Aces High Bulletin Board

General Forums => Aces High General Discussion => Topic started by: Kweassa on October 03, 2002, 06:56:19 PM

Title: Oh my god!!!! Custom Skins for planes!!
Post by: Kweassa on October 03, 2002, 06:56:19 PM
New Terrain Editor, including custom skinning for planes and all objects within the game, has arrived!!!

 This is the most terrific news I have ever heard for last 6 months!!

 Hey Twin Engined Devs, you'll probably get to see your olive-drab P-38s in the CT!

 You want the P-47s in 56th colors? No sweat ! :)

 We can expect some of those skin/Terrain editing wizards to release some terrific CT schemes!

 I'm so happy my blood pressure dropped by 30! :D :D
Title: Oh my god!!!! Custom Skins for planes!!
Post by: Wilbus on October 03, 2002, 07:32:04 PM
Just checked it out some, too late to do anything now but I noticed you can skin everything, not just the out plane but EVERYTHING :D

Gonna see if I can start changing instruments to metric tomorrow, might not get historical accurate as it needs to work with the needle, but hopefully it is dooable :)
Title: Oh my god!!!! Custom Skins for planes!!
Post by: Sandman on October 03, 2002, 07:39:50 PM
Wow... excellent way to implement custom skins. Tie it to the terrain.

I look forward to seeing it.
Title: Oh my god!!!! Custom Skins for planes!!
Post by: Raubvogel on October 03, 2002, 08:29:31 PM
So basically the new skins are all included in the terrain file, so there will be a larger dnload? (not squeaking, just askin dammit)
Title: Oh my god!!!! Custom Skins for planes!!
Post by: Kweassa on October 03, 2002, 08:31:38 PM
Wilbus, I found out that you really can change the instruments to meteric!! :D Well, actually, what you can do is change the templates of the guages.. and everything!

 Gear lights, oil guage, speed guage, tachometer, altiemeter.. everythiiiiiinggg!!!! WooooW!!

 We might not be able to have a completely historic cockpit, but I think we'll be able to spiff it up a lot!!

 

 Some of the templates for the Bf109E-4 :) wow!
Title: Oh my god!!!! Custom Skins for planes!!
Post by: Kweassa on October 03, 2002, 08:38:54 PM
Raub, theoretiocally, I don't think so.

 If I'm understanding this correctly, up to now, every new terrain included the templates for the objects except that those were all "AH-Standard". New terrians with templates edited will have the same number of BMPs except its different from "AH Standard".

 Therefore, I don't think it means a bigger download for new terrains!

 
ps) The good news is, template editing is seperate from terrain editing.. which would mean people will be able to make templates even though they don't know much about terrain editing.

 A load off TE wizards if there are some people who can mak great skins, eh? :)
Title: Oh my god!!!! Custom Skins for planes!!
Post by: Dux on October 03, 2002, 08:58:00 PM
This took 5 minutes to do... with a little more effort, some nice stuff can be done.
Title: Oh my god!!!! Custom Skins for planes!!
Post by: FDutchmn on October 03, 2002, 09:12:00 PM
Quote
Originally posted by Kweassa
Wilbus, I found out that you really can change the instruments to meteric!! :D Well, actually, what you can do is change the templates of the guages.. and everything!

 Gear lights, oil guage, speed guage, tachometer, altiemeter.. everythiiiiiinggg!!!! WooooW!!

 We might not be able to have a completely historic cockpit, but I think we'll be able to spiff it up a lot!!

 

 Some of the templates for the Bf109E-4 :) wow!


Ah, just to clarify my understanding... the gauges are common to all planes or are they specific to the plane?  Just wondering if I change the gauge to metric, will the American planes go metric too?

seems to be specific to the plane as implied in your post...
Title: Oh my god!!!! Custom Skins for planes!!
Post by: Kweassa on October 03, 2002, 09:15:16 PM
FD, it's specific to all planes.

 All the plane textures include their own guages!

