Flag Mod

[Beebop]

Tired of always seeing the Russian flag when a "Flag" object is in the mission your flying, especially if you are flying British or American?

As a mission builder would you like to place a flag that represents the country your Player is flying for at the airfield?

 

Here are six flags you can use when the "flag" object is used in a mission, (usually near a refueling area or as an object in a Capture the Flag mission).  They include:

 

* United States 48 Star flag.

 

* Australian Red Ensign.  You may be more familiar with the blue flag but it was used mostly by the civil government during WWII.  This is the flag most Australian units fought under.

 

* Canadian WWII.  This was the flag most Canadians fought under.

 

* China.  The flag the Flying Tigers flew under as the American Volunteer Group.

 

* Japan.  The Japanese war flag.

 

* The British flag.  Note that this is the original flag made by Off_Winters named "CW_British" but rebranded so that all flags are together in the JSGME making it easier to find them.  You can remove the "CW_British" if you like after installing these.
** Special thanks to Off_Winters for this flag and the instructions on how to make other countries flags appear in the game. **

 

Install is easy.  Download the attached 'Flag Pack' zipfile, open it and place the enclosed folders in your MODS folder.  enable via JSGME.
Remember that you can only install one flag at a time.

Flag Pack.zip

[DD_Friar]

Many thanks Bebop, this will be a great addition until it can be added as standard in the game.

 

Salute Sir and thank you for you hard work.

 

Salute

DD_Friar

[=AD=uumembwa]

Dear @Jason_Williams can you please add this mod in game, we can made missions with many countries for flag, but textures are still only two, USSR and Germany

[Beebop]

I am pleased to be able to contribute to the Community.

[too-cool]

On 10/4/2021 at 1:11 PM, Beebop said:

Tired of always seeing the Russian flag when a "Flag" object is in the mission your flying, especially if you are flying British or American?

As a mission builder would you like to place a flag that represents the country your Player is flying for at the airfield?

 

Here are six flags you can use when the "flag" object is used in a mission, (usually near a refueling area or as an object in a Capture the Flag mission).  They include:

 

* United States 48 Star flag.

 

* Australian Red Ensign.  You may be more familiar with the blue flag but it was used mostly by the civil government during WWII.  This is the flag most Australian units fought under.

 

* Canadian WWII.  This was the flag most Canadians fought under.

 

* China.  The flag the Flying Tigers flew under as the American Volunteer Group.

 

* Japan.  The Japanese war flag.

 

* The British flag.  Note that this is the original flag made by Off_Winters named "CW_British" but rebranded so that all flags are together in the JSGME making it easier to find them.  You can remove the "CW_British" if you like after installing these.
** Special thanks to Off_Winters for this flag and the instructions on how to make other countries flags appear in the game. **

 

Install is easy.  Download the attached 'Flag Pack' zipfile, open it and place the enclosed folders in your MODS folder.  enable via JSGME.
Remember that you can only install one flag at a time.

Flag Pack.zip 920.74 kB · 20 downloads

Can only get the USSR flag, not US. only have US installed in jsgme. Any Ideas?  Thanks  TC

[Beebop]

Are mods enabled?

[too-cool]

11 hours ago, Beebop said:

Are mods enabled?

Yes.  TC

[Beebop]

So in your MODS folder you have a folder called 'Flag_US' and it's been moved over to the enabled side of JSGME?

If you go inside the 'Flag_US' folder you have

data > graphics > flag > textures > flagskin.dds ?

And the .dds file looks like this?

[too-cool]

3 hours ago, Beebop said:

So in your MODS folder you have a folder called 'Flag_US' and it's been moved over to the enabled side of JSGME?

If you go inside the 'Flag_US' folder you have

data > graphics > flag > textures > flagskin.dds ?

And the .dds file looks like this?

Yes.  TC

[R7-S276]

Very good job… but where is the French flag ? ?…

[Beebop]

@too-cool; Then I have no idea why you aren't seeing the US flag.

 

@R7-S276 "It's always something!" - Roseanne Rosanadanna. 

Ummmm, I was waiting for the Battle of France module?

I'll put one together.  Oversight on my part.

 

Within reason....any other requests out there?

 

[too-cool]

23 hours ago, Beebop said:

@too-cool; Then I have no idea why you aren't seeing the US flag.

 

@R7-S276 "It's always something!" - Roseanne Rosanadanna. 

Ummmm, I was waiting for the Battle of France module?

I'll put one together.  Oversight on my part.

 

Within reason....any other requests out there?

 

It has to do with the realism setting, if the setting are not set to Normal then the flag mod won't work. Wondering if you could make it so the flags are available whether you have your setting set to Expert or Custom?  TC

[Beebop]

Sorry.  My realism settings are set to 'Custom' and all the flags show up.  AFAIK mods are only dependent on enabling the use of them. 

