Skin Deep

[OvS 8]

Just one comment to point out about the skins... now, not every skin is an ace... some are just pilots as is the case with Noth. We took a lot of time to place as many pilots in squadrons that were actually there, so the manager pulls them up as 'aces' so you can see their skins. So those you come by that are not listed as an 'ace' per say, are just pilots flying their own planes.... see.. yet another facet of OFF you just uncovered! ;) Ans I can say with GREAT confidence... this is going to be a VERY long thread.

 

OvS

[Olham 164]

Thanks for clearing, OvS.

I'll leave Noth in here, cause what I meant was rather to show the "individual skins"; they mustn't be all "ace skins".

[+Paarma 0]

Is that number 3. really Rumey´s skin? It looks more baseskin of jasta 5 1918. I cant really remember all trosses skins anymore.

I thought Rumey´s jasta 5 1918 skin use lozenge wings and one white stripe vertical in front of the wing. Also he had some kind of emblem in fuselage. Like half-moon...?

 

Cheers

 

Arto

 

I love those aces skins a lot also!

 

 

Thanks, Dej - send more, if you find!

Here are some from Jasta 5, Boistrancourt.

 

1. Fritz Oppenhorst

2. Richard Flashar

3. Fritz Rumey - 45 victories - FA(A) 19, Jasta 2, 5 - KIA September 27th, 1918

[Madmatt 0]

I know I shouldn't smack a gift horse in the mouth and the real life info your posting is great, but any chance you guys could also list the plane type and the name of the skin so that us 'other' pilots could try them out in our campaigns and QC's?

 

With so many skins to choose from, it's often hard to find the ones you are displaying.

 

Also, OVS, that's great news about the non-ace skins. I just wish OFF would also always see the "players" plan as an ace so that not everyone in our flight shared the same skin. That would be great!

 

Madmatt

Edited May 30, 2009 by Madmatt

[+Winder 32]

I know I shouldn't smack a gift horse in the mouth and the real life info your posting is great, but any chance you guys could also list the plane type and the name of the skin so that us 'other' pilots could try them out in our campaigns and QC's?

 

With so many skins to choose from, it's often hard to find the ones you are displaying.

 

Also, OVS, that's great news about the non-ace skins. I just wish OFF would also always see the "players" plan as an ace so that not everyone in our flight shared the same skin. That would be great!

 

Madmatt

 

1) In QC you can select any craft associated skin (Ace or Squadron) in the pull down list... the names are quite obvious, and you can do this for your craft and the enemy. Thus you can select skins to do Ace Vs Ace QC etc.

 

2) In your Campaign you can change the default squad skin to any skin you prefer in the pull down list on the main campaign screen uppermost section.

 

3) The limitation of the player and squad always having the same skin is quite deeply embedded into CFS3 but we will be looking at this for P4 but no promises.

 

HTH

 

WM

[Olham 164]

Paarma, I identified the skins by using ingame labels. I must check again, if he was flying a different craft that day?

Would be kind of you, if you could watch this thread, for possible mistakes we make?

 

Madmatt - good advice about the craft type. Will add that.

 

Thanks for "diving into it even deeper", Winder. Perhaps you find out, how to change that; I wish you luck - would be great!

Edited May 30, 2009 by Olham

[Madmatt 0]

Winder, I am aware of how to change skins in game, its just that sometimes it's easy to miss one skin for another, especially when the same pilot has multiple skins throughout his career over a period of time, and sometimes even with the same plane. Having the exact skin name posted would help to expedite the search for the exact same paintscheme shown above to fly ingame or perhaps view/edit in an outside graphics program is all.

 

For example, I wanted to try out that Monnington skin for my Alby campaign pilot, and it took me a while to finally locate it. Of course, that could also because I am not so good at ID'ing my Alb DV's, from the V (uprateds) and Va's and Va-200's and I had to look through a few lists before I finally spotted it! ;)

 

Turns out I won't be able to use it unless my pilot survives for a LONG time as I am still putzing around in an early DIII.

 

Madmatt

Edited May 30, 2009 by Madmatt

[Olham 164]

Madmatt - it doesn't tell the name of the exact skin in the ingame labels, so I can only tell you

the type of craft. But if you want to get into it deeper, get a free download of "DXTBmp" (must

google for it) and browse through the skins. Perhaps that will help searching.

 

They are in folder "Campaign" > "Campaign data" > "skins"

 

 

Edit: sorry, the first Albs were "early" types - just corrected it now.

Edited May 30, 2009 by Olham

[Madmatt 0]

Yeah, I already have that tool. No problem, I was just thinking you guys were FLYING with those skins and not just encountering those pilots while playing.

