What the...? Help with adding new skins, plz!!!

[MiGgressor]

(I am placing this as a new topic and not in the Peruvian Air Forces mod one in hopes of getting help ASAP!!!)

 

Ok, this is getting really annoying... I thought I had the whole MEinit.xml thing figured out but then again, I keep having unpleasant surprises... most likely because I must be doing something wrong :D Anyway, here's the deal: so far I had been making skins and testing them with planes and countries available in the sim, so I could check them out easily. But at some point I had to start working on adding new countries and that's where the problems really started.

 

The Mirage 2000, for example, seems to work just fine; when I select "France" within the Coalitions menu in the sim, I get all four default paint works for the French M2K and when I select Peru, I get the fifth, new colour scheme - created from scratch, not by replacing an existing entry but by creating a new one and assigning it a new <ColorScheme> ID - available only for Peru, as it is supposed to be.

 

Now, on to the F-16: I thought I had everything sorted out when I added the F-16C, everything seemed to work OK; as you can see in the following screenshot, country shows properly, aircraft shows properly, skin and colour scheme name show properly, as they should be:

 

 

What I did was to add a new <ColorScheme> entry for the F-16, like this:

 

<ColorSchemes>

<ColorScheme CLSID="{E45A7ECE-4199-4257-937D-5207435A5786}" ID="9" Name="IDF/AF F16C Standard"/>

<ColorScheme CLSID="{eeaab67f-6f15-4a5d-9b74-1c08ee971e9b}" ID="0" Name="USAFE 555th FS (AV) Aviano AFB"/>

<ColorScheme CLSID="{189e0024-e439-494c-8b7e-817a2884ab85}" ID="1" Name="PACAF 14th FS (MJ) Misawa AFB"/>

<ColorScheme CLSID="{65a85d13-351d-450d-84f9-c5cc528228cf}" ID="2" Name="PACAF 35th FW (WW) Misawa AFB"/>

<ColorScheme CLSID="{89c5ff57-d84c-4950-8109-dafd18e40143}" ID="3" Name="USAF 77th FS (SW) Shaw AFB"/>

<ColorScheme CLSID="{356613e0-28af-4ca1-ac5d-1c590bb213c6}" ID="4" Name="USAFE 22nd FS (SP) Spangdahlem AFB"/>

<ColorScheme CLSID="{382e7a6a-b29f-4881-9c28-d9ea192bc4c6}" ID="5" Name="USAF 414th CTS (WA) Nellis AFB"/>

<ColorScheme CLSID="{924ed5b8-c371-4315-b29f-c0be4ecb188d}" ID="6" Name="USAF 412th TW (ED) Edwards AFB"/>

<ColorScheme CLSID="{d00a836b-6c9c-40f9-a8c5-39501ae3a178}" ID="7" Name="USAF 147th FIG (EF) Ellington AFB"/>

<ColorScheme CLSID="{7334FE8E-56B4-4057-B965-4F15959AB149}" ID="10" Name="FACh Grupo de Aviacion 3 Lo-Vis"/>

</ColorSchemes>

 

There are eleven default entries for the F-16C numbered from 0 to 9, though some of them belong to different colour schemes even though they share the same ID numbering, I imagine because, although they use the same basic graphic template, the national markings change. So, the last </ColorScheme> I found was "9", therefore my new entry should have "10" as </ColorScheme> ID, am I right? Now, according to this, the entry for the Israeli Defence Force F-16C skin is numbered "9", isn't it? So, there are two files for the F-16, "L" and "R". If I understand correctly, the files should be named according to the </ColorScheme> ID in order for the sim to identify them (F-16C-DEF-PAINT-L10, for example), thus making them recognisable enough for LOMAC to show the skin where it belongs, corresponding to the Chilean F-16C, right? But then, why in God's Great Name my FACh Lo-Vis skin replaces the default Israeli one!!!!

 

 

I mean, isn't the IDF skin numbered "9" and mine, numbered "10"?

 

F**K!!!!!!!!

 

Now, when I try to add the F-16A, this is what happens: I repeat all the process for adding new <ColorScheme> and <Plane> entries. Then again, plane shows up in the in-game menu, colour scheme entry seems ok, I can configure loadouts, waypoints, assign targets but... well, see for yourselves!