Realism settings have to do with Gameplay, Simplifications and Piloting Assistance, none of which affect mods as they are almost exclusively eye-candy.

Mods are controlled by Game > Customization > enable mods.

 

So if you are correct then none of the mods you use work on 'Normal' settings?

[too-cool]

21 hours ago, Beebop said:

Sorry.  My realism settings are set to 'Custom' and all the flags show up.  AFAIK mods are only dependent on enabling the use of them. 

Realism settings have to do with Gameplay, Simplifications and Piloting Assistance, none of which affect mods as they are almost exclusively eye-candy.

Mods are controlled by Game > Customization > enable mods.

 

So if you are correct then none of the mods you use work on 'Normal' settings?

Since this is a mod, what in the game could possibly be causing the Flag Mod not to show?  TC

[Stonehouse]

Usually if I had to make a guess I'd guess that it isn't installed correctly. Most common problem is when people unzip a mod they accidentally end up with an unintentional extra layer in the folder structure in their JSGME mods folder.

eg flag pack.zip accidentally unzipped to flag pack/flag pack/data etc instead of flag pack/data

 

If you end up with the extra layer as above then when enabled in JSGME the game will not see it. JSGME essentially copies the contents of each individual mod folder over to the root of the game folder so if the mod folder structure is not correct then it will never work.

 

With the mod enabled do you have a flag pack folder present in the root folder of IL2? If so then it isn't installed correctly.

 

 

Edited March 7, 2022 by Stonehouse

[Beebop]

The zip file is a series of folders for each countries flag that can be placed as individual mod files in JSGME.  (see attached).  You can choose to install all of them or only the ones you are interested in into JSGME.

 

I packed each folder correctly.

The folder structure is;

(depending on which country you want); Flag_US > data > graphics > flag > textures > flagskin.dds

 

Like all mods that are similar, (such as multiple map repaints for the same map), only one flag can be loaded at a time.

It does not install a 'Flag Pack' folder in the main game folder.  The individual flag folders should be placed in the MODS folder.

Installation instructions were posted just above flag pictures:

"Install is easy.  Download the attached 'Flag Pack' zipfile, open it and place the enclosed folders in your MODS folder.  enable via JSGME.
Remember that you can only install one flag at a time."

 

It works for me an so far no one else has expressed a problem with it including some of my squad members who are very computer non-savvy.

I've led the horse to water......

 

 

 

Edited March 7, 2022 by Beebop

[Stonehouse]

Ok sorry. I haven't downloaded the mod so didn't know it was a separate instance of the mod for each flag but it makes sense as from what you are saying it sounds like there is only one target game dds being overwritten so you can only have one version of this mod active at any time. Incorrect installation is still the most common problem assuming mods are enabled in game so it still may be the situation for too-cool

 

So I guess for too-cool - perhaps show a screen shot of your JSGME mod folder with this mod installed?   You should have the 6 folders based on Beebop's screen shot above.

 

<edit> I guess also just to check that too-cool does understand only one version of the mod can be active at any time? So to get the US flag you would have to deactivate in JSGME whatever one is active and then activate the US one? 

 

If you have enabled all of them then you will only ever get the last one listed in the JSGME right hand window.

 

eg should look something like:

Edited March 7, 2022 by Stonehouse

[Beebop]

15 minutes ago, Stonehouse said:

So to get the US flag you would have to deactivate in JSGME whatever one is active and then activate the US one? 

That would be correct.  TC said in his first post; "...only have US installed in jsgme." which I understood to mean he had only loaded the 'Flag_US' into his JSGME.

 

You know, I never did ask the most obvious question, did you enable the mod, i.e. move the 'Flag_US' folder from the left to the right hand column?

Mods don't enable themselves...(unless there's a mod for that) ?

[too-cool]

Yes I moved it from left side to right side, but upon further viewing I found what Stonehouse, With the mod enabled I have a flag pack folder present in the root folder of IL2?  So then it isn't installed correctly. Deleted that from the root and re-enabled the US-Flag,waiting for my group to put the mission back up to test.  TC

[Beebop]

1 hour ago, too-cool said:

With the mod enabled I have a flag pack folder present in the root folder of IL2

 

On 10/4/2021 at 12:11 PM, Beebop said:

Install is easy.  Download the attached 'Flag Pack' zipfile, open it and place the enclosed folders in your MODS folder.

 

 I sometimes wonder why I put install instructions in.

[too-cool]

I get the Russian flag instead of the American flag, that's funny because there is no Russian flag in the mod. The German flag shows correctly but the Russian flag shows in place of the American. I'm lost as to where to look at this point. TC

[Stonehouse]

Sorry too-cool but could you give some more detail please? 

 

Still guessing you are seeing the Russian flag because the game is not seeing the mod and I assume you are flying allied and probably aircraft which served in both the Western and Eastern theaters. Probably an eastern front map too.

