Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => Custom Skins => Topic started by: Vraciu on January 26, 2017, 07:52:33 PM
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--------------------> Displayed in AH2 Format <------------------
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/99/10th_Reconnaissance_Group_-_F-6_Mustang_42-103382.jpg)
I am working on this with my ancient latpop and AH2 Viewer. Will add the proper AH3 files and post screenshots HOPEFULLY this weekend. Just wanting to throw it out there since it actually almost looks finished... Too bad I finally figured out material settings for non-bumped stuff *AFTER* AH2's demise. LOL
North American P-51C-5-NT [F-6C] Mustang 42-103368 15th Tactical Recon Squadron (coded 5M-G) 10th Photo Recon Group, 9th AF . Assigned to Capt. John H Hoefker (unnamed) in June 1944 when he shot down three enemy aircraft. Capt. Hoefker became the 10th Photo Reconnaissance Group's first Ace with credits of 8½ air victories, although (unofficially) he downed 10.5 enemy aircraft. This Mustang was later named "Nadine" when assigned to Lt. Henry Lewis in July 1944. This Mustang survived the war, only to be scrapped on June 26, 1946.
(http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=384697.0;attach=26546)
(http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=384697.0;attach=26548)
(http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=384697.0;attach=26550)
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Take a look at this image, looks like your serial number is too large, not the correct font and does not match that which you quoted in your text.
(http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii120/Duggy009/10th%20Photographic%20Reconnaissance%20Group/An%20airman%20of%20the%2010th%20Photographic%20Reconnaissance%20Group%20with%20his%20F-6%20Mustang%205M-G.St%20Dizier.jpg) (http://s262.photobucket.com/user/Duggy009/media/10th%20Photographic%20Reconnaissance%20Group/An%20airman%20of%20the%2010th%20Photographic%20Reconnaissance%20Group%20with%20his%20F-6%20Mustang%205M-G.St%20Dizier.jpg.html)
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I will tweak the font some more. I apparently only did the serial on the right side. Forgot to copy it to the left. Good catch.
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/89/c0/d5/89c0d5b33b214130d477f82a3a0a40ff.jpg
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There is a US serial font out there somewhere.. on some skinners page reference guide that has colors..
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There is a US serial font out there somewhere.. on some skinners page reference guide that has colors..
I will look. I did attempt to freehand it. You can't see it in the screenshots since it's on the other side. However, I need to make it narrower after another look. Thanks for the prompt.
I I'll look for that font. :salute
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Its looking good Vraciu. I'd suggest making the black markings a bit lighter and to maybe add a general grime layer or two. The photo is of a fairly dirty plane and your skin looks too clean to me, I can tell you an easy way to do this is you want.
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Its looking good Vraciu. I'd suggest making the black markings a bit lighter and to maybe add a general grime layer or two. The photo is of a fairly dirty plane and your skin looks too clean to me, I can tell you an easy way to do this is you want.
Yes please. Will do on the black.
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Is the spinner intended to look purple-ish? I can't tell if it's supposed to be black or blue. Looks black in the photo.
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Is the spinner intended to look purple-ish? I can't tell if it's supposed to be black or blue. Looks black in the photo.
I have it as a very dark blue. Can't decide what it actually is. In later photos it looks blue and has blue/white checkering on the cowl
Lyric1? Paging Lyric1.
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Start a new raster layer and call it something like "Overall grime". Select the airbrush tool and set it to its largest size and a square shape. Set hardness, thickness and opacity to 100%, with density to 5%. Now select a dark brown colour and click near the centre of the skin. This will give a load of dark brown dots all over the skin. Next change the colour to a lighter shade of brown and repeat the single-click with the airbrush tool, then a third time with a mid grey. Now Gaussian blur the layer by 2-3 pixels. Once this layer's opacity is reduced to taste it creates a fairly random-looking dirty effect over the whole skin. If you make a second copy of this dirt layer and rotate it 180 degrees the combination of the two layers looks much more random.
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I have it as a very dark blue. Can't decide what it actually is. In later photos it looks blue and has blue/white checkering on the cowl
Lyric1? Paging Lyric1.
They went with a blue and white color scheme later so I would suspect it is blue.
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Thanks guys. Will get right on this.
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I have it as a very dark blue. Can't decide what it actually is. In later photos it looks blue and has blue/white checkering on the cowl
Lyric1? Paging Lyric1.
After looking at the images online & in a book I have.
The spinner and the band behind it on the engine cowling are black.
A few images of the same aircraft.
First one not much help.
(http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af142/barneybolac/P51%20Mustang/FRE_007015_zpsz0cpny7j.jpg) (http://s1002.photobucket.com/user/barneybolac/media/P51%20Mustang/FRE_007015_zpsz0cpny7j.jpg.html)
Second one is a complete photo I found online not sure you have that based off the first image.
