Romanian Emils of 7-th Fighter group

[Jaws2002]

I got this cool book "Romanian Fighter Colours 1941-1945" and I had to do few cool skins I found in there.
My skinning ability are somwhere between "sucks" and "blows", so take them "AS IS".
In order to get them look better i sugest using about 50% "in game" weathering.


So here we have three Bf-109E's of Romanian 7-th Fighter Group Fighting on the Eastern Front.


I tried to upload this at cliffsofdover.fr, but I got a message that the skins are of the wrong format. They are just regular JPG.

So just I uploded this three skins in a single zip to mediafire:
EDIT: Link Updated with the new version of the skin.
http://www.mediafire.com/file/l7t07b...BF109 fix2.rar

BF-109E3 "Hai Fetito" (C'mon little girl), of Ion Di Cesare:






BF-109E3 of Dan Scurtu:





And "Alice", the E7 of Adj. Av. Stefan Greceanu.(I think it's ok to use it on our E3 and e4's until we get a propper E7).





And a shot with all of them:

[Jaws2002]

Anyone knows who's runing "cliffsofdover.fr/"? I uploaded the skins there but only the screenshots are visible, not the skins for some reason.

Wow, Jaws, that is some awsome work buddy. Thank you for sharing.

[VO101_Tom]

Originally Posted by Jaws2002

I got this cool book "Romanian Fighter Colours 1941-1945" and I had to do few cool skins I found in there.

Hi. Nice skins, but i have a few observations, if you don't mind. The panel lines are downloaded from here: http://cliffsofdover.fr/skin2.php?re...faut&trie=date
Download, and use to draw a more accurate dimensions, because the motives drawn on nice detail, but their size is too large, or the position is wrong.

I made a quick compare in photoshop, you see what i mean:


Second. Use the Photoshop to measuring. You can edit any picture (select it, RMB, free transform) aligned to the panel lines. The perspective is so distorted a bit, but you see the main dimensions of the original painting (i rotate the skin 180 degree during fitting) :



Third. The Colors. I dont know what color u use, the game environment is a bit hazy and faded.
But if you have not already, you can use Photoshop RLM colors. It can be downloaded to swatch menu:
I dont remember where to be downloaded, but I put here: http://www.4shared.com/rar/kHI8kwMs/...Stockholm.html



And finally: the panel finder. If you search a little parts of the skin, download these jpg to PS and into the game. You can find anything easily.

Panel Finder Color 2048x2048
Panel Finder White 2048x2048.jpg



Fine skins anyway, keep it up!

[Jaws2002]

Thx all for the imput.

Thank you Tom for the help. I knew I messed up with the size and position of the kill and personal markings after I posted the real pictures next to the screenshot. It is very obvious. those are some very good tips.
The crosses are the right size, i think, but the panel lines are not exactly matching what i see in the picture, that's why i wasn't able to place them exactly where they are. I have quite a few Romanian 109E pics and the crosses are not all in the same place. I guess i should just try to match them the the individual pictures instead of trying to match them to the profiles in the book. (wich was easier to do for my lazzy ass).

I have a question. How do you use that panel line template? In il-2, for obvious reasons (my lack of skills), I used PSD layered templates made by highly skilled skinners and panel lines and rivets were already made and placed on a transparent layer. This template has grey background. How much opacity and fill do you use to blend it with the skin? I can't use "remove white to get that background out of there.

Thanls for all your help.

[VO101_Tom]

Originally Posted by Jaws2002

I have a question. How do you use that panel line template?

Hi. I use the "Curves" Adjustment. Select the template layer, click the white-black dot (bottom part of layers box), select the "Curves". You can adjust the curve (just drag and pull). If you set something like me, the dark parts become bright.

If the results good, then RMB on the Curves layer, and select "create clipping mask". This will allows the "curves" effect only affects one layer below (small arrow indicated this).

The template layer set to Multiply (top of layer box). After this you can paint anything on the bottom layer

A similar solution (multiply) it can be dirt, scratch, discoloration, corrosion, or whatever.

[Jaws2002]

Damn!!! That's cool.

Thank you very much! I'm so bloody clueless.

[VO101_Tom]

Originally Posted by Jaws2002

Damn!!! That's cool.

Thank you very much! I'm so bloody clueless.

Maybe worth download a photoshop tutorial?

I do not know how familiar with Photoshop, what is definitely worth learning to use brushes. Brushes setups, dinamics, coloring and opacity opportunities, and custom brush installation. Lot of free packages available for download, which we can be damn good dirt and damage to paint. Of course be careful. Usually the aircrafts were pretty good condition, especially the LW (high-quality paint was hardly worn). Just a little dust, scratch and oil...

So, look for these brush-packages on the net. For example: Blur's good brush

[Jaws2002]

Ok. I had some time and I fixed a lot of stuf. Thank you Tom for the help.

I resized and moved most of the personal markings on the skins and changed the colors to some rlm colors i found. I'm not sure how good the colors are.
I find the green a bit too desaturated, but I don't know. If you guys with more experience can check them and sugest a different color I'm open for sugestions.
I had to darken a little the under belly collor, because the game makes everything too bright right now and the plane would probabily glow in the dark, with the RLM65 i got with the collor swatches from simmers paintshop.

I just realised i got the screens at 16:40 hr in game time, so at let's say noon, the colors look a bit lighter.

New download link:

http://www.mediafire.com/file/l7t07b...BF109 fix2.rar

I'll uplod them to airwarfare later, first I would like to see what else you think i should change.

I hate that ugly low resolution mess, that passes as "engine smoke, but for some reasone no matter how i change the opacity, it still looks ugly or i end up without the panel lines.

Anyway, here's how they look now:







Open for any kind of sugestion. Fire away.

[VO101_Tom]

Originally Posted by Jaws2002

Ok. I had some time and I fixed a lot of stuf. Thank you Tom for the help.

You're Welcome!

The colors too bright and pallid in the current game engine, we hope it will change.
The engine smoke issue. I check the skin jpg, there is good gradient, but i think, the reason of this harsh gradient is the skin. The skin jpg and the game generated weathering added together. You should turn off the engine smoke, and the panel lines. Let the game-engine to draw it. The additional dirt, scratch, etc. is ok.