Skins

[ONTOS]

In the beta test, I click on the box to download skins. Late , I exit out. When I get back in the beta game, the box for downloading skins is unchecked. It happens over and over.

[Devil 505]

I've noticed that there are a couple of P-51D skins that reload every time you enter the arena.

There are also issues with the bump and specular maps on some skins - but I'm waiting to have all of my skins downloaded before I examine what the issue could be.

[Chilli]

Devil,

You are aware there is an additional layer utilized in beta?  So, dull painted surfaces will be glossy instead until that layer is created by the skinner.  If I understand it correctly, the information that properly works will differ from skin to skin even with the same model.  So, skinners either need to start working on that layer or prepare for their skins to look a little less than they had designed them.

In the case of the pink spitfire, and a ton of other schemes, the new reflective properties give great results apart from their original intended showing.

[Devil 505]

No Chilli, what I'm seeing on some skins is much stranger than that. But that is a big problem for me personally, I wish that HTC can make some sort of replacement default file that makes the older skins not high gloss, because they look terrible like that.

What I'm seeing is some skins that have all the correct files with incorrect or exaggerated bump maps (now called normal maps) and specular maps that are either not displaying correctly, or not recognized. I have skins that have problems with one or both maps, and a few with no problems at all. I'm trying to find some common link but I want to create a list of all my skins and their issues before I contact Skuzzy.

[Chalenge]

Not sure what is going on for you, but I can tell you that bump maps and normal maps (and also displacement maps) are not the same thing.

Kind of wish HTC would use displacement maps, but probably the best use would be bombed up runways and I can see why that would be bad.

[oboe]

That pink Spitfire does not look realistic to me at all.   

[Devil 505]

Not sure what is going on for you, but I can tell you that bump maps and normal maps (and also displacement maps) are not the same thing.

Kind of wish HTC would use displacement maps, but probably the best use would be bombed up runways and I can see why that would be bad.

The normal map is the replacement for the older bump maps. Skins with a bump map in Ah2 are converted to a normal map when going to AH3. But the conversion does not always go smoothly.

Here are 2 similar skins done by me for AH2 now in AH3; a 109G-2 and a 109G-6. The G-2 displays correctly while the G-6 does not. The bump map files for each are near identical, and the settings for each plane are identical, and should appear the same.

G-2


G-6

[oboe]

Hmmm that's bad, Devil.  Curious, have you compared he normal maps between the G-2and the G-6 default skins?

Also, do you have any examples where in one case it worked and the other it didn't, within the same aircraft model?

Do the other G-6 skins look ok?

[Chalenge]

The normal map is the replacement for the older bump maps. Skins with a bump map in Ah2 are converted to a normal map when going to AH3. But the conversion does not always go smoothly.

You should probably do the conversion yourself then, so it works as you expect. Bump maps are for more planar objects (single channel), while normal maps are for 3D objects (rgb mapping).

Nvidia has plugins to do the filtering inside of Photoshop, and in some cases you can convert your old bump maps.

https://developer.nvidia.com/nvidia-texture-tools-adobe-photoshop

[Devil 505]

I don't think that there is one single cause of all the issues that I'm seeing.

The G-6 has one working skin, I/Jg52, but it is the most recently updated one (I want to avoid comparing updates skins though for now). II/Jg27 has never been updated with a bump or spec map, so I'm not really worried about that one yet.

But my other four (including 9./Jg 54 seen in the screen shot), were all created the same time with bump and spec maps and they all have the same problem.

With the G-2 the only correctly appearing skin is the one seen here, Stab./Jg 77. One has been updated and is correct in AH2 but not in AH3: 9./Jg 52. The original had no bump or spec map but received both and a corrected paint job in an update. The paint job is updated, but I don't think the other files carried over because this skin has the normal map matching the default G-2 and not any of my 109's. 9./Jg52 should now have the same settings as Stab./Jg 77, but does not in AH3. (what is odd is none of the updated files for 9./Jg 52 are on the skin admin page)

G-6 I/Jg 52 (correct)


G-6 9.Jg 54 (incorrect)


G-2 Stab./Jg77 (correct)


G-2 9.Jg52 (incorrect)


9.Jg52 is consistent with skins that had no bump or spec map in AH2 - except this skin was updated with those files.

[Devil 505]

You should probably do the conversion yourself then, so it works as you expect. Bump maps are for more planar objects (single channel), while normal maps are for 3D objects (rgb mapping).

Nvidia has plugins to do the filtering inside of Photoshop, and in some cases you can convert your old bump maps.

https://developer.nvidia.com/nvidia-texture-tools-adobe-photoshop

I might have to do that, but there are also issues with HTC's conversion being applied correctly to the skins. There's probably a myriad of small issues at work here, hence the multiple problems at play overall.

I bet most of the spec map problems come from the skin never having one to begin with. I just wish that HTC would have created some basic map that would reduce the shininess to a realistically level for these skins.

[Devil 505]

I have also noticed that six of my 109E skins are not even in the beta. WTF! 

[Skuzzy]

Here are the 109e4 skins I show from you.

109e4_16: 1./Jg3 by Devil5O5
109e4_17: 9./Jg26 by Devil5O5
109e4_18: Stab I/Jg26 by Devil5O5
109e4_21: Stab I/Jg 27 by Devil5O5
109e4_22: Stab III/Jg 5 by Devil5O5
109e4_23: 8./Jg 77 by Devil5O5
109e4_27: 9./Jg 54 by Devil5O5
109e4_28: 4./ Jg 77 by Devil5O5
109e4_29: 5./Jg 54 by Devil5O5

What is missing?  The list matches the AH2 list and matches what is shown in AH3.

[Devil 505]

109e4_21: Stab I/Jg 27 by Devil5O5
109e4_22: Stab III/Jg 5 by Devil5O5
109e4_23: 8./Jg 77 by Devil5O5
109e4_27: 9./Jg 54 by Devil5O5
109e4_28: 4./ Jg 77 by Devil5O5
109e4_29: 5./Jg 54 by Devil5O5

None of these appear in my listing.

[Skuzzy]

Silly question, but did you scroll up and down the list?

If you have, then remove the "skins.res" file from your AH3 settings/skins folder.  Then go online and check the list again.