F-5E-3 Remaster Skins

[Mach3DS]

14 hours ago, Night Owl said:

I don't think you need to be too worried for the longer term future. 

From a programming point of view it would be very easy to make a model viewer that reads encrypted files. I am quite confident they will make one 

Again this isn't the biggest issue.  The bigger issue is the encrypting of all the texture files.  

[Night Owl]

vor 2 Stunden schrieb Mach3DS:

Again this isn't the biggest issue.  The bigger issue is the encrypting of all the texture files.  

It was my understanding that with provided template, description lua and an adapted model viewer it would work. Is that not the case?

Edited January 30 by Night Owl

[Mach3DS]

It will "work" for the exterior.  If you want to do anything custom, I've been told that there are no roughmets or normals included.  THere's no pilot textures/roughmets/normals,  Helmet, patches etc.  If you want to do anything fully custom and have it look decent you will need all of those.  For it to work in basic terms we will also need a folder path structure which doesn't exist either.  Since it's currently encrypted.  Where do you put said new textures? 

9L has said they're working on it.  But we really do need all those things. 

So it kind of begs the question, if they were do give us all those things as say PSDs, what's the point in encrypting anything other than the model file at that point?  Just fix the model viewer to read the encrypted model file and open up the rest of the textures as usual.  Then you don't have to create PSDs or do any additional work.  We can all create templates from the DDS files.  To me, that makes the most sense.

Edited January 30 by Mach3DS

[Night Owl]

Thanks for the explanation. 

Yes indeed, it should be self-evident that roughmets, normals etc. are needed aswell. 

[VZ_342]

33 minutes ago, Mach3DS said:

 ....

 We can all create templates from the DDS files.  To me, that makes the most sense.

This is interesting, I did not know this. What's the process?

 

[Mach3DS]

56 minutes ago, VZ_342 said:

This is interesting, I did not know this. What's the process?

 

Open the dds file and start creating duplicate layers from selected areas. 

 

Create UV mesh layers for alignment using MV dot files in blender.  

Edited January 30 by Mach3DS

[waterman]

Just a few thoughts - 

There is maybe another issue -

1 - The EDCE model file is encrypted O.K.

2 - At the time of encryption it may time stamp info and checksums from the DCS owned .dds files that are linked to it.

3 - The EDCE file may need to be encrypted again with the edited .dds files to allow them to be accessed.

4 - I do not think we will have access to the DCS encrypting software.

5 - Anyone edited one of the .dds files and got it working in the Sim yet ?

 

 

[Mach3DS]

54 minutes ago, waterman said:

2 - At the time of encryption it may time stamp info and checksums from the DCS owned .dds files that are linked to it.

5 - Anyone edited one of the .dds files and got it working in the Sim yet?

 

2.  That's what I was referring to with needing a file path folder structure.  We have no way of implementing them via the conventional method even if we were given a working model.viewer, files and LUA entries.

5.  Clearly no.  LOL. There's no way to access the files.  They're hidden, as far as I'm aware.  

[waterman]

I think skinning of the new encrypted Aircraft is dead done and dusted. 

Anyway looks like the community has moved on anyway to more important matters - the SU-25A 

LOL  - a new distraction toy is all it takes and excited angry puppy dogs stop biting their owner and run around licking with joy. 

A nice shiny free SU-25A is a very nice community sweetener. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 31 by waterman

[Mach3DS]

2 hours ago, waterman said:

I think skinning of the new encrypted Aircraft is dead done and dusted. 

Anyway looks like the community has moved on anyway to more important matters - the SU-25A 

LOL  - a new distraction toy is all it takes and excited angry puppy dogs stop biting their owner and run around licking with joy. 

A nice shiny free SU-25A is a very nice community sweetener. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hopefully it too is NOT encrypted!!!  Although, if it is, then we know the direction that ED is moving.  Time will tell I guess. 

[waterman]

                  Spok would say  -   " ITS SKINNING JIM BUT NOT AS WE KNOW IT "

                                                    

       Anything to add Scotty -   " ITS WORSE THAN THAT ITS DEAD JIM "

                                                  

[Trooper117]

At least they are trying to find a solution... hopefully we will find out sooner rather than later...