 

 

And the last time I checked, I wasn't making a new "low-to-none visibility" camo like a modern version of Wonder Woman's jet, so... there's got to be something terribly wrong going on here! :lol:

 

Then again, there are six default entries for the F-16A (some of them make use of the same basic image but the national markings - found in separate files - change, so they have different numbers) numbered from "1" to "4", so I create a new one by giving it a new <ColorScheme> ID entry, "5". Now, I'm not so much worried about the skin not showing up where it is supposed to; I'm worried because I did exactly the same thing for the F-16C and in this case, the skin is only not showing at all where it should be but also overwriting an existing entry!

 

And once again, I so happen to find my skin elsewhere:

 

 

Then again, the alleged entry for the default US F-16A camo is "4" while my new one is "5":

 

<ColorScheme CLSID="{ED00AF63-B355-4a43-B945-AF1165A960B4}" ID="4" Name="Standard_Denmark"/>

<ColorScheme CLSID="{7F2A6341-D16D-48e2-A2ED-8CE58CFFFE1C}" ID="4" Name="USAF F16 Standard-1"/>

<ColorScheme CLSID="{34A47451-20E5-4680-AEA4-B8C9D939ADC7}" ID="5" Name="FACh Grupo de Aviacion 8 - NATO standard Air Superiority"/>/

 

And since the new files are labeled "L5" and "R5", if I understand the theory correctly, they should only work for the corresponding CLSID entry assigned only to the Chilean F-16A. So... why don't they and why do they appear on the US Viper instead?????

 

Oh, the skin works, allright... and looks nice, if I may say so (although is only half-finished) :thumbup: but it's not where it is supposed to be!!!! See? US markings all over it!!!!

 

 

I know this all may sound like gibberish but... did anybody understand anything???? Please help me, if I had a gun I would have shot myself or chopped my bollocks off already!!!! I don't know what to do; either I have understood all the theory upside-down or MEinit.xml and LOMAC simply do not like me...

 

PS: what I'd like to do is avoid overwriting existing LOMAC content, that's why I'd like to have all skins as new entries, so no default skins and paint works are affected.

[Azrayen]

Well... I'm at work and therefore no LO available but...

Isn't the F-16 3D shape a new ".lom" file ?

 

The .lom 3D models have their skins defined in a .skins file, sharing the same path (LO\Bazar\World\Shapes\) & name (extension excluded).

If so, it may be an interaction between what you added in the MEinit and what you didn't change in the F-16 .skins file ?

 

Hope it helps... at last a bit.

 

Cheers,

Az'

[EricJ]

No it's the old .cmd file, means he's stuck unless they make a .lom file.

[Kuky]

Is there a way for ED (or any of us) to make a LOM file from CMD file just by converting it?

 

Also, if I do make new slot for the F-15C (Walmis's model) and Su-25T and sellect it in game... am I correct to assume others won't see it and see only black/white texture?

[MiGgressor]

Hmmmm... this is interesting: I've been looking into the .cmd files and found this:

 

% LONGER-DAMAG.bmp F-16C-PAINT-DEF-L1.BMP F-16C-PAINT-DEF-L2.BMP F-16C-PAINT-DEF-L6.BMP F-16C-PAINT-DEF-L9.BMP F-16C-PAINT-DEF-L10.BMP F-16C-PAINT-DEF-R1.BMP F-16C-PAINT-DEF-R2.BMP F-16C-PAINT-DEF-R3.BMP F-16C-PAINT-DEF-R4.BMP F-16C-PAINT-DEF-R5.BMP F-16C-PAINT-DEF-R6.BMP F-16C-PAINT-DEF-R7.BMP F-16C-PAINT-DEF-R8.BMP F-16C-PAINT-DEF-R9.BMP F-16C-PAINT-DEF-R10.BMP BANO.tga USA-ZNAK-LIGHTGRAY.TGA USA-ZNAK-DARKGRAY.TGA Country-Flag-Turkey-AF.BMP nomera.tga F-16-soplo-MIL.bmp F-16-soplo-FORS.bmp SOPLA-F.bmp forsag-kamera.tga EJECTSEAT.bmp F-16-KOLESO-INSIDE.TGA TORNADO-FONAR.tga kabina-night.bmp F-16.tga PILOT-USA-AF-OKRAS.BMP PILOT-USA-HOLE.bmp DAMAGE_Su25.tga HOLES_All.tga Country-Logo-Israel-AF.TGA TactNumbers-ISRAEL-black.tga Country-Logo-Turkey-AF.TGA

 

I suppose if I add a new skin set, say F-16-PAINT-DEF-R11, then I could have my new skin working without interference. I have also noticed that there is a pilot skin entry so maybe I could have individual pilot skins, with realistic squadron badges, for all different aircraft, is this correct?