 :)
Title: Oh my god!!!! Custom Skins for planes!!
Post by: SC-Sp00k on October 03, 2002, 09:21:04 PM
Can u see other peoples skins online or just your own?
Title: Oh my god!!!! Custom Skins for planes!!
Post by: Kweassa on October 03, 2002, 09:35:05 PM
Spook, the customized skins are embedded with the terrain.

 You can't just make your own skins. However, the "AH Standard" textures can totally be modified as a part of the terrain. Thus, I'm pretty sure the MA will remain the same, but if the CT or SEA features, for example, something like the Eastern Front, the planes will be skinned in Winter camouflage, and everybody will fly in that scheme. This would mean others will be seen that way too.

 The textures can be edited separately from the terrain once it is saved into BMPs via terrain editor, thus, this would give a chance for people interested in making new plane schemes to try their hand at it, and submit it to the map-makers.
Title: Oh my god!!!! Custom Skins for planes!!
Post by: culero on October 03, 2002, 09:51:18 PM
Quote
Originally posted by Kweassa
Spook, the customized skins are embedded with the terrain.

 snip

 The textures can be edited separately from the terrain once it is saved into BMPs via terrain editor, thus, this would give a chance for people interested in making new plane schemes to try their hand at it, and submit it to the map-makers.



Sounds like a VERY worthy feature applicable to scenario use!

culero
Title: Oh my god!!!! Custom Skins for planes!!
Post by: SC-Sp00k on October 03, 2002, 11:56:08 PM
Thanks for the info Kweasa :)
Title: Oh my god!!!! Custom Skins for planes!!
Post by: Wotan on October 04, 2002, 02:29:46 AM
Anyone working on making templates?
Title: Oh my god!!!! Custom Skins for planes!!
Post by: Nefarious on October 04, 2002, 02:34:20 AM
Yes Wotan thats what I want to know...
Title: Oh my god!!!! Custom Skins for planes!!
Post by: Kweassa on October 04, 2002, 03:54:01 AM
You mean, something like this?? :D

 Not bad for a first try, eh?
Title: Oh my god!!!! Custom Skins for planes!!
Post by: Kirin on October 04, 2002, 04:02:53 AM
!!!metric gauges!!!!  
---
Hmm - just hope it'll be possible to apply those in MA!!
Title: Oh my god!!!! Custom Skins for planes!!
Post by: Wilbus on October 04, 2002, 04:03:42 AM
Not bad at all Kweassa :)

I checked the gauges right before I wrote the message last night, the most difficult is to alter is teh alti meter I'd say, speed gauge will take some messuring aswell. The climb rate is np, just replace 1,2,3,4 and with 5,10,15,20.
Title: Oh my god!!!! Custom Skins for planes!!
Post by: Glasses on October 04, 2002, 04:15:03 AM
El Glassoid is pleased. :cool:
Title: Oh my god!!!! Custom Skins for planes!!
Post by: Wilbus on October 04, 2002, 05:46:26 AM
Ok, started working on the instruments. Air Speed and Altitude meter a pretty damn tricky will see what can be done about them, I'm pretty low on time when it comes to skinning these things as I learn to 3D model aswell so someone else might want to do those two and maybe improve the other instruments aswell.

The Climb indicator and two compasses are done though. Climb rate messures in M/S from at 5, 10, 15 and 20 meter.

All instruments that are worth changing are, basicly, airspeed, altitude meter, climb rate and compass. Except for that we can change some text in the planes, make it the default language for that plane.
Title: Oh my god!!!! Custom Skins for planes!!
Post by: Sixpence on October 04, 2002, 05:53:19 AM
Awesome yak(put the red stars on the wings)
Title: Oh my god!!!! Custom Skins for planes!!
Post by: Wilbus on October 04, 2002, 06:51:25 AM
Won't be possible to use in the MA kirin as they will belong to the terrain. Unless the MA terrains are built with metric gauges that is.
Title: Oh my god!!!! Custom Skins for planes!!
Post by: Kweassa on October 04, 2002, 07:18:05 AM
Here is the finished version of La-5FN winter camo scheme. :)

 Since the La-5FN carries a solid color scheme, (blue-gray all around), it was the easiest to mess around with, since I'm only a beginner at visual editing tools.

 If anyone might wish to use these for their personal terrain, or sake of further modification please say so!

