Exportin 4K in Gimp

[BOO]

Hi

 

Quick question - im exporting a skin in 4K using ICDPs fantastic 190 template. Using the recommended settings for the 2K skins in the dds box that opens up (the one where you select the compression, minimaps etc) and skin is running out at about 21MB. 

 

Ive noticed skins by other members shared on here are coming out about 16MB

 

Do i need to change anything?

 

Kind Regards

 

BOO

[BlackHellHound1]

Can you share a picture with the .dds options menu. It might be that your settings are not set correctly.

[BOO]

Hi BHH - i can share a picutre but i can tell that my dds export settings are:

 

Compression BC3/DXT5

Format- Default (Greyed Out)

Save - Selected layer (Greyed Out)

Mipmaps - Generate Mipmaps

Transparent Index 0 (Greyed Out)

 

Advanced Setting

 

Compression - Use perceptual Error Metric - unchecked

 

Mipmaps

 

Filter - Box

Wrap mode - Default

Apply gamma correction - unchecked

Use RGB colorspace - unchecked (Greyed out)

Gamma - 2.2 (greyed out)

Preserve Alpha Rest coverage - unchecked

Alpha test theshold - 0.50 (Greyed Out)

 

 

Regards

 

BOO

[BlackHellHound1]

Disable Generate Mipmaps. They are not needed.

[BOO]

16MB :-)  - Thanks BlackHellHound for the help and quick reply!

 

Kind Regards

 

BOO

[szelljr]

..good too no!! Thx! some here 21 mb. 

[VBF-12_Stick-95]

Aren't mipmaps needed for viewing the aircraft skin from a distance?

 

EDIT:  From what I have read, not having mipmaps could affect performance when at a distance.  Is there something in BOX that renders this differently?

 

Texture Filtering - Negative LOD Bias: LOD is short for Level of Detail, and adjusting the LOD Bias is a method of sharpening details on textures. The LOD Bias controls texture detail by determining when different Mipmaps are used. Mipmaps are a precomputed series of textures each of a certain resolution used to improve performance. When you look at a surface close to you, a higher resolution mipmap is loaded; as you move further away from that surface, progressively lower resolution mipmaps of it are displayed instead.

Edited January 22, 2017 by 12.OIAE_Stick-95

[Original_Uwe]

It does, mipmaps do make a difference but I think most of us have machines powerful enough to run without them.

But as I do skins for groups I include nip maps as they are going to be used in large groups.

[BOO]

Yeah ill be sticking to the Mipmaps as i do the same Uwe. Im not sure how the 4K texture maps affect stuff  but if this also comes into place its a very notable increase over a 2K set. As i say though, im not sure how the texture map works.

 

BOO

[Fafnir_6]

On 1/21/2017 at 11:45 AM, BOO said:

Hi BHH - i can share a picutre but i can tell that my dds export settings are:

 

Compression BC3/DXT5

Format- Default (Greyed Out)

Save - Selected layer (Greyed Out)

Mipmaps - Generate Mipmaps

Transparent Index 0 (Greyed Out)

 

Advanced Setting

 

Compression - Use perceptual Error Metric - unchecked

 

Mipmaps

 

Filter - Box

Wrap mode - Default

Apply gamma correction - unchecked

Use RGB colorspace - unchecked (Greyed out)

Gamma - 2.2 (greyed out)

Preserve Alpha Rest coverage - unchecked

Alpha test theshold - 0.50 (Greyed Out)

 

 

Regards

 

BOO

 

Hello all,

 

I am just beginning to skin aircraft for this fine simulation.  I have used 5tuka's superlative 4k Ju-52 skin template to create a fictional, yet historically "correct" skin of an aircraft from Stab./KGrzbV9 for the BoM career.  As it stands right now, I have made all the adjustments I need to the "StabKGrzbV9 Markings" layer I added to the 'paint here" section of the .xcf in GIMP 2.10. I am ready to convert the unflattened/merged image in GIMP to a form usable by IL-2.  Obviously I will be using the export to dds settings listed above, but I was wondering what other prep work is required before exporting.  Can anyone help me? Keep in mind that I am a GIMP noob.  

