Skinning made simplier?

[Sora]

Greetings all,

 

I have been reading the instructions on changing the paint job on an aircraft.

But I'm afraid that topic just flew right over my head,lol. ( pardon the pun )

Maybe I have missed a few topics on this but it seems that the one's I've read are a little too, you could say complicated ( I have a very simple mind, or computer illiterate ). Files like ini,exe,CAT look foriegn to me. Is there a topic on skinning that is really easy to understand? Please excuse my ignorance. I knew I should have paid attention in school way back when,lol. Thankyou.

[Aintry]

Greetings all,

 

I have been reading the instructions on changing the paint job on an aircraft.

But I'm afraid that topic just flew right over my head,lol. ( pardon the pun )

Maybe I have missed a few topics on this but it seems that the one's I've read are a little too, you could say complicated ( I have a very simple mind, or computer illiterate ). Files like ini,exe,CAT look foriegn to me. Is there a topic on skinning that is really easy to understand? Please excuse my ignorance. I knew I should have paid attention in school way back when,lol. Thankyou.

 

Are you talking about simply adding pre-made skins to your aircraft or are you talking about making skins from scratch yourself?

[Sora]

Are you talking about simply adding pre-made skins to your aircraft or are you talking about making skins from scratch yourself?

 

Adding pre made skins to current aircraft.

[Aintry]

Adding pre made skins to current aircraft.

 

OK, I'm going to be a little meanie and give you an assignment, heh-heh. I want you to open the folder of one of your installed aircraft and locate the configuration file for me.

 

You'll know it's the configuration file when, after you've scrolled to the bottom of it, you see a list of [TextureSet]s. Hint: this is a text file with a gear attached to it, a/k/a an "ini" file.

 

Post back when you're done.

Edited July 30, 2006 by Tristan

[Sora]

OK, I'm going to be a little meanie and give you an assignment, heh-heh. I want you to open the folder of one of your installed aircraft and locate the configuration file for me.

 

You'll know it's the configuration file when, after you've scrolled to the bottom of it, you see a list of [TextureSet]s. Hint: this is a text file with a gear attached to it, a/k/a an "ini" file.

 

Post back when you're done.

Thanks for taking the time to advise me on this Tristan, here we go........

I'm gonna use the A-4B aircraft.

I see three files that looks like a note pad with a gear next to it.

1st file: A-4B

2nd file: A-4B_DATA

3rd file: A-4B_LOADOUT

I'm thinking it's the first file. Cause when I look inside it, there is a listing and came across the [TextureSet]

So far so good,lol.

[Aintry]

Thanks for taking the time to advise me on this Tristan, here we go........

I'm gonna use the A-4B aircraft.

I see three files that looks like a note pad with a gear next to it.

1st file: A-4B

2nd file: A-4B_DATA

3rd file: A-4B_LOADOUT

I'm thinking it's the first file. Cause when I look inside it, there is a listing and came across the [TextureSet]

So far so good,lol.

 

Good. File no. 1 is the configuration file. You can forget about the other files.

 

Now, the [TextureSet]s listed in the configuration file correspond to the aircraft skins that are already inside your airplane folder. [TextureSet]s also have sequential numbers associated with them: 001, 002, etc.

 

Now, here's the clincher. Every skin folder that you download for your airplane will have a [TextureSet] "ini" file inside of it. So here's how you get your plane to recognize the new skin:

 

1.) Put the new skin folder inside the aircraft folder, right alongside the other skin folders.

 

2.) Copy the data from the new skin's [TextureSet] file and paste it into the plane's configuration file, making sure that you assign the correct sequential number to the new skin (if, for example, this is your third skin, it should be listed as [TextureSet003]).

 

Believe it or not, that's it. This is literally a copy-and-paste text job. When you open the loadout screen before a mission, the new skin should be listed as an option.

Edited July 30, 2006 by Tristan

[Guest capun]

SP4 does it automatically, you do not have to manually enter the textureset.ini and manipulate the numbers.

I think this feature was added in SP3

 

 

The only reason to manually edit the textureset entries is if you want to have one of the textures as your default skin.

[Aintry]

OK, capun, since you've picked up the ball here, maybe you ought to tell Sora how you designate a skin as a default skin, since he's probably wondering.

[Sora]

OK, capun, since you've picked up the ball here, maybe you ought to tell Sora how you designate a skin as a default skin, since he's probably wondering.

Sorry for the late reply gentleman ( work and all, yuk! ).

I've been downloading some skins from this sight and something strange is happening. I don't see the config. files when I open it. Some file's I've downloaded even has a strange one with all jiberish lettering in capitol letters. Is the zip file ( using windows zip ) I'm using the correct one? I know of some websites you have to download a RAR program to download there files. Thankyou for taking the time Tristan and Capun, I apreciate your patience and understanding here. If I understand this right, theres an SP4 program? Where have I been ( duh? ). @ Tristan- it's perfectly ok for me to learn your way too. Any help here is so greatly apreciated truly. Thanks again. Sora

[Guest capun]

First of all, look at the knowledge Database and read up, it is a good place to start picking up knowledge. I am assuming that you are using SFP1, this program has had patches with the latest being SP4. you should get the program up to date.

 

If using Windows and you open up a link with jibberish letters, most likely is that your Browser does not undestand what kind of file it is. Look up in the net about setting MIME files.

 

I would also recommend to use the Search function and look for WinZip. WinRAR and other compression packages

 

You can also read up some docs and tutorials at my site

 

 

Paperworks

[Aintry]

Sorry for the late reply gentleman ( work and all, yuk! ).