 

Did you disable the mod in JSGME before deleting the flag pack folder from the Il2 root folder? I'm guessing not because disabling it would have removed it if things are working correctly.

 

You say you re-enabled the mod?

Did you fix the folder structure of the mod before you did so? So there is no longer a flag pack folder in the il2 root folder when you re-enabled it?

 

Assuming you did fix the structure - With the mod enabled do you see a folder called flag under \IL-2 Sturmovik Great Battles\data\graphics? 

Assuming yes - Is there a textures folder in the flag folder and do you see the same flagskin.dds as I show below?  

 

Can you show us a picture of your mod folder and the folder structure of the flag mod you use?

 

Please also just do a quick check you haven't toggled mods off in the game accidentally while trying to sort this out - happens to all of us at times.

 

eg from my PC of what I'm asking you to provide

 

 

Edited March 10, 2022 by Stonehouse

[Beebop]

Here is how it should look in game.

1st; In the MODS folder

2nd; Enabled

[Stonehouse]

lol seems like you're as mod mad as me. Those ice flow ones I haven't seen before

 

[Beebop]

I like to try different things, a mod for every mood if you will.

 

The Ice Flo mods is a 50/50 deal.   There are two, one for Moscow and one for Rhineland.

The Moscow mod looks excellent;

 

The Rhineland mod is washed out, nearly transparent so I never use it.

I looked around and can't seem to find those mods anymore.  Please check your PM's.

[too-cool]

16 hours ago, Stonehouse said:

Sorry too-cool but could you give some more detail please? 

 

Still guessing you are seeing the Russian flag because the game is not seeing the mod and I assume you are flying allied and probably aircraft which served in both the Western and Eastern theaters. Probably an eastern front map too.

 

Did you disable the mod in JSGME before deleting the flag pack folder from the Il2 root folder? I'm guessing not because disabling it would have removed it if things are working correctly.

 

You say you re-enabled the mod?

Did you fix the folder structure of the mod before you did so? So there is no longer a flag pack folder in the il2 root folder when you re-enabled it?

 

Assuming you did fix the structure - With the mod enabled do you see a folder called flag under \IL-2 Sturmovik Great Battles\data\graphics? 

Assuming yes - Is there a textures folder in the flag folder and do you see the same flagskin.dds as I show below?  

 

Can you show us a picture of your mod folder and the folder structure of the flag mod you use?

 

Please also just do a quick check you haven't toggled mods off in the game accidentally while trying to sort this out - happens to all of us at times.

 

eg from my PC of what I'm asking you to provide

 

 

Top=Mod Folder

Bottom=JSGME

 

TC

[Beebop]

OK, 'Mods enabled' checked in game.  Everything looks right. 

 

Forgot what 'Air_To_Air_No_Ground' is.  (I'm a dedicated mud mover)

I take it you choose to install custom Skins via JSGME rather than put them in data > graphics > Skins > (plane type folder).  Duno why but it shouldn't be a problem.

I have the 'Sky and Light' mod (but a personally modified version)

 

I take it you have no issues with the mods previously installed.

When you enabled the flag mod did you get a dialog box indicating that files with the same name were in another mod?  If so what mod was that and what files had a shared name?  I take it that happened when you installed the 352nd A-20B Olive skins.  The 352nd P-47D-22 mod is greyed out indicating there were some shared file names, probably the number '352nd' or a skin prefix.

 

Tell you what, disable all mods but the flag mod and see what happens.  If it shows up then one of the other mods is conflicting.

[too-cool]

Still getting Russian Flag instead of American, Us Flag mod is only mod installed. When I switch sides I'm getting the German Flag so I know the mod is working just don't know why I can't seem to get the American flag. Wondering if the Name is causing the issue ie; Us vs Ussr?  TC

[Beebop]

2 hours ago, too-cool said:

Wondering if the Name is causing the issue ie; Us vs Ussr

No, that's just the folder name and doesn't affect what's inside.  It just helps you identify which flag you are using.

I see you have other countries flags.  Disable the US flag and try another.

[Stonehouse]

Also - If you have all mods disabled in JSGME do you still have the folder \IL-2 Sturmovik Great Battles\data\graphics\flag ?

 

 

[too-cool]

No.  TC

[Stonehouse]

Ok I'm running out of ideas I'm afraid. Did Beebop's suggestion about trying a different allied flag work?

 

If it does it kind of seems to imply that the US flag itself has an issue rather than your method of installation.

 

I suppose just to be really sure can you show a pic of the folder structure within the US flag mod folder or check it matches what it should be - you haven't posted a pic like that yet that I can see. You have shown a pic of the Flag_US folder sitting in your mods folder but not what is within it.

 

So I'm expecting a pic showing a folder structure like

 

MODS\

           Flag_US\

                          data\

                                   graphics\

                                                   flag\

                                                          textures

 

and within that textures folder you need to see the dds below.