 

For those interested, I plan on doing summer & winter skins for 4V+AB, the fictional aircraft from Stab./KGrzbV9.  If this works out, I may also do 4V+CM from 4./KGrzbV9, for which there are excellent photographic references for BoS in the winter (I'd do a summer version as well).  I may also do 4V+DL or 4V+HL from 3./KGrzbV9 and possibly even 4V+AK from 2./KGrzbV9  (all of which have limited photo refs) to round out the package for this unit. Speaking of winter camo, what is a good color to use as a base for the washable winter camo used by the Luftwaffe?

 

Thank you for any help you can provide,

 

Fafnir_6

Edited June 7, 2018 by Fafnir_6

[BOO]

3 hours ago, Fafnir_6 said:

 

Hello all,

 

I am just beginning to skin aircraft for this fine simulation.  I have used 5tuka's superlative 4k Ju-52 skin template to create a fictional, yet historically "correct" skin of an aircraft from Stab./KGrzbV9 for the BoM career.  As it stands right now, I have made all the adjustments I need to the "StabKGrzbV9 Markings" layer I added to the 'paint here" section of the .xcf in GIMP 2.10. I am ready to convert the unflattened/merged image in GIMP to a form usable by IL-2.  Obviously I will be using the export to dds settings listed above, but I was wondering what other prep work is required before exporting.  Can anyone help me? Keep in mind that I am a GIMP noob.  

 

For those interested, I plan on doing summer & winter skins for 4V+AB, the fictional aircraft from Stab./KGrzbV9.  If this works out, I may also do 4V+CM from 4./KGrzbV9, for which there are excellent photographic references for BoS in the winter (I'd do a summer version as well).  I may also do 4V+DL or 4V+HL from 3./KGrzbV9 and possibly even 4V+AK from 2./KGrzbV9  (all of which have limited photo refs) to round out the package for this unit. Speaking of winter camo, what is a good color to use as a base for the washable winter camo used by the Luftwaffe?

 

Thank you for any help you can provide,

 

Fafnir_6

Hi

 

As far as prep work goes with gimp the most important advice I can give you is to SAVE a backup of your template before you start exporting. The process calls for you to merge the image as you know (I always select clip to bottom layer as it easier to make sure that layer is correctly aligned and 4096 x 4096. ). Too often ive forgotten to unmerge the image afterwards, saved at a later stage with a mis-click and been unable to restore the template to its layered format. 

 

After the merge you'll need to add the layer mask - these are located in the channels toolbar but you don't need to worry about them since 5tuka has done all the work for you.  - this controls the reflectivity/matte of the model in game.  Right click the bottom layer after merging, click "add layer mask, select "Channel" and pick which alpha you want (civvy or military). If its been added you will see the main image go grey chequered. 

 

Then export. THEN UNDO the layer mask and merge before you forget!!  Some people choose to add the mipmaps (22Mb) some don't (16Mb) - from what I can remember the debate going like, a PC that can play BOX is not likely to need mipmaps. I use skins made with both and don't see any difference.

 

Other than that just remember to put 5kukas 4K Normal map into the game's folder for maximum effect. that's found at data/graphics/Planes/ MODEL OF CHOICE /Textures - you can save the original 2K by just adding a new folder to the location (call it anything that makes sense to you) and putting it in there BEFORE you paste the new 4K in. 

 

For a winter wash I start with any colour, colorize option and alter the hue to get a yellow and drop its saturation to almost nothing then bring down the brightness. never test winter schemes in the viewer. Its always better to do a full alpha export to the game and check it in a winter map. 

 

Finally if you are starting to add non standard skins,  perhaps get familiar with OvGME or JGME - these are generic file swappers. Get your head around the basics and you can switch in you skins collections as you please. This becomes useful if you want to do a fresh install as it negates the need to worry about backing up skin and texture folders.  Of course you could just habitually copy and back up both easily enough without this so the choice is entirely yours. 

 

Good luck 

Edited June 7, 2018 by BOO

[Fafnir_6]

19 hours ago, BOO said:

Hi

 

As far as prep work goes with gimp the most important advice I can give you is to SAVE a backup of your template before you start exporting. The process calls for you to merge the image as you know (I always select clip to bottom layer as it easier to make sure that layer is correctly aligned and 4096 x 4096. ). Too often ive forgotten to unmerge the image afterwards, saved at a later stage with a mis-click and been unable to restore the template to its layered format. 

