2nd dumb ? of the week...

[amariani 4,899]

...How do you determine decal placement? Is it trial & error or is there an easy way?

[FastCargo 412]

Trial and error...look at other aircraft for examples. It's pretty easy to figure out the syntax...

 

FC

[Fubar512 1,350]

Trial and error...look at other aircraft for examples. It's pretty easy to figure out the syntax...

 

FC

 

Experimenting on your own is encoraged, and it's how most of us familiarized ourselves with the series over the years.

[Spinners 15,986]

Click on DECAL TUTORIAL close to the top of the page.

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

 

(I love these old dormant sites)

[Wrench 9,850]

ya know, ya only get 3 per week....

 

another way to guestimate, is using the aircraft light positions. As these are stated in the data ini (fore/aft, right/left, up/down) they make a decent starting point. With a 'known' given size of an aircraft (wingspan, lenght, height), it narrows things down a bit.

 

The hardest part, is determining the mesh name to attach the decal too. Like FC said, similiar aircraft's decal inis, and if needed (and available) the OUT file for 3rd Party birds. If not, then it's into the Hex Editor. And THAT is a bit harder, having to guess at the mesh names. Fortunately, for stock 3rd Wire birds, TK's got them pretty much listing in existing decals inis.

 

wrench

kevin stein

[+daddyairplanes 10,248]

 

 

this is off of my personal Euro 1 skin for later model F-4Es. all markings on it are decals i just spent many hours loading a position in the decal.ini then loading up the game to look then going back and adjusting. if it is an existing skin/aircraft then you can base off of the original skin and tweak it to what you need.

 

and i agree whith Wrench on the question limit. too many dumb ones and you might make me look smart:lol:

 

 

 

one more shot for the road

Edited August 27, 2010 by daddyairplanes

[Lexx_Luthor 57]

A cute trick is making a decal waaaaaay oversize, say 100 meters in size, then some small section of the decal will still completely cover the outer_wing, or vert_tail, or what_ever. Then you know its working -- you have the correct mesh_name and correctly typed in the ini stuff. Reduce the decal size until you can see more of the total decal structure and as you make it smaller you see where its off position, often entirely off the part and you'd never know it otherwise. As you make it smaller you see what direction to push the decal until you get it on the part at normal size. Then position correctly. This beats guessin the location hands down which is a frustrating procedure.

[amariani 4,899]

Thanks guys for the response! This is some of the stuff I've been working on.

 

 

What do you think?