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LukeFF
02-07-10, 10:32 PM
I've been looking around the internet trying to find a good Photoshop tutorial on creating a realistic fabric texture for use with the various ship flags. Can anyone help me out with this?
conus00
02-07-10, 11:48 PM
Hey Luke,
a while back somebody posted bunch of flags for SH4. I have created a blank template and can pretty much create any flag of any nation.

As a matter of fact I already have all the nations in SH4 created and could make any additional if you need to. I could just zip the. dds files if you like the style.
Some examples:
Italian merchant
http://i281.photobucket.com/albums/kk234/conus00/Italian_m.jpg

blank
http://i281.photobucket.com/albums/kk234/conus00/blank.jpg

I've already tried them in SH4. They look pretty cool.
Let me know what you think.

-Libor
LukeFF
02-08-10, 12:10 AM
Hey Libor,

Those look really good. What resolution is that in? RFB's flags are 512x256, in DDS format.
conus00
02-08-10, 01:12 PM
Hey Libor,

Those look really good. What resolution is that in? RFB's flags are 512x256, in DDS format.

Oh, these are only 256x128, Luke.
I tried to resize them but the texture looses quality.
Dowly
02-08-10, 01:42 PM
Maybe you can use this one
http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee274/Finnish_Ferret/flagtemplate5kf6.png

http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee274/Finnish_Ferret/FLAG.jpg
conus00
02-08-10, 03:16 PM
Well I liked Dowly's "weave" so I re-worked the master.
What do you think now?:
http://i281.photobucket.com/albums/kk234/conus00/Italy_m1.jpg
Jten
02-08-10, 09:22 PM
Photoshop? Good work.

Are you applying the texture as a top layer (overlay or screen) or displacement map?

If it's losing effect after resizing (and your texture is a top layer) try color burn and reduce the opacity a bit.

You could try filters>texture>texturizer try canvas or burlap and adjust the scaling and relief.

If you want the flag to actually conform to the rise and fall of the material shown in the examples you need to use a displacement map in addition to the texture effect.

If theses are static and not going to have dynamic lighting applied you might want to try filters>render>lighting effects to contrast the light/shadows for depth effect and burn the textures in. If you mean the flags waving on the mast tops then a flat texture without any 'sag' might be better since it might fight any render lighting effects.

These effects are possible in other raster based applications (Corelpaint, Gimp, etc) but they may change the tool names.
LukeFF
02-09-10, 04:03 AM
Well I liked Dowly's "weave" so I re-worked the master.
What do you think now?:

Looks good! I'm willing to give them a try when you're happy with how they look.
conus00
02-09-10, 01:04 PM
I'm ready. Shoot me a list of all nations you need.
LukeFF
02-09-10, 11:50 PM
I'm ready. Shoot me a list of all nations you need.


USA
Australia (Merchant)
Brazil (Link) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Flag_of_Brazil_%281889-1960%29.svg)
Britain (Merchant and Military)
Canada (Merchant) (Link) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Flag_of_Canada_1921.svg)
France
Free France
Germany (Military)
Germany (Merchant)
Greece
India (Merchant) (Link) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:British_Raj_Red_Ensign.svg)
India (Military) (Same as British)
Italy (Merchant and Military)
Japan (Merchant and Military)
Netherlands
New Zealand (Merchant and Military; Military is same as British one)
Norway
Poland
Romania
USSR (Military) (Link) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Naval_Ensign_of_the_Soviet_Union.svg)
USSR (Merchant) (Link) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Flag_of_the_Soviet_Union_%281923-1955%29.svg)
South Africa (Link) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Flag_of_South_Africa_1928-1994.svg)
Sweden
LukeFF
02-10-10, 12:16 AM
Libor,

I updated some of the info above when I realized my old information was inaccurate.
LukeFF
02-10-10, 12:47 AM
Ach, I had to make one more correction (for India's flag). :88)
conus00
02-10-10, 03:25 PM
Got them ready, will post you a link in a minute.
The only thing is: I believe that South Africa flew (during the WW2) orange/white/blue flag without those three small flags inside the white stripe.
But I might be wrong.
I will include both versions, just in case.

