Unpacked skin locations for new **Blank_01** skins

[Off_Winters]

G'day all,

I asked this question over in the official skins and template forum as well, 50 views but no responses.
 

Whilst unpacking the latest skins .gtp files, I noticed that all the new skins with "_blank_" as part of the texture name are not unpacked into the corresponding aircraft folder in the (null) directory. the only skins that are unpacked are the skins with skin_01 etc in the name of the texture.

example:
The Typhoon, the only skins in the extracted folder are the ones that have *_skin_* in the texture name. starting with skin 5
// Typhoon skins
"graphics\Skins\TyphoonMkIb\TyphoonMkIb_Blank_01.dds" "EE498D93" "1" "LuaScripts\WorldObjects\Planes\TyphoonMkIb.txt" "RAF D-Day" "Default RAF markings with June 6th - July 6th, 1944 invasion stripes."
"graphics\Skins\TyphoonMkIb\TyphoonMkIb_Blank_02.dds" "DFBFBED4" "2" "LuaScripts\WorldObjects\Planes\TyphoonMkIb.txt" "RAF Mid-1944" "Default RAF markings with July 6th - August 25th, 1944 invasion stripes."
"graphics\Skins\TyphoonMkIb\TyphoonMkIb_Blank_03.dds" "AEA98D49" "3" "LuaScripts\WorldObjects\Planes\TyphoonMkIb.txt" "RAF Late 1944" "Default RAF markings with August 25th, 1944 - January 3rd, 1945 invasion stripes."
"graphics\Skins\TyphoonMkIb\TyphoonMkIb_Blank_04.dds" "579EBDBA" "4" "LuaScripts\WorldObjects\Planes\TyphoonMkIb.txt" "RAF 1945" "Default RAF markings in 1945."
"graphics\Skins\TyphoonMkIb\TyphoonMkIb_skin_05.dds" "C8B324E2" "5" "LuaScripts\WorldObjects\Planes\TyphoonMkIb.txt" "Brooker" "Wg Cdr Peter Brooker, OC No. 123 Wing, Thorney Island, England, June 1944."
"graphics\Skins\TyphoonMkIb\TyphoonMkIb_skin_06.dds" "174B4C77" "6" "LuaScripts\WorldObjects\Planes\TyphoonMkIb.txt" "Green" "Wg Cdr Charles Green, No. 121 Wing, Holmsley South, Hampshire, England and B.5 Le Fresne-Camilly, Lower Normandy, France, June 1944."
"graphics\Skins\TyphoonMkIb\TyphoonMkIb_skin_07.dds" "4D405B08" "7" "LuaScripts\WorldObjects\Planes\TyphoonMkIb.txt" "Collins" "Sqn Ldr J. Collins, 245 Squadron, Holmsley South, Hampshire, England, June 1944."
"graphics\Skins\TyphoonMkIb\TyphoonMkIb_skin_08.dds" "DE036714" "8" "LuaScripts\WorldObjects\Planes\TyphoonMkIb.txt" "Stapleton" "Sqn Ldr B. G. Stapleton, OC No 247 Squadron, Eindhoven (B.78), early December 1944. This aircraft, flown by Plt Off F. Wiersum, was shot down by AA fire on December 5th."
"graphics\Skins\TyphoonMkIb\TyphoonMkIb_skin_09.dds" "8EDAF2EE" "9" "LuaScripts\WorldObjects\Planes\TyphoonMkIb.txt" "ZIPP X" "Sqn Ldr J. C. Button, No. 193 Squadron, Ste Croix-sur-Mer, France, August 1944."
"graphics\Skins\TyphoonMkIb\TyphoonMkIb_skin_10.dds" "F59B41DD" "10" "LuaScripts\WorldObjects\Planes\TyphoonMkIb.txt" "Shark" "Flt Lt H. T. 'Moose' Mossip (KIA on March 7th, 1945) then Sqn Ldr Tony Zweigbergk, No. 245 Squadron, late 1944 - early 1945."

Could somebody please point me in the right direction to find the new _blank_ labelled skins, I've started to update the skins in the Kuban Desert Mod, but it makes for slow going having to compare the details in the skins.tab file and work out naming for each skin change to bring my desert themed skins into the correct aircraft slot in game.

thanks in advance, regards Rob.

[Stonehouse]

I think you want \swf\il2\worldobjects\planes\whatever plane name\skins

 

<edit>

Sorry think I misunderstood these are the preview pics. 

 

Rob - think you were actually after camo1.gtp, camo2.gtp, camo3.gtp, camo4.gtp

Edited September 20, 2022 by Stonehouse

[Off_Winters]

1 hour ago, Stonehouse said:

I think you want \swf\il2\worldobjects\planes\whatever plane name\skins

 

<edit>

Sorry think I misunderstood these are the preview pics. 

 

Rob - think you were actually after camo1.gtp, camo2.gtp, camo3.gtp, camo4.gtp

Thanks Scott,

I'll check the camo.gtp files tonight after work.

regards Rob.

[pjmack11377]

2 hours ago, Stonehouse said:

I think you want \swf\il2\worldobjects\planes\whatever plane name\skins

 

<edit>

Sorry think I misunderstood these are the preview pics. 

 

Rob - think you were actually after camo1.gtp, camo2.gtp, camo3.gtp, camo4.gtp

There is no mosquito file here.  Thanks anyway.  I guess its hidden from us.

[Stonehouse]

40 minutes ago, pjmack11377 said:

There is no mosquito file here.  Thanks anyway.  I guess its hidden from us.

