Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => Custom Skins => Topic started by: Fencer51 on July 27, 2011, 05:57:49 PM
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Hello All.
Everyone probably knows now that HTC has increased the skins per airframe from 16 to 32. This gives us 31 skins contributed by the community to the game. A large number of aircraft have never reached their 16 skin limit but quite a few of the most popular ones have.
For instance:
P-38G, P-38J, P-47D11, P-47D25, P-51D, P-51B, Spit V, Spit IX, Spit XVI, Bf 109E4, Bf 109G2, Bf 109G6, Bf 109K4, Fw 190A5, Fw 190A8, Fw 190D9, B-17G, B-24J
Others are pretty close within 2 or 3 of beling full up at 16.
Speaking for myself as current Team Lead for the Scenario Team, I would appreciate it if people interested in taking advantage of these new slots would step back and take a good look at what units are not being represented and especially what theaters and time frames are missing. For example the P-47D11 and D25 desperately need skins for the southwest pacific theater. While the P-38J/L could use some more skins for the 9th AF in late 44 early 45. The German aircraft could use more mediterranean and eastern front skins in most of the ones listed.
I am not going to pop around here and complain about skins people are doing which don't match the above or are close to an existing skin already in game. By all means do the ones you want, all that I ask is that before you choose and get into it, take a second and ask yourself just what the skin is going to be used for and by whom. There are alot of skins in game which sit on the shelf, unused. Thats a shame for all the work people put into them.
If you have any questions, then by all means post here and someone will be glad to help you find a niche that needs filled.
Cheers
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Well since no P38-F on this update I would like to this one added.
(http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af142/barneybolac/P38F-1.jpg)
(http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af142/barneybolac/p38batoutahellLtHagenback-1.jpg)
(http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af142/barneybolac/P38BatOutOfHell-1.jpg)
(http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af142/barneybolac/CopyofP-38H-1.jpg)
(http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af142/barneybolac/p38flk_2-1.jpg)
(http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af142/barneybolac/p38flk_3-1.jpg)
(http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af142/barneybolac/p38flk_1-1.jpg)
Since black versions of P38's are so controversial I will dig this one back up for a possible inclusion again. :neener:
http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/index.php/topic,261875.0.html
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Lyric~ that's a bad arse looking plane...me personally I don't fly 38's but I could see someone who did, wanting that skin.......
I would almost break my vow of never skinning bombers and do that one..... :D
J/K never made a vow not to do bombers :neener:
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Lyric~ that's a bad arse looking plane...me personally I don't fly 38's but I could see someone who did, wanting that skin.......
I would almost break my vow of never skinning bombers and do that one..... :D
J/K never made a vow not to do bombers :neener:
(http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af142/barneybolac/064333cd78.jpg)
(http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af142/barneybolac/736505b2e1.jpg)
(http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af142/barneybolac/9595ce9fe9.jpg)
I agree that black P38-G looks sweet I especially liked th..? Ahhh :headscratch: you meant the other one didn't you. :D
Bat out of hell is a sweet aircraft no doubt. Will add some colour to those green meanies currently on the roster.
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Thanks Lyric, that black P-38 is exactly my point.. :rolleyes:
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Thanks Lyric, that black P-38 is exactly my point.. :rolleyes:
Well it is a P38-G unlike a number of skins we already have on that roster it was at squadron strength & did see combat. Except for the radar antenna on the nose it is a standard G frame. Plus it is a different colour to the standard OD/NG.
I do understand your point though. :aok
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There was already a long debate on black P-38s.
Also your Bat Outta Hell is probably unskinnable due to the very small amount of pixels allowed for the nose area and the minimal frontal area you can skin.
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There was already a long debate on black P-38s.
Also your Bat Outta Hell is probably unskinnable due to the very small amount of pixels allowed for the nose area and the minimal frontal area you can skin.
that sounds like a challenge....... :D
seriously I think it can be done,(unless there are extenuating circumstances that I am unaware of :headscratch:) why it wont be excepted in game, I have no clue on, I am not privy to the debate on black 38's....guessing by what was written they were night fighters except a couple? seeings how we don't have night we don't "need" them..... :headscratch:
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The extrenuating circumstances are just what I said. You get almost no real pixel resolution to do any details on the nose at all. That includes a VERY tiny area for the front of the nose, and it stretches badly. Take a look at some current P-38 skins with nose art, done by the best in the game at skinning P-38s. You'll see even these folks with tons of time and effort fall prey to very tiny pixel counts and limited space. Even clear words or kill flags turn out blobbish and pixellated.
