F-5E-3 Remaster Skins

[II.JG1_Vonrd]

On 2/26/2025 at 3:33 PM, abitar said:

I finally finished the first repaint for DCS, I think I'm satisfied with it... I just thought the total size of the files was big, almost 500gb. I'll upload it to User files soon.

Looks good! I assume that you did it by checking progress in game and not the Model Viewer... correct? This is a fairly simple skin without camo or intricate graphics which would be tasking to get right if having to check and re-check in game.

@NineLine, any progress from the team regarding getting MV to work?

Edited March 9 by II.JG1_Vonrd

[pyromaniac4002]

On 2/6/2025 at 2:01 PM, 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. 

An in-game refresh texture option is not an adequate solution. ModelViewer has more necessary functionality than just displaying the texture on the 3D model, if it isn't working or ED doesn't make an equivalent replacement community livery making will still be dead.

[Mach3DS]

8 hours ago, II.JG1_Vonrd said:

Looks good! I assume that you did it by checking progress in game and not the Model Viewer... correct? This is a fairly simple skin without camo or intricate graphics which would be tasking to get right if having to check and re-check in game.

@NineLine, any progress from the team regarding getting MV to work?

Look, I get it.....it's nice that someone is doing something.  Congrats on spending whatever time it took to make what looks like an ultra simple livery. (that's not meant to mock the livery artist in any way, just that it's not an overly complex livery).  But, this kind of thing is actually making it harder to get what we need, which is a fully functional Model Viewer and the library of all base textures (all Roughmets, Normals, albedos, for aircraft, pilot, tanks etc.).  Without those, you can NEVER have a custom livery that actually looks correct.  So while, time was spent on this, I fear that it will just cause a blind eye to be turned to the real issues with a "See, they're already making liveries, we don't need to do anything else" mentality. Which would be a terrible outcome.

[II.JG1_Vonrd]

23 minutes ago, Mach3DS said:

Look, I get it.....it's nice that someone is doing something.  Congrats on spending whatever time it took to make what looks like an ultra simple livery. (that's not meant to mock the livery artist in any way, just that it's not an overly complex livery).  But, this kind of thing is actually making it harder to get what we need, which is a fully functional Model Viewer and the library of all base textures (all Roughmets, Normals, albedos, for aircraft, pilot, tanks etc.).  Without those, you can NEVER have a custom livery that actually looks correct.  So while, time was spent on this, I fear that it will just cause a blind eye to be turned to the real issues with a "See, they're already making liveries, we don't need to do anything else" mentality. Which would be a terrible outcome.

Exactly. Well said!

Now if someone could accomplish a skin in full digital camo without suffering a brain hemorrhage... 

So, asking again... any progress?

[PSV_Tango]

Hello,

After 45 hours of work and probably opening DCS 200 times, we're still not done. The templates and UVs are clearly NOT made for user editing. When you need to bend a straight line in the template to make it look straight on the plane, it's simply impossible to make something clean. The 3D UVs are not relaxed enough, and as a result, if you use a red background, you'll get red around the entire shape because the texture bleed is insufficient.

It seems that this model was textured in software like Substance Painter or similar, which makes it much easier to texture such a complex plane with proper software support.

I’m not trying to be rude, but in 2025, when the "expectation" is for users to create skins, this situation is quite difficult to accept.

Thank you for your understanding and your work.

Edited March 11 by PSV_Tango

[virgo47]

1 hour ago, PSV_Tango said:

After 45 hours of work and probably opening DCS 200 times, we're still not done. The templates and UVs are clearly NOT made for user editing... the texture bleed is insufficient... this situation is quite difficult to accept.

DCS is often about passion and suffering - but this seems to be over the top. I don't make custom liveries, but I like them. I hope ED will take this issue more seriously. I hope they can figure out the more reasonable balance between protecting their IP and supporting (or at least not alienating) their community.

[Trooper117]

20 hours ago, virgo47 said:

I hope ED will take this issue more seriously

I guess they have other priorities...