 

I appreciate the effort and I didn't mean to offtrack this post. Please continue with your great pics!

 

Madmatt

[+Winder 32]

Winder, I am aware of how to change skins in game, its just that sometimes it's easy to miss one skin for another, especially when the same pilot has multiple skins throughout his career over a period of time, and sometimes even with the same plane. Having the exact skin name posted would help to expedite the search for the exact same paintscheme shown above to fly ingame or perhaps view/edit in an outside graphics program is all.

 

For example, I wanted to try out that Monnington skin for my Alby campaign pilot, and it took me a while to finally locate it. Of course, that could also because I am not so good at ID'ing my Alb DV's, from the V (uprateds) and Va's and Va-200's and I had to look through a few lists before I finally spotted it! ;)

 

Turns out I won't be able to use it unless my pilot survives for a LONG time as I am still putzing around in an early DIII.

 

Madmatt

 

Lol yeah not easy as a pilot in WW1 ;)

 

Great as long as the features we have provided are being used I am happy.

 

I will look at a better link between skins and squads and Aces (improved database look-up/reference) for P4.

But with 3000 skins and growing by the hundreds as I type this - it is a lot to make easily accessible.

 

HTH

 

WM

[Dej 17]

3) The limitation of the player and squad always having the same skin is quite deeply embedded into CFS3 but we will be looking at this for P4 but no promises.

 

HTH

 

WM

 

Awesome, even without promises Hope you can find a way to do it.

 

 

On the matter of skins, if it's of interest to Olham or anyone, using the nVidia plugins for Photoshop I did a batch convert of the all the .DDS files to .JPGs in a new directory. I can now look at that directory in thumbnail mode and more easily pick a skin I want to load in QC.

[+Paarma 0]

Hi Olham,

 

I will try to check this thread skins, or least my made skins like dv/dva´s spad vii´s...

 

 

 

Paarma, I identified the skins by using ingame labels. I must check again, if he was flying a different craft that day?

Would be kind of you, if you could watch this thread, for possible mistakes we make?

 

Madmatt - good advice about the craft type. Will add that.

 

Thanks for "diving into it even deeper", Winder. Perhaps you find out, how to change that; I wish you luck - would be great!

[Olham 164]

Hi, Dej - did you offer to send those JPEGs to me, or a way to the plug-ins?

If it's the latter, I'd also need some advice, how to use it.

But yes - both would be great!

Edited May 30, 2009 by Olham

[Winston DoRight 3]

.........using the nVidia plugins for Photoshop I did a batch convert of the all the .DDS files to .JPGs in a new directory. I can now look at that directory in thumbnail mode and more easily pick a skin I want to load in QC.

 

I also would love to get your .jpg's, could you zip them up and upload them please?

[steve58 0]

fyi…Another easy way to view the .dds files/skins is to use IrfanView (http://www.irfanview.net/). You must also download and install the plugins.

 

What I'd like to see is a utility (or in game feature) to see a 3D view of the planes/skins…

Edited June 1, 2009 by steve58

[+Paarma 0]

Well cfs3 have program to show 3d models using default dds file with it. If someone now remember how it will work tell please. I need to check that when going home next time. I cant remember the name...

 

 

 

fyi…Another easy way to view the .dds files/skins is to use IrfanView (http://www.irfanview.net/). You must also download and install the plugins.

 

What I'd like to see is a utility (or in game feature) to see a 3D view of the planes/skins…

[rabu 9]

Well cfs3 have program to show 3d models using default dds file with it. If someone now remember how it will work tell please. I need to check that when going home next time. I cant remember the name...

 

Hi, Paarma: The CFS3 model viewer is OK, problem is you can't get that much detail from it.. I quit using it after awhile, but it was helpful when mapping out the model to the skins for placement of the 3d connections.

 

When CFS3 starts up as a 3d model viewer. You can load anything in that has a M3D suffix and look at it from all angles. I used to run it from CFS3 and view the skins I was making in the OFF folders.

Here's how it works, and I think you have to have CFS3 installed. I think I'm remembering this right... it's been awhile...

 

Make a shortcut to CFS3 exe in your start menu and put it on your desktop. ie: go to the Start, CFS3 folder, right click on the CFS3 exe file and choose "send to desktop"

Then, right click on the shortcut on the desktop, properties, and add -m3dview to the link.

Then rename the shortcut CFS3 model viewer or something like that.