(http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af142/barneybolac/P51%20Mustang/media-16610_zpsqjcyduwx.jpeg) (http://s1002.photobucket.com/user/barneybolac/media/P51%20Mustang/media-16610_zpsqjcyduwx.jpeg.html)
Third one is at a later point in time.
(http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af142/barneybolac/P51%20Mustang/6_zpsvktpgq2l.jpg) (http://s1002.photobucket.com/user/barneybolac/media/P51%20Mustang/6_zpsvktpgq2l.jpg.html)
Now based off of the third photo I found other aircraft from the same squadron and these colour photos show some interesting facts on the checkers.
(http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af142/barneybolac/P51%20Mustang/Chalgrove_Airfield_-_10th_Reconnaissance_Group_-_F-6_Mustang_42-103213_3_zpsrc4pvct0.jpg) (http://s1002.photobucket.com/user/barneybolac/media/P51%20Mustang/Chalgrove_Airfield_-_10th_Reconnaissance_Group_-_F-6_Mustang_42-103213_3_zpsrc4pvct0.jpg.html)
(http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af142/barneybolac/P51%20Mustang/media-395762_zpszwcwq9ik.jpg) (http://s1002.photobucket.com/user/barneybolac/media/P51%20Mustang/media-395762_zpszwcwq9ik.jpg.html)
(http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af142/barneybolac/P51%20Mustang/Chalgrove_Airfield_-_10th_Reconnaissance_Group_-_F-6_Mustang_42-103213_2_zpsczdixyjn.jpg) (http://s1002.photobucket.com/user/barneybolac/media/P51%20Mustang/Chalgrove_Airfield_-_10th_Reconnaissance_Group_-_F-6_Mustang_42-103213_2_zpsczdixyjn.jpg.html)
The squadron is 15th TRS.
The last image explains the later schemes.
(http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af142/barneybolac/P51%20Mustang/img033_zpsocbescdw.jpg) (http://s1002.photobucket.com/user/barneybolac/media/P51%20Mustang/img033_zpsocbescdw.jpg.html)
So blue spinners became the norm when they painted the checkers on. :aok
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Lyric1 to the rescue!
Thank you, sir!
:salute :cheers:
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There is a US serial font out there somewhere.. on some skinners page reference guide that has colors..
Good catch on the tail number. Apparently I didn't do it on the right side either. I got distracted and never went back to it. :salute
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I think the font is called "AmarilloUSAF". I got it off the old SimmersPaintShop website long ago.
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I think the font is called "AmarilloUSAF". I got it off the old SimmersPaintShop website long ago.
Bless your pea-pickin' heart. Thanks man.
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Argh. This new graphics engine is making the black look charcoal. It looks terrible on the spinner and cowling.
:furious :bhead :headscratch:
Any thoughts?
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It's alway something, isn't it? I've been working on a P-51D and re-doing my P-38s, and it seems I can never get the to-do list shorter than 1 page. I'm always finding more stuff that needs to be corrected. And I have even got to the N-map, spec map, or Env maps yet...
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It's alway something, isn't it? I've been working on a P-51D and re-doing my P-38s, and it seems I can never get the to-do list shorter than 1 page. I'm always finding more stuff that needs to be corrected. And I have even got to the N-map, spec map, or Env maps yet...
Oh man, are you in for a treat. Aye aye aye.
In some ways the new E and S maps are easier because they start as grayscale copies of your skin map. Once you get a good feel for what layers to lighten and darken it is pretty fast. But I was finally understanding how to make things work with the old system just in time for this new one and it doesn't directly translate.
I am still scratching my head on the Normal map. The defaults for the B and D Mustangs are WAY too stark, especially on my skins. They are "overbumped" to my eye.
I think the black color rendering in the new engine needs tweaking big time.
Hopefully we'll all settle in and figure it out, but it is definitely a steep learning curve.
Good luck on your stuff. I look forward to seeing it, and thanks again for the help. :cheers: :salute
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Argh. This new graphics engine is making the black look charcoal. It looks terrible on the spinner and cowling.
:furious :bhead :headscratch:
Any thoughts?
Get away from using a pure black color. You need to fade it with at least 10% white - probably closer to 15%. Here's an example form a G-14 I'm working on.
In game: Note the disk at the tip is "charcoal" here but the rest of the spinner is black. I used a strait black for the tip to represent the cannon blast tube.
(http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff252/DropkickYankees/Aces%20High/Black%20Spinner_zpsbj0stecf.png~original) (http://s241.photobucket.com/user/DropkickYankees/media/Aces%20High/Black%20Spinner_zpsbj0stecf.png.html)
Now here is the bitmap. Note that the black rectangles are the blast tube and the spinner is much lighter than that part.
(http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff252/DropkickYankees/Aces%20High/Black%20Spinner%202_zpsihl1xty4.png~original) (http://s241.photobucket.com/user/DropkickYankees/media/Aces%20High/Black%20Spinner%202_zpsihl1xty4.png.html)
Make your black closer to the spinner here and you will be all set.
