DCS: WWII Assets Pack - B-17G Livery Competition Template improvement Discussion

[II.JG1_Vonrd]

Nice!

23 hours ago, II.JG1_Vonrd said:

I would also like to do some Israeli B-17s. I think they were actually B-17Fs but have also seen renders of B-17G. I know it's not in the time frame for the contest but think it would fit well in the new Saini map. 

@NineLine, would this be acceptable for the contest? It would be outside the stated timeframe.

[II.JG1_Vonrd]

On 6/27/2023 at 1:06 PM, NineLine said:

If you do a specific livery with nose art and aircraft name, please also include a generic version with no nose art, aircraft name and bort numbers. (Why? This will give users more options in missions for both SP and MP) So each entry should have 2 versions. 

Where are the files for the Borts? I extracted the Description lua for the default skin from the Model Viewer and don't see any in there.

[Aqil Huseynov]

41 minutes ago, II.JG1_Vonrd said:

Where are the files for the Borts? I extracted the Description lua for the default skin from the Model Viewer and don't see any in there.

Hi, about dynamic bort? As far as I know, you can only add static

Edited July 3, 2023 by Aqil Huseynov

[II.JG1_Vonrd]

45 minutes ago, II.JG1_Vonrd said:

If you do a specific livery with nose art and aircraft name, please also include a generic version with no nose art, aircraft name and bort numbers. (Why? This will give users more options in missions for both SP and MP) So each entry should have 2 versions. 

That's what I thought but this is what is in the first post / "rules".

Does he mean just blank with no lettering? Seems worthless if it's based on standard 8th AF camo or bare aluminum. There will just be a bunch of duplicates (with maybe som slight variations from the different skinners).

Edited July 3, 2023 by II.JG1_Vonrd

[Aqil Huseynov]

7 minutes ago, II.JG1_Vonrd said:

That's what I thought but this is what is in the first post / "rules".

Does he mean just blank with no lettering? Seems worthless if it's based on standard 8th AF camo or bare aluminum. There will just be a bunch of duplicates (with maybe som slight variations from the different skinners).

 

I understand, there will be a vote. so I can't say anything about this, just  make livery and wait.

[Mach3DS]

I'll do a Metal one....But this can only exist if JSON or RM solution is implemented.

[Aqil Huseynov]

25 minutes ago, Urbi said:

Hello Aqil Huseynov! I have only now read your contribution and downloaded your liveries. Everything is correct here, including the subsequent replacement of green by orange in the rough met. probably didn't interest the experts here.

Hi, thank you. yes, I left as orange for now. I will fix the roughmaterial completely in 3-4 days. I didn't want to rush as there was time until August 30th.

[Mach3DS]

20 hours ago, Urbi said:

There are the experts. it doesn't need JSON. you create a folder in the texture folder with the same name as the zip and copy all 4 spec textures from the outer skin into it. Then you change the name of the spec "skin name of the texture plus "_Roughmet". For example "B-17G_Fuzelage_1_D_Roughmet". Without rougmet of the main textures, no false roughmet textures. In the liveries, SPECULAR or "2" is replaced by ROUGHNESS_METALLIC or "13 " to replace. It then works for all liveries that have already been created. Then a roughmet can also be created in the old way. Incidentally, the above regulation applies to all AI that only have spec textures.

I wish all participants good luck and of course one of the first places.

Ps. I mentioned it before. a roughmet automatically replaces a spec and the additional folder of the zip, no matter where it is added for the main textures, has no influence on the integrity check.

 

I'm well aware of that.  That's what I did already.  If ED does switch to RM officially then ALL the paints will be obsolete that used the current JSON file.  if they don't want to switch to RM, then they need to remove the JSON file in order to get proper functioning SPEC files.  Those were options for them to consider.  We've been talking to 9L behind the scenes.  Thanks. 

14 hours ago, Urbi said:

Hello Aqil Huseynov! I have only now read your contribution and downloaded your liveries. Everything is correct here, including the subsequent replacement of green by orange in the rough met. probably didn't interest the experts here.

Correct.  No interest is using a broken system to perpetuate a broken system.  The entire point of the conversation is NOT have to use a work around for the majority of players in order to get it to work correctly.  

Edited July 4, 2023 by Mach3DS

[Megalax]

Not sure why you're speaking about roughmets in terms of colours, they are not a colour map. They are 4 distinct material maps placed across the 4 available channels of an image. Each colour channel affects a different part of the PBR.

"Red" is not what a roughmet needs for glossy paint, its near fully black on the Green channel, which means that Green is nearly completely omitted. In order to work on roughmets properly you need to split things into the 4 channels and work each one individually.

[Megalax]

@Reflected I'll answer you here regarding your question on roughmets.

 

In order to "trick" the game into accepting roughmets for spec skins, you need to create roughmet textures for them. You don't need to over complicate anything, you just need to create them with the proper naming convention so that the game activates PBR rather than SPEC.

