Skins in PWCG

[PatrickAWlson]

There was discussion about skins not working in PWCG.  I thought that I might have broken skin assignments with a previous change.  I tested skins and I can confirm that assigning loose skins to squadron mates as well as assigning squadron default skins works fine. I will look into random assignments from the skins files over the next week.

 

How skins work in PWCG:

Skins can be assigned to yourself and your squadron mates through the UI.  Once assigned, those assignments are sticky and will last as long as the pilot does.

Skins can be assigned to your squadron in the squadron file.  This becomes the default skin to be applied to every squadron member.

Skins can be assigned to aces in the ace file.  This becomes the skin to be applied to that ace when he is flying.

Skins can be designated for assignment in the skins file.  These skins are assigned at mission generation time and are not sticky.

 

The algorithm:

Assign default skin.

Assign squadron skin if designated.

Assign from skin files if

- designated for the squadron

- skin is available for mission

- user has skin in game's skin folder 

Assign ace skin if ace is flying and skin is available.

Assign skin if designated by user through UI.

 

or, in English ...

Start with the default skin

Use a squadron skin if there is one available

Use a personal if there is one available and the user actually has the skin on his HD.

Use the designated personal skin if the player has made that designation.

 

 

 

 

[Tapi]

Well, thanks for info but unfortunatelly skin selection do not work for me...

I downloaded skin pack from your web page and copy it to he game (I checked it - I can select new skins manually from the game).

Well, with game closed I select my PWCG campaign - Skin management and choose skin for squadron as well as Loose (for me) - see attachemenent. And I confirm Accept...

But when I run mission from the game now all a/c from my squadron including me have default skins.... 

 

What do I miss?

 

Edited February 23, 2019 by Tapi

[Almenas]

Have skins configured, but still are not displayed as Squadron skin set. Would like to see sets for AI-Squadrons as well.

[PatrickAWlson]

Might be a misunderstanding as to what "squadron" means.  On the skin management UI "squadron" refers to skins configured for use only by a specific squadron.  These are skins that combine squadron and individual markings and are best suited for assignment to a single pilot within a squadron.  It does not mean default skin for the squadron.  

 

Default skins for the squadron are assigned are assigned in the squadron JSON file.  

[Almenas]

That's what I meant, I think. I edited f.e. the file BoSData-Input-Skins-Configured-bf109f4.json, but the skins are only displayed as Loose-skin set, not as Squadron set.

[Tapi]

17 hours ago, Tapi said:

Well, thanks for info but unfortunatelly skin selection do not work for me...

I downloaded skin pack from your web page and copy it to he game (I checked it - I can select new skins manually from the game).

Well, with game closed I select my PWCG campaign - Skin management and choose skin for squadron as well as Loose (for me) - see attachemenent. And I confirm Accept...

But when I run mission from the game now all a/c from my squadron including me have default skins.... 

 

What do I miss?

 

 

Well, I searched inside the squadron file (I_JG51.json) and I think this part of the code is relevant in the "skins" section:

 

    {
      "skinName": "I_JG51",
      "planeType": "fw190a3",
      "startDate": "19400801",
      "endDate": "19421101",
      "squadId": 20111051,
      "country": "Germany",
      "category": "Squadron",
      "definedInGame": false
    },

 

My question is: should not be the last parameter  "definedInGame": true in order to skin assignment for the squadron skins work correctly in the game?

[PatrickAWlson]

definedInGame": true/false refers to skins that are shipped with the game.  PWCG uses this parameter to determine whether or not to assign a skin at mission time.  If the value is false PWCG will look for the skin in the game's data/graphics/skins directory and only make the assignment if the skin exists for the plane in use.  i.e. the .dds file has to be where the game expects it to be.  If this parameter is set to true then PWCG assigns the skin and does not make this check.  The idea is that the skin is bundled with the game and the game will find it.

 

So ... the only skins that should have definedInGame set to true are the skins that come with the game.

 

Why this logic: A given plane can have a skin assigned multiple times during mission creation.  The idea is that the last assignment is the best one.  Default is the worst.  Squadron is next best.  Personal skin is best.  If PWCG assigned a configured personal skin but that skin was not actually available in the players install, then the game would use the default skin.  The result would be that default would be used when squadron was actually available.   The skin check prevents this from happening.

 

It gets more complicated than that.  PWCG is coded to auto assign personal skins to AI flights.  If an AI flight is for a specific squadron and there are personal skins configured for that squadron, PWCG will use them.  Since it is not guaranteed that a given user has installed a skin the check is made to ensure that the skin is available to the game before PWCG tries to use it.

 

This is all extremely well developed in RoF.  the skin makers for RoF did a huge amount of work - thousands of skins.  Many of these skins were made with PWCG in mind.  Panthercules led the effort to organize these skins and offer them up in for download.  I and others did the configuration work.  This was hundreds of hours of work with many contributors.  The result was that a player could download and install the skin packs and everything just worked. 

