Help from any Gimp user around...

[RustyKurnass 658]

Hi all gents.

I 've a very important ask from any user of Gimp,as I'm still in the lower step of the learning curve about this programm.

Some days ago I started to customize some F-18 skins for El Dorado Canyon and  now I'll add some rivets but was stupid enough to not create a common map of the vert tails  (that now are complete of painted markins for any of the four squadrons).

So, before start to became crazy, is possible with Gimp to add a transparent layer over the map,drawing the rivets and made a copy ( trasparent obviously) that can be overimpressed on the others tail maps? Just like adding a acetate sheet over a drawing, work on it and gluing over another drawing?

 

Hope to be clear of what I mean and that someone can help me.

 

Thanks in advance

 

Edited November 18, 2020 by RustyKurnass

[+russouk2004 6,958]

yeah ...add new layer to the tail texture paint rivets set opacity of layer(right side ) to how you want then save as...save as psd too so you have the layers to go back to if you need to alter anything.

Edited November 18, 2020 by russouk2004

[+Geary 1,889]

I don't use Gimp, but I think 'Control-N' creates a new layer in Gimp as it does in Photoshop.

[+russouk2004 6,958]

im a fan of psp 7.4 as its easy...I do use ps for some more detaieled tools and tga`s etc but prefer this paint prog for basics...

its easier to use than ps ans gimp....as its basic but quite good tools and results.

[RustyKurnass 658]

16 minutes ago, russouk2004 said:

yeah ...add new layer to the tail texture paint rivets set opacity of layer(right side ) to how you want then save as...save as psd too so you have the layers to go back to if you need to alter anything.

Ok, I've already know how add a transparent layer mate,thanks.

So, after add the new layer and made the necessary settings of opacity,I'll paint all the rivets,then I can save only the "rivetted" layer as a tga ( to create a decals layer ) in order to paste it over the other tails?

[+russouk2004 6,958]

ahhhh yes  u can  but might be very awkwards to get the scale right...it might not fit the model lenghtwise but will heightwise...i had that problem with a sharkmouth on the 110 its stretched where didnt want it to..so painted it on texture...why not just add as layer to the jpg or what ever instead...this is pic of exactly that....i forgot to add some layers so rescued it by adding new layer...

Edited November 18, 2020 by russouk2004

[+EricJ 4,245]

Why do that when you can paint to the textture itself? The tails are good enough to add rivets and still show without the hassle of a decal.

[+Geary 1,889]

I

5 minutes ago, RustyKurnass said:

Ok, I've already know how add a transparent layer mate,thanks.

So, after add the new layer and made the necessary settings of opacity,I'll paint all the rivets,then I can save only the "rivetted" layer as a tga ( to create a decals layer ) in order to paste it over the other tails?

 

I think you can just save the whole file as a .psd file.  Then you can re-use the file as often as you like to create and save new tails.  Just place the decal layer above the tail layers.

[+russouk2004 6,958]

yep...tga is ok for some things if mesh is perfect...any blemishes and it stretches,pinches etc.....my sharkmouth painted on is same as the tgas ...but tga warped painted on doesnt...

I had same probs as you with my su-9   lost psd file and the skin wasnt finished so I added layers like a patchwork quilt lol...panel line or two here,rivets there ...some camo there etc etc...blended in using opacity etc etc...pain yeah but if it saves you work fine.

Edited November 18, 2020 by russouk2004

[RustyKurnass 658]

Mmmhhh ok guys.

Normally,for any skin I done,I worked first on all surface details like the camo,panel lines or rivets,then adde the markings,if painted, or simply saved them and left at the declas to do the job,ok

Now I've four set of tails with the unit marking painted on,and stupidily only after this I decided to add the rivets.

An example

 

 

 

The first choice was to add the rivets directly on the jpg, but there are 4 of these ,quite a lot of work.

For this reason I asked if was possible create a common layer with only the rivets,to be saved and over impressed on the other three,like a decals or a transparent sticjer ok?

