Stupid Question From a Noob

[Vraciu]

If one wanted to create a custom skin, knowing it wouldn't be approved because of historical inaccuracy (example being the original CAF scheme for the P-51 "Old Red Nose" VF * G with the tri-color rudder)....   Could it still be used in the game but only seen locally by that player?

[ink]

If one wanted to create a custom skin, knowing it wouldn't be approved because of historical inaccuracy (example being the original CAF scheme for the P-51 "Old Red Nose" VF * G with the tri-color rudder)....   Could it still be used in the game but only seen locally by that player?

offline only

[Vraciu]

offline only

So I couldn't use it online and be the only one to see it (i.e. everyone else would see me as the default skin), right?

[Devil 505]

There is also a pseudo-workaround with the film viewer. There is a skin for each aircraft which when seen in the film viewer will display whatever custom skin you have in the folder instead of proper skin. 

[Vraciu]

Okay well...  I am just trying this out as a rough draft to work my way through the process.   This is the most confusing thing I have ever seen in my life!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I dl'ed the .bmp for a P-51D (the default) and went into my photo editor.   All I really did was change the name on the nose and some of the paint just to see if it would work.   I have the .bmp in a folder called p51d_1 but I cannot see it anywhere.   Not in the viewer.  Not offline in the hangar.  NOWHERE.   What else do I have to put in for it to show up?

Also, I am saving the plane's bmp file (on the left) as is without cutting anything out, right?


http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/images/htc/p51dbump.gif

[ink]

Okay well...  I am just trying this out as a rough draft to work my way through the process.   This is the most confusing thing I have ever seen in my life!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I dl'ed the .bmp for a P-51D (the default) and went into my photo editor.   All I really did was change the name on the nose and some of the paint just to see if it would work.   I have the .bmp in a folder called p51d_1 but I cannot see it anywhere.   Not in the viewer.  Not offline in the hangar.  NOWHERE.   What else do I have to put in for it to show up?

Also, I am saving the plane's bmp file (on the left) as is without cutting anything out, right?


http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/images/htc/p51dbump.gif

I haven't been into skinning as of late or worked with the new bump files'....do you have all the other files? is the BMP indexed? is it named properly?

did you click on the drop down arrow in the skin viewer...

[Vraciu]

I haven't been into skinning as of late or worked with the new bump files'....do you have all the other files? is the BMP indexed? is it named properly?

did you click on the drop down arrow in the skin viewer...

I have tried everything.

I am beyond hopelessly confused.  Especially since I see .res files everywhere but nothing in my working directory.

I copied everything over.  Tried that.  Then went back and deleted everything BUT the bmp I was working on.  I have done multiple combos of everything in between.

I read the instructions on the main site and I have no idea wth he is talking about because no combination of my attempts to do that seem to work.

[The Fugitive]

Go here to Krusty's Skinning page and follow the steps. It's a pretty good tutorial to get you started.

As a warning, "if" you plan on submitting the skin for the game be sure you build the whole skin and not just "change the name". A lot of people frown on you using other peoples work. You can use them as guides, but you should have all the layers done on your own.

[Vraciu]

I see it in the viewer now.   We have a heartbeat!

[Vraciu]

Go here to Krusty's Skinning page and follow the steps. It's a pretty good tutorial to get you started.

As a warning, "if" you plan on submitting the skin for the game be sure you build the whole skin and not just "change the name". A lot of people frown on you using other peoples work. You can use them as guides, but you should have all the layers done on your own.

No offense, but I am not stupid in regard to stealing someone else's work.    I have ethics.   I will not take that personally.  (Is it really necessary to even say that?  Have we fallen that far as a society???)

I am not likely to submit one for the game.  This is just to see if I can even do it first and I used the default skin, as instructed, so I am not really hurting  anyone's work.   Aside from that, I can't see any other skins any way.  I would love to know how to do that because the techniques used by others would be helpful.

Thank you for the link to the tutorial.  <S>

[ink]

hmmmm

do me a favor....type out the location of the folder....and whats in the edited folder....

its gotta be something simple that you are missing...

did you index the image?

pretty sure all the files from the original folder need to be in the new folder....the image file you edited needs to be the same name as the default....


.....I see you got it working.....sweet

[Vraciu]

hmmmm

do me a favor....type out the location of the folder....and whats in the edited folder....

its gotta be something simple that you are missing...

did you index the image?

pretty sure all the files from the original folder need to be in the new folder....the image file you edited needs to be the same name as the default....


.....I see you got it working.....sweet

Sorta.  I am not ready to celebrate just yet.  LOL!   Let me see...


In the P-51D_1 directory...   p51d_1 actually....   It has P51D.bmp and P51D_1.bmp.  That's all I see.

[Vraciu]

hmmmm

do me a favor....type out the location of the folder....and whats in the edited folder....

its gotta be something simple that you are missing...

did you index the image?

pretty sure all the files from the original folder need to be in the new folder....the image file you edited needs to be the same name as the default....


.....I see you got it working.....sweet

C:\Program Files (x86)\HTC\Aces High II\skins\p51d_1

[ink]

Sorta.  I am not ready to celebrate just yet.  LOL!   Let me see...


In the P-51D_1 directory...   p51d_1 actually....   It has P51D.bmp and P51D_1.bmp.  That's all I see.

what I would do if I was you....

take the folder of the 51d copy and paste.... name it p51d_1

now it has everything from the default and is named properly.......take the BMP image you work with start up a new image in your image editor of choice...use that as a base layer...create the new image using different layers for each aspect of the new image.......save it as the default image editor...IE GIMP is .xcf....then index it and save it as the BMP image....I would say use bright to get the best indexing but if its just to mess around, then its not an issue......

also the new files for the bump and specularity(sp?) I cant help with as I haven't messed with that yet.

[The Fugitive]

No offense, but I am not stupid in regard to stealing someone else's work.    I have ethics.   I will not take that personally.  (Is it really necessary to even say that?  Have we fallen that far as a society???)

I am not likely to submit one for the game.  This is just to see if I can even do it first and I used the default skin, as instructed, so I am not really hurting  anyone's work.   Aside from that, I can't see any other skins any way.  I would love to know how to do that because the techniques used by others would be helpful.

Thank you for the link to the tutorial.  <S>

Unfortunately it has happen. Some of the skinners will give you their skinning files to look at to help you get an idea. Ask, the worst they will say is no. Some on the other hand guard their files like it was fort knox.

Good luck. It can be frustrating to do, but it can also be very rewarding when you see your finish work on a plane.