[MarbleFalcon]

I dont get that why did they even released the paintkit lmao. Do they really expect us to magically scooby doo the camouflages or airshow team liveries without any instruction or support? I kinda understand encrypting 3d shapes, but textures and default liveries? Im actually curious how they thought we would make liveries with this limited sources. Even making a simple TuAF hill grey livery is taking days because of this lol. If anyone that is crazy as me working a livery for new f5, please dont share on userfiles. I agree what Mach3DS said, they are not giving a damn because they see people making livery anyway.

[Awacs_bandog]

On 3/10/2025 at 2:36 PM, PSV_Tango said:

Hello,

After 45 hours of work and probably opening DCS 200 times, we're still not done. The templates and UVs are clearly NOT made for user editing. When you need to bend a straight line in the template to make it look straight on the plane, it's simply impossible to make something clean. The 3D UVs are not relaxed enough, and as a result, if you use a red background, you'll get red around the entire shape because the texture bleed is insufficient.

It seems that this model was textured in software like Substance Painter or similar, which makes it much easier to texture such a complex plane with proper software support.

I’m not trying to be rude, but in 2025, when the "expectation" is for users to create skins, this situation is quite difficult to accept.

Thank you for your understanding and your work.

Im pretty sure most of the work we see that isn't through HB's Rivet Counters or a handful of other third parties community skinners are all done through SP.

I know the F-15E "Just use Substance Painter" was the handwaved excuse for the issues we had with skinning that model. 

6 hours ago, MarbleFalcon said:

I dont get that why did they even released the paintkit lmao. Do they really expect us to magically scooby doo the camouflages or airshow team liveries without any instruction or support? I kinda understand encrypting 3d shapes, but textures and default liveries? Im actually curious how they thought we would make liveries with this limited sources. Even making a simple TuAF hill grey livery is taking days because of this lol. If anyone that is crazy as me working a livery for new f5, please dont share on userfiles. I agree what Mach3DS said, they are not giving a damn because they see people making livery anyway.

" Do they really expect us to magically scooby doo the camouflages or airshow team liveries without any instruction or support?"

I believe the answer to that question is 'yes' given the recent change in how ED is handling the community skinners. 

Between this and the Heavy Metal update's locking down of assets (And credit to dudes like Scorch who have the patience of saints when it comes to sussing out that Lua file), I am personally not holding my breath on future ED content being community modifiable.


You will take your Clark Air Base SEA skin and you will like it.

[Mach3DS]

8 hours ago, Awacs_bandog said:

Im pretty sure most of the work we see that isn't through HB's Rivet Counters or a handful of other third parties community skinners are all done through SP.

I know the F-15E "Just use Substance Painter" was the handwaved excuse for the issues we had with skinning that model. 

" Do they really expect us to magically scooby doo the camouflages or airshow team liveries without any instruction or support?"

I believe the answer to that question is 'yes' given the recent change in how ED is handling the community skinners. 

Between this and the Heavy Metal update's locking down of assets (And credit to dudes like Scorch who have the patience of saints when it comes to sussing out that Lua file), I am personally not holding my breath on future ED content being community modifiable.


You will take your Clark Air Base SEA skin and you will like it.

I don't use SP.  FYI.

[dggoofy]

WIP...

null

Edited March 12 by dggoofy

[II.JG1_Vonrd]

1 hour ago, dggoofy said:

WIP...

null

Once again a pretty nice skin but super simple. The roughmets could really use work but I don't know if you can even access the RMs. 

Asking again for the current status even if it's "Nothing at this time but we're still working on it".

@NineLine?

 

[VPS_Choki]

23 minutes ago, II.JG1_Vonrd said:

Once again a pretty nice skin but super simple. The roughmets could really use work but I don't know if you can even access the RMs. 

Asking again for the current status even if it's "Nothing at this time but we're still working on it".

@NineLine?