 

Start it up and you will get a window with a sun and another one, probably hidden behind the larger one. Load a file and then play with the controls to zoom in-out, rotate, etc. Some where in there are key controls.

 

I should add.. play with at your own risk.. don't like to have any one cause problems for them selves.

 

Also.. I like the free dds viewer on the Navida website along with the plugin for Phososhop and the plugin to allow Windows explorer to see dds thumbnails. ..all free.

Edited June 2, 2009 by rabu

[+Paarma 0]

Thanks Rabu for the reply. Yes that 3d model viewer i ment. You right its not best to show all details in close if you zoom.

But i dont know any other programs that would show 3d model with dds skin, or is there other?

 

 

 

Hi, Paarma: The CFS3 model viewer is OK, problem is you can't get that much detail from it.. I quit using it after awhile, but it was helpful when mapping out the model to the skins for placement of the 3d connections.

 

When CFS3 starts up as a 3d model viewer. You can load anything in that has a M3D suffix and look at it from all angles. I used to run it from CFS3 and view the skins I was making in the OFF folders.

Here's how it works, and I think you have to have CFS3 installed. I think I'm remembering this right... it's been awhile...

 

Make a shortcut to CFS3 exe in your start menu and put it on your desktop. ie: go to the Start, CFS3 folder, right click on the CFS3 exe file and choose "send to desktop"

Then, right click on the shortcut on the desktop, properties, and add -m3dview to the link.

Then rename the shortcut CFS3 model viewer or something like that.

 

Start it up and you will get a window with a sun and another one, probably hidden behind the larger one. Load a file and then play with the controls to zoom in-out, rotate, etc. Some where in there are key controls.

 

I should add.. play with at your own risk.. don't like to have any one cause problems for them selves.

 

Also.. I like the free dds viewer on the Navida website along with the plugin for Phososhop and the plugin to allow Windows explorer to see dds thumbnails. ..all free.

[steve58 0]

Thanks for the 3D model info Rabu and Paarma. I only played around with it a bit but didn't see any way to slap on different skins. (I see an option for skinmesh (*.x) files whatever they are, but don't see any .x files.) Thanks...

Edited June 2, 2009 by steve58

[+Paarma 0]

Thanks for showing these pictures Olham. I will add some when i get to my computer next time.

[rabu 9]

Thanks Rabu for the reply. Yes that 3d model viewer i ment. You right its not best to show all details in close if you zoom.

But i dont know any other programs that would show 3d model with dds skin, or is there other?

 

I always ended up just using CFS3 because it's loads the game faster and putting my skins in a sub folder with the rest of the WWII planes.

[rabu 9]

Thanks for the 3D model info Rabu and Paarma. I only played around with it a bit but didn't see any way to slap on different skins. (I see an option for skinmesh (*.x) files whatever they are, but don't see any .x files.) Thanks...

 

Just put your skin in a folder of the same plane type and open that model and you will see your skin.

[OvS 8]

Just put your skin in a folder of the same plane type and open that model and you will see your skin.

 

Gents, I am considering deleting all the extra talk inbetween the posting by Olham, for no other reason other than he's doing a great job and we're (including me) getting in his way.

 

Is that OK with everyone?

 

Thanks,

 

OvS

[Creaghorn 10]

Today I enlisted in Jasta 26, Colmar, Februar 1917. Didn't know, I had to fly with "Bigmouth Mueller" there.

But there's also Fritz "Pastor" ("priest") Loerzer, who is okay.

Loerzer's craft looks identical to Goerings, by the way, so I don't show it here.

 

hi olham,

 

coincidentally i am in the same jasta at the same time right now.

i started with jasta 12 in oct. 1916 and flew in the alsace for the first time. as i did now my about 60th mission and same number of hours with one confirmed kill yet, i "transfered" my whole group to jasta 26 at the end of january 1917.

see you at the mess, old chap.

[Dej 17]

Three more from Jasta 28w, Wasquehal, 1917

 

Albatros DIII - Karl Bolle - Victories: 36 - Jasta 2, 28, Kasta 23, KG 4

 

Albatros DIII - Max Ritter von Müller - Victories: 36 - FA 1, Jasta 2, 28, KEK B - KIA Jan. 1918

 

Albatros DIII - Franz Ray - Victories: 17 - Jasta 1, 28, 49

 

That brings back some memories. On my first patrol in my first campaign after P3 dropped through my letterbox, as Llewellyn Rhys in No. 56 Squadron I ran into both Muller and Ray. I nearly had Ray too, I had him smoking at treetop level, but then my engine cut out (thanks to Muller earlier) and I had to crashland. Never had another chance at him... regrettably.