Aces High Bulletin Board

General Forums => Custom Skins => Topic started by: Pigslilspaz on May 17, 2011, 01:14:29 AM

Title: Want to try my hand at skinning
Post by: Pigslilspaz on May 17, 2011, 01:14:29 AM
Any tips for someone trying to make a new skin? Also, what model would give me the best chance for inclusion?
Title: Re: Want to try my hand at skinning
Post by: JOACH1M on May 17, 2011, 05:42:51 AM
Krusty skinning tutorial
Title: Re: Want to try my hand at skinning
Post by: Dragon Tamer on May 17, 2011, 08:58:26 AM
Any tips for someone trying to make a new skin? Also, what model would give me the best chance for inclusion?

Don't make the same mistake I did, do any plane other than the B-29.  That thing is huge and skinning it makes you respect it more.  It's taken me 3 days just to get where I am with the fuselage, and I'm still not done.

Try doing a P-51 or another fighter for your first skin, even though these slots are full, it'll be a good way to practice with the different techniques used in skinning and the planes are relatively small.
Title: Re: Want to try my hand at skinning
Post by: Krusty on May 17, 2011, 09:16:16 AM
Make it a newer skin, one that's been updated to the latest "3G" standard (my term, "3rd generation").

while I think that skinning one of the older skins provides very valuable experience that will serve you well in the long run, it's also harder because of many flaws in the skins and how they wrap the bitmaps onto the plane shapes.

I would suggest BMF is hard to pull off if you have no experience. It took me several tries to come up with a decent system, and that's after I already had a dozen skins under my belt.

If you can, choose a skin that is painted (camo, OD, whatever) for a new model plane. Try one that isn't full up if you actually want to submit. If you're just practicing, choose any plane you like.
Title: Re: Want to try my hand at skinning
Post by: SmokinLoon on May 17, 2011, 10:08:40 AM
If and when I ever truely dive in to modeling skins, I will start with aircraft or vehicles that are used a lot and have no (or very few) alternative to the default skin, and like Krusty says the newer stuff is easier to work with.  I tried to work with the old M3 and got sea-sick looking at the stretched panels.   

The new M3 gets the nod first.  Then maybe I'll check out a RAF or RAAF skin for the P40B (an old graphics model yes, but worth the time and effort I believe).  My grandafther was escorted by RAAF P40's up and down the "slot" so I need to do some more research and find out which unit(s) that was. 
Title: Re: Want to try my hand at skinning
Post by: VonMessa on May 17, 2011, 10:09:33 AM
Any tips for someone trying to make a new skin? Also, what model would give me the best chance for inclusion?

Pick something that isn't full.
Title: Re: Want to try my hand at skinning
Post by: Motherland on May 17, 2011, 05:49:02 PM
Also, what model would give me the best chance for inclusion?
If nothing's changed, anything that's close to historically accurate will be put in game assuming that there are slots left.
Title: Re: Want to try my hand at skinning
Post by: Krusty on May 17, 2011, 07:07:07 PM
Well, you generally have to skin a historic paint scheme as it fought in WW2. It generally has to be a combat skin (i.e. no trainers, no state-side ponies, etc).

But that's not what he meant. He meant what model of plane, rather than what skin (at least that's how I read it).
Title: Re: Want to try my hand at skinning
Post by: Motherland on May 17, 2011, 07:41:56 PM
Well, you generally have to skin a historic paint scheme as it fought in WW2. It generally has to be a combat skin (i.e. no trainers, no state-side ponies, etc).

But that's not what he meant. He meant what model of plane, rather than what skin (at least that's how I read it).
What I meant was that you really don't have to worry about what plane it is (provided the list isn't full), there's a pretty slim chance that your skin will be rejected if it's... pretty historically accurate. He seemed like that was his concern.
Title: Re: Want to try my hand at skinning
Post by: Krusty on May 17, 2011, 09:59:58 PM
I was reading it the other way... but between the two of us I think we've got it covered.
Title: Re: Want to try my hand at skinning
Post by: Pigslilspaz on May 17, 2011, 10:22:02 PM
Thanks folks. Gonna take a look at some that I might want to do. Got many books with paint jobs so whatever model, I should be set.
Title: Re: Want to try my hand at skinning
Post by: Krusty on May 18, 2011, 09:00:47 AM
Note that a color profile is a nice starting point, but they are not always accurate, and are an artist's impression.

I've even done some myself! Doesn't mean they're historically accurate  :devil
Title: Re: Want to try my hand at skinning
Post by: Pigslilspaz on May 18, 2011, 10:51:02 AM
I found that out last night, wanted to do White 11 for the LA-7 but can't find a definitive answer on the scheme.
Title: Re: Want to try my hand at skinning
Post by: Krusty on May 18, 2011, 05:02:09 PM
pics?
Title: Re: Want to try my hand at skinning
Post by: Pigslilspaz on May 18, 2011, 08:27:14 PM
Oops, meant 27, not 11. Was flown by Kozhedub, the allied ace of aces