Decals

[+p10ppy 2]

New thread about decals

So we don’t clutter up tex’s one on the plafz skin

Thanks. Meanwhile, to deal with the national insignia question. I believe you can insert a specific TGA file in each skin set. That TGA file can be numbered any way you wish. Usual is INSIGNIA005, INSIGNIA006 etc. but it matters not. The point is you can either copy one from the insignia set or make your own with the correct national insignia for each skin. As in any other mod the TK generic will simply not be referenced for that skin as the local image takes priority. I do not believe this has any effect on other skins even if they appear in the same flight and mission. Of course you can use a number 705, 706. You then make a decal ini [named "Decals" to specify the code number, size and location. The skins for Borts aircraft such as the Halb DII are good examples.

 

While you can (and should) do that for aircraft numbers and personal insignia using the built in numbering system (both decal.ini and the numbers.lst)

I’m not sure what you would gain doing the national insignia that way

 

I suppose you could use it like personal (squadron) decals and change them for different craft in the same flight, but it would be fixed (no changing with date)

And if its only being used to change the national insignia from stock why not just paint it on the skin… same result and looks better imho

(if ive not misunderstood you )

 

On the date changing thing…

I expect there’s only one AlternateDecal=XXX/ActiveDate=XXX in each nations subsection …(mite be wrong)

 

But maybe if you add another new nation to the nations.ini …

 

[Nation020]

Name=GERMANY_TRANS

 

For example and referenced that from …

 

[Nation019]

Name=GERMANY_OLD

ActiveDate=XXXX

AlternateDecal=GERMANY_ TRANS

 

And supplied a INSIGNIA020.TGA with the modded cross it may work…

Where to put that .tga I’m not sure… (Either in the aircraft skins folder or straight under objects/aircraft I guess) YMMV

 

There is a decal tutorial from TK floating around (it’s a bit old but still useful)

Its worth a read if you haven’t already

And why it’s so hard to find I’m not sure …

Here

http://www.bobsyouruncle.net/StrikeFighterSkins.htm

 

have fun

 

ps i can probably whip up a insignia tga if you guys need one

but you will have to point me at a photo of what you want (im too lazy / hungover to look at the moment)

[Barkhorn1x 9]

Thanks man - here are examples of what we need:

 

DR1 = http://www.fokkerdr1.com/Profiles/Profile%20SB16.htm

 

DV/DVa =

http://wwi-cookup.com/albatros/dv/j79bkallmunzer02.jpg

http://www.wwi-models.org/Images/Miller/re.../j79leptien.jpg

Edited November 10, 2007 by Barkhorn1x

[+p10ppy 2]

I had a quick play with this today

and I'm not sure its possible to change the decal with the date more than once :(

maybe a Q for TK

just in case its useful anyway heres a insignia replacement to play with insignia.rar

 

 

You might find it a bit transparent on some skins (not extensively tested)

let me know if its not what you hand in mind...

 

on a side note I'm not really sure how those profile artist's think the transitional cross could be so thin...

I'm probably missing something but the iron cross is awfully thick at the ends when you consider the white border as well...

 

have fun

[+whiteknight06604 931]

I had a quick play with this today

and I'm not sure its possible to change the decal with the date more than once :(

maybe a Q for TK

just in case its useful anyway heres a insignia replacement to play with insignia.rar

 

 

You might find it a bit transparent on some skins (not extensively tested)

let me know if its not what you hand in mind...

 

on a side note I'm not really sure how those profile artist's think the transitional cross could be so thin...

I'm probably missing something but the iron cross is awfully thick at the ends when you consider the white border as well...

 

have fun

 

"I'm probably missing something but the iron cross is awfully thick at the ends when you consider the white border as well..."

 

I could be completly wrong here(and usualy am) but I always assumed they used the thinner portion of the crossed and painted the white "up" to the end cutting off the large flared ends.either way I really like the improvments so far.thank you.

[+p10ppy 2]

thanks :)

 

I could be completly wrong here(and usualy am) but I always assumed they used the thinner portion of the crossed and painted the white "up" to the end cutting off the large flared ends

 

problem with that I think

is that it would mean repainting the underlying fabric (hard especially on lozenge or fokk streaks) to remove the "flares"

But I'm only guessing that they wouldn't/couldn't want to repaint the Fabric

 

guess its why some have a big white box instead of a rim...

[Barkhorn1x 9]

Thanks for your work here.

[+sinbad 27]

[ anyway heres a insignia replacement to play with insignia.rar

 

 

 

 

Thanks P10ppy- this will be useful.

[Barkhorn1x 9]

I asked the following questions over at The Aerodrome:

 

...some questions on the March/May 1918 German cross switch from Maltese cross to Balkenkruez:

 

1. There appears to be no set "style" for the change - was this just left up to the individual Jasta's?

 

2. Where the crosses part of the lozenge printed fabric - or were they always added after.

 

 

I received a reply from none other than Dan San Abbot - well known authority on WWI aviation and German markings in particular.

 

On 17 March 1918, the Flugzeugmeisterei of Idflieg issued a directive to change the cross style from the Iron Cross form to the balken cross, (balken = beam). An undimensioned illustration accompanied the directive. This caused confusion with the manufacturers and they requested more information. The Field units went ahead and started changing the crosses on the airplanes. This resulted in a wide variety of cross forms and styles as each unit painter interpreted the directive.

On 24 March 1918, Idflieg was a lttle more specific and stated the cross form should be a ratio of 4:1 length to width and the white border would be 150 mm wide.

On 10 April 1918, Idflieg issued a third order that specified the cross sizes to be used for the rudder, fuselage and wings. The size for the rudder 400 mm, for the fuselage, 600 and the wings 1000mm. The white border was 150mm wide. All these changes created havoc in the field, which resulted in a wide variety of balken crosses.

To complete the cross story, on 4 June 1918 the hrizontal arm the the vertical latin cross with an a ratio of 4:5 was introduced. The vertical arm was to be full chord of the wing and full depth of the side of the fuselage.

The arm width was a ratio 8:1 of the vertical. The white border width was reduced to a ratio of 4:1 the width of the arm. The horizontal arm was to be the same wide as the vertical arm. The wing crosses are to be placed at the wing tips. On the Fok.D.VII, OAW did this, but, Fokker and Albatros did not.

Finally on 25 June 1918 the final form of the Latin cross was specified, the horizontal arm was to be that 1:1 ( both the same.) of the vertical arm. The width of the arm was to be a ratio of 8:1 of the vertical/ horizontal arms. The white border width to be a ratio of 4:1 of the vertical/horizontal arms. The cross was to be full chord of the wing and side of the fuselage.

This gives you the whole story in a nutshell.

Blue skies,

Dan-San

 

http://www.theaerodrome.com/forum/camoufla...html#post354635

 

He did not address the second question directly but reading between the lines I believe that the crosses were painted on. And, as his post states - there were divergent interpretations of the directive that gives us those odd looking crosses.

 

I also had to laugh at the differences in cross placement by the different DVII manufacturers.

 

Good stuff!