[Monguse]

Gentlemen,

Has anyone figured out how to correctly position the numbering and or lettering on aircraft?

From this

In game numbering and positioning


To this

Custom Skin


My personal note, this is a low hanging fruit that would be welcomed by everyone skinning or creating campaigns.

[whiskey111]

I posted about this some time ago but... anybody didn't show interest.
Here is link viewtopic.php?t=1930&highlight=

[Potenz]

what about mat manager???

[MrOblongo]

Mat Manager fix a lot of things...but still innacurate. The german squadron insignia is placed under the cockpit, which is correct in some squadrons but not for many of thems. I dont know much about the Allied markings...

One thing is for sure, the default markings are not very good.

[-)-MAILMAN-]

Mat Manager is all well and good, but why should one have to use a third party program to make the markings correct and put them in the correct location. It seems that there is an awful lot of talent in this community and someone eventually will address this, at least we hope so.

[GentleKiller]

it is the german markings that bug me the most :evil:

[Monguse]

How about we fix them all?

[whiskey111]

Is this unpossible to fix them all in the game ?
German markings are incorrect, polish markings... it isn't exist at all. American markings looks horrible. I think the same problem is with all the rest.

[Username]

Aces (Leigh of Mat Manager fame) once explained on SimHQ that the difficulty with IL2's markings lies in the fact that aircraft are arranged in groups to share the same Mat files. This means various inaccuracies occur: what looks right on a P-51 looks too big on a P-38 for instance. Also, the Mats are mapped to be applied to certain parts of a 3D model only. There is some leeway for moving them around, but not much.

However, he said that he and his programmer chum, Grat, knew how to get around these difficulties and had considered making a third version of Mat Manager to address them. But this was before QTim came along and Aces wasn't happy with the idea of distributing a program that amounted to a game hack just to change a few markings. So the idea was dropped.

AFAIK he isn't active with IL2 anymore and I haven't seen Grat post at SimHQ for a while. But it might be worth trying to contact either of them through SimHQ (via PM as that site isn't mod friendly). Mat Manager has the major advantage of allowing one to easily apply markings appropriate to the theatre being flown. Some kind of equivalent program will always be required to block load alternative defaults, so it would be preferable not to have to re-invent the wheel all over again.

[MrOblongo]

Will speak for the german markings in Mat Manager. (Sorry if my english is crappy )

The solution is to use DCG and assign the generic skins to the squadrons. At least that give you better markings.

Mat Manager have to deal with the grouping of the markings...for example, for some reason the Fw190A-9 share the markings with the mid-war 109s. The Early 109s share markings with the late-war planes. The Fw190s have their own markings and the Late-War planes 109K/D9/Ta have their own.

The German markings are soo complex that i find it would be nearly impossible to make it all work in a realistic way considering they change even in the same squadron with the pass of time (early war, Late war).

So the solution is to use the generic skins (like the ones in CANONUK super work) with DCG to have better markings.

[Willy]

Gentlemen,

Has anyone figured out how to correctly position the numbering and or lettering on aircraft?

From this

In game numbering and positioning


To this

Custom Skin


My personal note, this is a low hanging fruit that would be welcomed by everyone skinning or creating campaigns.

I've been looking into this side of thing when I get time and from what I've found out so far, to achieve what your asking in your first post probably requires hex editing of the .msh files that make up the model.

I say this as when the models are made "nodes" for want of a better word are included in the model that hook up with stuff like weapons, lights, tail hooks and custom markings including nose art. They are in the wrong place and / or the wrong size because that how they were modelled.

It's one part of several that makes the marking show up in game. The other parts are the mat files, .tga files and the code that links it all together. But the model part is what restricts the size and placement.

Like I say, this is just what I understand so far...If I'm right and your handy with a hex editor or know someone who is, then your fruit may well be in reach.

Making better quality markings, changing them or making disappear all together is fairly straight forward task. I'm almost done with a mod that shuts down all the roundels and regiment art, just leaving the numbering system. So better positioned and proportioned numbers would be very welcome.

Generated serial numbers on the tails of US aircraft could be one of many possibilities

[GentleKiller]

i hope that the mod will come to life