Static Planes Skin Set V01 / Guide: How to convert Skins for static planes released

June 8, 2024

11.06.2024:

Static Planes Skins for Pacific V01 released

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/u3u9l0q8aqjvxv42fdnu6/Static-Plane-Skins-Pacific-v01.zip?rlkey=m9tqsdzouftxbfkhc1z6gxgm4&st=6p0o19jw&dl=0

Guide:

Hi All,

For my Easy Mission Generator Papua New Guinea Mod and a scripted campaign I wanted to create airfield strafing missions.

For these missions are of course static planes required.

Zero = FW190A3, (stationary FW190A8 to be used)

Betty = Ju88A4

P40: US / RAAF Skins required

P39: US skin required

A20: US / RAAF Skin required

B25: US skin without invasion stripes required

-information about the file structure for the static planes I found in the Mod:

Kuban Autumn Nth Africa Desert Beta upload - Updated version to 8. 10-01-2023

In this mod I found additionally very helpful informations about the location of the "fabric covers" in the skins for static planes

-In General my knowledge about Graphic / Painting software is restricted to programs like Microsoft Paint.

Advanced features like using layers, alpha channel, masks,... : currenly to complex for me and no time to learn.

-I use the released "custom" skins, downloaded from the IL2: GB Skin forum, I don' have access to the original GIMP files.

-My first attempts:

By using online converters: conversion from original dds to png, downscaling to 1k with paint, darken the skins with a converter and re-converting png to dds. This worked in some respect, but took endless time and quality was just sufficient:

(left original skin on flyable plane, right static plane skin created with converters and wheel manually "painted" with MS-Paint

-First attempt with Gimp:

Due to my not-existing knowledge I just scaled down the dds and darkened it by changing brightness.

But the alpha channel has an other effect on stationary aircraft: it makes them transparent.

@AEthelraedUnraed: thanks very much for your instructions in the other post! But my current abilities are not sufficient.

-Second attempt with Gimp:

Step 1: open the skin with Gimp (mipmaps not loaded / don't know what a mipmap is)

Step2: scale down the image from e.g.4096x4096 to 1024x1024 (without saving)

Step3: "display off of the alpha channel"

Now I was able to see normal skin graphic

Step4: Copy the now visible graphic (it is already selected by Gimp)

Step5: Create a new file with Gimp (due to scale down 1024x1024 is automatically selected)

At first the new graphic is a red square.

Paste the copied skin graphic with Ctrl V

And now save as a Gimp xcf file

Step6: This file I use (without saving) to export a dds for the static plane skin and for the damaged static plane skin.

To change the brightness of the skin (without changing skin is much too bright):

I colourize it with black and different opacity values:

For normal static skin currently Opacity = 75

For damaged static skin currently Opacity = 95

...

(I do not save this change)

Step7: Export of the DDS:

-Export for the normal skin with Opacity = 75

-close file without saving and reopen it

-Export for the damaged skin with Opacity = 95

Step8: static plane skins to be moved to folder:

Added 09.06.24

Step9 Check / Modification of canopy covers:

-For some planes the covers do work without editing:

The more or less all white or light grey FW190-A3 / Japanese Navy Zero Skin

For the A20b it was not good:

But for the A20b it was easy to find in the skin:

and to be changed

(I know this could be done better)

In the Mod: Kuban Autumn Nth Africa Desert Beta upload - Updated version to 8. 10-01-2023

you will find very helpful informations for the "Fabric Canopy Cover" locations:

Here my first results with this workflow:

US P40 (@ICDP P40 Skinpack)

And a Betty / Ju88 :

Added later: P39 skin converted (with opacity 80), shown ugly canopy cover is now corrected

https://forum.il2sturmovik.com/topic/84011-il-2-sturmovik-great-battles-screenshots-new-clouds-and-sky/?do=findComment&comment=1317912

(in the screenshots of the link to the airfield attack the old converter created version of the Ju88 static skin is shown)

At the end:

-I will release a static plane skin pack when I have created the most importent for Pacific and after testing in missions.

-static plane skins for the (first) Battle of Stalingrad Module are not possible in this way, because the skins of ca. 4 planes are combined in 1 dds file, BOM similar but better seperated in squares, BOK, BON and BOB seem to work

-I am absolutely aware of that my workflow is more or less dilettantish, but this is what I can do currently.

Edited June 11, 2024 by kraut1
V01 released with static plane skins for Pacific