BoNidle

Can someone be so kind as to point me to the latest template please? Reading these forums its as if its a state secret or something, with only the vaguest answers available.

Now I may be wrong on this, but as I understand it, the "LOD1 3 in 1" file acts only as a "mipmap" for when the aircraft is seen over a certain distance away, I don't think that it will be the cause of textures not showing in the model viewer. Due to my lack of experience in the new skin format I didn't put a "LOD1 3 in 1" in my initial attempt at the F-14 and the skin showed up no problem in the model viewer and the game...until I zoomed out the in-game view of the aircraft and it suddenly reverted to the default "LOD1 3 in 1" and the VF-103 "Jolly Rogers" skin popped in. (However in the model viewer the "LOD1 3 in 1" did not come into use. I could zoom out as much as possible and nothing changed). My experience of other aircraft skinning suggests that it is normally a syntax error either in the .LUA file or on the individual skin files that would cause textures to fail to render. I would carefully go through the entries looking for spelling, spacing or punctuation errors and then make sure the names match the DDS files. Hope that assists.

Hello Admins, Is there any chance of this "Skinners Thread" being made a "sticky"?

Thanks Cobra, I'll try that. But out of curiosity would using the Nvidia "DXT5 with mipmaps" method I use on the F-86/F-5E/F-18C cause any issues?

That's what I thought Zayets, but how is the "LOD 1...." created? With the Nvidia DDS plug in the mip maps are created when the DDS file is saved as a DXT5 with mipmaps. The "LOD1..." comprises of ALL the files which is what is confusing me.

Anyone able to help an old, set in his ways skinner? Having used the Nvidia DDS method for so long I don't mind admitting I am a bit lost with this new way (at least to me) of creating a skin. I have "Frankensteined" a PSD template of sorts but there is now one thing that is baffling me: The "LOD1 3 in 1"!! I understand that the BC3 format is essentially equivalant to the DXT5 format (I think) but the "LOD1 3 in 1" has me stumped. I assume it is a mipmap but how do you create it? Any assistance gratefully appreciated. Signed: Confused of Staffordshire.

For owners of TM Warthogs, at the risk of stating something everyone already knows, there is a physical detent contained in the throttle. Unscrew the dividing panel between the throttle levers. In side the slot at the front you will see the detent stop. It has a red rectangular section moulded into it in the front section. This is the afterburner stop. It is disabled for the A-10C by its position Lift out this piece and rotate it 180 degrees and replace it. The red piece should now be towards the rear. Screw the dividing panel back on. Now when you need to engage afterburners you just push up to full military power, the throttles engage the the red piece in the slot and stop their travel. You just pull/lift the lever handles up and push them over this "stop" to engage afterburners. As I say, I would imagine most people know about this but there might be someone on here still unaware of this feature.

Well unless there is another Paint Shop Pro user on here that can advise me it looks like I won't be trying to skin until the template comes out (PLEAAAAASE make it a PSD Cobra). Nvidia DDS utilty only shows black image and the Intel DDS does not appear to work at all with Paint Shop Pro. (PSP 2019 64 bit on Win 10).

Top job on "Miss Molly" Jack. I'm still trying to open the default skins in Paint Shop Pro at the moment!

"Oh do stop moaning Jester old chap. We're aboard aren't we?! Not my best trap I admit, then again not my worst either."

I hate to find fault on this deeply impressive work of art, and it is a very minor fault, but the legend "USS George Washington" on the tail of the "VF-103 Jolly Rogers Hi Viz" livery is missing the "G" in "Washington". It reads as "USS George Washinton" Just thought I'd let you know.

A return to the F-86 for a short time with 5 versions of two Korean War Sabres. I have redone "Honest John" flown by Col Walker Mahurin. There are three versions in the download: mahurins, then as it appeared after after he was shot down in another sabre and his Sabre was reassigned in late 1952, and then as it appeared in 1953. The second Sabre is all new; "The King" flown by Col Royal Baker who was C.O. of the 4th FW and the fifth highest USAF ace of the Korean War credited with 12 MiG-15's and an La-9. I have wanted to do this Sabre since the DCS F-86 was released, but the artwork always put me off and my previous attempts to build the Crown art always ended in failure and swearing! However I was inspired to have another crack at it a couple if days ago and I am a lot happier with the result. I have done two versions, one clean with the Crown art undamaged plus the target art on the starboard side, and one "weathered" with the art worn and a bit dirtier. Both are uploaded to User Files and should (hopefully) be available soon:

Thanks Vampyre. "Ayarzagoitia"! No wonder I could not guess it accurately! As for ABE3 Gatlin Green, very sad. Thanks for the information.

