CrazyD

Great Moose - I have to say, without your tutorial, I doubt there would be half the people out there being able to create their skin inspirations into a final product. Thanks again for making and updating your tutorial. And to you Heiliger BimBam, I'm glad you were able to find the fault. Shows us your work!!!!!!!

Ok, why not try opening the file in Photoshop, make a change (I usually change the bottom centre blue colour to whatever my bottomside heli-skin colour would be) and save as a .bmp file with your "test" name. To be honest, I've never actually tried to install the stock KA-50-Paint1-DEF-03 in a cdds package, I've always modified it and saved as .... Other than that, I'm out of ideas - I've not run into this. Mind you I've never looked over the CDDS report to see what its done, once it say hit any key, well, off I go to the next step ... Maybe there isn't an issue? (OK retract my last comment - obviously there's a problem. Have you taken it all the way and installed to Black Shark to see how your skin looks?)

Originally that file when extracted from the CDDS list as per Moose's tutorial, it would have been called KA-50-Paint1-DEF-03 and it is a .bmp file as you know. Did you make any changes to that .bmp file, ie: open in PS, change a colour or what have you, then saved as a different style of .bmp? Whenever I modify this particular file, I open, make the change, then just "save", not "save as". Then you can re-name the file, removing the "Paint1" to "test", or whatever. There shouldn't be any problem because it already is a .bmp file, cdds maker should be able to process it. Hope that helps, I'm not the most qualified adviser, but there's been no other response ....

I found that by simply adding the KA-50 id value to the "cnt-unit" line to whatever country you want to be flyable, then copying one of the original skin id numbers in the same format as you see in "Russia" will solve that problem. Do that once, then you can add as many skins as you want. Moose's plan is a good one, but until he can get it to work, then this is the next quickest way. I did it for "Canada", before installing the Digital Slovakian skin, works fine.

Please read if you've DL'd my skins! After discovering that I have made several errors in the filename format/skin.lma7 naming procedure, I've been working furiously to correct these errors and re-making my skin.rars. This has now been completed and I have submitted all four skins in a skin pack, with all corrections made and I'm 99.9% sure all issues with missing textures and wrong numbers have been fixed. I apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused anyone. The skin pack has been submitted to LockonFiles and I hope whoever there will remove the original individual files and replace with this latest version. Should be available by tomorrow. CRD :pilotfly:

Hey Sharkster - you seem to be pumping out skins like crazy (no, not like me!), no-one can keep up with you for feedback, lol.

Hey Omdra, I don't think its your fault about the popup thing - other people that link their pictures from that site have also had popups, so I think its the site thats at fault. One of the things I found with skinning is that to do a decent job, don't rush, save often (learned that one real fast) and when get stuck ask questions. If you can pull off your skin design to match your sample pic of the vehicle, that would be an awesome skin! Good Luck!

Wirefox - the Russian version of the skin is posted and available at LockonFiles. Looks like I may have to re-submit the Canadian Version. If I were smart, I should have zipped the two files together and submitted. At least you can get one of them right now. Moose, thanks for your reply. I didn't know how the numbers "naming" worked, so now I can modify my earlier skins to get that to show up properly, and maybe re-submit all skins into one package for peeps to dl.

Looks real nice Omdra. My only input to say at this point clicking on your link to view the picture results in multiple pop-ups (a tad annoying!). Very nice colour scheme - looking forward to the finished product!

I did a quick check, and sure enough, the numbers from my spec-ops skin showed up on my standard fictional skin - so this is something I'll need help to clear up on, as per above post.

Really nice job Sharkster - looking forward to getting a copy to add to my growing fleet of Canadian KA-50s. We ought to get PM Harper to look into actually buying a couple of these!

[ATTACH][/ATTACH]Ok, I've created two versions of the Special Ops skin: Canadian and Russian. I've submitted both versions to LockonFiles, hopefully they'll realize the difference and not remove one of them. I tried to get onto the German site (Virtual-Jabog32....) but I can't read German in order to register properly, so both skins went to LoF. At any rate, I'd like to know if people who have downloaded my previous skins have (had?) any issues with my other skins missing textures like I was with this latest skin. I've loaded up those other skins and the rotor tops are there now, whereas yesterday they weren't, so I don't know whats going on. I'd also like to get more info on proper use of the Number22 and 23 files. I installed them with the skin bmps, and they come up when the skin is loaded into the mission selection, so I still can't get around that if I don't include the skin specific Number22 to the skin package, then how's BS going to know to use the dark red numbers as opposed to the yellow or dark brown numbers I used in my other skins? And I still haven't been told where I'm supposed to put those files if they're not supposed to go in the CDDS package. Here's a couple screens of the final product. Hopefully both will be avail tomorrow or sooner. CRD (Ok, never mind, one screenie (Russian). The Canadian one is posted earlier

Successs!!!!! After my last post, I re-installed the Modman Slovakian test skin to see what happens, and it too had no problems! So I re-opened that skin file and compared it to my current one and sure enough - I used the "_" instead of "-" for the two of the LRM related files. Skin now works! Now I'm going to remake the skin rar file to install to Canada, and post it, but tomorrow. Its midnight and I have to get up at 5:30.

