FC New Skins Submission Thread [DISCUSSIONS]

[Klaiber]

Yeah, I think they're great!

[Trozz]

Really nice skins here....but those spoked wheels are over the top!

Edited April 8, 2020 by Klaiber
moved to discussions

[Klaiber]

@Troz, I moved your post here to discussions.

[Heinrich]

1 hour ago, Troz said:

....but those spoked wheels are over the top!

What do you mean by that? Is that good or bad? 

[Klaiber]

It's good. :)

[Trozz]

Oh sorry Heinrich, most definitely good!  I love em!

[Heinrich]

Thank you @Troz, creating a convincing spoke wheel was not easy, in the end  I had to draw a new one. Copying an original left to much noise around the spokes because I needed the alpha layer to make the background shine through.

[Vonrd]

On 3/29/2020 at 7:41 AM, Etzel said:

 the other one can be deleted in the next consolidated download file....

Unfortunately, I know of no way to automatically delete files with the downloads. Perhaps a .bat file could be written to do so but I have no expertise in doing so and I think the possibility of catastrophic errors would be too large. I would not personally use such a file. It' a simple matter for each user to delete the unwanted files themselves.   

And btw.: Will there be somewhen a consolidated overall zip-file with all actual Skins of WW1 and WW2?

Not at this time. I am actually trying to distance myself from being the "Skin Guru" as I'm getting a bit burned out with it and have other interests which are taking up my time. Maybe someone else will eventually update the the Big file but for now it is a matter of downloading the initial file and applying the updates.  

This would be great, also because of the Rooster-Changes I think I need somewhen simply to delete everything and download new, to avoid having too much obsolete skins in the folders... Not only that it takes disc space, it's also annoyning in the game when u have a list of 20 or more skins you always have to search through

Understood... but see above.  

 

[Etzel]

Hi, thanks for the respond Von.

Sorry for the confusion, I know that there is no way that all obsolete files can be delteted automatically => it's clear that this is in everyone's own responsibility! I just wanted to say that this file can be deleted out of the downloadable file so that it is at least not further spreaded around...

And totally clear that it's neither your nor anyones else responsibility to do that organisational Sisyphus work of keeping the skin jungle here in a consolidated form.

My post was just meant for the case that it would be nice IF someone (whoever) would work on a complete overview again, because as long as as we don't have such a thing we will never come to the moment where we all fly on the same skin consolidated versions anymore. 

For me that skinning is anyhow a nice to have side-topic; so I simply want to thank everyone for putting work into this topic, but I never would expect anyone to take care of it...

 

[Heinrich]

@Vonrd, may I help you or if you want take over the responsibility for the JG1 Skins?

This is my plan:

I’ll make several zip files with the skins.

First two zips files will have all the folders of official IL2 skins, one for WWI and one for WWII. Second comes a file with all the WWI folders containing the JG1 basic versions and the personal skins of JG1 pilots. The last one for now is a file with the attributed FiF skins from non-JG1 units/pilots. 

That way everybody can delete the present skin folder and by doing so getting rid of all the outdated stuff and after that add only what you want/need. Some of us only fly WWI, others only WWII and some fly both period A/C.

Next I’ll start working on basic skin versions for the WWII A/C. When those are finished I’ll put them in a separate zip file to be added to the skin pac. 

NB All skins will be in 2K only, the 4K ones I’ll reduce in size. 

[Vonrd]

That sounds great Heinrich. Much appreciated!

[EmerlistDavjack]

I'd really appreciate the non-JG1 FIF flyer skins being put into a pack. 

[Vonrd]

15 minutes ago, EmerlistDavjack said:

I'd really appreciate the non-JG1 FIF flyer skins being put into a pack. 

This is the skinpack and patch I made fo Black September. It should have most of the players but might be a bit out of date for some.

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/yarou7bjy1maov9/AADVPApaOcSIKUoVc_kxWP3Ja?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/6874foospsgrt10/AAArhsoQJLIGmBmyHesRnrVsa?dl=0

The thread on the FC forum:

https://forum.il2sturmovik.com/topic/53614-skins-for-black-september-iv/?tab=comments#comment-813636

[Etzel]

@Heinrich: That sounds great, many thanks! 

