[Albatros DIII] MPG Skins Factory: Mod Alpha Layer for early tail. Update Version V2 - Ressource for skinmaker.

[MarcoPegase44]

The Albatros DIII offered in FC features a late tailplane, prefiguring the Albatros DV.

By modifying the Alpha layer, it is possible to return to a tailplane more common on the Albatros DIII.

 

Download : HERE  Version V2 Update 10/12/2025

Update 10/12/2025.
- Improved the fin profile compared to version V1.
- Added a mask layer for the template.
- Added a layer for the fin border.

 

 

 

Edited October 13 by MarcoPegase44

[wackywings]

Thank you sir!!!!

[MarcoPegase44]

For sample, here is a skin from Rise of Flight in 2K resized in 4K for FC, the exposure has been reworked and I used the alpha layer which allows to have a tail corresponding to the albatross DIII.

 

 

[wackywings]

The new alpha layer is great! If you want to use the old ROF skins (after toning and resizing them) you need to place them in the new template and use the layers for the louve and access covers to overlay ontop.....so they don't just look black in the finished skin. I should also add that the layer providing the color textures for the interplane bracing and control wires needs to be overlayed on the ROF skins as well. I'm still trying to locate and determine which layers are necessary. This new Flying Circus template is a brute!. I can see why not too many people have worked with it.

Edited August 23 by wackywings

[Pea_Shooter]

It's been a long time since I've made a skin for IL-2 and have forgotten many things. 

 

I added this new alpha channel to the .psd template and deleted the existing alpha channel.   I saved as .DDS but the changes aren't showing up in-game.

What am I missing (or doing wrong)?

 

Thanks for any help...

[MarcoPegase44]

On 8/23/2025 at 4:27 AM, Pea_Shooter said:

It's been a long time since I've made a skin for IL-2 and have forgotten many things. 

 

I added this new alpha channel to the .psd template and deleted the existing alpha channel.   I saved as .DDS but the changes aren't showing up in-game.

What am I missing (or doing wrong)?

 

Thanks for any help...

I use GIMP.

I load the DDS file.

I go to the 3 base colors and the Alpha channel.

I deactivate the Alpha channel.

The skin appears clearly.

I make the copy visible by right-clicking.

I paste in place it into a new image.

I export this image as a PNG or BMP file.

I load this new image into GIMP after closing the previous work.

I open my new Alpha file in another image.

I make a copy to anchor it in my BMP skin file.

And I export to DDS.

Edited August 24 by MarcoPegase44

[wackywings]

 Thanks a million for this tutorial, MarcoPegase44! I've always bounced back and forth between DXTBmp and Gimp to accomplish the same thing. Thanks for setting me straight! 😊

[MarcoPegase44]

[wackywings]

There you go! Excellent!!!

[Pea_Shooter]

My skin, using the alpha layer, is a little too shiney (wings only). What am I doing wrong?

Edited September 7 by Pea_Shooter

[MarcoPegase44]

 

9 hours ago, Pea_Shooter said:

My skin, using the alpha layer, is a little too shiney (wings only). What am I doing wrong?

Hello,

I think it's difficult to form an opinion about the skin because you're using the object viewer, which doesn't give a good rendering of the skin.

Personally, I always use the quick-mission editor and place the skin in an airfield with various weather and lighting conditions. In this case, you can get a better idea of how the skin will look.

 

 

 

 

[MarcoPegase44]

Hello,

 

Here is a conversion of the ROF skin to FC, from 2k to 4K, it is the plane of Julius Buckler of the Jasta 17.

 

The skin is not one of my creations, I only made a new Alpha layer and added new layers and filters to correct the missing details to match a skin for FC.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited September 7 by MarcoPegase44

[MarcoPegase44]

[Pea_Shooter]

Wow! great job, MarcoPegase44!!!

 

Here's my 'too shiney' (or too gray) skin. Fuselage seems fine. Not sure why it's happening.

Edited September 14 by Pea_Shooter

[JGr2/J5_W0LF-]

Could someone please make a short walk through to implament the new Alpha into the DV using Adobe Photshop I dont use gimp.

[JGr2/J5_W0LF-]

I cant seem to do this I use  DXTBmp and Photo shop, any chance on doing a short video please

[JGr2/J5_W0LF-]

On 8/24/2025 at 3:14 AM, MarcoPegase44 said:

 

I go to the 3 base colors and the Alpha channel.

 

How do I get to the 3 base colors and Alpha in Gimp to show up. I installed gimp just not sure how to get to the colors and alpha. 

Edited October 6 by JGr2/J5_W0LF-

[BrotKasting]

@JGr2/J5_W0LF- Here you are.

 

[JGr2/J5_W0LF-]

On 8/24/2025 at 3:14 AM, MarcoPegase44 said:

 

I make a copy to anchor it in my BMP skin file.

And I export to DDS.

OK so I was able to do everything in Gimp except this thanks to Brotkasting but I dont know what the line in Red means. Could you be so kind as to tell me. Im so closeto understanding this in Gimp Thanks

Edited October 7 by JGr2/J5_W0LF-

[JGr2/J5_W0LF-]

So, here's screen shot of my new bmp. I just dont know how to add the new alpha so I can chop the back of the tail for the new DDS file

 

 

Edited October 7 by JGr2/J5_W0LF-

[BrotKasting]

@JGr2/J5_W0LF- 

So, basically you have your Albert Ross DV skin file open in Gimp. Plus, you have a second file, the Alpha file, open as well.

And you are wondering, how to get it into your skin file? Piece of cake! 