[Kuky]

I just tried it, didn't seem to work for me... skin slot is there but no texture.

[TekaTeka]

Adding extra skins for .cmd models works only in Mission Editor. You will not see those skins in the actual game play, anyway.

[MiGgressor]

And so... what should I do?

 

I can't find the logic in this, I don't understand why it does work with the Mirage (adding a new skin entry from scratch) and not for the F-16, Su25 or whatever.

[TekaTeka]

And so... what should I do?

 

I can't find the logic in this, I don't understand why it does work with the Mirage (adding a new skin entry from scratch) and not for the F-16, Su25 or whatever.

You can't add extra skins unless the cmd has some empty skin slots. Mirage has 10 skin slots and uses 6 in game, so you can use 4 empty slots. But F-16 has no empty slots.

[MiGgressor]

Hmmm... copy that. Looks like I'll have to overwrite/use existing slots for certain aircraft after all...

 

How do I know how many slots are available per aircraft?

[TekaTeka]

How do I know how many slots are available per aircraft?

I use a hex editor to see the texture entries in the cmd files. Those are in the very last part of the files. You can find free editors somewhere. (My editor is for Japanese.)

I think most of the cmd models use all slots, though.

[MiGgressor]

Thank you TekaTeka, I'll give it a try.

 

Well, if some skins have to go so I can add mines, then so be it.

[MiGgressor]

It works! Well, sort of... I mean... it does work but I had to remove the Danish Viper to use its slot (my apologies to all Danish Lock-On fans out there... ). It was not what I intended originally to do but, hey, it's a way out and I'm taking it because I'm sick of watching lines and lines of code trying to figure out how the sim works.

 

 

Now I can concentrate on skinning. Thanks TekaTeka and everyone for your help!

[MiGgressor]

This has been sorted out already but I have a quick question: I replaced the Georgian Su25 "Skorpion" demo scheme for my Peruvian Su25. The skins works except I get Georgian national markings in the Peruvian jet:

 

 

I'd like to keep Georgian markings in Georgian planes but no markings in my new countries' aircraft. How do you tell LOMAC which (or if any) national markings should appear or not?

[MiGgressor]

Anyone...? :music_whistling:

[Cpt Stark]

Sorry ;)

I'm not reading all threads all days :D

 

in your case, keep georgian markings in georgian planes but not in your country will be impossible

 

It's some On/Off "options"

you have marking ... or not

 

Your skin replaced another-one

try to found another skin to replace without any national markings (if it's possible)

 

if not,

if you don't want Georgian markings in your country, just make a blank TGA file in your "Bazar\temptextures\" folder with the needed name (search good file name in the LO cdds files)

but all georgian markings will be "deleted" :)

 

same for the number 01 we can see under the cockpit on your screenshot.

nomera.tga file need to bee blank ... but all numbers on aircrafts (Su27, 33 etc) will disappear :(

[TekaTeka]

This has been sorted out already but I have a quick question: I replaced the Georgian Su25 "Skorpion" demo scheme for my Peruvian Su25. The skins works except I get Georgian national markings in the Peruvian jet:

 

I'd like to keep Georgian markings in Georgian planes but no markings in my new countries' aircraft. How do you tell LOMAC which (or if any) national markings should appear or not?

 

Me, again.

That's strange. Georgian markings show up only when the country is Georgia. Those should not be seen when used in other countries. When I put Su-25 in my Japan mod, I don't see those national markings.

 

[MiGgressor]

Cpt Stark:

 

if you don't want Georgian markings in your country, just make a blank TGA file in your "Bazar\temptextures\" folder with the needed name (search good file name in the LO cdds files)

but all georgian markings will be "deleted" :)

 

Yeah, that's the kind of solution I'd like to avoid...

 

TekaTeka:

 

Georgian markings show up only when the country is Georgia. Those should not be seen when used in other countries.

 

That's the theory and it worked with the F-16 (no US markings when adding aicraft to a new country) but it doesn't seem to work with Georgia, I don't know why!

[TekaTeka]

TekaTeka:

 

That's the theory and it worked with the F-16 (no US markings when adding aicraft to a new country) but it doesn't seem to work with Georgia, I don't know why!

 

You might want to PM me your meinit.xml. Maybe I can help.

[MiGgressor]

Silly of me :megalol: Thanks TekaTeka!

 

I would also like to remove the numbers on the nose, do I have to create a blank .tga in this case anyway?