Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => Custom Skins => Topic started by: Greebo on December 09, 2009, 03:58:12 AM
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Larry emailed me for tips on how to skin bare metal aircraft but a lot of this stuff is hard to explain using only a text description. So I decided to do a full tutorial with screenshots and post it in here as it might be of help to other skinners. I don't profess to be the best at metal effects, Fester and others do this stuff better than I do.
I start with a base aluminium layer of RGB 192/192/192. Over this I create three layers for green, blue and white reflections. The idea is that the shiny metal reflects the blue sky from above and the green ground from below and the white areas are highlighted reflections of the sun. The LH screenshot below shows these layers at 100% opacity as they look when they are being created. The RH screenshot shows the effects once the layer opacities are reduced down to 5-10%. This sort of thing looks a bit bogus in the game if it is overdone, as the reflections don't move when the plane changes its attitude....so keep it subtle.
(http://www.gfg06.dial.pipex.com/screenshots/Baremetalskins,reflections.jpg)
Next I create three panel variation layers as shown below. The metal used to make real aircraft was sourced from different batches and so the aluminium panels often varied in colour slightly to their neighbours, you can often see this effect in photos. The LH screenshot shows individual panels painted in dark blue grey, light blue grey and light purple shades. I use a seperate layer for each colour as its a lot easier to change the colours later for future skins. The RH screenshot has the layers' opacity reduced until the effect is only just noticable. Note don't apply this effect to P-51 wings as the Mustang's wings were painted silver.
(http://www.gfg06.dial.pipex.com/screenshots/Baremetalskins,panelvariations.jpg)
My panel lines, fasteners and hatches have a drop highlight layer to give a 3D effect, basically just a white copy of the panel lines offset one pixel horizontally and vertically. On bare metal skins I make a copy of this layer and place it below the camo/markings layers and above the base aluminium layer. So on the painted areas you see just one faint (15% opacity) drop highlight layer and on the metal areas you see both (15+70% opacities) giving a much stronger highlight on the shinier metal. This effect can be seen on the screenshots below. Note when doing 3D effects make a test layer of direction arrows showing a consistent light direction for each part of the skin, on my skins light comes from above, from the front and from the left.
I also like to create some aluminium sheet deformation effects around the rivets. To do this I make a copy of the rivet layer and paint it some bright colour, say red, to make it easier to edit. Then I offset the rivets in this layer one pixel horizontally and vertically in the same direction as the panel line drop highlight layer, i.e. away from the light source. Once all the sections of rivets have been moved, I turn the layer white and gaussian blur it by 1 pixel. I then do the process again for another layer but with the rivets offset in the opposite direction and turned black. These two layers become the highlights and shadows of the ripples in the skin around the rivets. The screenshots below show the effects in full on the left and reduced in opacity on the right.
(http://www.gfg06.dial.pipex.com/screenshots/Baremetalskins,rivets.jpg)
The screenshots below shows all the effects together, along with weathering and 3D effects. Although I paint the main rivet layer black on bare metal skins, I've added some light grey rivets above just the painted areas of the skin, partially erased to give a worn apperance.
The individual effects shown above are not really noticable once the whole lot is mixed up, however combined they do stop it looking like an aircraft that's been just been painted light grey.
AH doesn't support specularity maps that would let a skinner alter the specularity (shinyness) of different areas of the skin. Most AH skins that have bare metal schemes do have material file support now, offhand I can only think of the B-26, P-40 and C-47 that don't. The material file lets you alter the overall specularity of the skin. However it is tough to get a good looking compromise between making both the shiny metal and dull painted areas of the skin look right. Below is the material.txt file I use on bare metal skins.
0.302,0.302,0.302,Ambient
0.439,0.439,0.439,Diffuse
0.000,0.000,0.000,Emissive
0.425,0.421,0.415,Specular
8.200,Power
(http://www.gfg06.dial.pipex.com/screenshots/Baremetalskins,complete.jpg)
(http://www.gfg06.dial.pipex.com/screenshots1/365th_FG_P-47D_SC2.jpg)
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Wonderful tutorial, Greebo! Thanks for posting that!
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Very nice. I don't know why I didn't think of the "black rivet offset" with the white rivet. Brilliant.
