Air and Ship Arts - How to Mod? (Full Version)

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Vipersp -> Air and Ship Arts - How to Mod? (1/2/2016 4:23:02 PM)

Greetings,

As a rookie regarding AE modding I first did a research at all topics at this section and collected all tools and tips I could find at some cool topics here, that including sides and tops for new planes and ship art too;
But I couldn't find any info regarding first steps to how start to deal with plane and ship art from the ground??
Is there any kind of tutorial for beginners like me?
Which softwares to use to create new arts? for example;
How to add a single air art to the A_planeside file?;
How to create Alpha image for the new plane?;

Any help will be appreciated!

Cheers

Vipersp



el cid again -> RE: Air and Ship Arts - How to Mod? (1/8/2016 6:57:27 PM)


The easiest thing is to copy and paste. Use WITP, WITP/AE, War Plan Orange, etc for ship art. Also
the art sites listed by Matrix. Many ships and the shills associated with them exist if you simply copy them.
Ship art is easy to do - there is a matching set of side and "shil" - these go in sub folders called Allied ship
Back and Allied ship trans respectively (and similar for Japan).

Air art is harder. It must be put in a filmstrip - or actually in a matching set of three filmstrips. These
are called sides, tops and alphas. You can cut an paste images into the filmstrips - but it must be done with
precision or you will crash the game. And you need all three. A cheat is to substitute photographs for art when
you don't have it. You need to have a special editor to do this work - a free one is Irfan View. Write for help if
you need it.

A quick cheat is to download RHS and steal its plane art:

Level I update 1.16
https://onedrive.live.com/redir?resid=30E506228938D79E!27151&authkey=!AE8pb0zb-yWizVY&ithint=file%2cmsi

It has almost every plane you can imagine defined. So borrow the images. If you want to use the data - use it
for ALL types - as RHS has definitions to calculate the fields and these may differ from the standard values
used by stock or other games. They work best if all are used - so the relative values are accurate.
The mod includes a set of filmstrips which contain almost everything. You can also replace images in them
once you learn how - or add still more.


quote:

ORIGINAL: Vipersp

Greetings,

As a rookie regarding AE modding I first did a research at all topics at this section and collected all tools and tips I could find at some cool topics here, that including sides and tops for new planes and ship art too;
But I couldn't find any info regarding first steps to how start to deal with plane and ship art from the ground??
Is there any kind of tutorial for beginners like me?
Which softwares to use to create new arts? for example;
How to add a single air art to the A_planeside file?;
How to create Alpha image for the new plane?;

Any help will be appreciated!

Cheers

Vipersp





Reg -> RE: Air and Ship Arts - How to Mod? (1/9/2016 2:37:54 AM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Vipersp

Greetings,

As a rookie regarding AE modding I first did a research at all topics at this section and collected all tools and tips I could find at some cool topics here, that including sides and tops for new planes and ship art too;
But I couldn't find any info regarding first steps to how start to deal with plane and ship art from the ground??
Is there any kind of tutorial for beginners like me?
Which softwares to use to create new arts? for example;
How to add a single air art to the A_planeside file?;
How to create Alpha image for the new plane?;

Any help will be appreciated!

Cheers

Vipersp



You absolutely MUST download and read the attachment to Post #1 of this thread: Art mods

Its written by one of the developers MichaelM and describes very well what needs to be done.

To answer your specific questions;

1. I just use GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) as it does everything you want. (free download from http://www.gimp.org/). Others use Photoshop or Paint.Net though any graphics editor that supports layers will do.

Be prepared to learn how to use layers and the fuzzy select tool and it isn't hard at all.

2. I would not touch the A_PlaneSide.bmp file (or Aptop.bmp or Aptop_alpha.bmp). If you read the "AE Art modifications.rtf" document you downloaded above, the section titled "Single Aircraft Images" will show you how to create a single image that will override the default image for a particular slot. Much safer than messing with the master file.

3. Creating an alpha is easy.
* Load the top down image into GIMP (it should have a uniform background colour).
* Use the Fuzzy Select tool to select the background colour (threshold setting will affect how tightly it tracks the edge of the aircraft outline. I would use antialising as well).
* Create a new layer filled with white colour.
* Ensure the new (white) layer is active and use Bucket Fill tool to paint black to the background area.
* Delete the original image layer (leaving just a single layer with a white shape on a black background).
* Export the image to a bitmap file using the correct alpha-image filename (from "AE Art modifications.rtf").
Done!!

Tip: If you do all your image manipulations an a large size image (say 600 x 750 pixels) and resize them to the correct dimensions as the very last step, you will get much better results.

If you get really confident you may be interested in creating a revolving Artwork set where the images can change monthly based on the game time. The easiest way is using my Revolving Artwork Tool at the links below. (Documentation included).
Example output: http://www.matrixgames.com/forums/fb.asp?m=2972466
Download link: http://www.matrixgames.com/forums/fb.asp?m=3529896

Feel free to post any further questions,
Best of Luck.