Hello Vampyre, The names I'm short of are for the 2009 version. I have the later version pretty well covered now. There is an inscription in blue on the base of the port vertical fin which lists the names of those responsible for the scheme design. I can find none of their details. On the long nose gear door are the names and ranks of those personel who painted the aircraft. I have conformed "AM1 MCCAFFERTY" "AM2 COOK" "AM3 BURTON" "AM3 (Not sure if that should be AE3) CRUZ". I have made a guess at "AM2 ADURZAGOTA" based on the research material I could find. I had to miss out the final name completely as I had no idea what it was. If you can provide any clarification on any of those names I'd appreciate it, then I can update the skin. There is also a memorial dedication to a "Gatlin S Green 1986-2009" at the base of the starboard fin. I have that accurately but I am curious to know why it was there. I can only assume that this young lad was lost on duty but if you could elaborate on the circumstances it would be nice. Any help appreciated. Cheers Bo

Thanks TonyG.

Thanks chaps. Hello Vampyre, I saw your post on the skin wishlist thread a few days ago and thats what inspired me to do this skin. You wouldn't happen to know the names of the paint and design crew would you? I found out some, made a guess with what I could find on another (which is probably way off) but some are missing. Great scheme on this Hornet, but the models distortion on the spine was challenging with the diamonds design. I intend to do the second design assigned to this aircraft circa 2011 soon.

Thanks. The font I used for "Blue Diamonds" is called "Bahnschrift Condensed". I also altered it by double layering to bring the letters to what passed for the correct thickness and then compressed them slightly as they were too tall before adding the slant effect. "CAG", "DCAG" and the pilot names were "Flamente Sans Book" edited in the same way. The numbers were "USN Stencil" again edited to make a little narrower and lean slightly on the nose. I also used "Airborne Pilot II" for the tail codes but compressed the letters to make them narrower and rebuilt part of the G to the correct shape. Its tough to find the exact fonts they use as I think they must either be custom or a pay-to-use type. However if anyone does know the name of the fonts I'd like to know them. Hope that helps.

I was going to have a dabble with a Fishbed but very surprised to find an absence of a template!!(?) I have downloaded a template by "Keefyboy" but it appears to be some years old, albeit i have not tried it yet. Is this the one people use? Any advice appreciated. Bo.

The CAG Hornet of VFA-146 "Blue Diamonds" as it appeared in March 2009 having just taken part in Exercise "Foal Eagle" off South Korea as part of CVW-9 aboard the USS John C Stennis. There is a memorial dedication to a "ABE3 AW Gatlin S Green 1986-2009" at the base of the starboard vertical tail. Unfotunately I could find no information about this young man. There are also the names of the paint and scheme design crew on the aircraft. I have most of them but one may be spelled incorrectly and some are missing as I could not find out those details. Any info on these appreciated. Just submitted to User Files so should be up soon:

VFA-192, a.k.a the "World Famous Golden Dragons" have been well covered skin wise, but I could not find the 2009 CAG bird any where so decided to do it myself. Just uploaded to User Files so should be available soon.

Same here ThrustVector. Thought my TrckIR had fnally packed in at first. Bit of a relief to know its a bug.

Thanks chaps. Still waiting for User Files to put it up!

Some more views:

This was an F-18A that was flown by the Naval Air Test Centre out of Patuxent River NAS in Maryland USA. I have depicted it as it appeared in May of 1986 during the 75th Anniversary of US Naval Aviation hence the two small commerative badges on the tail fins. I found information for this aircraft hard to come by and relied on a handfull of moderately clear photos and some decal manufacturers instructions but I believe it is as accurate as possible. I like test and evaluation aircraft as they invariably have unusual paint schemes. I thought the asymmetrical black and white scheme would be relatively simple...I was wrong. As a result of trying to paint and line up every part I now have a far deeper understanding of the template layout!! The "D'Skunk" name was built using an existing font that I rebuilt to the correct shape. It has been uploaded to User Files so should be available soon:

Been a while but heres my latest effort for your consideration: This F/A-18C was flown by VFA-106 "Gladiators" of the US Navy's Tactical Demonstration unit at airshows in 2017. It is painted in the colours of VFA-15 "Valions" to commemorate 75 years of service as the "Valions" were deactivated in 2017. The scheme is based on the grey and white schemes painted on the A-7E Corsairs that VFA-15 flew before transitioning to the Hornet. It carries the names of every VFA-15 C.O. on the inner tail surfaces together with their ranks and years of command. (Yes, getting them right did nearly drive me nuts). The airbrake carries a US Flag stripes design overlaid with a simply painted rattlesnake and the legend "Don't tread on me!" Just uploaded to User Files so should be available soon.