Aces High Bulletin Board

General Forums => Custom Skins => Topic started by: jb1944 on July 16, 2020, 11:21:13 AM

Title: New player looking for help with skins
Post by: jb1944 on July 16, 2020, 11:21:13 AM
Hi

I am a new player to Aces High and really enjoying the game so far especially in VR. I have just one question and I apologise if it is very obvious but I just can't seem to get skins to work: I have downloaded skins and they show up in the hangar for selection however when I select them nothing changes and I am stuck with the original skin with a * by it. Am I completely missing something? I am playing through Steam and have put the res files in Aces High III\skins folder.

Any help would be very much appreciated.

Many thanks
Title: Re: New player looking for help with skins
Post by: Spikes on July 16, 2020, 11:40:24 AM
I am not sure about Steam but it seems you've done it right. When you go to select a skin in the arena, do the skins show up in red text? If they are red it likely means it doesn't see the skins correctly. I *think* each plane is supposed to have its own folder inside the \skins folder but I am at work so I can't check.

Did you use the skins installer, or just download some individual .res files?
Title: Re: New player looking for help with skins
Post by: jb1944 on July 16, 2020, 11:49:34 AM
Hi, thanks for the quick reply. The skins are listed in black not red and show up correctly under the aircraft under the default skin. However when I select them nothing changes.

I haven't used a skin installer. I have only put the .res files into the skins folder following the guidance on the website: "Note: Place the skin directly into the Aces High III "skins" folder, where the game is installed on your computer."
Title: Re: New player looking for help with skins
Post by: Spikes on July 16, 2020, 12:01:58 PM
Without being able to troubleshoot it is hard to say - maybe someone else could confirm the folders. It is weird that they are listed in black - usually it is red if it is not downloaded or white if it is.

You could try to download one of these skin installers:
http://dload.hitechcreations.com/AHIIISKINS1TOF.EXE

I believe all you'd have to do is point it to the AH directory and it'll install them for you (but should be no different than copying the .res files).

Hopefully someone else might be able to chime in with more info on it. :)
Title: Re: New player looking for help with skins
Post by: jb1944 on July 16, 2020, 12:15:34 PM
Sorry, when I say black it is normal text (not red). I have attached a screenshot to show you an example of what I can see (see the skin.png attachment). I can select it but it makes no difference. Very strange...
Title: Re: New player looking for help with skins
Post by: Spikes on July 16, 2020, 12:33:13 PM
Hmm interesting indeed. I am not sure how many Steam users are on the forum, but I will install it on Steam on one of my computers this evening if no one else chimes in, and see what I can find out.

One other thing would be to check the Options>Preferences menu or something to that effect. I know there's a check box for 'disabling other skins' but not sure if there might be one for your own skins as well.

What arena are you in? Offline/Custom/WWI?
Title: Re: New player looking for help with skins
Post by: jb1944 on July 16, 2020, 12:41:06 PM
Thanks for your help, I appreciate it as I am completely stumped by this. I am just trying the aircraft out in offline mode at the moment on different maps, got it working nicely in VR and everything else works fine its just the skins I am having issues with. I have just had a look in options and cannot see anything for disabling other skins etc.

Thanks again.
Title: Re: New player looking for help with skins
Post by: The Fugitive on July 16, 2020, 04:57:52 PM
I think that if you are not a playing customer and can get into the main arena you will not be able to use the extra skins. There is a file that is downloaded when you are logged into the main arena that enables them.

Not positive, but that may be the issue.
Title: Re: New player looking for help with skins
Post by: Spikes on July 16, 2020, 05:34:57 PM
I did some testing, installed Steam AH and had the same behavior.

So I downloaded 1 skin from the website and put it in the folder, went into Offline, same issue as you. I then popped into the online arena and the list populated like normal with all of the non-downloaded skins in red, the 1 download one in white. I could select the 1 i downloaded and it changed fine. Went back into Offline and it did not work again.

I know they work in offline though, because in my normal install I can hop into Offline and look at any skin. So, I don't think it is a steam issue or even a paying account issue as even logging into the MA and back out did not help the Offline situation. I suppose my recommendation would be to install the two skin packs so you have them all, maybe it downloads extra files so they show up in Offline as well? I'm a bit baffled.
Title: Re: New player looking for help with skins
Post by: Vraciu on July 16, 2020, 06:37:59 PM
Throw it over to the Technical Support Forum and see what Dale says.
Title: Re: New player looking for help with skins
Post by: SIK1 on July 16, 2020, 07:00:08 PM
Skins don't work for me offline, and I'm not using steam.

 :salute
Sik
Title: Re: New player looking for help with skins
Post by: jb1944 on July 17, 2020, 03:43:27 AM
Thanks for all your help on this chaps. I will download the two skin packs and give that a go.
Title: Re: New player looking for help with skins
Post by: jb1944 on July 17, 2020, 04:17:17 AM
Just installed the two skin packs and it fixed the problem! The skins are now working! I still can't figure out why downloading the individual skins didn't work as they were showing up (listed) in the game and the files look exactly the same. The only thing I can see that seems different from the skin packs is a small 16 KB 'skins' res file that I didn't have from downloading the individual skins. Not sure if that's what might have fixed it?

Either way many thanks everyone!
Title: Re: New player looking for help with skins
Post by: Spikes on July 17, 2020, 07:40:15 AM
I noticed that skins.res file as well and copied the one I had from folder to folder while testing but it didn't make a difference, so I'm not sure. The installer must populate something needed for offline that simply downloading the files doesn't. Either way, glad it is working. :)