 As I've said I'm only a beginner, and basically the La-5FN is as shiny-new as if it was painted yesterday. I don't know how to apply weathering techniques on it. I'm sure someone could do a looooooot better job than this.. but I guess this is an example of how satisfactory the new TE can be!  ;)

 

Title: Oh my god!!!! Custom Skins for planes!!
Post by: AcId on October 04, 2002, 08:01:46 AM
*Acid pokes the gimp with a long stick*

WAKE UP DAMMIT!!!!

WE GOT WORK TO DO!!

:D
Title: Oh my god!!!! Custom Skins for planes!!
Post by: LLv34_Camouflage on October 04, 2002, 08:30:17 AM
Quote
Originally posted by Sixpence
Awesome yak(put the red stars on the wings)


Thats an La5FN and the Soviets didn't paint the stars on the top side of the wings. ;)

Camo
Title: problem
Post by: Mitsu on October 04, 2002, 08:56:34 AM
... :(
Title: Oh my god!!!! Custom Skins for planes!!
Post by: Wlfgng on October 04, 2002, 09:17:29 AM
flip the bmp vertically. then try it.
Title: Oh my god!!!! Custom Skins for planes!!
Post by: Kweassa on October 04, 2002, 09:19:45 AM
OK. here's one for ya whiney P-38 lubbers!

 Here, take yer Olive-drab and leave us in peace! :D

ps) Planes with complex structure like the P-38 seems to use more textures on it.

 However, I've seem to have met a problem where the right ailerons remains white, even when no template whatsoever uses such color. Also, some of the protrusions, the leading edge of the wings and the canopy bars are also white. The top of the nose-cowl area is also black, and I can't seem to locate which part of the template is designated to these areas.

 

 
Title: Oh my god!!!! Custom Skins for planes!!
Post by: Mitsu on October 04, 2002, 09:22:58 AM
Wlfgng,

Thank you very much!!!
A problem is solved. :)
Title: Oh my god!!!! Custom Skins for planes!!
Post by: Wlfgng on October 04, 2002, 09:36:52 AM
you're welcome.  glad to see so many people doing great work!
Title: Oh my god!!!! Custom Skins for planes!!
Post by: Fariz on October 04, 2002, 09:48:16 AM
Nice, nice. Step in right direcion IMHO. :)

Would be nice if HTC makes a next step, and make a skin for each plane type attached to each field. This way it would be possible to make planes with group markings and camo. Great of immersion.
Title: Oh my god!!!! Custom Skins for planes!!
Post by: Vermillion on October 04, 2002, 09:58:12 AM
I haven't had a chance to play with it yet... but

Whats the texture file sizes? 256 x 256 ?

And how many texture files does each plane use? Two I would guess.
Title: Oh my god!!!! Custom Skins for planes!!
Post by: Wlfgng on October 04, 2002, 10:11:35 AM
a lot more than two.. it depends on the Aircraft.

66kb each
Title: Oh my god!!!! Custom Skins for planes!!
Post by: Dux on October 04, 2002, 10:44:25 AM
Hey Kweassa... I made a quick olive-drab B-17 last night. Did you notice that the P-38 still had a metallic specularity after you painted it green? The b-17 sure did. It was green, but way too shiny.

I'm wondering if this is a setting that can be modified.
Title: Oh my god!!!! Custom Skins for planes!!
Post by: Wlfgng on October 04, 2002, 10:54:49 AM
and templates.. we sure could use some layered templates!
Title: Oh my god!!!! Custom Skins for planes!!
Post by: Wilbus on October 04, 2002, 10:59:10 AM
Run into a problem with custom instruments :(

It seems, if you change the instruments for example, 109 E4, the  instruments for all planes get changed :( Not sure if there is a way around it or if this in fact takes away the fun feuture of skinning your own instruments.

