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ATAG_Lewis
Jul-27-2016, 21:48
Help!!...Help!!..

Anyone got anything close to an alloy skin for a Spit...I am aware that unlike il2 1946 a true alloy skin can't be made yet....but..I know a 'trompe l'oeil' skin with shadows and highlights can be done,,,,but a lot of work...Anyone got anything close to it for a Spit...

I could probably get something but the hours it would take....man...!!

http://www.surfacezero.com/g503/data/500/medium/Spitfire_model_01.jpg

major_setback
Jul-28-2016, 05:30
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I think it's easy to do. We have bare-metal showing through in areas of wear, and also on the undercarriage.

I think it is a matter of disabling the camouflage layer. It's not my area of expertise. I've asked about it within TF, but haven't had any response, no doubt because it is of zero real importance, and would be the lowest in a list of anyone's priorities.
I think there might be a problem with it though. The bare metal that shows in-game is very much lighter now than it was in the original version of the game, and it almost looks white (burned out) where the bare metal is showing. I think it would probably be too bright even if such a skin was made.

Bare metal Gladiators would look nice too (metal dope effect).

I don't know of any 'faked' Spitfire skins made to look like bare metal.

Cheers, setback

BOO
Jul-28-2016, 12:44
Ill bow to your VASTLY superior knowledge Setback but would the silver just show up as shades of grey or white?

Lew - to save you reading the rest - I think that the answer from me at least is a "no" ......sorry.

I dont know the fancy term for it but bare metal reflects light in funny ways dependent upon its curvature and the viewing angle to give it that effect. This constantly alters dependent upon the viewing angle. Whilst you may at first that this isnt an issue, it really as it makes the skin look wrong. I dunno how this done in games but imagine its a similar process to coding the reflections used on glazed elements. I im pretty sure CLOD doesn't do this for skins and that the only way to replicate it to any degree is filtering and gradients (which remain constant but are a least better than a flat skin).

As i see it, the weathering on the skin also appears to be done by using a layer on top of the skin in the game rather than by deleting parts of the skin to reveal an actual layer underneath (so the opacity of the weathering is faded up, in the same way the damage decals are placed on top). I believe the base color of the models is almost white now. Again, this is how i see it and i could be wrong.

the net result is likely a lot of hard work to make a skin that looks only ok from one angle PROVIDED that the plane isnt moving.

The good news is that the non camo Gladiators where mainly silver dope and, as seen below, this more or less acts the same as any other paint. The only consideration here would be perhaps the need to carefully consider adding highlights or shading to a one tone skin to give it some life.

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Kind Regards

BOO

ATAG_Lewis
Jul-28-2016, 15:14
23838

23839


I think it's easy to do. We have bare-metal showing through in areas of wear, and also on the undercarriage.

I think it is a matter of disabling the camouflage layer. It's not my area of expertise. I've asked about it within TF, but haven't had any response, no doubt because it is of zero real importance, and would be the lowest in a list of anyone's priorities.
I think there might be a problem with it though. The bare metal that shows in-game is very much lighter now than it was in the original version of the game, and it almost looks white (burned out) where the bare metal is showing. I think it would probably be too bright even if such a skin was made.

Bare metal Gladiators would look nice too (metal dope effect).

I don't know of any 'faked' Spitfire skins made to look like bare metal.

Cheers, setback

What do you mean 'disable the camouflage layer'?....I just tried to make a skin but the moment I turn the file into bmp it just makes it white....I am assuming you mean take out everything of colour or information...just don't know how to do that with a file...:(

major_setback
Jul-28-2016, 15:23
I mean one of the hidden layers, the hard coded layers. Probably not something you can easily do.

ATAG_Lewis
Jul-28-2016, 16:14
Ok...That does sound tricky...I have no idea where they are...I don't think folks actually do know do they?...Anyone know?

There's a fake metal Tiger Moth knocking about...This is it....Its basically a 'trompe l'oeil' skin....The fella has coloured specific areas to give the effect that the aircraft skin is reflective..Clever..and not bad as a substitute...To be fair that would be acceptable in a Spitfire if I could find one...

http://theairtacticalassaultgroup.com/forum/showthread.php?t=14361

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i121/obergren/TIGERMOTH_BAREMETAL.jpg

major_setback
Jul-29-2016, 06:20
Ok...That does sound tricky...I have no idea where they are...I don't think folks actually do know do they?...Anyone know?



Maybe it is a project for a future patch.

Some people within TF know the skin structure. I don't think it's too difficult to find those skin layers.
I would guess it's not just as simple as that though. You would need to:
1) Edit the appropriate layer (if possible, and if found).
2) Create a new plane folder specific for a bare metal Spitfire (otherwise each and every Spitfire will look bare-metal).
3) Implement this into the game (ouch!).
4) Write any coding that is necessary and needs to be written (ouch, ouch!).

The bare metal shows through when weathering is increased, so it is there within the skin structure, as you can see in the pictures below. You would have adjust the camouflage layer or the bare metal layer so that it showed to a greater extent.

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Also, there might be bare metal parts on undercarriage as can be seen in these early WiP from the game developers (Maddox and 1C). I haven't checked to see if these show as bare metal in-game, rather than the 3D program used to showcase these WiPs:
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Edit: Bare metal legs on the G50
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Cheers, Setback