 

We are not even close with BoX.  There are no organized skin pack downloads.  Without those there are no configured skins.  The code is there.  I will do a few squadron skins and confirm the mechanics still work as intended.  So far I know that skins assigned through the skin management UI and skins assigned by squadron work as expected.  I need to go to the aircraft skin config files and ensure that those work.  

 

[Almenas]

I just made skin packs in advance to use it sometimes in PWCG as in RoF. Any interest?

[Tapi]

Thanks Pat very much for the detailed explanation about skins.

BTW: Your PWCG is great and I use it daily, so thank for that again!

 

Hope the skins will work for me, but if not never mind (skins management is nice but not crucial feature to otherwise excellent piece of SW).

[von_Michelstamm]

Could it be that it needs to have the .dds suffix mentioned in the JSON file?

[Sublime]

I have a question @PatrickAWlson  you mention in your OP the squad skins and then ACE skins.  Since BoS doesnt tell you names of downed enemy aircrew and you dont get an Aces Over Europe "You just shot down Adolf Galland!" message -  Im assuming then the game does model/have aces flying in it?  Thats interesting to know for me - or is it only men in your squadron you refer to?

Also I know this is O/T because its about RoF but has anyone ever shot down or encountered real historical aces in RoF in career or PWGC? As in perhaps a really good AI opponent and when you landed it turns out it was Goering or something? Just wondering thanks.

[PatrickAWlson]

RoF had almost 200 aces modeled and they were encountered frequently.  I tend to fly German and Guynemer in particular was a common sight.  I also saw friendly aces frequently.

PWCG for BoS has two aces.  

 

The support is all there.  A new ace can be added with a JSON file.  It is just time and the fact that the victory numbers in the east are huge.  The two aces that do exist were user additions.

 

As this relates to skins: if the skins exist then they can be assigned to the ace (in the ace JSON) and then that ace will have the assigned skin when he (or she) is included in a mission.  In RoF I saw Guynemer and Richthofen and others and recognized them by the skin.  

Edited June 26, 2019 by PatrickAWlson

[Frosted_Flaker]

I'm flying the Italian campaign right now and I was just wondering:
1) How do I assign the stock skin with squadron markings as opposed to the default skin?

2) How do I assign whitewash once the snow falls, OR will it be automatically assigned? 

[PatrickAWlson]

1 hour ago, Frosted_Flaker said:

I'm flying the Italian campaign right now and I was just wondering:
1) How do I assign the stock skin with squadron markings as opposed to the default skin?

2) How do I assign whitewash once the snow falls, OR will it be automatically assigned? 

 

Squadron scope skins are assigned in the skins section of the squadron file.  These skins have start and end dates.  To switch between summer and winter you have to repeat the skin assignments, alternating between summer and winter.

Example:

8/41 - 11/41 summer skin

11/41 - 3/42 winter skin

3/42 - 11/42 summer skin

11/42 - 3/43 winter skin

3/43 - 11/43 summer skin

 

That will cause your summer and winter skins to alternate.

 

You will have to look at an existing skin record to see the exact format.  

[Frosted_Flaker]

That was very helpful, thank you.
 

Would it be possible to do this for allied and enemy squadrons as well? 

If so, could future versions of PWGC have this built in? 

 

I think it would be a neat feature to have aircraft gradually shift to whitewash on a plane by plane or squadron by squadron basis across the front. 

 

[PatrickAWlson]

Every squadron.  It is a completely working system that is lacking data entry and skin packs.

 

RoF has thousands of skins available in skin packs configured for use in PWCG.  When you play PWCG ROF you can see every plane in the sky with different skin.  It took hundreds of hours of work from many different people to get there.

 

One thing missing for BoS is the lack of organized skin packs.  Individual skins are all over the place.  Historically accurate or plausible mixed in with fantasy.  Frequently no indication of what the skin is.  I really have no idea what is or is not available.  I see people willing but nobody has taken hold and got things organized the way that Panthercules did for RoF (and I get why as it is a huge amount of work). 

 

I did do a skin pack configured for PWCG and downloadable from the PWCG web site.  it's a start but far from complete.  I'm eyeballs deep in code and cannot take ton dealing with skins any time soon, .

[falle96]

Hey, Patrick, I can't seem to find the loose skins for either the LaGG or the MiG-3. They seem to show up fine for the Bf. 109s, but not for Russian aircraft. What am I doing wrong?

[PatrickAWlson]

10 hours ago, FarflungWanderer said:

Hey, Patrick, I can't seem to find the loose skins for either the LaGG or the MiG-3. They seem to show up fine for the Bf. 109s, but not for Russian aircraft. What am I doing wrong?

 

Not sure.  I'll look into it later today.  

[Sublime]

Pat I tried messaging you please can you contact me. Its urgent, game related and could benefit the entire community. It involves your prog and I need help. Please contact me!!!

[Almenas]

Can you give some info?