Ok, did some experimenting to see what happens. First to answer Sharkster -all files are 24-bit (I don't get any higher option - Photoshop 6). I also have 12 files saved to CDDS - I modify the "DEF-03" file so that the inside of the landing gear baydoors match the bottom of the paint jobs (perfection is in the details - and yeah I know, I miss some other details, but I try ...). I don't understand how you cannot have the Numbers.tga included because if you change the colour design of the file, how's BS going to know which tga file to use. If you aren't putting the tga files into the cdds, then were are you putting them? After going over each of the skin files in order to verify they are typed out correct (as well as the skin.lma7 file to match), and remaking the cdds files, I still have issues with the top of the rotormast and linkages missing. I cross-checked the typing with my earlier skin (the Fictional Canadian Standard Camoflage) and the format was the same, though I was getting confused on some of the "LRM" parts as to whether I should use the "-" or "_". At any rate, my earlier skin had no problems before, and the screenshot taken for the .rar file shows the rotor mast complete. Now the top of the rotormast is missing on my previous skin as well as the latest skin, so I'm saying "@#!@%&*$". I thought maybe its because its being installed to the Canada country list, so I remade for the Russia list. Same problem: no top components. And if I select one of the original skins, then everything shows up complete - no problems. So somehow, my skins are at fault. I uninstalled everything Modman had put in before, uninstalled the version 7.1.0.9 and installed the 7.1.10 version before trying to install my latest skin and wondered if that were the cause. I installed RCN Moose's Flaming Skull skin and sure enough - all the parts are there. I tried to search the latest Modman for the sample skin.lma7 file but I couldn't locate anywhere in the folders, so I've been using the one I got from the Modman skin sample that Skypat and VikVaughan put on LockonFiles. Does the latest modman need something that the older skin file doesn't have? I am stumped.

Ok, I realized I had saved the wrong Numbers22 file, and got that figured out. Then next problem I've run into is the steering gear failed to show up but everything else worked. I've checked and re-checked and made and re-made the cdds files to the point where I got the steering gear to show up, and now the control rod linkages for the rotor mast doesn't show up, yet everything else from the Paint2 skin file shows up. Holy smokes this is a painful process. Not one skin has been able to install smoothly from beginning to end without one issue or another. Here's a screenshot. I have give this a rest for the moment, hopefully someone can provide some insight on this latest issue.

Just in the process of making the Modman file, tested it out and found the Numbers22 file didn't take. Is this file supposed to be saved as a tga or bmp file? My last skin didn't have this problem, and I don't think I did anything different, saved as tga and included in the cdds file. Suggestions?

I have a course I'm attending - so the few touch-ups needed will be later this afternoon - hopefully get them uploaded this evening.

Here's a couple more screenshots - please note that the yellow numbers on the sides won't be yellow in the final version (installing the number files to "temptextures" doesn't seem to work, but when the final skin file is created, it works ....), and I'm thinking of doing two country files - one Canadian (of course) and one Russian, and the country emblem colour will be more in tune with the skin colours. I'll have it uploaded this evening.

WRFirefox - I tried to install two versions of my last skin, ie: one for Canada as a selectabe, one as Russian-selectable, and Modman wouldn't let me have both in at the same time (I think it has to do with the unique-id for the skin). So I could do as you suggest and create two (make that three if I were to do a Canadian version also), each with their own unique-id. The only issue with that is that LockonFiles would only host one version of the same file. To get around that, I would upload one to LockonFiles, then the other two elsewhere - any site suggestions?

Ok, I'm nearly done the skin, and I've run into a problem. This skin of course is fictional and I'm debating on whether it should have a country insignia on it, ie: Canada Flag, Russian Star, etc. I'm looking at it thinking that as a "special ops", you wouldn't put such things on it. Ideas? I'd kind of like to do a "Fictional" international task force, but after working for two whole days in a row on this my mind is fried. Help me here. Also give me an indicator on whether you'd like this to install to Russia, Canada, etc. I'm leaning towards Russia at the moment. CRD

Sharkster, RCN Moose made an excellent tutorial you can find on LockonFiles.com, on how to install skins to BS (if you haven't already got it, that is).

Looks really good Sharkster. Is it me or is Canadian skins ruling this game, ha ha. Haven't seen much from other countries. Are you going to release it to the public - I know I would like to add it to my collection.:thumbup:

Something I've been working on when time permits. Its an attempt at a "Special Forces/Night Mission" kind of skin pattern. The attached pic is a "teaser" night shot of course, and too dark to see much, so I used a flare to try to illuminate some of the skin pattern without giving it all away, lol. CRD edit: forgot to mention RCN Moose - your skull skin is really nice! downloaded but haven't flown it yet (other that to look at it).

Like was mentioned earlier, the Bell has a different tail profile, so in order to maintain the thin white line, why not just follow the KA contours and forget about trying to match the angle. Then at least visually, it will look similar. I really like your tiger (lion?) graphic - way cool!

LOL, at first I thought you put painted flames aft of the exhaust ports, then I realized your Heli is on fire! So knowing that, I'll have to say the left pic is better (the flames behind the skull looks better in that pic compared to the one on the right)