I won't say it's impossible. Give it a try if you don't trust me. I will say it most likely won't look like what you want it to look like, and it won't do the real artwork justice.
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Put Ink on it, and well have a Bat Outta Hell. :rock :aok
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fencer any news on the 39th pony you did?
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Put Ink on it, and well have a Bat Outta Hell. :rock :aok
im gonna try it, even if it wont be excepted in game, its good practice for me and he can at least try it out off line :aok
and Thanx for all your kind words :salute
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im gonna try it, even if it wont be excepted in game, its good practice for me and he can at least try it out off line :aok
and Thanx for all your kind words :salute
Start with those nose art, ink. It'll be a great learning experience and challenge. Maybe you'll develop a method to deal with the pixel stretching in that area.
Someone posted a long while ago that the didn't have a problem with it, and even showed a detail example of nose work, which I couldn't even come close to duplicating. I almost think my leg was being pulled. Good luck and keep us posted! I can be a help with the 38's panel lines and details, and close examination of any of Fester's 38Gs is highly recommended. I dunno if Cactus has a 38G in game but his lines would be accurate too.
The default skin's panel lines are full of errors.
Fencer, have you any suggestions for 9th AF late model 38s?
I know I started a couple of 38Js from the 370th FG - "My Little Pig", and the one with the nose art of an outhouse being struck by lightning. I believe I can find my skin research on an old backup disc somewhere if I look hard.
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No but Guppy should have...
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ok did some test art, definitely doable :aok
these shots are for TEST purposes ONLY :old:
yes there is some stretching, but it is IMO not enough to stop me from doing this, or will it be an injustice to the real artwork.
couple questions
the original was a P38F...I used the L...which one should be used?
the lighting/shine/reflection on the 38 is way to bright for this to work, I know the "material txt" is were the game sees the settings for these, but I have no clue as to what to set them at,or if we are even allowed to change these settings :headscratch:
the reflection is just "over the top" anyone.....what settings should I use to get that reflection down say....90%..... :pray
ok for a quick freehand drawing(not that the original was all that difficult) I think I got it pretty good, this is seriously like 10 minutes just to test out if its even possible, I was not looking for perfection here.....
(http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w246/fieldsofink/38_test_2.jpg)
(http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w246/fieldsofink/38_test_1.jpg)
(http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w246/fieldsofink/38_test.jpg)
also, I have looked and only found a couple sites that have the panel lines but the images are not the best, does anyone know were I can get a good panel line source?
Thanx for any help :salute
PS....looking at these pics in one I see the letters as "UNG" but also I see "GUN"........ :headscratch: any clue as to what is the real deal?
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IMO it's pretty darned pixellated. Only thing you can really see is blurry teeth.
It would go on the G model.
If you don't know how to edit the materials file, the best easiest first step is to find a default skin similar to what you want, and copy that value over. Say there's a nice OD plane like (hint) the B-25C. So right click on the B-25, save default skin, go find that directory, and copy this materials.txt over to your P-38 skin's directory.
However you'll find certain areas of the P-38s are hard coded, like the anti-glare. The materials file won't account for discoloration in these areas.
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IMO it's pretty darned pixellated. Only thing you can really see is blurry teeth.
It would go on the G model.
If you don't know how to edit the materials file, the best easiest first step is to find a default skin similar to what you want, and copy that value over. Say there's a nice OD plane like (hint) the B-25C. So right click on the B-25, save default skin, go find that directory, and copy this materials.txt over to your P-38 skin's directory.
However you'll find certain areas of the P-38s are hard coded, like the anti-glare. The materials file won't account for discoloration in these areas.
thank ya...the very bottom is the worst of the stretching, but like I said that was 10 minutes....I may never get it perfect because of this, but I am certainly gonna attempt it.
thanx again for the info :aok
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PS....looking at these pics in one I see the letters as "UNG" but also I see "GUN"........ :headscratch: any clue as to what is the real deal?
American aircraft were labeled with squadron codes "UN" and plane codes "G". On the left side it would be "UN" "G" and on the right side it would be "G" "UN" with the "UN" always being toward the front of the aircraft. The British did not do this, so the right side was ususally (not always) the same as the left.
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Ink,
That looks much better than I imagined it was going to. You must do it on th P-38G, however. Since that is a different 3D model/skin, it may look slightly different.
For panel lines, here is some Knite sent me for the 38J/L, that I'm happy to share: There are some differences with the G but I can find anything yet.