I'm sorry but my bad english and my very limited knowledge of some PC terminology don't help me...

You're the best guys in help noob like my,I know this!

[Wrench 9,849]

so if i read this right, the primary question is:

"can I create a single layer of new rivets, then duplicate, move or flip if necessary to fit the other tail fin maps?"

that answer is a yes. i've done it hundreds of tmes

[RustyKurnass 658]

That's right mate, a trasparent rivet map layer,pratically, that I can past over the other tail maps

[+yakarov79 11,099]

In your gimp template create new layer...rivets layer..and do your rivets. For future projects. Then turn off all layers except those rivets..and export as tga. Open one of your finished jpgs skins and copy paste that tga.

Or simply copy just rivets layer over existing jpg skin...make sure that rivets layer has same size as jpg skin to align corectly. play with transparency 

[RustyKurnass 658]

2 hours ago, yakarov79 said:

In your gimp template create new layer...rivets layer..and do your rivets. For future projects. Then turn off all layers except those rivets..and export as tga. Open one of your finished jpgs skins and copy paste that tga.

Or simply copy just rivets layer over existing jpg skin...make sure that rivets layer has same size as jpg skin to align corectly. play with transparency 

Bingo!

Thanks mate,and thanks all for the interess and the help!

 

[RustyKurnass 658]

Ehi guys, thank to your help now I've the rivets in all the fins maps

 

 

[Wrench 9,849]

Knew you could do it!! 

[RustyKurnass 658]

Good day guys,about this little project, I'm close to the end but I've a small issue.

I guess for the way the F-18 model was designed, that when I apply the Squadron decals on the plane spine, look like squashed in the horizontal . By the way, this happen only with the VMFA-314 one,probably 'cause the bigger of all.

Note that this decal will be placed through two meshes ( nose and fuselage).

 

VFA-132 all fine

 

 

Same for the VMFA-323 one

 

 

 

And now the VMFA-314

 

 

 

Obviously I need to edit the decal lines to overlap each other on the meshes,but I stopped when noted how much the decal is distorted respect the tga file.

Any help and tips are more than welcome.

 

Edited December 8, 2020 by RustyKurnass

[+guuruu 5,909]

Attach decal file. Hard to say something without it.

This one :

Edited December 8, 2020 by guuruu

[+russouk2004 6,958]

Yeah,one reason I never did skins for it...badly mapped...ish...not to disrespect creator...(ive done it too lol)    also why I decided to remap the Marcs SU-27 cos of faulty mapping.

[+Soulfreak 6,524]

Use as less decals as possible. (only for numbers)

Squadron Markings i prefer to paint on texture instead of using decals..

[RustyKurnass 658]

Thanks guys,attached the Decals.ini.

Soulfreak,to answer you,paint as much markings as possible was basically my idea,I've done this on all four VFAs tail textures, service markings, ecc... even the VFA-131 squadron name on the spine, but the problem is that even so,at least the part of markings that will be on the spine of the fuselage mesh will be deformed ( and, by the way, I don't know if I will be able to determine the contact point of the two meshes...my skills are very limited)

 

Decals.ini

Edited December 8, 2020 by RustyKurnass

[RustyKurnass 658]

Hi guys, someone lsot some of his precious time for my decals problem?

In the meantime I've finished a quick skin mod ( in reality decals and the unit badge painted aft the cockpit) of the VAW-127 Seabats,still for the Coral Sea' CVW-13 during the 1986 Med Cruise

 

 

[RustyKurnass 658]

Ok guys , think I solved the isuue with the decals.

First I tried to paint directely on the maps,but obtain the right degree of distortion in order to show the marking correctely in game was too much for skill,so I choose the simply way and I halved the decals height.

 

 

 

 

Now show more or less as I want; an only small issue is that the two decals aren't perfectly the same and I'd varied the scale in the relative ini as 3.20 and 3.25, but don't are so notable