I been playing with blue and yellow highlights on metal skins but the blue was more of an overall with a large brush used to dab at it to remove portions. I am going to have to try your technique.
I had asked Oboe recently about how he was getting such good effects on his 38s. With what he told me he was doing, I been playing with that and a few other things on a basic B-17G. (Nice Large Canvas)
Thanks for posting this Greebo.
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Awesome Greebo! I think this deserves a sticky :aok
It's really interesting to see where the similarities and differences fall into line comparing with my own bare metal attempts (for instance, I think you and I do panel lines and rivets almost identically, especially the dual layers, one above and one below the paint). I've been trying hard to include blue/green highlights to my metal but haven't liked the effect I've been getting, but you seem to have mastered it. Very cool info! :salute
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Thanks greebo :salute
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Just want to say :salute
I very much appreciate the work you and every other "skinner" does.
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Awesome. BMF is one of the toughest things to do convincingly. This tutorial is a big help! I had also discovered that rivet effect when making my Tiffie template and I'm starting to use it a lot more now on other projects, and it really looks best on BMF as strong highlights look better on metal than on painted surfaces.
[Note: following not intended as a hijack]
Skins for Micro$oft FS use an alpha layer that sets the reflective property of different areas of the skin, this is something I am having to learn about now for another project I'm doing.
ie, no alpha layer done yet, metal looks somewhat flat, and painted areas have same reflectivity, kind of like our skins in AH2:
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v621/jocko417/439b-1.jpg)
If AH2 starts using alphas in future it'll make the skins a lot more realistic - camo and markings can appear duller than bare metal areas instead of having to compromise with a single materials file used for the whole skin (like it is now).
Also, exposed metal in the form of scratches and chips will reflect more than the painted areas as the sun catches them - weathering layers will be more complex and the total effect will be more lifelike.
as an example:
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v621/jocko417/hurri0012.jpg)
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Why are the Brits (and Canucks?) so darn good at this? :aok
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Why are the Brits (and Canucks?) so darn good at this? :aok
Crappy weather stuck in side all the time? I say that from an Australian perspective. Joking of course :neener:
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Really need a jaw-dropping emoticon for jocko's stuff. Holy Hanna.
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My attempt
(http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd121/jackfrost_011/Clipboard01-2.png)
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Err, I should mention that although the Sabre skin is my work, the Hurri wing is not. I included the screenie to illustrate what effects are possible with alpha channels, but it's not my skin. The Hurri wing is from an upcoming sim (produced by a certain Russian gentleman) that is finally starting to resemble something other than vapour-ware.
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The Sabre made me look twice, at first I thought it was a photo as an example..Outstanding
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Jocko that Sabre is incredible looking. How did you get the APU and the helmet and gear sitting on the wing? I know nothing about MS Flight simulator...
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It's part of the sim, there's a few key commands that can be used to do various things to the aircraft's state. Most MSFS aircraft will have the main door open and close by hitting SHIFT+E, this opens and closes the canopy on the Sabre. Also, with the parking brake on and the engine master and battery switches off you can use Shift+E+2 to open the ammo door on the left side of the nose. This was actually used in RL, you stepped from the ground to the open ammo door to the wing to a kickstep and then into the cockpit. The GPU can be plugged into the aircraft by hitting an 'external power' switch in the cockpit while the parking brake is on. Lastly, with the parking brake on and the engine master and battery switches off, the plugs, covers and chocks are installed, the pilot disappears from the cockpit and his parachute and helmet appear placed on the wing. The Sabre model was done by a group called SectionF8 and it's an awesome free add-on. The model is an F-86E/F which is pretty much identical to a Canadair Sabre Mk.2 which is what I've skinned. It's for an upcoming project I'm doing with some other guys, concerning the very early Cold War period, back when Canada still had an air force! ;)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v621/jocko417/start.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v621/jocko417/gt-39-1.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v621/jocko417/250a.jpg)
Now, back to Greebo's BMF thread... I've been experimenting with the above techniques and it sure works nicely. Too bad the P-51 slots are all full :(
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Where do you gents find the time to create your works of art?