(http://khrymsyn.infinited.net/Aces%20High/Screens/p38_side.jpg)
(http://khrymsyn.infinited.net/Aces%20High/Screens/p38_topdown.jpg)
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also, I have looked and only found a couple sites that have the panel lines but the images are not the best, does anyone know were I can get a good panel line source?
I live with the paranoid notion that all profiles and panel line drawings contain errors or omissions.
Of course that's not always the case, but it's scary how many are errant. So for panel lines I try to go off pictures of the actual airplanes as much as possible before relying on drawings - often easier said then done for some plane types. Oboe's post below is a good one though.
These websites are where I find most of my pictures. An old fashioned Google image search sometimes works wonders too.
http://www.primeportal.net/the_airstrip.htm (http://www.primeportal.net/the_airstrip.htm)
http://www.cybermodeler.com/resource1.shtml (http://www.cybermodeler.com/resource1.shtml)
http://aircraftresourcecenter.com/ (http://aircraftresourcecenter.com/) Click Walkarounds at the top.
Photos of earlier P-38s with the smaller intakes are more difficult to find as there are fewer in existence than later J-L models. I have some uploaded here though.
Glacier Girl is an F as I recall and the one undergoing restoration is an H in Australia.
http://s547.photobucket.com/albums/hh473/cactuskooler/Early%20P-38s/ (http://s547.photobucket.com/albums/hh473/cactuskooler/Early%20P-38s/)
(http://i547.photobucket.com/albums/hh473/cactuskooler/GG.jpg)
Side to side the errors are apparent. The turbo area is bad also. I think it's ok to reference the later model's panel lines for the turbos - A few good pics here http://www.primeportal.net/hangar/luc_colin3/p-38j-20-lo_44-23314_skidoo/index.php?Page=3 (http://www.primeportal.net/hangar/luc_colin3/p-38j-20-lo_44-23314_skidoo/index.php?Page=3)
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American aircraft were labeled with squadron codes "UN" and plane codes "G". On the left side it would be "UN" "G" and on the right side it would be "G" "UN" with the "UN" always being toward the front of the aircraft. The British did not do this, so the right side was ususally (not always) the same as the left.
thank ya, :salute
I live with the paranoid notion that all profiles and panel line drawings contain errors or omissions.
Of course that's not always the case, but it's scary how many are errant. So for panel lines I try to go off pictures of the actual airplanes as much as possible before relying on drawings - often easier said then done for some plane types. Oboe's post below is a good one though.
These websites are where I find most of my pictures. An old fashioned Google image search sometimes works wonders too.
http://www.primeportal.net/the_airstrip.htm (http://www.primeportal.net/the_airstrip.htm)
http://www.cybermodeler.com/resource1.shtml (http://www.cybermodeler.com/resource1.shtml)
http://aircraftresourcecenter.com/ (http://aircraftresourcecenter.com/) Click Walkarounds at the top.
Photos of earlier P-38s with the smaller intakes are more difficult to find as there are fewer in existence than later J-L models. I have some uploaded here though.
Glacier Girl is an F as I recall and the one undergoing restoration is an H in Australia.
http://s547.photobucket.com/albums/hh473/cactuskooler/Early%20P-38s/ (http://s547.photobucket.com/albums/hh473/cactuskooler/Early%20P-38s/)
(http://i547.photobucket.com/albums/hh473/cactuskooler/GG.jpg)
Side to side the errors are apparent. The turbo area is bad also. I think it's ok to reference the later model's panel lines for the turbos - A few good pics here http://www.primeportal.net/hangar/luc_colin3/p-38j-20-lo_44-23314_skidoo/index.php?Page=3 (http://www.primeportal.net/hangar/luc_colin3/p-38j-20-lo_44-23314_skidoo/index.php?Page=3)
I did the "google that chit" but found only bad or very small drawings :neener: (Im no dummy;-)
checking out that site...AWESOME :rock TY
Ink,
That looks much better than I imagined it was going to. You must do it on th P-38G, however. Since that is a different 3D model/skin, it may look slightly different.
For panel lines, here is some Knite sent me for the 38J/L, that I'm happy to share: There are some differences with the G but I can find anything yet.