 

After the merge you'll need to add the layer mask - these are located in the channels toolbar but you don't need to worry about them since 5tuka has done all the work for you.  - this controls the reflectivity/matte of the model in game.  Right click the bottom layer after merging, click "add layer mask, select "Channel" and pick which alpha you want (civvy or military). If its been added you will see the main image go grey chequered. 

 

Then export. THEN UNDO the layer mask and merge before you forget!!  Some people choose to add the mipmaps (22Mb) some don't (16Mb) - from what I can remember the debate going like, a PC that can play BOX is not likely to need mipmaps. I use skins made with both and don't see any difference.

 

Other than that just remember to put 5kukas 4K Normal map into the game's folder for maximum effect. that's found at data/graphics/Planes/ MODEL OF CHOICE /Textures - you can save the original 2K by just adding a new folder to the location (call it anything that makes sense to you) and putting it in there BEFORE you paste the new 4K in. 

 

For a winter wash I start with any colour, colorize option and alter the hue to get a yellow and drop its saturation to almost nothing then bring down the brightness. never test winter schemes in the viewer. Its always better to do a full alpha export to the game and check it in a winter map. 

 

Finally if you are starting to add non standard skins,  perhaps get familiar with OvGME or JGME - these are generic file swappers. Get your head around the basics and you can switch in you skins collections as you please. This becomes useful if you want to do a fresh install as it negates the need to worry about backing up skin and texture folders.  Of course you could just habitually copy and back up both easily enough without this so the choice is entirely yours. 

 

Good luck 

It worked! It was actually quite easy.  Thank you so much for your help.  I'll be making a ton of skins at this rate :).  I just have one remaining problem, which is that the exhaust pipes, exhaust stains including parts of the fuselage and engine nacelles, along with some of the panel lines and flap dirt appear to be transparent in game.  Do you know how to fix this??

 

Thank you,

 

Fafnir_6

[BOO]

8 hours ago, Fafnir_6 said:

It worked! It was actually quite easy.  Thank you so much for your help.  I'll be making a ton of skins at this rate :).  I just have one remaining problem, which is that the exhaust pipes, exhaust stains including parts of the fuselage and engine nacelles, along with some of the panel lines and flap dirt appear to be transparent in game.  Do you know how to fix this??

 

Thank you,

 

Fafnir_6

that's the alpha layer (the channel) most likely - if you have a shade in the grayscale that has a V value of under 5 it will be transparent. this tends to happen if people try to just lower the entire alpha to make it less reflective. 

 

Another thing you may have done is enabled the alpha in the channels box (ie its got an eye next to it) - this should be deselected (no eye).

 

The alpha is basically made up of all the layers that have been turned into greyscale. If you want a les reflective alpha you will have to rebuild it. In its most basic form that's a base layer with a minimum of the aircraft parts and the weathering. You can perhaps copy and merge down many layers (best done with a duplicate template!!) or even just merge the layer groups but the one to watch is the weathering - here you will want to keep the paint chips separate from the dirt and grime as they will need different values in the alpha. Assembling a layer for "Holes" is also useful and can add to the skin (so the ammo ejection shoots or the apertures on the 52s cowls where the exhausts poke through) but again these rarely look great unless you also have some shadowing around them. 

 

A common issue though isn't the alpha as seen in game but how its seen in the viewer. In the viewer it can often look a lot shinier than it appears in the game. Overly matte skins can show a lot less detail contained in the normal map such as stressed metal and the depressed skin around rivets so its a balancing act. 

 

Couple of good threads here:

 

 

 

[Fafnir_6]

Hello,

 

Yeah, I think I may have the alpha selected in the channels box.  I'll confirm when I get home from work.  I'll give it a try and report back.  Thank you so much for all your help, you've been enormously helpful.

 

Cheers,

 

Fafnir_6

[Fafnir_6]

Okay that seems to have done the trick!  I found that I seem to be able to leave the alpha selected (the eye) and after adding the layer mask, that makes the image go all checkered.  I found that my exported .dds was always lighter than other skins I have downloaded.  I figured I needed to mess with levels in the layer mask.  I right-click on the checkered layer mask, select colors and then levels.  Adjusting the input to about 2.75 or so gives the attached result.  Thanks again to 5tuka and Boo for all their work and help. 

 

Cheers,

 

Fafnir_6

Edited June 9, 2018 by Fafnir_6