Sub skinning tutorial

[runningdeer]

Well...GIMP is a useful program and I'm now able to place images and numbers on subs. But I'm having trouble placing numbers on one side without having them repeat on the other side going backwards. Images seem to be fine. Also I need to figure out how to place numbers or images on one side and not have them duplicated on the other. Because sometimes I want to place a marking only on one side.

I would like to make skins based on particular subs, using actual hull numbers, insignias, etc...even though that might not be historically accurate to place numbers and images on them.

Thanx.

[ichso]

The number issue puzzled me once too. And when I finally had figured it out how to do this I realized that no boat had it's number on it's hull during war time.

But the behaviour when adding images or numbers is the same in the game, the part of the stuff you added that is facing up front will also face up front in the game - on both sides of the boat.
The problem is that numbers would have to face to the rear on the left side or otherwise they're mirrored.
If you watch those NSS_[bla]_O01.dds texture, you will see also parts of the hull of the according sub. And in this file you will see the left side of the boat as well as the right one which you can use to add the number on both sides in the right way. This works on the towers too, there are also such ..._O0x.dds files.

[runningdeer]

Originally Posted by ichso

The number issue puzzled me once too. And when I finally had figured it out how to do this I realized that no boat had it's number on it's hull during war time.

But the behaviour when adding images or numbers is the same in the game, the part of the stuff you added that is facing up front will also face up front in the game - on both sides of the boat.
The problem is that numbers would have to face to the rear on the left side or otherwise they're mirrored.
If you watch those NSS_[bla]_O01.dds texture, you will see also parts of the hull of the according sub. And in this file you will see the left side of the boat as well as the right one which you can use to add the number on both sides in the right way. This works on the towers too, there are also such ..._O0x.dds files.

Thanx...although I may well be more confused now, lol...at least I know that its possible. I'll have to take the info you gave me and try to figure it out.

[runningdeer]

ichso...well I opened NSS_balao_O01.dds texture and found the parts of the tower to place numbers/images...but when I view in-game whatever I've placed there is transparent, like the file is when I add something to it.

I've tried "add new layer" to the transparent NSS_[bla]_O01.dds texture but then parts of the tower in-game are blacked out.

I'm close to getting it right but I'm currently at a loss. If you can understand where I'm coming from could you please instruct me just a bit more?

Thank you for your time.

[ichso]

Hi runningdeer,
I also searched this issue on these boards and someone wrote that you can use the ..._O01.dds files to add numbers facing in the desired way but those files don't do any actual texturing but only show the areas to be textures (or something like this).

So you basically only can add white numbers because you only can leave out parts of those files by marking them with your number and those parts will be left untextured and will appear white in the game (or was it black?). So they are only really useful when the contrast to the rest of the hull is good enough.

I think it is okay when you use it for numbers as those aren't that detailed anyway. I didn't try it myself because soon after I read this I decided to go with a emblem and paint scheme only

EDIT: Here's a skin that actually uses numbers on the bow of the sub and they even show up correctly in the game. You might use this for comparison.
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=133038

[runningdeer]

Ok...thanks again for your time ichso. I did find a skinning tutorial here at subsim by CaptainCox: http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=109862&highlight=CaptainCox

It isnt geared towards applying numbers or images, but mainly how to create, save and make jsgme ready skins (coloring), from the games submarine files.

Anyway...I'll keep trying to find the solution. Then I can make some really nice skins. If not for others, for myself.

[runningdeer]

Hi all. Although I have not solved the problem of numbers/images mirroring and facing backward on one side of the sub, I have found some good tutorials for skinning. Below are some helpful tutorials for wanna-be skinners like myself:

(video...watch in HD for clarity)

http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=109862& highlight=CaptainCox

They were done by CaptainCox.

[Highbury]

Originally Posted by ichso

The number issue puzzled me once too. And when I finally had figured it out how to do this I realized that no boat had it's number on it's hull during war time.

Actually I know alot of the S Classes did. Probably some others, maybe even just the older between-wars boats. These are credited as war time photos. There were several but no need to link them all.

http://www.navsource.org/archives/08/0813244.jpg
http://www.navsource.org/archives/08/0812509.jpg

There are also examples of late war boats in black with the SS number painted on the rear portion of the conning tower. This is S-20 (SS-125) in July '45. (Same boat as the previous picture above, in different scheme.)

http://www.navsource.org/archives/08/0812503.jpg

But if you look at a photo history of each boat they are in so many variations of paint scheme, with or without numbers it was correct at some point.

[ichso]

This must be why they didn't use more S-Boats in the war, because their captains would refuse to give up their hull numbers and that was not good for overall strategy

[runningdeer]

Originally Posted by ichso

This must be why they didn't use more S-Boats in the war, because their captains would refuse to give up their hull numbers and that was not good for overall strategy

I was thinking that maybe those that had hull numbers were numbered because they were testing paint schemes or what have you? Just a thought.

ichso...man, this S3D is going to take some time to get used to. But I'm hoping it will make it possible to work with occlusion maps so to get hull numbers and images going the right way on both sides of the boat. That would be great.

I still find myself wanting to place hull numbers or images on that left side .
I'll figure it out eventually.

[ichso]

Hm, I have no idea about those numbers but what images do you want to place different ways on each side ? Isn't it desirable that images are always pointing forward as in the emblem skins you did before ?

[runningdeer]

Originally Posted by ichso

Hm, I have no idea about those numbers but what images do you want to place different ways on each side ? Isn't it desirable that images are always pointing forward as in the emblem skins you did before ?

Well...by images I mean emblems, or decals...things that have numbers or font as part of the image, like a boats name. Also, when a japanese flag is mirrored, its facing the wrong direction too.

Like this image, when mirrored the font is backasswards:


Just really sucks being limited in this way.