                                    

Sorry I know I am being repetitive but unless everything is in exactly the right place it won't work.

Edited March 11, 2022 by Stonehouse

[Beebop]

One question that has been left unasked, does this happen in every mission with the flag object used?

Mission type shouldn't matter but.........

 

OK.  Let's try this.

Can you post the .msnbin file and I'll open it up in the ME and see if I can spot a clue. 

Also what kind of mission is it?  Single, Coop or Dogfight?  That way I can put the .msnbin file in the proper folder so it will open in the ME.

[IckyATLAS]

Is there a possibility to change the flags on ships?

[Beebop]

Possibly.  There's a mod that changes to destroyer from Russian to German.

 

https://forum.il2sturmovik.com/topic/65785-german-destroyer-skin/

 

I would think that if you could find the ship skin you could edit the flag.

[too-cool]

13 hours ago, Beebop said:

One question that has been left unasked, does this happen in every mission with the flag object used?

Mission type shouldn't matter but.........

 

OK.  Let's try this.

Can you post the .msnbin file and I'll open it up in the ME and see if I can spot a clue. 

Also what kind of mission is it?  Single, Coop or Dogfight?  That way I can put the .msnbin file in the proper folder so it will open in the ME.

Dogfight

The mission with the msnbin.  TC

352nd vs DDs practice.rar

[Beebop]

Got it.  Be back soon with observations.

[Beebop]

OK.  I discovered the problem.

IT WASN'T YOU!

 

When I saw this was a 352nd/DangerDogz mission I knew it wasn't poor mission building.  I have flown with or against both of these squads numerous times in my 20+ year association with the IL-2 franchise and have several friends in both squads.  Both are extremely knowledgeable in all aspects of the game and have excellent mission builders.

 

What I did find was for some reason they used 'Austria-Hungary WW1' as the coalition.  Those coalitions  have not been fully implemented in Great Battles properly so even if a mod is used they will display the Russian/German flag depending upon which side (Allied/Axis or Entente/Central Powers) is chosen.

 

So just to assure you I built a very simple mission for you to test the mod and have attached it.

 

* Open your JSGME and enable the 'Flag_US' folder.
* Download and unzip the file and place the folder 'Flag Test' in your data > Multiplayer > dogfight folder.  
* Create a dogfight server, locate the folder and add to rotation.
* When the map appears select the Airfield and the I-16, your only choice.  

It should load very quickly as besides your plane and the flag there is no other scenery.

You will be in an I-16 with the clear windshield on the Lapino Airfield, engine running.  
Directly in front of you the is the top of a flagpole.  It will take a while for the flag to raise into view.  
See attached.  
Or you can go to your F4 camera and see it rising.

 

Let us know if there is a problem.

 

Edited March 11, 2022 by Beebop
Removed bad upload

[DD_Friar]

Salute @Beebop

 

The reason I used Austria was to get a plane blue flag on the pole rather than the white default. I think it looks better as a "neutral" or position indicator.

 

Sorry if it has caused you some grief!

[too-cool]

1 hour ago, Beebop said:

OK.  I discovered the problem.

IT WASN'T YOU!

 

When I saw this was a 352nd/DangerDogz mission I knew it wasn't poor mission building.  I have flown with or against both of these squads numerous times in my 20+ year association with the IL-2 franchise and have several friends in both squads.  Both are extremely knowledgeable in all aspects of the game and have excellent mission builders.

 

What I did find was for some reason they used 'Austria-Hungary WW1' as the coalition.  Those coalitions  have not been fully implemented in Great Battles properly so even if a mod is used they will display the Russian/German flag depending upon which side (Allied/Axis or Entente/Central Powers) is chosen.

 

So just to assure you I built a very simple mission for you to test the mod and have attached it.

 

* Open your JSGME and enable the 'Flag_US' folder.
* Download and unzip the file and place the folder 'Flag Test' in your data > Multiplayer > dogfight folder.  
* Create a dogfight server, locate the folder and add to rotation.
* When the map appears select the Airfield and the I-16, your only choice.  

It should load very quickly as besides your plane and the flag there is no other scenery.

You will be in an I-16 with the clear windshield on the Lapino Airfield, engine running.  
Directly in front of you the is the top of a flagpole.  It will take a while for the flag to raise into view.  
See attached.  
Or you can go to your F4 camera and see it rising.

 

Let us know if there is a problem.

Flag Test.zip 231 B · 0 downloads

File doesn't show in my create server folder so it can't be added to the rotation. Question, was I suppose to exchange/replace this file with another file in the mission folder?

This is the only file in the flag test.zip folder(Flag Test.chs) CHS

Also I should have mentioned both groups have one member who has this issue, that is unless the DD's have resolve the problem it member was having.  TC