I've been downloading some skins from this sight and something strange is happening. I don't see the config. files when I open it. Some file's I've downloaded even has a strange one with all jiberish lettering in capitol letters. Is the zip file ( using windows zip ) I'm using the correct one? I know of some websites you have to download a RAR program to download there files. Thankyou for taking the time Tristan and Capun, I apreciate your patience and understanding here. If I understand this right, theres an SP4 program? Where have I been ( duh? ). @ Tristan- it's perfectly ok for me to learn your way too. Any help here is so greatly apreciated truly. Thanks again. Sora

 

I get the jibberish letters sometimes when I left-click on a file to download. I solve that by right-clicking and choosing the download command from the list, then things download just fine (at least for me).

 

I don't know what to say about missing configuration files; there has to be at least a TextureSet.ini file in the package or the skin won't load. Might be a download thing, or a decompression thing; it's hard to tell from this end. Perhaps we need a talk-through to solve this problem.

 

SP4 is the latest service pack for the SF-series games; WoE already has SP4 incorporated into it out-of-the-box. The place to check for the latest upgrades/patches is either here in the downloads section, or at:

 

http://www.thirdwire.com

 

Make sure you download *all* the updates from Thirdwire, not just the SP4. And get the June 2006 build of Direct X 9.0 from Microsoft if you haven't already installed it or the April 2006 build.

 

As for a decompression program, the one I recommend is a program called 7-zip. It's freeware, and you can probably download it from a number of different places. I downloaded my copy from:

 

http://www.tucows.com

 

Sorry about giving you all of that jazz about manual configuration file editing. It's good that capun stepped up with his info. Modding should not be made more complicated than necessary. I know I already have enough to do with weps and flight model editing.

 

Incidentally, I've been setting skin defaults by labeling my favorite skin [TextureSet001] and literally erasing the other [TextureSet] entries in the aircraft configuration file. The entries for the other skins will eventually reappear in the configuration file automatically, but with the favorite [TextureSet] at the top of the list. Wonderful.

Edited July 31, 2006 by Tristan

[Sora]

I get the jibberish letters sometimes when I left-click on a file to download. I solve that by right-clicking and choosing the download command from the list, then things download just fine (at least for me).

 

I don't know what to say about missing configuration files; there has to be a least a TextureSet.ini file in the package or the skin won't load. Might be a download thing, or a decompression thing; it's hard to tell from this end. Perhaps we need a talk-through to solve this problem.

 

SP4 is the latest service pack for the SF-series games; WoE already has SP4 incorporated into it out-of-the-box. The place to check for the latest upgrades/patches is either here in the downloads section, or at:

 

http://www.thirdwire.com

 

Make sure you download *all* the updates from Thirdwire, not just the SP4. And get the June 2006 build of Direct X 9.0 from Microsoft if you haven't already installed it or the April 2006 build.

 

As for a decompression program, the one I recommend is a program called 7-zip. It's freeware, and you can probably download it from a number of different places. I downloaded my copy from:

 

http://www.tucows.com

 

Sorry about giving you all of that jazz about manual configuration file editing. It's good that capun stepped up with his info. Modding should not be made more complicated than necessary. I know I already have enough to do with weps and flight model editing.

 

Incidentally, I've been setting skin defaults by labeling my favorite skin [TextureSet001] and literally erasing the other [TextureSet] entries in the aircraft configuration file. The entries for the other skins will eventually reappear in the configuration file automatically, but with the favorite [TextureSet] at the top of the list. Wonderful.

No apalogies need here Tristan. I'm just gratefull for your help. If I'm gonna learn this, I'd better learn all I can about this sim, long way, short way, anyway.lol

You may be right about the downloading thing, my rig ( computer ) will be going into the shop sometime this week. They will probably have it for about a week so if you don't see my responses, you know where I am.

I have downloaded the patches from Third Wire website. Patches: 051506 & 071006 in that order.

I'll look into 7-zip and try it out ( thanks for the address by the way ).

I'll keep experimenting with the skins as soon as I get my rig ( computer ) back from the shop. It's passed due for a physical anyway.

@ capun: I'll do somemore reading on this ( thanks for the link ).

As a wise man once said: The Ox ( me ) is slow, but the Earth ( C.A. Forum Members ) is patient.

Salute, Sora

[Sora]

No apalogies need here Tristan. I'm just gratefull for your help. If I'm gonna learn this, I'd better learn all I can about this sim, long way, short way, anyway.lol

You may be right about the downloading thing, my rig ( computer ) will be going into the shop sometime this week. They will probably have it for about a week so if you don't see my responses, you know where I am.

I have downloaded the patches from Third Wire website. Patches: 051506 & 071006 in that order.

I'll look into 7-zip and try it out ( thanks for the address by the way ).

I'll keep experimenting with the skins as soon as I get my rig ( computer ) back from the shop. It's passed due for a physical anyway.

@ capun: I'll do somemore reading on this ( thanks for the link ).

As a wise man once said: The Ox ( me ) is slow, but the Earth ( C.A. Forum Members ) is patient.

Salute, Sora

 

I think I'll just wait for your program Tristan. I checked with the knowledge base and I just can't seem to get the skins working. Sorry I took so long for a reply, my PC just came back from the shop. Been doing some reading but its like a first grader is reading college level material,lol. Best Regards, Sora

[Aintry]

I think I'll just wait for your program Tristan. I checked with the knowledge base and I just can't seem to get the skins working. Sorry I took so long for a reply, my PC just came back from the shop. Been doing some reading but its like a first grader is reading college level material,lol. Best Regards, Sora

 

Sorry that the knowledge base wasn't helpful, Sora, but my guess is that you'll learn how to add skins to your planes eventually. I eventually learned how to edit files in Paint.NET, even though I thought that would never happen. Lol!

[Sora]

Thanks for your help anyway Tristan. I'll keep plugging at it. Sooner or later I've got to get it right,lol.

Best Regards....Sora