Super chrome or super dull.

[Radar361]

Hello all,

 

   I have just started using Gimp and trying my hand at reskinning. I have a couple of different skins done more as a test. The first one I did shows up very polished, while the others I did seem to be a bit too far the opposite. Can anyone give me any suggestions? I will keep watching tutorials as well. This is a tough learning curve!

[Bo_Nidle]

I had to learn this recently when i started skinning for "IL2 Great Battles". Although I would call myself an "experienced skinner" having done a lot of skins for "IL2*46" and, more recently "DCS World",  returning to the "IL2" fold meant having to learn the Alpha and learn GIMP in order to manipulate it.

My main paint program is Paint Shop Pro as I have used it for so long its second nature. Its draw back is that it cannot use the Intell DDS converter, so I had to download GIMP.

I paint in PaintShop Pro and use GIMP for Alpha building, adjustment and saving the skin as a DDS file via the Intel converter which is faster than the Nvidia one I have to use otherwise and seems to give a better esult.

So this is how I do it, more experienced skinners on here may have a far better way but this seems to work reasonably well::

 

1/Open your Alpha in Gimp,

2/ select the "baremetal" layer (assuming you are using the standard ICDP template),

3/ open the "colours" tab,

4/ select the "curves" option,

5/ you will see a graph with a line running diagnally through it. I right click the centre of the line and drag it down which causes the "bare metal" layer to darken, or dragging it above the line makes the image go brighter. Brighter = more reflection, Darker = Less. From there its a matter of trial and error, adjust and test, adjust and test etc.

6/ I apply my painted layers by copying from the PSD file I work with in Paint Shop Pro, paste them in place as a seperate layer from the "Bare metal" layer in the Alpha template, in the Colours section I then desaturate this layer, reduce brightness and contrast to zero, then adjust the brightness of the resulting grey image using the curves tool. I usually try and give painted areas a slight relective sheen as total matt just looks dull.

 

I always test the Alpha in game as the different lighting on the different maps gives a very different appearance to the lighting in the Model Viewer (which I do use but thats for checking paint line ups etc) and both of those give a different appearance again to the "hangar" image in the game.

 

I am not really a fan of how the sim currently renders Natural Metal Finishes on its aircraft and hope it gets improved in the future,. For me they are either too reflective, despite adjustments, or too dull and lifeless. A lot, as i say, depends on the map, also lighting conditions, time of day, camera position. One of my P-51D's on the ground looks very different to when its at 3000m above the clouds.

 

The bare metal Mustangs, Thunderbolts and Lightnings operating during the war were far from mirror polished, that finish only belongs on the airshow warbirds flying today.

 

I am trying to achieve the metal appearance with a slight reflective quality only.....with varying degrees of success.

 

Its a question of getting the light grey/dark grey balance...and I am CONSTANTLY experimenting.

 

My latest P-51D has a side on appearance that I quite like but the wings are still far too reflective....its a constant battle.

 

Hope that helps.

Edited December 13, 2019 by Bo_Nidle

[Radar361]

Well, I am about done trying for the day... I feel like I have tried everything. Thanks for your advice Bo. I am sure whatever I am missing is simple and small. I guess I will keep looking into it on the internets.... Maybe tomorrow.

[JG1_Vonrd]

Look here:

 

[Radar361]

Got it licked. This is factory fresh, but it has shine without looking chrome. I also know how to tone it down too. I have flown for around an hour and spent the rest of the day figuring this out. I made a custom blue nose mustang for my offline career. Fun stuff.

Oh, and thanks for all the suggestions and assistance throughout the day!!

[SCG_SmallBlock]

@Radar361 Your Mustang there looks gorgeous! That mirror-like finish on the wings is great for a fresh clean skin. Anyways, I hate to be the one to ask pesky questions, but could you give me some info concerning how you achieved that finish? Specifically: #1 What's the color value of the aluminum on the actual color layer, and #2 What's the black/white greyscale value of the Alpha layer? (on the aluminum parts of course)

I completely understand if you can't give me an answer as I'm a year late to the party XD

 

Regardless, Thanks for your time!

[Dutch2]

@Radar361

I can only advice you, open the cockpit and zoom in on the wings. With the lesser skinners you always notice an pink  fuzzy looking color they been using. Think they use this for creating the metal look. The top skinners are always avoiding that mistake, here you see real metal without that unrealistic pinky color.  

 

[Radar361]

  Hey guys thanks for the compliments! I really can't explain how I got it so nice looking except to say that I used the alpha layer provided in the skins. It really came out with a nice result, and the only changes I made was to darken behind any areas I added paint to so that it didn't look like candy paint. I really appreciate the time taken to make the skin templates as it makes doing this very easy!  Also, sorry I took so long to reply, I am kind of hit or miss for logging in the forum!

 

  Take care all,

          Nathan

Edited February 2, 2021 by Radar361