Here is a picture though. Copy the address and paste it in your browser.

http://www.geocities.com/rasmusm2000/instruments.jpg
Title: Oh my god!!!! Custom Skins for planes!!
Post by: Wlfgng on October 04, 2002, 11:00:21 AM
page unavaliable
Title: Oh my god!!!! Custom Skins for planes!!
Post by: Drano on October 04, 2002, 11:18:14 AM
Looking forward to a nice Herman Graf "red 1" skin on my G-6.:D

         Drano
Title: Oh my god!!!! Custom Skins for planes!!
Post by: Turbot on October 04, 2002, 11:21:20 AM
Quote
Originally posted by Kweassa
OK. here's one for ya whiney P-38 lubbers!

 Here, take yer Olive-drab and leave us in peace! :D

ps) Planes with complex structure like the P-38 seems to use more textures on it.

 However, I've seem to have met a problem where the right ailerons remains white, even when no template whatsoever uses such color. Also, some of the protrusions, the leading edge of the wings and the canopy bars are also white. The top of the nose-cowl area is also black, and I can't seem to locate which part of the template is designated to these areas.

 

 



this is a much better looking 38  even with imperfections you mentioned.  Good job
Title: Oh my god!!!! Custom Skins for planes!!
Post by: Wilbus on October 04, 2002, 11:28:19 AM
Wlfgng, copy and paste the text of the link, doesn't work if you push on it.
Title: Oh my god!!!! Custom Skins for planes!!
Post by: Wlfgng on October 04, 2002, 11:34:39 AM
thx
Title: Oh my god!!!! Custom Skins for planes!!
Post by: Glasses on October 04, 2002, 11:53:58 AM
El Glassoid is displeased ,angered and annoyed. Hopefully they will find away around it and El Glassoid will be pleased again. :mad:
Title: Oh my god!!!! Custom Skins for planes!!
Post by: Wotan on October 04, 2002, 11:56:34 AM
layered templates????????????????????????

I thought I heard some one say.............layered templates
Title: Oh my god!!!! Custom Skins for planes!!
Post by: Sixpence on October 04, 2002, 12:25:22 PM
OK, let me get this straight, you can recreate your own skins? From what I read it has to be done with a map creation. So aces high can create a map with different skins on the airplanes? And anyone can create skins for H2H arena?

I wish I knew how to do that.

BTW, keep getting crashes when I check terrain:(

Sorry, thought it was a yak, had a model of a yak with same color scheme and skies for landing gear
Title: Oh my god!!!! Custom Skins for planes!!
Post by: fats on October 04, 2002, 12:26:15 PM
The late war LW pilot needs to be in all black leather overall.


// fats
Title: Oh my god!!!! Custom Skins for planes!!
Post by: Sancho on October 04, 2002, 01:23:21 PM
Quote
Originally posted by Vermillion
Whats the texture file sizes? 256 x 256 ?


yeah, the default (at least on the P-47) is 256x256.  I was able to get the P-47D-30 working with 512x512 on the fuselage.  Haven't tried going larger than that... don't think it would be worth it, but it might work.

one thing I haven't been able to figure out is the dark green antiglare strip on the upper fuselage of the jug (and apparently on the P38 too).  none of the files exported with the P-47 include that dark green area.  I'm afraid it's something we can't change.
Title: Oh my god!!!! Custom Skins for planes!!
Post by: hitech on October 04, 2002, 02:00:03 PM
Any 512X512 skins will not be accepted by us for a terrain. Please understand that not all cards support larger than 256
Title: Oh my god!!!! Custom Skins for planes!!
Post by: cajun on October 04, 2002, 02:19:39 PM
WOWW!!! This is soo coool!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:eek: :eek:

I'm downloadin new terrain editor, and by next week I'll have 50 new maps/Plane textures!:D :D
Title: Oh my god!!!! Custom Skins for planes!!
Post by: Dux on October 04, 2002, 02:22:10 PM
... but definitely build them as 512x512, and size down a copy of the final. Someday they will be fully supported...:)
Title: Oh my god!!!! Custom Skins for planes!!
Post by: BUG_EAF322 on October 04, 2002, 03:51:17 PM
WOW!!
:D

invisible lightnings thx
Title: Oh my god!!!! Custom Skins for planes!!
Post by: Vermillion on October 04, 2002, 04:03:04 PM
Dux is right, its always better to work at a higher res and then size them down to what you need.  :)
Title: Oh my god!!!! Custom Skins for planes!!
Post by: gatso on October 04, 2002, 05:35:53 PM
I'm curious. What did that 512x512 skinned p47 look like? Amazing improvement or subtle?