 

So the way to do it is to figure out what the default diffuse/albedo texture is called, and then to create roughmets for it it you will need to use that same name and append "_roughmet" to its name. So if the default aldedo's name is in this example b-17g_fuzelage_1_d.dds  then you need to create a roughmet that will serve as a base and call it b-17g_fuzelage_1_d_roughmet.dds. If you want this trick to pass IC you need to create a new folder named just like the zip found in the textures folder to dump your base roughmets in.

Doing this forces the game to ignore all spec maps for that part from now on. The only issue with it is that it messes with old user made skins that were created using spec maps. In this example here I used Bandog's Texas Raiders skin with the roughmet I made for D-Day Doll, which is the current default livery:

So the workaround here is to create a matte paint default roughmet that will serve as a base for old liveries while allowing new ones to move to the roughmet standard. In doing this now the default livery D-Day Doll will need to supply it's own roughmets in order to get the metallic shine.

 So worst case user "metal" skins will look like the current default livery:

...until users update their stuff to the new standard. This issue isn't something new, there are tons of Mustang, Sabre and other liveries in the user files that were abandoned by their makers that no longer work properly after the textures were updated to roughmets.

Edited July 5, 2023 by Megalax

[Megalax]

Now I remember why you were banned from the LAG Discord.

[Wyvern]

Urbi, shut up.
All you do half the time is being a dick to most people that actually know what theyre doing. 
Youre better? Nice. Nobody asked and nobody is having a Dick-measuring contest about.

Stop acting as if youre better than everyone else. 
I think most people in this thread, know what theyre doing, possibly even know it better than you.

But of course, you're the absolute expert, so you couldn't help but comment. Everyone will surely have worked under your guidance aswell!

[Helles Belle]

Forget changing to roughmets for now.

From what I’ve seen @Warlord64 has had the best solution for me.

All ED need to do is change to the json file warlord has made and it fixes the supplied Game B-17 and users can make their own spec to suit.

It may not be the perfect end solution but as I said it works for the time frame we have.

 

[Wyvern]

yeah, but i would argue it only would be half a solution, it wouldnt take much time to switch the textures. 
They could also have a competition for creating the best and most realistic RoughMets for planes that dont have them, this would save them quite a bit of work, wouldnt it?
 

[Kerbo 416]

15 minutes ago, Helles Belle said:

Forget changing to roughmets for now.

From what I’ve seen @Warlord64 has had the best solution for me.

All ED need to do is change to the json file warlord has made and it fixes the supplied Game B-17 and users can make their own spec to suit.

It may not be the perfect end solution but as I said it works for the time frame we have.

 

While removing the JSON does fix the specular textures, these are still specular, and out of date when compared to the rest of DCS.

[Mach3DS]

This is being worked behind the scenes.  We've already presented the options with explanations.  9L is being kind enough to run it up the chain.  The real solutions can't involve work arounds that most people won't be able to do.  So ED needs to figure it out from their level what is acceptable.

[Mach3DS]

Using Roughmets (that's my preference for the solution BTW).  Getting the aluminum dialed in.  Adding custom weathering.  Prop hubs not done...a lot not done.  Tires etc...  Painted parts just stand in and not done.

[[HOUNDS] CptTrips]

2 hours ago, Mach3DS said:

Using Roughmets (that's my preference for the solution BTW).  Getting the aluminum dialed in.  Adding custom weathering.  Prop hubs not done...a lot not done.  Tires etc...  Painted parts just stand in and not done.

 

That is some bling!

[OLD CROW]

Is anybody experimenting certain difficulties for opening the original .psb file template in GIMP or it's just only me? I can only work with it as a one layer file when I convert it to GIMP redable .psd file.

So... my question: is the original psb template multi-layer or just as flat as I can see?

[Megalax]

1 hour ago, OLD CROW said:

Is anybody experimenting certain difficulties for opening the original .psb file template in GIMP or it's just only me? I can only work with it as a one layer file when I convert it to GIMP redable .psd file.

So... my question: is the original psb template multi-layer or just as flat as I can see?

Here is the template converted for Gimpers.

https://mega.nz/file/C183CBjJ#AB-qN7pp3UGQbMhjH0IeFHqGVuJdHvkBcjX7cR74uWM

 

FYI Gimp 2.99 supports .psb format. Its just in beta and they still say its unstable.

[OLD CROW]

Really appreciate mate. You're 100% Mega 0% lax!!!! You've flattened me the workload 200% 

[Helles Belle]

Very nice  

 

[Mach3DS]

Thank you sir!  

I'm doing some shark mouth....

Edited July 6, 2023 by Mach3DS

[Helles Belle]

2 hours ago, Mach3DS said:

 

 

 

Flak Eater?  I’ve already finished it.

[Mach3DS]

11 minutes ago, Helles Belle said:

Flak Eater?  I’ve already finished it.

Cool!  I just work on ones I like.  I'll make a generic version.  I just wanted to make this one, just because.