[image]local://upfiles/446/754336D66B62457B86DB2B4C625652BE.gif[/image]
Background on new layer selected and ready for Bucket fill..... (Note white layer active and the original image layer hidden below the white layer)




Big B -> RE: Air and Ship Arts - How to Mod? (1/9/2016 4:20:50 AM)

There is nothing wrong with the information above.
But as one of the three original ship artists for AE, and I will say - with all humility - the best of the three when it came to depth and shading, I used IMAGEFORGE and MSPAINT Exclusively.

Now the sad part; to create art - you have to have an artist's visual mind... nothing else can change that... not saying you do or don't... Just saying you need to understand shading and perspective.... not everyone does...



Reg -> RE: Air and Ship Arts - How to Mod? (1/9/2016 5:40:43 AM)

Absolutely Brian, I agree whole heartedly. [:)]

The instructions above are basic but should be enough to create useable artwork. [;)]

Just keeping it simple to start with..... [8D]



[image]local://upfiles/446/A27BD4F1C20E429C9E9C87AC9700E433.jpg[/image]



Dili -> RE: Air and Ship Arts - How to Mod? (1/9/2016 12:08:58 PM)

Just to add that the tool i found more user friendly for image editing is Krita by a long shot, even have symmetry painting. https://krita.org/ It is freeware.

A basic intro start:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5DRmcUOmJM



Vipersp -> RE: Air and Ship Arts - How to Mod? (1/10/2016 4:25:28 AM)

Wow!
hank you all fellow players!
I will take in account all advices given and specially mentioning Big B, as an engineeer in RL Iam quite sure don't have an artist visual mind but will give my best to produce some good content in future;

Thank you all![&o]




Reg -> RE: Air and Ship Arts - How to Mod? (1/10/2016 5:30:14 AM)


The other advantage is once you have set up your basic image it is not hard to duplicate layers and modify them slightly to create variants......

[image]local://upfiles/446/268C375F115C44AAA83C99769623B47A.jpg[/image]



Big B -> RE: Air and Ship Arts - How to Mod? (1/10/2016 9:39:59 PM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: Reg


The other advantage is once you have set up your basic image it is not hard to duplicate layers and modify them slightly to create variants......

[image]local://upfiles/446/268C375F115C44AAA83C99769623B47A.jpg[/image]


Reg, I haven't logged on for a couple of days - and I wanted to compliment you on your work... not bad.....not bad at all - you have a future, get ready for some special art requests [sm=innocent0009.gif] I can guarantee they will be coming your way [8D]




Reg -> RE: Air and Ship Arts - How to Mod? (1/11/2016 5:18:43 AM)


Cool!!! [:)]





GaryChildress -> RE: Air and Ship Arts - How to Mod? (2/21/2016 9:37:52 PM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: Reg

Absolutely Brian, I agree whole heartedly. [:)]

The instructions above are basic but should be enough to create useable artwork. [;)]

Just keeping it simple to start with..... [8D]



[image]local://upfiles/446/A27BD4F1C20E429C9E9C87AC9700E433.jpg[/image]


Great looking artwork, Reg. How did you create the 3Dish shade model in the middle?



TOMLABEL -> RE: Air and Ship Arts - How to Mod? (2/22/2016 3:12:02 AM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Big B "best of the three when it came to depth and shading"


Hi B!!!

I would have to agree there!![&o] But he meant to say 'amigos' also.[:D]

TOMLABEL



Reg -> RE: Air and Ship Arts - How to Mod? (2/22/2016 8:02:07 AM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: Gary Childress


quote:

ORIGINAL: Reg

Absolutely Brian, I agree whole heartedly. [:)]

The instructions above are basic but should be enough to create useable artwork. [;)]

Just keeping it simple to start with..... [8D]



[image]local://upfiles/446/A27BD4F1C20E429C9E9C87AC9700E433.jpg[/image]


Great looking artwork, Reg. How did you create the 3Dish shade model in the middle?


You mask off the area you want to shadow (say a wing or the fuselage) then select a semi-transparent feathered brush of the appropriate size and gently apply black and white highlights. Just remember less is more. [:)]

Always work on a separate layer from your primary image so if you make a mistake you can wipe the highlight and start again (and again and again.... [:'(]) without affecting the base image.

I'm afraid it really is just a case of experiment and practice until it looks good. [;)]




m10bob -> RE: Air and Ship Arts - How to Mod? (2/22/2016 3:07:53 PM)

Requests?..I play solo, always, and use trainers to train pilots and free up planes for bombing or fighting units.
That in mind, I would like to see some basic trainers for other nations.
Presently we have trainers for U.S. and Japan,(Willow).
Suggest Tiger Moth and Tudor for Brit/Aus, etc.?
I made the Brewster Buccaneer for the USMC to have a trainer for their bombers.
Just a thought.
(I have very good reference material if anybody needs the stats) ?



el cid again -> RE: Air and Ship Arts - How to Mod? (2/27/2016 6:43:15 AM)

Yet another option is to use Erfan View (free and easily found). Its (German) author supports the program
if you get confused.



Reg -> Planetop Alpha Image Tutorial (8/26/2016 9:56:22 AM)


This is an alternative method of creating a sharp planetop alpha image.

Enjoy.



[image]local://upfiles/446/B580109F920B474682665C2820A34963.gif[/image]

Note: The resizing steps are included so the final Alpha image is smooth and doesn't have any 'jagged" edges. [:)]





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