Where to add aircraft/bort numbers in SF2

[MiG Master]

I've downloaded MF's Soviet MiG-29 to SF2 and it works fine. However, the bort (aircraft) numbers don't show up. I know you add mods in Vista to the "Mods Folder" located at C:\Users\<username>\Saved Games\ThirdWire\StrikeFighters2\, but I don't know what folder the numbers should be located in. I can't find the folder location on TW's forums, either. Would they go in the Decals folder, or somewhere else?

[+Wrench]

Something I discovered too....

 

C:\Users\<username>\Saved Games\ThirdWire\StrikeFighters2\Objects\Decals\*skinfoldername*

 

create a new folder in the /Decals subfolder that matches the skin name, move all the decals over to it,

 

then, you'll have to rewrite the pathways in the decals ini...this is for the Indian Fulcrum as an example:

 

[Decal001]

MeshName=RightEngine

DecalLevel=0

DecalFacing=RIGHT

FilenameFormat=Mig-29A_In/in/47 <---

Position=0.150,-0.230

Rotation=0.0

Scale=0.6

DecalMaxLOD=3

Reverse=TRUE

 

 

note the removal of the d/, since the decals folder IN the skin folder isn't used anymore. Leave the newly edited decals.ini STAYs in the skin folder, inside the airplane's folder.

 

Pesonally, I think this is one of the STUPIDIST, most inane thing about these NextGen series ... there was nothing wrong with the old way of doing things, with the *skinname*/D/*decalsname, and all the bits all in one place.

 

Gotta be a Vista crapology thing...

 

wrench

kevin stein

[+column5]

Splitting the decals into a separate folder is not a Vista thing. I'm not sure why TK did it that way.

 

Anyway, note also that you do not have to use the default location under C:\Users...

 

1. Edit the StrikeFighters2 Europe.ini file and change the path to Options.ini to the location of your choice (mine is D:\Program Files (x86)\ThirdWire\Strike Fighters 2 Europe\Options.ini)

 

2. Copy the Options.ini file from C:\Users... to the new location

 

3. Edit the Options.ini file and change all paths to the previous location to the new location

 

4. Launch the game to recreate the mod folders under the new path

 

Your install is now self-contained and you don't need the folders under C:\Users... anymore.

[MiG Master]

column5: Thanks for the tip! I think I might give that a try.

 

Wrench: I'm not at home right now, but I did something similar to what you said to get decals in the "d" folders to work for my other MF aircraft. I didn't have to create a new decals folder but a new folder that matches the aircraft name, then dropped the decal folder into it. I'll have a look and see what I did. I think the MiG's numbers were pathed differently than the "d" folder decals.

 

As for why the mod folders are where they are in Vista, I think I read somewhere on TW's website that it was supposed to simplify modding by keeping mods separate from the stock files.

[MiG Master]

Ok, they're working now. Here's what I did:

 

During the install, there was a separate "Decals" folder with some bort numbers in it. I simply added them to the \Objects\Decals folder. Some of the MiG-29C skins use these.

 

For skin-specific numbers located in "d" folders, I created an aircraft folder under \Objects\Decals, then a skin folder, then dropped the "d" folder into the skin folder.

 

So, for a path to the bort numbers for the MiG-29A of the 119th MIAP:

 

\Objects\Decals\MiG-29A\119\d

 

The 119's decals.ini needed a tweak; other skins' decals.ini files did not.

 

[Decal001]
MeshName=RightEngine
DecalLevel=2
DecalFacing=RIGHT
FilenameFormat=[b]Mig-29A/sov2/d/rbn[/b]   <======change to Mig-29A/119/d/rbn
Position=0.100,-0.250
Rotation=0.0
Scale=1.3
DecalMaxLOD=3

[Decal002]
MeshName=LeftEngine
DecalLevel=2
DecalFacing=LEFT
FilenameFormat=[b]Mig-29A/sov2/d/rbn[/b]   <======change to Mig-29A/119/d/rbn
Position=0.100,-0.250
Rotation=0.0
Scale=1.3
DecalMaxLOD=3

 

And now my MiGs are numbered.

 

Thank you both for your help.

[+Wrench]

Don, what about us poor benighted XP users???

 

My path:

 

C:\Documents and Settings\Kevin J. Stein\My Documents\ThirdWire\StrikeFighters2\Objects\Decals\F-79\USAF

 

with the tgas and the decals ini IN the /Aircraft/F-79/USAF skin folder; that give me decals

 

using the regular pathway in the decals ini (WoE version);

 

[Decal001]

MeshName=RightWing

DecalLevel=2

DecalFacing=TOP

FilenameFormat=F-79\USAF\D\FNum

Position=2.20,-0.250

Scale=1.25

DecalMaxLOD=3

Rotation=90

 

does not.

 

or, is there more that should be added to the decals ini, even with the the aircraft in the

C:\Documents and Settings\Kevin J. Stein\My Documents\ThirdWire\StrikeFighters2\Objects\Aircraft\F-79 ?????

 

even though the edits only take less than a minute, it's still a PIA!!

 

wrench

kevin stein