[NineLine]

description.lua

[II.JG1_Vonrd]

@NineLine Thanks. That's a start. Any word about all of the other issues?

[NineLine]

38 minutes ago, II.JG1_Vonrd said:

@NineLine Thanks. That's a start. Any word about all of the other issues?

We are looking at what makes the most sense, right now the top thing would be at least a refresh texture option in the sim to allow changes to be loaded, but it all takes time and its about having someone free to work on it. I am still keeping on it though, and Management does recognize that its important to offer these features. 

[Megalax]

21 minutes ago, NineLine said:

We are looking at what makes the most sense, right now the top thing would be at least a refresh texture option in the sim to allow changes to be loaded, but it all takes time and its about having someone free to work on it. I am still keeping on it though, and Management does recognize that its important to offer these features. 

How feasible would a drop down menu for model viewer be? Like in Mission Editor right now there is no hunting for edm models, you just load it from the menu.

[Wyvern]

I personally would be very interested if the MV could be included into the Encyclopedia.

This was you actually would have a use.

[VPS_Choki]

36 minutes ago, NineLine said:

We are looking at what makes the most sense, right now the top thing would be at least a refresh texture option in the sim to allow changes to be loaded, but it all takes time and its about having someone free to work on it. I am still keeping on it though, and Management does recognize that its important to offer these features. 

im asuming the pilot and helmet texture are getting to us soon aswell?

 

[Wyvern]

aswell as the LOD_6 and Landing gear 

 

[dSAF Dancer]

https://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/upload/iblock/b2a/9yoy6dd67ant4eeg6uubso8aj4h13am1/F-5-E3_Template.rar

 

is the template link also returning a 404 error for others?

[II.JG1_Vonrd]

53 minutes ago, NineLine said:

We are looking at what makes the most sense, right now the top thing would be at least a refresh texture option in the sim to allow changes to be loaded, but it all takes time and its about having someone free to work on it. I am still keeping on it though, and Management does recognize that its important to offer these features. 

Personally, I much appreciate that yourself and Management does recognize the importance. I also understand that the fix will never be super high priority. Maybe one of your team is a skinning enthusiast and might be able to invest some time. Please keep us up to date even if it's "nothing to report at this time".

[waterman]

25 minutes ago, II.JG1_Vonrd said:

Please keep us up to date even if it's "nothing to report at this time".

LOL - Sounds like you will be happy to have that messege bumped every 6 months untill they nail the lid on the topic.

The main issue i thought was the new Encrypted files cannot be loaded into the model viewer ?

 

   Anything to add Scotty -   " ITS EVEN WORSE THAN THAT ITS STILL DEAD JIM "

                                                  

Edited February 6 by waterman

[Megalax]

1 hour ago, dSAF Dancer said:

https://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/upload/iblock/b2a/9yoy6dd67ant4eeg6uubso8aj4h13am1/F-5-E3_Template.rar

 

is the template link also returning a 404 error for others?

Yes.

[II.JG1_Vonrd]

2 hours ago, waterman said:

Sounds like you will be happy to have that messege bumped every 6 months untill they nail the lid on the topic.

I am most decidedly NOT happy with the situation and I am really fearful that new modules will also be encrypted. However, I do understand ED's need to protect their IP. Further, I surmise that there is not enough labor hours available to have this situation be remedied quickly. Whining about it constantly will not change that reality. I do intend to check in regularly though and trust that Nine will respond with what he can and that there will be an eventual solution. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serenity_Prayer

Edited February 7 by II.JG1_Vonrd

[Archangel44]

5 hours ago, NineLine said:

We are looking at what makes the most sense, right now the top thing would be at least a refresh texture option in the sim to allow changes to be loaded, but it all takes time and its about having someone free to work on it. I am still keeping on it though, and Management does recognize that its important to offer these features. 

Please don’t let this die.

There are talented folks here that want to bless the community with their artwork and that’s a good thing.