A question to all vehicle modders and users of Photshop!

[Gurra]

Greetings,

I think I´ve been on this before, asking for some advice on modding.

Now, this concerns vehicle modding, and the problem is:

All I want to do, is producing nice vehicles. If only I could now come past the first obstacles, which now seems to be a good and methodical way to create templates to work from. I used to do some skinning in IL2 Sturmovik, and in creating templates and skins there, I used a plug-in called Mac´s remove white. That one, if remembered correctly, did just that, and left me with only the outlining under which I could then roam freely with the brush. Problem in CM is that there is a lot of colour, not only white, so it doesn´t work. (would need a remove colour )

To shorten this a little-could any of you give me some hints or recommend any available plug-ins that would help me get going? I don´t ask you to reveal your secrets...

Or alternative, is there a way to convert PSP templates to Photoshop ones?

I hope this doesn´t sound stupid or naiv.

Regards Gurra

[MikeyD]

Yeh, I stumbled on those IL-2 templates just few weeks ago and all-in-one modding for that game is a whole 'nother animal than for CM.

For one thing IL-2 dynamic shading takes a lot of the 'artistic' work out of the hands of the modder. In CM if you want shadows you've got to pain 'em in yourself!

There's no easy way around it. With CM you're forced to fend for yourself (I rather suspect the birth of a mod community came as a surprise to BFC back when CMBO was first released). The closest thing the game has to a 'template' is the default art itself, which you can use for positioning reference while painting over.

[AndrewTF]

It all depends on what you want to do. CM modders to everything from hard-core complete re-rendering and repainting of the textures to merely adding new camo patterns or dirt and grime or damage. You just need to assess how much of your life you're willing to waste doing it.

Didn't someone, Zimorodok, I think, put together a "Modders Series" of plain bare-metal vehicles for CMBB? Those are the closest thing I can think of to vehicle templates. I think you can get them from cmmods.com.

[Gurra]

Thanks for your input!

Yes, Zimerodok did that, but I think they´re Paintshop Pro. I will have to get that program first and learn it.

What I really wanted to do, because I figured it would be reachable, was to do a nice series of whitewashed/wintercamo Sdkfz 250/251. I have been on this for a while, testing various ways to achieve this. I have a fair perception of how to add weathering and scratches and so, but on the other hand, there´s a lack of "punch" in the finish, probably because I´m not aware of techniques I should be aware of.

I guess I have to waste a little more time of my life, doing the trial and error.

[Bogdan]

Originally posted by Gurra:

Thanks for your input!

Yes, Zimerodok did that, but I think they´re Paintshop Pro. I will have to get that program first and learn it.

What I really wanted to do, because I figured it would be reachable, was to do a nice series of whitewashed/wintercamo Sdkfz 250/251. I have been on this for a while, testing various ways to achieve this. I have a fair perception of how to add weathering and scratches and so, but on the other hand, there´s a lack of "punch" in the finish, probably because I´m not aware of techniques I should be aware of.

I guess I have to waste a little more time of my life, doing the trial and error.

Good initiative Gurra !

I also planned to realize a set of SPW but I didn't begin anything yet : some wonderfull artworks exist here, made by great modders and this is just fine for me (I call it the "lazy modder solution" : let's the other guys (who are talented) working for you LOL ).

However, if you really want to mod these vehicles with Photoshop, you may have two solutions : download a free version of Paint Shop Pro to convert PSP files to PSD files (Photoshop), or use the original BMP files (panzer gray version). You have to know that the PSP trial version work for a limited time : I suggest you to convert every "Modders series" !

You can also work from BMP files. This second solution is harder but I really think it's a good way to learn how to mod. Work with grey version and create layers with markings, non-camoed parts (exhaust pipes for example) and pink zones (transparent).

The motto is LAYERS ! Layers for parts, markings, camo scheme, spots, dirt, everything. Keep the gray basis at all cost, never work directly on. The only time I modified the original BFC stuff was for Jagdpanther and jagdtiger roofs. I completelly redrawn them ! I think I will never retry

[gautrek]

try downloading my how to tutorial from my site.

I know its a PSP one but you should be able to get some hints from that.

[Gurra]

Hmm. At first I was a bit afraid that I wouldn´t get any real support on this issue, because I thought that those that has the know how would be too occupied with their own work to really care about a someone that hasn´t yet come up with anything and moreover hasn´t yet got a good clue to be able to. BUT-I apologize.

Thank you for your supportive answers. As soon as I have the time I will investigate the proposed options

Gurra

[Gurra]

Arrgh! God dam, I can´t believe how hard it is to convert to new software! Was trying out PSP and felt like a chimp struggling with confusing puzzles...so I converted Zimerodok's modder's series files instead.

AND THE QUESTION IS: are these FULLY compatible with CMAK? Will I get a good result, if I succeed at all at modding something?

[AndrewTF]

Most of the German vehicle models in CMAK are the same as those in CMBB. I think there are a couple new ones--I'm pretty sure the Hetzer is one.

[junk2drive]

get the excel spreadsheet for bmp numbers. that way you can make sure first. you can also see when something is the same with different camo later in the war, i.e. 3300 ew then 103300 lw.

edit Band of Brothers charts

[ April 10, 2004, 02:44 PM: Message edited by: junk2drive ]

[Zimorodok]

Originally posted by Gurra:

Arrgh! God dam, I can´t believe how hard it is to convert to new software! Was trying out PSP and felt like a chimp struggling with confusing puzzles...so I converted Zimerodok's modder's series files instead.

AND THE QUESTION IS: are these FULLY compatible with CMAK? Will I get a good result, if I succeed at all at modding something?

I thought I heard my name being taken in vain!

Hi, Gurra, I am Zimorodok. I made those "grey" CMBB files for modding during the long, grey months of my unemployment.

I can help you with the PSP-Photoshop conversion if you like, or you can peruse my tutorial on how I did them all (the methods are 99% the same for Photoshop). I can say that a number of the CMAK vehicles are textured better "stock" than they were in CMBB, so some of the grey mods are going to be "blurry" or not as detailed (check the bitmap tables as well for 1:1 copy-overs). Battlefront did, in my opinion, a fantastic job on the stock graphics for CMAK.

What that all means is: what I did for CMBB might be a perfect match for CMAK, but probably is not since Battlefront improved the stock graphics for a large number of vehicles. What the "grey" series can do for you though, is give you a starting point for making your own new mods. That's what I made them for anyway.

Happy Modding! :cool:

Zimorodok

p.s. I miss everybody...I've just been too freaking busy to even play the game, much less chat about it.

[Gurra]

Thanks for the input and sorting things out. I´m slowly trying to get grips with the buisiness, and it´s not easy. But I wasn´t thinking I would succeed in a week or two either. Your "templates" helps me a lot. I start with them and see where they take me.

To play or not to play(to mod), is the question.

Gurra.