(http://khrymsyn.infinited.net/Aces%20High/Screens/p38_side.jpg)
(http://khrymsyn.infinited.net/Aces%20High/Screens/p38_topdown.jpg)
I was thinking the same, looks way better then expected, and that was just a quickie, once I put some serious time into it, I have high hopes :pray.
thanx very much for the pics they will come in Handy, I will compare them to the G hopefully they will be perfectly good for what I need :salute
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ok did some test art, definitely doable :aok
these shots are for TEST purposes ONLY :old:
yes there is some stretching, but it is IMO not enough to stop me from doing this, or will it be an injustice to the real artwork.
couple questions
the original was a P38F...I used the L...which one should be used?
the lighting/shine/reflection on the 38 is way to bright for this to work, I know the "material txt" is were the game sees the settings for these, but I have no clue as to what to set them at,or if we are even allowed to change these settings :headscratch:
the reflection is just "over the top" anyone.....what settings should I use to get that reflection down say....90%..... :pray
ok for a quick freehand drawing(not that the original was all that difficult) I think I got it pretty good, this is seriously like 10 minutes just to test out if its even possible, I was not looking for perfection here.....
(http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w246/fieldsofink/38_test_2.jpg)
(http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w246/fieldsofink/38_test_1.jpg)
(http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w246/fieldsofink/38_test.jpg)
also, I have looked and only found a couple sites that have the panel lines but the images are not the best, does anyone know were I can get a good panel line source?
Thanx for any help :salute
PS....looking at these pics in one I see the letters as "UNG" but also I see "GUN"........ :headscratch: any clue as to what is the real deal?
If I see that in a King Tiger Im hitting .es.
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Since this has become a P-38 thread :D I thought I would throw a couple of F models up here to add to the G model roster.
These few are colourful so take heed for those who don't like bright coloured birds. :neener:
Sadly I cant find any photos of this aircraft though. :(
(http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af142/barneybolac/Monogram2085-597420P-38H.jpg)
(http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af142/barneybolac/p38f-2.jpg)
We have this squadron in the J model don't see why not have one in the G section. :aok
Also a few bits of info on the squadron colours & a J model colour photo I found to cool not to post.
(http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af142/barneybolac/avgp402-1.jpg)
(http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af142/barneybolac/avgp40-2.jpg)
(http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af142/barneybolac/459th-2b.jpg)
Since this aircraft has been discussed before may as well throw it into the mix.
(http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af142/barneybolac/98115.jpg)
(http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af142/barneybolac/Om32507.jpg)
(http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af142/barneybolac/p381-1-1.png)
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well I hate to say it but Krusty is right on the "bat out of hell" :cry
the G model has major stretching on the bottom, the lighting is a lot better then the L but the stretching is just too much.....and I don't see how to overcome that :headscratch:
looks good from the side
(http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w246/fieldsofink/38G.jpg)
but the bottom.....not so good, tried it different ways, cant get past the stretching :bhead
(http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w246/fieldsofink/38G_2.jpg)
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It's not really I who am right. I was just relaying what many other P-38 skinners have shared with the forum. They did all the hard work and found it was really stretched on the nose.
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Has the P38-G been updated?
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Yes. Same time as the other P-38s.
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Yes. Same time as the other P-38s.
Before my time then.
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Two I'd like to see, 38 wise... Tangerine and Sand Man.
Just sayin:)
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its too bad it does that, the "Bat out of hell" would make a great skin.
its not the 3d model itself its how the skin.."texture" is over laid on the 3d model.
it could probably be fixed, if they redid the UV mapping.
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Ink, it still looks better than I would have imagined. At this point in a skin, when I ran into problems like this, I used bright green, cyan, and light blue pixels to identify the exact point on the texture map which is stretched - for example the tooth on the bottom that is being stretched. If you can, through trial and error, identify the exact pixels that are being swept across, perhaps you can change them to the background red color without deforming the shape of the tooth too much. HTC gives us some latitude to work within the limitations of the texture maps - I'd encourage you to try to clean up the imagine with regard to stretching and see if you can keep the result accurate overall, even if there are minor differences from the orginal. Few are going to notice a couple of missing whiskers on the bottom of the nose.
I was more concerned about stretching across the top of the nose behind the gun muzzles; as I recall that is pretty bad and located in a much more noticeable area than the bottom of the nose.
Anyway, its also a lesson learned in skinning - try out the scheme's artwork early on to make sure its workable.
If you decide to switch to Irv Ethel's Tangerine, I have a decal set of the nose art and some research photos I can share. <S>
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:salute
thanx for the tips...I like the idea of trying to get it, I really hate giving up....
been working with my new tablet, set aside the skinning for some wild life artwork, :rofl
now you got me wanting to pull back out the G skin :rofl