[XenephusVC]

I notice all these hot shots with their fancy looking skins on their planes. I don't fly a fighter plane that much but I would like to make a sharkmouth design for my IL-2 and Pe-2. Anyone know how :?:

[JAMF]

Option 1: find a good template (at flying legends or such sites) and add a layer in which you place a sharkmouth to fit the position and area you want.

Option 2: Take one of the BMP files in the paintschemes of the aircraft and modify it with a sharkmouth.

[agracier]

A good working knowledge of how graphics editors work is really a necessity. If you can work reasonably proficiently in GIMP, Adobe Photoshop or Paint Shop Pro (or others) then you should be able to add something simple like a sharksmouth to an existing skin..

But even so, you can't just always add something to an existing single layered bmp file, you really need to work in layers and preferably with an existing template.

You can download many aircraft templates at Flying Legends or Mission4Today or Simmers Paintshop.

Sometimes watching an introductory tutorial helps you better grasp how to work.

Here is a link to a few skinning tutorials.

http://www.sendspace.com/file/ak6afm

[nzwilliam]

Use GIMP 2.6 if you don't already have a photoshop program, it's free and downloadable from the net. While you're at it also download BRIGHTER, I think that can be found at simmerspaintshop under utilities. In a nutshell, Gimp is a brilliant program once you get the hang of it and can open all the skin templates or you can make your own, but you can't export files in the type of bitmap format required for IL2, thats where Brighter comes in. I can give some quick instructions if you have any trouble working them out.

[agracier]

Each graphics program has its drawbacks and advantages. You can't use Paint Shop Pro for map-making tga files, and you can't use GIMP for bmp skins apparently.

Isn't it always something?

[XenephusVC]

the tut would help but I have vista not xp

[agracier]

the tut would help but I have vista not xp

That shouldn't make a difference in how graphics programs work ... provided you can get Vista to do what it's supposed to do and get all the necessary permissions ... ha ha

[KG64_Cnopicilin]

I have made a tut with Fireworks 8... But its in finnish... Made it for mi friend.

[nzwilliam]

Each graphics program has its drawbacks and advantages. You can't use Paint Shop Pro for map-making tga files, and you can't use GIMP for bmp skins apparently.

Isn't it always something?

I haven't found anything I can't do with gimp yet, you just need to grab a format converter for skins. Brighter is easy to use, free, and does a great job.
For skins just click 'save as' in gimp, save it as 28bit windows bmp, open that file with Brighter and send it where you want it *POOF* you have a new skin! :wink:

[JAMF]

For skins just click 'save as' in gimp, save it as 28bit windows bmp, open that file with Brighter and send it where you want it *POOF* you have a new skin! :wink:

Brighter takes 28Bit and saves it as 24Bit then?

[nzwilliam]

For skins just click 'save as' in gimp, save it as 28bit windows bmp, open that file with Brighter and send it where you want it *POOF* you have a new skin! :wink:

Brighter takes 28Bit and saves it as 24Bit then?

OOPS, my bad, save in GIMP to 24bit (don't know where I got 28 from?!). Skins need to be 8bit...Brighter does that automatically providing you have it set to convert to BMP.

[RAF209_Louvert]

Xenephus, another excellent and free graphics editor is Paint.NET. I have been using this one since switching to XP Pro 64 and it does everything you need when it comes to skinning planes, and it saves in bmp. I have built numerous plane skins for other sims using this program, (and just did my first IL2 skin with it), and I find it to be very easy to learn. Also, it should be fully compatible with all OS. Best of luck with your project.

Cheers!

Lou

[redarrows2006]

Someone could make an video of how i make skin whih gimp could it be esyer to use the program i wonder?

[redarrows2006]

Someone could make an video of how i make skin whih gimp could it be esyer to use the program i wonder? :roll:

[KG64_Cnopicilin]

Ok, I'll D/L gimp and make you a tutorial.