Gatso
Title: Oh my god!!!! Custom Skins for planes!!
Post by: HeLLcAt on October 04, 2002, 06:14:44 PM
Is there a way to send it to other players, or the person that made it ONLY has it. I would like the green P38 and the F6F with the teeth, that would be sweet. I would like some feedback on this. Salute all!
Title: Oh my god!!!! Custom Skins for planes!!
Post by: Sancho on October 04, 2002, 07:54:50 PM
Quote
Originally posted by gatso
I'm curious. What did that 512x512 skinned p47 look like? Amazing improvement or subtle?


well, it was more a feasability study than a finished product.  I'm not that good with 2d artwork. :D
Title: Oh my god!!!! Custom Skins for planes!!
Post by: vorticon on October 04, 2002, 11:01:03 PM
i spent 3.5 seconds creating htis HOT PINK colour scheme fro the seafire and all spits (supposed to lower spit use in my terrains you can see em from about 3k away as a pink dot)
Title: Oh my god!!!! Custom Skins for planes!!
Post by: blue308 on October 04, 2002, 11:13:01 PM
for me the terrain editor crashes, generates errors and hangs all the time. can't do anything with it :(
Title: Oh my god!!!! Custom Skins for planes!!
Post by: aac on October 04, 2002, 11:32:24 PM
Does this mean that everyone would have to use metric gauges if the ct or sea arena had a terrein that some one made and thier plane had metric gauges?
Title: Oh my god!!!! Custom Skins for planes!!
Post by: Sancho on October 05, 2002, 12:22:03 AM
Quote
Originally posted by aac
Does this mean that everyone would have to use metric gauges if the ct or sea arena had a terrein that some one made and thier plane had metric gauges?


I think all planes use the same gauge bitmaps.  If that's true, everyone would either use metric or english gauges.
Title: Oh my god!!!! Custom Skins for planes!!
Post by: Kweassa on October 05, 2002, 01:01:00 AM
I think its a boo-boo in part of HTC.

 My guess is that they had intended to allow people to change each instrumental guages of the planes respectively, in the same manner that sound files can be designated for each plane.

 Otherwise there isn't any reason every plane textures include guages, when they are all the same in every plane.

 Probably when the guage BMP is saved in the texsrc folder, during build process of the map it gets applied to every texture file which has the same name.

 I think what we need is a way to save textures as a group. For instance, the sound folder groups the files by directory. Maybe HTC can help us by allowing the BMPs to be saved in groups?
Title: Oh my god!!!! Custom Skins for planes!!
Post by: easymo on October 05, 2002, 01:17:34 AM
Pink spit?  Considering the direction the game has been going in, Barny the dinosaur is probably flying it.
Title: Oh my god!!!! Custom Skins for planes!!
Post by: SFRT - Frenchy on October 05, 2002, 01:34:03 AM
It's not a bug. Everything on the airplane is exported. The guages are part of the airplane, that's why they are exported.

If you export 2 planes, the guages will be the same because there is ONLY ONE file name per guage while the plane skins have various names.
Title: Oh my god!!!! Custom Skins for planes!!
Post by: Tac on October 05, 2002, 01:51:31 AM
erm, can someone make me a dark violet (eggplant violet hehe) 38 skin?


always wanted to see one painted like that.
Title: Oh my god!!!! Custom Skins for planes!!
Post by: Kweassa on October 05, 2002, 07:11:05 AM
Started working on the Bf109F-4/trop scheme for mor experimenting. I seem to notice that there is a potential problem with texturing in the "older" models. Once again, I couldn't locate the area which is assigned for the spinners on the Bf109F-4..

 which, after experimenting with the P-38L and the Bf109F-4 leads to the conclusion that the "older" models have areas which aren't textured at all. The 3D model for the P-38L seems to have been made in the color white, and thus, some of the areas remain white even after re-skinning. The Bf109F-4 3D model was probably made in black, and the spinners aren't textured, so it remains black.