There is - you have to ungtp swf.gtp to get the files. If you were modding it for the mossie then you would have to put the previews into \IL-2 Sturmovik Great Battles\data\swf\il2\worldobjects\planes\mosquitofbmkvis2\skins but I also think you might have to somehow trick the game into thinking your skin was an official skin too and put the skin into the right place but also probably fiddle with the skin.tab.eng at least plus probably the other languages. That's the bit where I am not sure......not sure if you can see a preview under the custom skin GUI or not (ie I think you get a slightly different GUI when you pick custom to when you pick official). That's where you probably need to ask on the skins forum or Il2 GB skinning discord channel about how you might achieve what you want.

 

[pjmack11377]

Thanks Stonehouse.  I'll try the forum and discord.

 

All the best

I followed the above path and I do not have a mosquito folder.?????

[Stonehouse]

Ok. You would need to locate the unGTP tool - a forum search should find this for you - look for unGTP-IL2. Then you would need to find the file swf.gtp within your IL2 data file and unpack swf.gtp and then if you look at the results of unpacking swf.gtp you will find what I've described. 

 

Some examples from people who have unpacked various gtp files for other reasons:

 

 

 

Edited September 20, 2022 by Stonehouse

[Off_Winters]

1 hour ago, pjmack11377 said:

Thanks Stonehouse.  I'll try the forum and discord.

 

All the best

I followed the above path and I do not have a mosquito folder.?????

Hi pj,

when looking for the unpacked files, they are placed into a folder called (null) inside the main game data folder.
then inside this (null) folder you will find the complete game folder structure replicated housing the unpacked files.

So once you unpacked all the plane.gtp and skin.gtp files all the aircraft skins would be inside correctly named aircraft folders inside this (Null) folder. 
example for the Mossie.
Menu Preview files: \IL-2 Sturmovik Great Battles\data\(null)\swf\il2\worldobjects\planes\mosquitofbmkvis2\skins
    Aircraft skins:      \IL-2 Sturmovik Great Battles\data\(null)\graphics\skins\mosquitofbmkvis2

The reason its done that way is to prevent the game from seeing these unpacked files and using them instead of the packed files located in the gtp files.

If you want the game to use a new/modified file you then create the correct folder path in your main games data folder with your new file using the original file name. now the game will use that new file instead of the one located in the relevant .gtp file and use it preferentially. 

Hope that makes sense

regards Rob.
 

Edited September 20, 2022 by Off_Winters

[pjmack11377]

I followed the above path and I do not have a mosquito folder.?????

 

Menu Preview files: \IL-2 Sturmovik Great Battles\data\swf\il2\worldobjects\planes\mosquitofbmkvis2\skins  <--this does not contain mossie files.  Why?
    Aircraft skins:      \IL-2 Sturmovik Great Battles\data\graphics\skins\mosquitofbmkvis2  <-- This has mossie files that I created.

 

I would just like to know so I can then follow you "null" file

 

Thanks Off Winters

[Stonehouse]

You have to unGTP the swf.gtp file or else you won't see the preview pics of the official skins. A gtp file is kind of like a zip file except the tool you use to unzip a gtp file is unGTP-IL2. If you unGTP the file swf.gtp you will end up with a folder named (null). If you look in the (null) folder you will see the path that has been described. You are not seeing the mosquito folder because you are looking in the wrong place as far as can tell from what you post.

 

The pic below is after I have upGTP'd swf.gtp using the copy of unGTP I have in my IL2 folder.

 

 

 

 

Perhaps this very old youtube will help you...........please note this is very old and so things may differ now, but it may give you some idea 

 

Another example where someone unGTP's scg.gtp and scripts.gtp to make changes to the official campaigns

 

[Off_Winters]

8 hours ago, pjmack11377 said:

I followed the above path and I do not have a mosquito folder.?????

 

Menu Preview files: \IL-2 Sturmovik Great Battles\data\swf\il2\worldobjects\planes\mosquitofbmkvis2\skins  <--this does not contain mossie files.  Why?
    Aircraft skins:      \IL-2 Sturmovik Great Battles\data\graphics\skins\mosquitofbmkvis2  <-- This has mossie files that I created.

 

I would just like to know so I can then follow you "null" file

 

Thanks Off Winters

G'day again PJ,

As Scott mentions above you need to unpack the .gtp files using a third-party tool. you can see in the screen shot below the unGTP-IL2.exe file sitting in my main game directory. I then drag and drop the skins.gtp file over the top of the unGTP-IL2.exe file and let it go (as if you were dragging to a folder) this will start the unpack tool and a window appears showing the progress. the unGTP-IL2 program creates the (Null) folder inside your main games data folder and then creates the correct folder structure for each file being unpacked inside that.



once you have unpacked the files, you'll then be able to navigate to whichever aircraft you're wishing to change etc.


To get the files to work in game you will have to create the same folder structure inside the games data folder, and place your new files in there.
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\IL-2 Sturmovik Battle of Stalingrad\data\graphics\skins\MosquitoFBMkVIs2
If you label your skin with one of the existing skin file names it will replace that skin in the official list, if you just use a new name then your skin will show under the custom skin list for the plane you modified.

regards Rob.

PS Scott, thanks the camo.gtp files did the trick, have made good inroads into fixing the German skins so far.

Edited September 20, 2022 by Off_Winters

[pjmack11377]

Off Winters,

 

Thank you.  That explains it.  

 

[Off_Winters]

.

Edited September 20, 2022 by Off_Winters