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Nice tutorial, Greebo :aok
Here are a few unfinished attempts on my 364th FG skin..added a few layers of scratch marks
(http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e28/grimsfx/ahss3.jpg)
(http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e28/grimsfx/ahss22aaa.jpg)
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Thanks for that info about MSFS. Wish we could have cool features like that in AH2 - especially the alpha channel for skinning. You can't shoot anything or do damage in MSFS, correct?
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Hehe, yeah, you can't do any damage in M$FS although the Sabre will 'fire' it's guns when airborne and the master arm switch on. You use the brakes key. Actually this is perfect for the Cold War era I'm skinning them for. Sure, shots were fired, but mostly at the gunnery range... :D
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v621/jocko417/422a.jpg)
Aircraft has an interesting scheme - before 422 (Tomahawk) Sqn flew over to it's new NATO home at 4 Wing, Baden-Soellingen, Germany, it received Canadair Sabre F.4s that were built for but diverted from an RAF delivery. The Sabres carried RAF roundels and fin flashes, and in some cases, both RAF and RCAF serials. Not long after arriving in Germany Canadair had it's Sabre Mk.5 ready for RCAF use and it replaced the aging Sabre Mk.2s overseas. 422's F.4s finally made it to the RAF and were used until replaced by the Hawker Hunter.
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That's magnificent work, jocko. The skins you've done for Aces High are awesome, too. Fencer's not kidding about the Brits :D
Out of curiosity, how big are the bitmaps for that skin in particular?
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That's magnificent work, jocko. The skins you've done for Aces High are awesome, too. Fencer's not kidding about the Brits :D
Out of curiosity, how big are the bitmaps for that skin in particular?
Quick fix it Jocko is not a Brit. :lol
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Thanks for the kind words Mother, but yeah, as Fencer (and Lyric) pointed out I'm a Canuck :D
The Sabre uses 3 1024x1024 files for the exterior of the aircraft alone, one for the fuselage sides and fin, one for the top surface of the wings and stab and the other for the underside of the wings, stab and fuselage. Landing gear doors and other airframe internals are scattered amongst the 3 files. The cockpit internals and wheels/oleos consist of many smaller files. I prefer AH2, one file and you can refresh everything in the Skin Viewer to check your work. In FS9 I have to reload the game and fly the aircraft each time I want to check my work... and did I mention the M$ external view system is a clunky steaming pile?
Very slow going compared to skinning in AH2.
I plan to change the cockpit to more closely resemble a Canadair Sabre, I've already done the throttle grip, the original was white with a black top, the one my Dad (Ex-Sabre jockey) has is an overall beige-grey colour. The 'pit is very accurate and about 90% of the switches work as advertised. It's fun turning the clock back fifty years and shooting approaches with just a radio compass (ADF) and a stop watch :D
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v621/jocko417/throttle.jpg)
2 Wing, Grostenquin, France
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v621/jocko417/GT-2.jpg)
Inst. approach chart for 2 Wing circa 1963
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v621/jocko417/Untitled.jpg)
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I don't see any distances on the legs of the approach there. How do you judge the time needed on each leg? Or do you have two ADF needles and just fly one heading until you come upon the correct heading from the next radio?
I love these radio approaches, pretty entertaining to say the least. I'm still not 100% comfortable with them, but I'm getting there! :)
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I was going to suggest that they're timed approaches. However there is a limitation of 20 nm.
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Yep, the beacon is located on the field so it's a timed approach using rated turns. The 20nm limit ensures you are in protected airspace and will satisfy terrain clearance using the appropriate minimum altitudes.
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Greebo! Thanks for the tutorial sir, just finished making my base for the 38 I am skinning... posting it in another thread. Bare metal done via your tutorial, I think it turned out ok, let me know what you think!
Again, AWESOME tutorial sir!
:salute
Sol
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This is a great thread. Deserves to be pinned.
My problem with pulling this off is the terminology used.
Can someone please translate the meanings of the layer names? I feel like I need to diagram them as 1, 2, 3, etc. because for some reason when I do this it comes out screwed up. I must be placing the rivets/layers in the wrong spots.
Devil505 sent me a similar tutorial and I am having the same issues with it. It ALMOST works but comes out slightly too stark.
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My original post still has some useful info but is 5 years old and out of date now. It predates bump and spec mapping in AH and the material file shown in it is wrong for current skins.