Aces High Bulletin Board

General Forums => Custom Skins => Topic started by: BlueGoose on February 09, 2007, 11:27:37 AM

Title: Hlp
Post by: BlueGoose on February 09, 2007, 11:27:37 AM
How do i make SKINS:cry:cry:cry:confused
Title: Hlp
Post by: TwinBoom on February 10, 2007, 09:15:15 AM
if u want help id sugest changing ur sig. as belittling some1`s friend
whom might be able to help you would make them say "no way"
Title: Hlp
Post by: BlueGoose on February 12, 2007, 12:20:51 PM
POST ALREADY :fruious
Title: Hlp
Post by: Krusty on February 12, 2007, 01:09:13 PM
Okay if you're serious about skin creation you need a graphics editing program that supports layers (photoshop, paintshop pro, gimp, etc).

Then you need to download and install the hi-res pack and set your textures to 1024. Then you need to go into the hangar and right click on a plane and "save default skin".

You need to work in 1024, and if you don't have the hi-res pack installed it defaults out at 512 (even if you set it to 1024) to save space on downloads. So you need hi-res to get the proper template.

Then you go to the skins directory, open the name of the plane you saved, get the files you need (just ones that show wings or fuselage, don't need all the instruments) and you "paint" over them. Use layers so you don't permanently ruin what's on the default. Use layers to paint the colors, the camo, the whatever, then the details, the panel lines, the dirt, the weathering, and that's a highly simplified version of what you need to do.
Title: Hlp
Post by: BlueGoose on February 12, 2007, 01:47:45 PM
wat would i have to download
Title: Hlp
Post by: BlueGoose on February 15, 2007, 12:01:07 PM
POST allready :furious
Title: Hlp
Post by: Krusty on February 15, 2007, 12:17:19 PM
I hardly see the reason to get so upset. Nobody saw your last "what would I have to download" post. A simple bump would suffice.

Assuming you have a graphics editing program, the general guidelines are here:

http://www.hitechcreations.com/ahhelp/skins.html

So what you need to download is the hi-res skins pack. Other than that and an editing program (photoshop/whatever) all you need is what you've already got.
Title: Hlp
Post by: BlueGoose on February 15, 2007, 12:49:01 PM
Don't u have a tutorial that would hlp i have tried the HOW TO MAKE SKINS i still can't figre it out :o all i see is :huh
Title: Hlp
Post by: nickf620 on February 15, 2007, 02:46:46 PM
krusty pretty much already said what you need to know to make the skin

i messaged krusty back and forth about random stuff and what he told me basically is right there in that post

read over carefully do everything he says to the dot
Title: Hlp
Post by: Krusty on February 15, 2007, 07:05:49 PM
Steps to skin:

1) Get a graphics editing program that supports layers

2) Install AH (already done)

3) Install AH Hi-res pack (available on webpage). Set in-game texture to 1024.

4) Go offline. Go to hangar. Right click plane you want, "Save default skin"

5) Go to the Aces High II\Skins directory. Find the plane you're looking for (p51D). You now have all the default bitmaps. Find the ones that have fuselage and wing parts. There should only be 1 or 2 files you need to edit.

6) Import bitmaps into editing software.

7) Edit (this is the hard part)

8) Export as 8-bit (256 color) or it won't show up in-game.

9) you're done.
Title: Hlp
Post by: Toadflak on February 15, 2007, 07:10:58 PM
Quote
Originally posted by Krusty
7) Edit (this is the hard part)


if this is where you get stuck. sry, but there is no possible way for us to explain the massive amounts of things needed to do it. And if ya wanna learn, head down to your local college and take a desktop publishing/multimedia creations class.
Title: Hlp
Post by: Krusty on February 15, 2007, 07:31:54 PM
That "Edit" step is a Lulu, so to speak. Note that layers are your friend. As is iterative saving of the filename. Don't ever add an effect or anything unless you make a backup of that layer or of that entire file, in case you need to go BACK and change whatever it is you added the effect to.

NEVER save the file after flattening it, until AFTER you go into your history and undo the "flatten image" command.

Don't do too much on one layer. At first don't put more than 1 color on the same layer. This includes paint schemes and camo.

Other than that, learn as you go.
Title: Hlp
Post by: Jibbs on February 15, 2007, 08:27:02 PM
umm, just butting in here. Where do I download a graphics editing program? I've heard everything you guys tell me to do. "Use layers" and all that good stuff, but I just need to know where I can download it for free.
Title: Hlp
Post by: Toadflak on February 15, 2007, 08:53:19 PM
Gimp. the best free program for the job, i prefer photoshop though

Gimp (http://www.gimp.org/)
Title: Hlp
Post by: Krusty on February 15, 2007, 11:40:46 PM
I've heard folks complain about Gimp's interface. They say it's not friendly. I've only looked at it once (on a unix machine). Paintshop Pro has a 30-day free trail from what I hear. Otherwise go for Gimp or some other open-source graphics program.
Title: Hlp
Post by: Krusty on February 16, 2007, 12:00:27 AM
Not listed in my "steps" -- this is optional:

AH Skin Viewer (http://downloads.hitechcreations.com/AHSKVIEW2083.EXE)

It's an older version (but it's the most recent one available) so until they get it up-to-date, it will force you to rebuild your cache every time you start up Aces High after using the skin viewer. I've just been using the game for viewing skin progress, but when you need to fine-tune things quickly, the skin viewer really helps.

It just usually stops working right after every patch.
Title: Hlp
Post by: Toadflak on February 16, 2007, 12:17:39 AM
Quote
Originally posted by Krusty
It just usually stops working right after every patch.


not as much stops working as makes it where you have to re-cache all planes... and on 1024 that isnt pleasent
Title: Hlp
Post by: Krusty on February 16, 2007, 12:26:23 AM
Quote
Originally posted by Krusty
It just usually stops working right, after every patch.


Fixed for punctuation :p
Title: Hlp
Post by: Stoney74 on February 16, 2007, 08:33:07 AM
I use GIMP, and it works fine--a lot of capability.  What it doesn't have is a lot of documentation on how to make it work for you.  There is an update scheduled to be released sometime soon.  In the meantime, you're best GIMP resource is http://www.gimp.org .  There are plenty of tutorials which will help you learn the different functions.  Then, a lot of trial and error will teach you how to be transfer the capabilities of the program to making skins.