 A small setback, but since its been only a day I've been doing this, I might be wrong :D
Title: Oh my god!!!! Custom Skins for planes!!
Post by: SC-Sp00k on October 05, 2002, 07:33:12 AM
is it possible to place your own face on the pilot like in IL2 with a digital image?
Title: Oh my god!!!! Custom Skins for planes!!
Post by: Wilbus on October 05, 2002, 07:51:08 AM
Anybody figured out how to get good paint brush results in Paint shop pro? Mine only wants to make the oppacity to large dots instead of the normal paint brush effect.
Title: Oh my god!!!! Custom Skins for planes!!
Post by: SunKing on October 05, 2002, 02:19:15 PM
Somebody skin my BF-110 with the shark mouth  pleeeeaaaseeee!
Title: Oh my god!!!! Custom Skins for planes!!
Post by: Dessy on October 05, 2002, 03:44:10 PM
The old models' textures suck :)

The new ones are a lot of fun to play around with. You can really see the improvement.

Here's a 'desert dora' I made. Basically a recoloring of the d9 skin with some more weathering and a few subtle changes.

(http://www.cynium.com/images/ahedited/desertdora.jpg)

I really want to start making historic (and not so historic) p-38 skins, but that will have to wait till the 38 model gets fixed.
Title: Oh my god!!!! Custom Skins for planes!!
Post by: JoeDirt on October 05, 2002, 03:53:38 PM
can some one make a small tutorial please?
Title: Oh my god!!!! Custom Skins for planes!!
Post by: Wilbus on October 05, 2002, 04:22:33 PM
Tutorial for what? Making skins? I'm guessing it's just alot of training and and try alot.
Title: Oh my god!!!! Custom Skins for planes!!
Post by: Mitsu on October 05, 2002, 04:24:16 PM
Help file.
Title: Oh my god!!!! Custom Skins for planes!!
Post by: Dux on October 05, 2002, 08:28:53 PM
Quote
Originally posted by Wilbus
Anybody figured out how to get good paint brush results in Paint shop pro? Mine only wants to make the oppacity to large dots instead of the normal paint brush effect.


Wilbus... my guess would be to get the file out of 8-bit mode and into 24-bit (indexed to RGB... or whatever the PSP wording may be)

And save back down to 8-bit when finished.
Title: Oh my god!!!! Custom Skins for planes!!
Post by: Kweassa on October 05, 2002, 08:41:33 PM
CC, change it first to RGB mode and 512x512.

 Then do whatever you wish with it. Sometimes, more "simpler" tools like MSPaint can help in "simple" jobs.

 After you've finished, reduce it to 256x256, back to indexed color mode and save it in 8bit BMP.
Title: Oh my god!!!! Custom Skins for planes!!
Post by: Wilbus on October 05, 2002, 08:43:59 PM
Thanks :)
Title: VVS Baltic 1944
Post by: Tilt on October 06, 2002, 04:30:23 AM
Yak9U

(http://www.tilt.clara.net/pics/baltic9U.gif)

Yak9T
(http://www.tilt.clara.net/pics/baltic9T.gif)

Lend lease C47

(http://www.tilt.clara.net/pics/strdrop3.gif)
Title: Oh my god!!!! Custom Skins for planes!!
Post by: Fuzzybunny on October 06, 2002, 05:11:03 AM
Hey Tilt, Love those yaks!
Title: Oh my god!!!! Custom Skins for planes!!
Post by: Kweassa on October 06, 2002, 06:10:21 AM
That's awesome Tilt!
 
 :)

 The C-47 definately gives out the feeling of LI-2 !!
Title: VVS Baltic 1944
Post by: Tilt on October 06, 2002, 07:34:28 AM
Popkovs La5FN (when in "disgrace") without guards banner

(http://www.tilt.clara.net/pics/popkov5.gif)
Title: machine, not the man
Post by: Sac1 on October 06, 2002, 08:48:31 AM
kweassa


Quote
"It's the machine, not the man" - materialist, and proud of it!


I think Chuck Yeager proved that wrong in one of his books.  Then again maybe just the exception to the rule.