 

1. Select your Alpha file. I assume it is one layer already, if not, you have to flatten it. 
2. Select the alpha layer by left clicking it.
3. Then copy it, using Ctrl+C.
4. Now select your Albert Ross DV skin file.
5. Left click the first layer and put your alpha layer on top of it, using Ctrl+V. You´ll see, that GIMP is trying to insert it but it can´t since the layer is floating. There is a second step required; you have to left click on the "create new layer"-button, lower right hand corner.
6. Now your alpha layer will appear in all its glory. Copy it again then, using Ctrl+C again.
7. Select the channels tab.
8. Deselect the layers for Red, Green, Blue and Alpha by left clicking them.
9. Then create a new layer by left clicking the "create new layer"-button.
10. Insert your alpha layer by using Ctrl+V.
11. It will not appear as a layer and it looks like nothing is happening since GIMP is trying to put it in, but it cant; the layer is floating.
12. Select the layers tab again.
13. Hit the "anchor the floating layer"-button. 
14. Select the channels tab again. There it is.
15. Turn back to the layers tab.
16. Flatten everything, add your alpha layer by using "add layer mask", then create your Albert Ross DV skin.dds by using the "export as" option as usual.

Sounds complicated? It´s not, just a lot of steps. Practice makes perfect and all that stuff. There is also Eggnog´s short video, describing the whole process, see below.

 

 

[JGr2/J5_W0LF-]

Thanks my friend I will try this tonight when I get home I appreciate your replies. You and MP for helping me learn this stuff with Gimp.

[E69_julian57]

.........

[E69_julian57]

https://www.mediafire.com/file/laqzq9p601c9ie7/AlbatrosD3_+JASTA_11+Manfred+von+Richtofen.zip/file

[JGr2/J5_W0LF-]

I cant figure this tail template out to save my life. Im pulling my hair out ugh. Ill just keep making skins the way that works for me

Edited October 11 by JGr2/J5_W0LF-

[E69_julian57]

Hola@JGr2/J5_W0LF-

I'll explain how I did it in PS.

First, I placed the alpha layer provided by MarcoPegase44 on top, and in the blending options for that layer, I set it to 52% so I could select the black parts of the rudder and paint them pure black. 

This is a template so you can paint on layer 2 later.

 

 

Next, deselect this layer.

By placing layer 2 on top, we will cover the areas of skin we want to remove, making them invisible.

- Second, in a newly created layer (layer 2), I copied the selected parts and painted the tail stabilizer in pure black, which will make the part of the plane we want to remove invisible.
- Third, I placed the alpha layer provided by Marco.
To make the plane look less shiny, I work on the alpha layer as follows:
- Select All > Image > Adjustments > Brightness/Contrast and darken it to my liking; the darker it is, the more matte it looks.

Finally, save it as a PSD file and then as a DDS file.

P.S. It took me a while to figure out how to make it work.

I hope this helps.

Edited October 11 by E69_julian57

[BrotKasting]

@JGr2/J5_W0LF- 

The Alpha BMP, Marco posted above, didn´t work for me either. Why? No idea.

 

 

So, I changed the colour values of the area of interest. And got it working, see below.

 

 

Here are the values I used for testing:

 

 

It works. You can make that whole heap of rotten wood disappear. 😉

 

[JGr2/J5_W0LF-]

Guys I can't thank you enough, after 3 days of banging my head against the wall I got it working. I know MP is working on updating his tail so looking forward to that coming out. Anyway, here's a pic of my skin Ill release in the skin downloader and in my thread.  A huge thankyou to all you guys who posted and gave me directions. It is really appreciated. Salute to you gentlemen.

 

[MarcoPegase44]

Version V2

 

Update 10/12/2025.
- Improved the tail  profile compared to version V1.
- Added a mask layer for the template.
- Added a layer for the tail border for the template.

 

HERE Version V2

 

Edited October 13 by MarcoPegase44

[JGr2/J5_W0LF-]

Beautiful work buddy thanks a million.

[JGr2/J5_W0LF-]

Still kinda of struggling with this. I’m using the V2 but for some reason it’s doing the same thing again. I get the dds made but in game the back end of the tail is still showing with alpha layer making the plane kind of shiny. I’m not giving up though cause I did it once. I’ll do it again but if anyone has a step by step with pictures that would be huge. The video that’s posted helps but 9 out of 10 times I don’t get the same end result as the video. I mean it shows the png with the alpha next to it on the right side but main png file don’t show that checkered alpha on top of it like in the end of video. Weird 

[BrotKasting]

5 hours ago, JGr2/J5_W0LF- said:

"...for some reason it’s doing the same thing again..."

@JGr2/J5_W0LF- Sorry to hear, you run into problems again.

 

Here´s why: The information, the alpha layer is providing, tells the game, how reflective the certain areas of the skin appear in game. In order to make an area transparent, this value needs to be zero. Somewhere I´ve read, below 4,0 would be enough, so I tried 3,7. Still reflective. As long as I choose 0,00 I can make the whole plane transparent. Except engine and pilot since these are not controlled by the skin. 

 

 

Marco went for a value of 11,0 with his Alpha layer. This doesn´t work for me and it shouldn´t, see above. Though, it must have worked for him. Otherwise, he wouldn´t have put it up, right? So, why it works on his end, no idea. 

 

 

With a value for V set to 0,00, you should get something like this:

 

 

The other part of the problem, why the procedure works for you only one out of ten times... Hmmm. As long as you stick with it, you should get the same result every single time. Just make sure, you actually have an alpha layer and to add that layer mask before exporting your skin to the .dds file.

 

[JGr2/J5_W0LF-]

That’s most likely the culprit I’m gonna make one layer my permanent for all future skins of the D3 with the setting you posted for the black color. That’s why I’m still seeing the tail. Lol. Ok I’ll go back to the drawing board and keep ya posted thanks again brother 

[JGr2/J5_W0LF-]

OK I got it working now I have a alpha layer and I simplified it for me thanks again for all your help B!