rFactor Skinning Help

[Juen-Jen Wang]

Hello, sorry for the noob questions. I know the basics of skinning as I did a lot of skins in another race sim: Live for Speed.

However, rFactor skinning is confusing me at the moment. Can someone please help me?

Ok... for this particular mod... V8Factor Unleashed, I'm trying to skin for a falcon. So I created a new team with a new VEH file and converted the skin to a DDS DXT5. The team shows up in the selection ingame BUT the skin just comes up blank. Any help please?

 

[Ryan Callan]

Best way to experiment with it is overwrite one of the existing skins DDS'. That way you know you got the folder structure correct.

 

[Juen-Jen Wang]

Thanks, that wasn't an option for me as I couldn't overwrite with DXTBmp but I found out that NVidia has updated the dds plugin to include CS5 so the problem solved itself.

But, I got the windows to show... but it's overlapped with another car's window dds... how do I fix that?

 

[Wayne Reed]

remove the old windows out of the folder.

 

[Ryan Callan]

It could be if you edited an original window that you left the alpha channel the same also, depending on your problem

 

[Juen-Jen Wang]

It could be if you edited an original window that you left the alpha channel the same also, depending on your problem

That was the problem, I accidentally left the alpha channel XD I'll fix it now thanks Ryan

 

[Phil Dufour]

Hi guys ,

i´m done a test skinning the M3 from Touring Car Legend .But a message come up "to many channels to export(5)".The image has been flatten before .....

I´m using Photoshop.

I don´t have this problem working with other templates mods.

If someone could bring me the solution.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Wayne Reed]

Have a look to see how many alpha channels there are. I have had that before took all day to work it out lol

 

[Phil Dufour]

Ok , here is the picture

 

[Phil Dufour]

Ok , i ´ve done a test . I´ve just eliminate the "schwartz" in the list and it works....

Thanks a lot for your help.....

 

[Phil Dufour]

I´m coming back ........

to eliminate the "swartz" could have an incidence on the colors ? Because i ve paint my bonnet in black save it in DXT5 , 6 mimaps . But once in the game the bonnet look very shinny with like violet blue colors.....????

 

[Phil Dufour]

Hi it´s me again,

as you can see on the picture the bonet look more dark blue. It should be black (the code color is Zero). So where is my mistake ?

I ve resolved the problem to convert the PSD in DDS without eliminate the "schwartz" in alpha layer.I don´t have the message "you have to many channels open".

 

[Wayne Reed]

Its a bit touch and go with this tbo. Some times you can do with an alpha layer. other times its just the mod that does it that way. some time's when they model the car they have it so it is really shiny. I don't know why but then I cant make cars I can only skin them so I leave them to it

 

[Phil Dufour]

Okay,

i thought it was a mistake done by me.......But as you say , i went to see other car with black color and it´s the same . So iwill try to play with the opaqueness or something else(lol).

Anyway , thanks for your reply

 

[Phil Dufour]

It´s me again ,

i definetly can´t find the solution ...Something wrong i´ve done , but i´ve been all day trying one way to others ....

On the picture the side color should be silver a beat dark and the roof not completly black dark , ok for the yellow .It look like on the paint there is some reflect from the scene...

If somebody could give me the solution...Thanks in advance

 

[Doug62]

Ok let's see if I can explain some things without confusing everyone.

Firstly with the bonnet being like that when you've used black provided the alpha is correct on that one would be the result of the shaders the modeller has use. Nothing you can about that. It is what it is.

Now the hard part to explain..

Alpha channel. When you visualise the Alpha by using the channel tab you see a grey scaled template. To make something shiny use white. 255-255-255 on the color scale. To make something with no shine or matt use black 0-0-0 on color scale.

Now to get the result your after use grey scale. The darker the grey the less shine. The lighter the grey the more shine. Use the shade layer of the template to create a new Alpha layer by laying a greyed scale under it and I don't mean the livery you have create. Just a new layer painted grey. Merg, Copy. Open the Alpha channel tab. Select the Alpha then pasd. Now you have a new Alpha with the grey scale you want.

You may need to do this a few times till the desired amount of shine is reach. The basic rule of thumb is White=Shiny. Black=Matt. Now to use a Matt color it will then depend on the Shader used. On average the color will have a more satin finish then matt.

Like most things is will be trial and error. Though by going over this process a number of times you'll be learning how the Alpha works which can make or break a good livery. Soon you will be able to create a matt black bonnet with chrome lettering on it. Or even gold leaf. Alpha can be a lot of fun when you know how it works.

Cheers.
Doug.

 

[Doug62]

I'll just need to add. Some people flatten their livery, Grey scale it and pasd that to Alpha. This is "Wrong" You end up with multiple amounts of different shades of grey making the shine to matt uneven and blotchy. Use only "One" shade of grey under the shading on the template.

 

[Phil Dufour]

Thank you for your reply,

i´m on it and i will try to understand it (need google translate few words ).

I will come back to you , to let you know .

Cheers.

 

[Phil Dufour]

Back ,

after few test ......... So i understood that if i go closer to the white it will be shiny and closer to the black it will be matt.

But where should i choise the color , doing double click , when the layer "alpha" is choosen or in the "tool bar on the left?
Because if i choose to double click directly on the alpha layer (see first picture below) , i have an option to choice the pourcentage of the opacity

After the oder question is , when i leave only the alpha "on" (with the small eye) , i have to take the "can of paint" and to use directly on the "template alpha" or to define the part of the car .(see picture example)

That´s all for now , i maybe miss something .............

 

[Wayne Reed]

I have a movie link on here some where to youtube and a guy on there tells you how to use alpha it helped me loads it is well woth the look i will see if i can find it