 

Check out Tangos skin it is not as simple as the others what u dont see is a big cross on the bottom tho

[II.JG1_Vonrd]

47 minutes ago, VPS_Choki said:

Check out Tangos skin it is not as simple as the others what u dont see is a big cross on the bottom tho

Regardless, it doesn't solve the main issue of not being able to use the MV in the skin making process and he is pointing out an additional problem regarding the UV unwrapping.

 

On 3/10/2025 at 2:36 PM, PSV_Tango said:

I’m not trying to be rude, but in 2025, when the "expectation" is for users to create skins, this situation is quite difficult to accept.

I don't want ED to think that if a few people have been able to struggle through and make some basic skins that the issue is solved. Even the header to this thread is marked as "Solved" but it has most certainly not been solved.

Solved by NineLine, December 4, 2024

Edited March 12 by II.JG1_Vonrd

[Minsky]

20 minutes ago, II.JG1_Vonrd said:

Even the header to this thread is marked as "Solved" but it has most certainly not been solved.

NineLine solved the OP's question. Not their fault that this thread later got hijacked by painters

Edited March 12 by Minsky

[II.JG1_Vonrd]

57 minutes ago, Minsky said:

NineLine solved the OP's question. Not their fault that this thread later got hijacked by painters

You do have a point r.e. the OP's question. As for the "hijack"...I doubt that they want a new thread but maybe that's needed.

 

[MarbleFalcon]

I created this topic cuz other one is marked as "solved" which isnt really solved obviously cuz we still dont have access to default texture files etc.null

[MarbleFalcon]

I created one if anyone interested. Cuz obviously this topic is marked as "solved" so all we say in here is kinda pointless

[VZ_342]

In the new F-5E3 template, each of the .psd files have a NORMAL, METALL, RAFNES, AO and DIFFUSE folder. I've only used the DIFFUSE because I'm such a newbie. Since the original skins are "locked", perhaps that means ED wants skins to be made from the ground up from a very basic skin?

[Minsky]

It shall be noted that the inability to build our repaints upon the default liveries is only part of the problem.

The other - and much bigger - part is that locking away the aircraft's model made the repainting prohibitively difficult to anyone who value their time and mental health.

ModelViewer is a lot more than a mere "instant texture reloader". It gives us ability to preview different texture channels and material layers, and see how they react to various environments and times of day. It allows playing with model arguments. It permits much easier and precise camera control.

This list goes on and on, but I'm sure that ED, and anyone who ever tried to make a proper livery, are well aware of all that.

And that's why teaching the Mission Editor texture refreshing will not solve the problem we have at hand.

[Bucic]

15 hours ago, dggoofy said:

WIP...

null

This looks great! Do we have another stock bare metal skin?

[Tomcatter87]

Agree with @Minsky . Having done a nice looking VFC-13 blue splinter camo for the old F-5, I intended to release a version for the updated model. But there's no way I'll do that without being able to use the Model Viewer. Which is sad, because for the F-5 there would be so many great liveries the skinning community could do.

In my eyes, there's two possible solutions: Enable the Model Viewer to view the encrypted 3D models or introduce a "refresh textures" button for the mission editor's armament menu. 

[Megalax]

23 hours ago, II.JG1_Vonrd said:

Once again a pretty nice skin but super simple. The roughmets could really use work but I don't know if you can even access the RMs. 

 

 

They're literally in the template.

[II.JG1_Vonrd]

6 minutes ago, Megalax said:

They're literally in the template.

Obviously I haven't taken the time to look at the template since I consider it pointless until we get the ability to use MV back or a similar replacement. It's good that they included them though. I'd really like to make some F-5 skins in the future.

[theRealTrickFlare]

It was hell but I think I'm happy with the result.

I used the mission editor to preview and make changes to the files to ease the burden of having no MV access by simply reloading the aircraft rendering by placing a new unit each time.

It's in the que for user files. Cheers,

Fun note, F18 patch and Bort number layouts also work as templates for the new F5 (so do the helmet, and flight gear but not 100%)