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I will give that a shot, D. Thank you. :salute
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Start a new raster layer and call it something like "Overall grime". Select the airbrush tool and set it to its largest size and a square shape. Set hardness, thickness and opacity to 100%, with density to 5%. Now select a dark brown colour and click near the centre of the skin. This will give a load of dark brown dots all over the skin. Next change the colour to a lighter shade of brown and repeat the single-click with the airbrush tool, then a third time with a mid grey. Now Gaussian blur the layer by 2-3 pixels. Once this layer's opacity is reduced to taste it creates a fairly random-looking dirty effect over the whole skin. If you make a second copy of this dirt layer and rotate it 180 degrees the combination of the two layers looks much more random.
Too stark?
Should I make it more transparent?
(http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=384697.0;attach=26573)
(http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=384697.0;attach=26575)
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This one is tweaked to be more transparent.
I like this technique. Pretty slick.
(http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=384697.0;attach=26577)
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The grime looks ok - better in the first set I think(hard to tell because it's a different angle), but you should try adding those other noise layers I sent you as well - grime layer on top. Also, try adding highlights to the panel lines and rivets. It would also be helpful to see screenshots with reflections and shadows enabled.
Have you made Normal and specular maps for it yet?
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The grime looks ok - better in the first set I think(hard to tell because it's a different angle), but you should try adding those other noise layers I sent you as well - grime layer on top. Also, try adding highlights to the panel lines and rivets. It would also be helpful to see screenshots with reflections and shadows enabled.
Have you made Normal and specular maps for it yet?
Not yet. Maybe I should do those and come back to the grime layer last.
It kinda' looks like a film of dust all over the plane. I may not quite have it random enough...
Let me get after those noise layers, too.
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It kinda' looks like a film of dust all over the plane. I may not quite have it random enough...
I agree, your dirt layer is just a continuous layer of brown from this distance. I think you either need to vary the colours used in the layer more (much darker plus much lighter greys and browns) or maybe blur it less. The idea is to get a blotchy effect. You then reduce the layer's opacity until it is barely visible at viewing distance. It shouldn't make the skin noticeably browner.
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I agree, your dirt layer is just a continuous layer of brown from this distance. I think you either need to vary the colours used in the layer more (much darker plus much lighter greys and browns) or maybe blur it less. The idea is to get a blotchy effect. You then reduce the layer's opacity until it is barely visible at viewing distance. It shouldn't make the skin noticeably browner.
Would random zig zags also do the trick?
My widest brush setting is 200 x 200 so I have to make multiple dabs.
I like the effect though. It is EXACTLY what my airplanes looked like when I was in the desert. That coating of sand on everything. That would come in handy on another theater's skin for sure.
Edit in: I think I am starting to get the hang of it. Random square-shaped blobs are the best I can do. I see the splotchy effect. Very cool. Now to figure out the transparency. This skin is already my best one and it isn't even done. So fun to learn new techniques! :cheers: :x
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The grime looks ok - better in the first set I think(hard to tell because it's a different angle), but you should try adding those other noise layers I sent you as well - grime layer on top. Also, try adding highlights to the panel lines and rivets. It would also be helpful to see screenshots with reflections and shadows enabled.
Have you made Normal and specular maps for it yet?
I tried them and I see what you did with them. They'll work great on my other skins. With this one they kinda' throw things off even at 1% because I have baked in some effects on the metal layer. I probably shouldn't have but they work similarly to your noise layers.
I am thinking I may lighten them then turn them down to the 1% or 2%. Then they'll work like you suggest I bet.
On my E, S, and P maps are the noise layers included or should they be removed?
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I tried them and I see what you did with them. They'll work great on my other skins. With this one they kinda' throw things off even at 1% because I have baked in some effects on the metal layer. I probably shouldn't have but they work similarly to your noise layers.
I am thinking I may lighten them then turn them down to the 1% or 2%. Then they'll work like you suggest I bet.
On my E, S, and P maps are the noise layers included or should they be removed?
I don't use them on the spec maps.
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I don't use them on the spec maps.
Cool.
Okay, so I lightened your noise layers by 20% and turned them down to 1%. I like the effect. Once I get the Specular maps done I will post screenshots or email the files for you to try offline. I can't take pictures as nice as yours(!). :)
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Cool.
Okay, so I lightened your noise layers by 20% and turned them down to 1%. I like the effect. Once I get the Specular maps done I will post screenshots or email the files for you to try offline. I can't take pictures as nice as yours(!). :)
Glad you like the effect.
My screen shots are easy to make. Fly your skin offline and bounce the drones for 10 minutes (even better to set them to be accurate enemies on a map for the correct location). Make sure the arena time is not quite noon so you can get off-angle lighting. Play back your film in the viewer and move the camera around in the external or chase modes.