't meant like that, was supposed to show exhaust stains.

We all started somewhere, and it takes a while, but plenty are willing to help out.

For the base color -
Try using the one I posted (right click, "Save Picture As") and resize it to 1024x1024. Maybe darken it a little.

Title: little help
Post by: toadkill on August 10, 2006, 12:00:31 AM

I R TEH KING OF SKIN BOARD TEH SPAMMAGE.......

on a more serious note. i didnt mean it like that either, meant more along the lines of how i suck.

i mixed your clouds and my clouds. i think the combined of the two look pretty good. i was also wondering what filter/tool you used to make it look so flat. becuase i doubt the black hurricane would blind a german spotter, from the reflection of his light.

(http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j193/toadkill_photos/ahss58.jpg)

(http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j193/toadkill_photos/ahss55.jpg)


Note: exhaust is only that bright in the morning light.  if i darken it, its not visible at all in hte daytime

Title: little help
Post by: Kev367th on August 10, 2006, 12:21:54 AM

Not sure if it works but you could try using one of the default materials files for the Spits to get the flat finish.
If you download one of the default Spit skins inside is a file called "Material", try copying it into the Hurri folder your skin is in.

For a shiny finish use the Materials file from the default P38L.

Title: little help
Post by: toadkill on August 10, 2006, 12:45:59 AM

it doesnt seem to change any

i added a layer of noise, and it dulled the mirror finish some.

Title: little help
Post by: Stoney74 on August 10, 2006, 01:44:36 AM

I'll throw in my 2 cents here:

In the photo, the exhaust stains show up blue against the black paint, and trail halfway back below the canopy.  They also sort of follow the "air" over the wing.  Could be a nice effect if you can get it to match.  

Also, I'd try darkening the panel lines a bit.  They are hardly visible in the picture.  I think they stand out too much against the black paint, IMHO.

Nice job so far though...

Title: little help
Post by: toadkill on August 10, 2006, 11:37:43 AM

thanks for the nit pickage guys, this should really help me get better.

ok. took stoney's advice darkened panel lines changed exhaust.

(http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j193/toadkill_photos/ahss27-1.jpg)

(http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j193/toadkill_photos/ahss26.jpg)

Title: little help
Post by: Kev367th on August 10, 2006, 12:05:54 PM

Taking screenshots tip -
Before panning around or anything, press "z" to zoom in.
It gets rid of the perspective distortion.

Can I nitpick on more thing?

The RAF roundel/fin flash red is incorrect.
Pre the change in mid 41 the roundel red was a brighter version of what you are using.
I assume you got them from simmerspaintshop, they are incorrect for pre mid-41.

I'll post the RGB value for the red when I get home.


[edit] Found a previous post I had done that explains it, and includes the RGB value
http://www.hitechcreations.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=173503&highlight=roundel

Title: little help
Post by: toadkill on August 10, 2006, 12:45:50 PM

(http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j193/toadkill_photos/ahss29-1.jpg)

(http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j193/toadkill_photos/ahss28-1.jpg)

Title: little help
Post by: Stoney74 on August 11, 2006, 08:53:18 AM

I like the panel lines now, and the exhaust looks better.  Coming along nicely...