The only thing I don't get => according to my understanding the official Il2 skins are any how not a part of that "graphics\skins"-folder in the game but stored anywhere else. So even if u delete that "skins" folder completely I think (!) you will anyhow have all skins that are delivered with the game available.

So I don't think that this 1st zip-file as you plan would be needed...

[IRFC Hawkeye]

8 hours ago, Etzel said:

[...] according to my understanding the official Il2 skins are any how not a part of that "graphics\skins"-folder in the game but [are] stored anywhere [somewhere] else. So even if u delete that "skins" folder completely I think (!) you will anyhow have all skins that are delivered with the game available. [...]

That's exactly correct; I just tried it and the game worked perfectly in QMB.

BTW if you want to try this, don't delete your skins folder.  Just rename it temporarily by adding one character to the name of the "skins" folder.  As far as the game's concerned, it's no longer there.  When done, just rename the skins folder again correctly by deleting that one character.  Simple.

[IRFC Hawkeye]

deleted

Edited April 14, 2020 by Luftritter
public forum

[Heinrich]

On 4/19/2020 at 6:33 PM, EmerlistDavjack said:

Thanks to Butzzell who did an amazing job on all of these.  These are all his designs, I just made one minor tweak, and that is to add the checkered stripe to the underside of the wings for identification from below.  Includes DV, Pfalz3, D7, D7F and the DR1.  Zip contains the Data>Graphics>Skins>Folders tree for easy install, and do overwrite the DV and P3.

 

Davjack taxi central.zip 9.26 MB · 3 downloads

@EmerlistDavjack I think you forgot to add the alpha-channel after flattening the layers. Now they are matt all over even at the metal parts of the A/C. Otherwise good skins, easy to recognise.

[IRFC Hawkeye]

I have a dumb question, I hear that expression a lot lately, what exactly is meant by "flattening layers"?

[Heinrich]

In Gimp, I build up a skin layer by layer roughly weathering on top basic paint under. The personal markings and emblems somewhere in between. After the flattening where all the layers are dropped onto each other as if one picture I add the alpha channel: Matt on canvas, shiny on metal parts. Merging all the layers is another method but that makes the dds file even larger  (bytes wise)

Are there other methods?

[IRFC Hawkeye]

Sure I guess when you're starting with a pre-made template and using PS too.  But I still don't get exactly what is meant by "flattening".  Almost sounds like you mean merging layers.

I guess in a sense, the less layers you have, the more "flat" the stack becomes.  But I had also thought it might have had to do with the alpha layer and making the final product look "flat" (not shiny).

I think there's a few major differences between Gimp and PS.  For one I don't think it's necessary to copy the alpha channel to edit it in the layers section, with PS. You can edit it right where it is and save it.  But I stand to be corrected.

In every template I've used, as many as 10 different weathering layers are already there; and if there's too much it's easy to simply make any of them not visible with the click of a button, or even deleting them.  You're making it sound like you have to create weathering from scratch.  If I wanted to add additional weathering, I could edit any or all existing weathering layers.

Also with every template I've used, the alpha channel was already there.  Of all of those, the only one that seemed to need adjustment was the SPAD one.  All of the others I just left as-is.

The more painting I've done, the less merging of layers I do.  Takes away too many options for changes.  When I'm creating certain design aspects I might make it piece by piece and then merge those. Otherwise I like to leave options open.

I am without a doubt the least knowledgeable skinner in this squadron, so I have a lot of things I'm undoubtedly wrong about.  In any case, I think I convinced myself about the answer to my original question.

[Klaiber]

@Heinrich and @Luftritter, I've moved your posts to the discussion area.

[Heinrich]

48 minutes ago, Klaiber said:

I've moved your posts to the discussion area.

Oeps , thought I was there. Sorry 

[Heinrich]

Hello @Jaus, good skin! Good alpha.

Since you asked 2 remarks.

We have a naming procedure here: 

One thing I would add to your skin is the Jasta 10 tail: black tail with a yellow rudder and elevator.

[Jaus]

New skin uploaded.   Better?

[EmerlistDavjack]

@Heinrich  Turns out I had the alpha channel right, but I wasn't using the correct save mode when exporting to DDS so it didn't use the alphas anyway.  Fixed the problem and I will be uploading a new skin pack in the submission thread.  Thanks for the tip!