Here is the link: http://www.mediafire.com/?n0djyecj3zc

Let me know if you need any changes made.
LukeFF
02-11-10, 02:42 AM
Thanks! I'll give them a run-through and let you know if there are any issues with them.
LukeFF
02-11-10, 02:59 AM
Libor,

Unfortunately, while the "ragged edge" effect looks great, it does not show up in the game. :( We'll have to forgo having that option.

Otherwise, these flags look really good! There's nothing really negative I can say about them.
conus00
02-11-10, 02:07 PM
Damn. I had the textures originally made for SH3. Do you have any idea why SH4 does not support alpha channel, Luke?
Which also brings another question: how does SH4 deal with flags with "cutouts" (i.e. Norway, Poland, Sweden battle flags)?

I can, of course, redo them but it would be nice if we can find way how to implement them with ragged edges...
LukeFF
02-11-10, 04:35 PM
Damn. I had the textures originally made for SH3. Do you have any idea why SH4 does not support alpha channel, Luke?
Which also brings another question: how does SH4 deal with flags with "cutouts" (i.e. Norway, Poland, Sweden battle flags)?

I can, of course, redo them but it would be nice if we can find way how to implement them with ragged edges...

The game treats the flags with cutouts the same as the other ones. If you want to try to get the effect to show up in game, then check out flag.dat (it's in /Data/Library).
conus00
02-11-10, 07:38 PM
I'll look into it and will let you know...
conus00
02-12-10, 08:58 AM
Got it. The alpha channel (ragged edges, "cutouts" on some flags) will work if you in flag.dat tick option "Disable z-buffer write + enable alpha blend"

Can you email me your flag.dat (and any other files associated with "adding nations")?
I would like to try on my end.
LukeFF
02-12-10, 04:00 PM
Got it. The alpha channel (ragged edges, "cutouts" on some flags) will work if you in flag.dat tick option "Disable z-buffer write + enable alpha blend"

Can you email me your flag.dat (and any other files associated with "adding nations")?
I would like to try on my end.

Sure thing:

http://www.filefront.com/15567703/flag.dat

EDIT: if you need to add any additional entries to that file, feel free to do so. I know some nations at this time (like Norway and Sweden) don't have separate merchant and naval flags.
LukeFF
02-12-10, 04:25 PM
Libor,

While looking through the textures, I noticed they have a thin vertical "thread" that is visible a bit past the outer ragged edge.

Other than that, the only thing I can suggest at this point is to lighten the color of the textures just a bit, and I think they'll be just right.

EDIT: by "lighten," I mean maybe make the fabric not look so "dirty." Hopefully that makes sense. These textures look really good, otherwise.
conus00
02-14-10, 08:09 PM
I will look into it and let you know.
I will also lighten the textures a bit.
LukeFF
02-14-10, 08:48 PM
Thanks. :)

One more request, if you don't mind: could you make a "non-ragged" edge version that I can include as an option for RFB?
conus00
02-14-10, 08:53 PM
Will do.
conus00
02-16-10, 02:22 PM
Hey,
here is the "non-ragged" version of all the flags you have requested.
http://www.mediafire.com/?njuzumjl5ml

I'm still looking into the problems with thin line. Funny, it only does with certain nations. I know that problems are with Japan, France and few others.
fact is that there is nothing wrong with the textures. I know for sure that (for example Germany) displays them just fine so I tried Japan textures as German.dds and German_m.dds and they displayed just fine.

How good are you with Silent 3ditor, Luke? I might need your help on this one.
LukeFF
02-17-10, 01:59 AM
Hey,
here is the "non-ragged" version of all the flags you have requested.
http://www.mediafire.com/?njuzumjl5ml

Thanks! They look really good.

How good are you with Silent 3ditor, Luke? I might need your help on this one.I'm fairly proficient with it. Let me know if I can help you out.

EDIT: in the above-linked file (for the non-ragged flags), the flag for Brazil was left out.
seaplate hitman
02-23-10, 11:00 PM
Dear all,
i am in puzzle for flag in SH4.

I added some countrys as Bulgaria from Mod of OM into SH4. i entry the museum it can run normally.But when i started a mission, a error was out.
The MsgBox told me, the game could not find the Bulgaria flag file.

Who can tell me what is wrong with it? where is the flag file for museum. where is the flag file for ship ID Manual?