Decals not showing up in FE2

[Spad13 0]

Is there something that needs to be done to make the decals show? For example, the Siemens Shuckert has no markings. Thanks!

[+sinbad 27]

The format for decals is different in FE2. It isn't difficult, just different.

 

You can compare by DL both versions of my recent Sopwith 1A2 Strutter.

 

http://combatace.com/files/category/381-sopwith/

 

I posted the correct form for both. If you need more help, let me know.

[Spad13 0]

"DL"?

 

 

 

The format for decals is different in FE2. It isn't difficult, just different.

 

You can compare by DL both versions of my recent Sopwith 1A2 Strutter.

 

http://combatace.com...ry/381-sopwith/

 

I posted the correct form for both. If you need more help, let me know.

[Wrench 9,733]

DL= down load

 

the set up should be exactly the same as SF2, meaning, objects/decals/*aircraftfoldername*/*skinname*/D (subfolder)

 

wrench

kevin stein

[Spad13 0]

Ok, I found a step by step tutorial by a fellow named Heck that describes what to do.

 

What a pain in the butt. The should just paint the darn decals onto the fuselage instead of having to set up a whole new Decals folder with aircraft subfolders and subfolders to the subfolders to each D file you have. Geez.

 

 

DL= down load

 

the set up should be exactly the same as SF2, meaning, objects/decals/*aircraftfoldername*/*skinname*/D (subfolder)

 

wrench

kevin stein

Edited November 8, 2010 by Spad13

[Wrench 9,733]

And WHY would you want all the aircrft with ALL the same numbers??? Isn't that slightly purpose defeating, expecially with Historical Aircaft ™?

 

It takes less than a minute, once you get used to it. 1st Gens have had that ability since 2004, when the Objects/Decals folder was added (iirc) with WoV. SF2/FE2 takes is just one step further.

 

The onus is more on the mod uploader to split the various and sundry bits into their proper folders; that's how we been doing it for SF2 since pretty much Day1 (since we were forced to! --evolve or perish, I guess!)

 

If they haven't been seperated, here's a real easy way to fix that, and dosen't involve editing decals inis to change pathways...

 

1)download and install the aircraft as per instructions (ie: to Objects/Aircrft/*aircraftname*. If it's Old School (1stGen style), it'll have the /aircraftnamefolder/Skinnamefolder/D subfolder already set up as per 1stGens.

 

2)copy/paste the ENTIRE aircraft folder into the /Objects/Decals subfolder.

 

3)Open the newly copied aircraft folder and DELETE all the lods, inis, cockpit folder, etc from the main aircraft folder

 

4) open the skin folder, delete all the skin bmps, tgas, textureset ini, decals ini --everything BUT the /D

decals subfolder

 

go fly

 

there's really nothing too it!

wrench

kevin stein

[Spad13 0]

Sorry I lost it there, Wrench. I really do appreciate the help. I'm not a modder of any sort- I'm a middle aged fellow (WW 1 air buff, too) who doesn't like TV so I like to play games on my PC in the evening. Plug & Play is my speed, and sometimes I get frustrated at my lack of techno skills.

 

Got another question though. The Roland DVI doesn't have a "D" file. It has a "Decals" file with this in it:

 

[Decal001]

MeshName=Fuselage

DecalLevel=0

DecalFacing=RIGHT

FilenameFormat=Insignia

Position=-2.28,0.04

Scale=0.5

DecalMaxLOD=1

 

[Decal002]

MeshName=Fuselage

DecalLevel=0

DecalFacing=LEFT

FilenameFormat=Insignia

Position=-2.28,0.04

Scale=0.5

DecalMaxLOD=1

 

[Decal003]

MeshName=WingTO_L

DecalLevel=0

DecalFacing=Top

FilenameFormat=Insignia

Position=-3.379,0.261

Scale=1.3

DecalMaxLOD=1

 

[Decal004]

MeshName=WingTO_R

DecalLevel=0

DecalFacing=Top

 

But no "D" file with pics or whatever in it. So the crosses aren't showing up. Can I make a D folder, and if so, what would I put in it?

 

Thanks!!

[Wrench 9,733]

Without a full pathway, and just the tga (those are the decals), that means it's referencing STOCK insignia, in the case of the Roland, iirc, that's German (?i think?)

 

Looking at other decals inis, for stock aircraft extracted from the ObjectData cats, that is the correct name. Is SF2, some of the insignia got renamed.

 

It looks like the MaxDecalLod= line is incorrect; change it to =3 and see what happens.

 

For the record, I'm 53, so I guess middle age fits me too! Never been a big follower of WW1 aviation, but FE is just FUN!

 

Unfortunately, there's not too many mods built directly for FE2, so one has to do the legwork themselves, in updating/adapting the 1stGen FE/FEG. Other problems probably exist as well, more than likely relating to flight models. (we're STILL doing that for SF2 as well)

 

We're having the same issues with SF2, in trying to bring my/our beloved WW2 aircraft over and update. With over 5 years of modding pretty much ONLY WW2, I hate seeing all my hard work going to the wayside. (with over 250 aircraft, including variants -- for ETO/MTO/PTO/CBI- it's quite a daunting task). I'm also the 'HeadPropHead' for 1stGens/SF2.

 

So, yeah I can feel for you. There are a LOT of FE aircraft that need serious overhauls, both in their physical models (the LOD), and expecially in the Flight Models. The original modders or modder groups can only do so much at a time, what with dealing with more "modern" projects, and the extingencies of Real Life ™

 

We learn by doing!

 

wrench

kevin stein

[Spad13 0]

Kevin-

 

Sonuvagun- I changed that number to 3, and now it works! Unbelievable! Thank you sooo much!

 

Dave aka Spad13

[Wrench 9,733]

 

having made several thousand decals .... it was a pretty good guess that was the problem

 

wrench

kevin stein

[+quack74 329]

May I add it's a BIG PITA changing all the aircraft decal.ini too. In one decal file the DecalMaxLOD would have a range of 1-3. Even with my graphics settings at unlimited. So I had to change every decal file for every skin in every aircraft folder in my inventory one by one. A very very stupid thing. If I didnt do it the decals would disappear at only a few meters distance. I just changed all mine to "DecalMaxLOD=4"

Edited November 10, 2010 by quack74

[Wrench 9,733]

One of the problems with 1stGen aircraft, especially those made BEFORE the 08 patchs. Many don't even have the full pathway name for the decals, and some don't even have the /D subfolder, required them to be moved and decals ini editatated.

 

BUT....

 

for SF2/FE2, using the procedure I outline above, while created the nested folders, keeps thing nice and neat and dosen't require editing the decals ini provided the original modder or moding group had it wired together in the first place

 

One of the many things the end user winds up doing. Unfortunately, not much of a way around it

 

wrench

kevin stein