Question for Skinners

[+Geary 1,889]

I've been experimenting trying to find the best FS color to use for the bright, shiny natural metal skin I see on unpainted, early jets.

 

So far, the FS color for silver/aluminum, FS 17178 is a bit too gray for what I'm looking for.

 

I use Photoshop CS4.

 

Any suggestions for which color/method to get shiny?

 

 

TIA,

 

 

Geary

[+FLOGGER23 3,064]

What i do is:

 

In Photoshop add a 15% gray layer, then add noise at 1.5%, glosiness is given via game ini.

 

if you want to add different color panels just increase them by 5% and simply add noise, then you are good.

 

hope it helps.

[Spinners 15,986]

I remember hgbn gave some tips on doing NMF skins. His F-100 was really good.

[+daddyairplanes 10,244]

Keep the era in mind also. Towards the mid 60s up some of those nat metal finishes were painted silver laquer for corrosion control. Thuds come to mind, many Starlifters got it after regular flights to Vietnam, and even the F-102 had a one off in silver paint st Ogden.

To all others, i also thank you for the tips. Said Starlifter is in my todo pile, as well as wanting to make some nat metal airliner skins (Eastern, American and Condor)

Keep the era in mind also. Towards the mid 60s up some of those nat metal finishes were painted silver laquer for corrosion control. Thuds come to mind, many Starlifters got it after regular flights to Vietnam, and even the F-102 had a one off in silver paint st Ogden.

To all others, i also thank you for the tips. Said Starlifter is in my todo pile, as well as wanting to make some nat metal airliner skins (Eastern, American and Condor)

[+russouk2004 6,958]

Do what I do...use real metal photos etc and copy n paste bits into ur skin...like so

[+Coupi 4,388]

Good idea Russouk! This looks very good... I'll try with the TW Vautour IIA.

 

What's about your Fishpot A/B status! The "9F" is excellent.

 

 

[+Geary 1,889]

Flogger,

 

   Thanks.  You've simplified a more complicated method I've tried before.  I guess the reason I didn't use it was because it seemed like a lot more work.  But I guess if I want the end result I'll have to take the time and put out the effort.

 

Spinners,

 

   I've found Jimbib's post in the KB on basically the same method Flogger23 explained, with more detailed steps, but I can't find anything by hgbn.  Any idea where those tips reside?

 

daddyairplanes,

 

   I'm currently interested in the 50's era. NAKED, BRIGHT AND SHINY like the F-86 natural-metal skin.  I'm taking baby steps here.  Other eras, other times.  (Is your post being redundant and repeating itself?  Just asking cause before I have my coffee my head tends to tilt to one side and my eyes refuse to focus, so I'm not sure if I'm seeing double.)

 

  russouk,

 

   WOW!  That's a work of art!  I imagine it took quite a bit of time to piece it together?  I'm afraid if I leaned to do that and it turned out well on ONE plane, I'd want to do that to the thousand or more I have in my installs. I'd end up spending the rest of my life in Photoshop and there are still things I want to do in life, like nap in a hammock, nap in an easy chair, nap between a pair of well-rounded ... well, you get the point.

 

   Man, this skinning stuff is like a drug.  One taste and you're hooked.

 

   As I'm basically lazy by nature, I was looking for an easy way to aluminize my skins, like pick a color, splash it on with a paint bucket, add a pinch of this and a dash of that, tweak the textureset.ini and viola.  SHINY!

 

   You guys have given me a few ideas and probably a lot more work. Think I'll rest up before I attempt any of these methods.

 

Thanks to all,

[Wrench 9,849]

a 'dull' finish is actually more realistic. We're talking operational aircraft, worn, used, scratched, scuffed and beat to shit. Not a mirror-polished museum quality restoration.

Were some bright? Maybe so; photo evidence shows some 4th FG NMs rather bright (could also be an artifact of orthochromatic film, as opposed to more modern emulsons). When possible, cross check again period color photos. When in doubt, dull it out.

Don't forget things like a "clouds" layer will give a patchy worn, not-so-reflective look as well

 

Look at the KAW Sabre skins for an example (while not as perfect as I'd have liked, relatively close).

 

also, fiddle with the Reflection, Specular and Glossiness in the texture set ini

 

NM finishes are a real workout, and I'm still learning them too!!

[+russouk2004 6,958]

Or Geary...another way..

pasting into a layer,set opacity etc,and maybe add some base colour over panel areas to get some diversity...

.using a texture like so...this isnt one I used,but you get the idea..

Texture...

Textures on template..

and in max with bumpmaps

 

[+Geary 1,889]

a 'dull' finish is actually more realistic. We're talking operational aircraft, worn, used, scratched, scuffed and beat to shit. Not a mirror-polished museum quality restoration.

Were some bright? Maybe so; photo evidence shows some 4th FG NMs rather bright (could also be an artifact of orthochromatic film, as opposed to more modern emulsons). When possible, cross check again period color photos. When in doubt, dull it out.

Don't forget things like a "clouds" layer will give a patchy worn, not-so-reflective look as well

 

Look at the KAW Sabre skins for an example (while not as perfect as I'd have liked, relatively close).

 

also, fiddle with the Reflection, Specular and Glossiness in the texture set ini

 

NM finishes are a real workout, and I'm still learning them too!!

 

 

Wrench,

 

  I understand the worn, used finish on operational jets, but the weathering can be added later.  Speaking of which, I suck at a lot of things, and weathering is one of them.  Still need to learn weathering and adding gun port soot.

 

  And speaking of the KAW Sabers, who did those skins?  They are greatly detailed.  Works of art.

 

 

Russ,

 

  That's more like I'm thinking.  Looks like it just rolled out of the factory.

 

  Thanks for the tip on adding color over panels to add diversity.  Another skill I need to learn.

[Wrench 9,849]

I did.

with ravenclaw's template

[+daddyairplanes 10,244]

Yes it did double post. Stupid tablet, but it's what i get for posting at school.

And no comments about equipment only as smart as the operator thak you! XD

Edited August 20, 2014 by daddyairplanes