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How to install Liveries in 2.5?


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Hello!

 

I want to install some repaints from the User Files for the Dora, but I am unable to find the correct folder. Anyone who knows?

 

Thank you very much

i7-14700KF 5.6GHz Water Cooled /// ZOTAC RTX 4070 TI Super 16GB /// 32GB RAM DDR5 /// Win11 /// SSDs only

DCS - XP12 - MSFS2020

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I believe,

 

Programs\Eagle Dynamics\DCS World\Bazar\Liveries\FW-190D9

 

Alltough I found the original, preinstalled Liveries in this folder my downloaded repaints where not appearing in the mission editor...

 

Installing Liveries in DCS was always a pain in the a** ^^ I hope they make it more easy in the future.

i7-14700KF 5.6GHz Water Cooled /// ZOTAC RTX 4070 TI Super 16GB /// 32GB RAM DDR5 /// Win11 /// SSDs only

DCS - XP12 - MSFS2020

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Okay, this is the right folder, but the liveries I tried seems to not work. They where from Porcorosso86. Other repaint worked without problem.

 

Thank you!

i7-14700KF 5.6GHz Water Cooled /// ZOTAC RTX 4070 TI Super 16GB /// 32GB RAM DDR5 /// Win11 /// SSDs only

DCS - XP12 - MSFS2020

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DCS has been constantly working towards getting custom files out of the main install. They created the SAVED GAMES folder to be used for this purpose. Try it instead, you will need to create the liveries folder and the aircraft folder for which you have custom skins for.

 

Example:

C:\Users\"USERNAME"\Saved Games\"DCS VERSION NAME"\Liveries\FW-190D9\"Custom Livery folder name"

 

As stated previously, make sure the files are not zipped up. After the FW-190D9 folder should be folders with the name of the skin and in there, the description.lua file along with the *.DDS files.

 

 

PS: One additional thought. The description.lua file identifies which country the skin is selectable for (At the bottom of the file usually), be sure in the mission editor, that the country for the a/c is selected or you will not see it available.


Edited by Shahdoh
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DCS has been constantly working towards getting custom files out of the main install. They created the SAVED GAMES folder to be used for this purpose. Try it instead, you will need to create the liveries folder and the aircraft folder for which you have custom skins for.

 

Example:

C:\Users\"USERNAME"\Saved Games\"DCS VERSION NAME"\Liveries\FW-190D9\"Custom Livery folder name"

 

As stated previously, make sure the files are not zipped up. After the FW-190D9 folder should be folders with the name of the skin and in there, the description.lua file along with the *.DDS files.

 

 

PS: One additional thought. The description.lua file identifies which country the skin is selectable for (At the bottom of the file usually), be sure in the mission editor, that the country for the a/c is selected or you will not see it available.

 

The problem was, as you stated, that the Liveries I tried where setup for "GER" only in the cfg. My mission was setup for WWII with "Third Reich" or "NZG" in the cfg. This solved the problem.

 

Thank you very much! :thumbup:

i7-14700KF 5.6GHz Water Cooled /// ZOTAC RTX 4070 TI Super 16GB /// 32GB RAM DDR5 /// Win11 /// SSDs only

DCS - XP12 - MSFS2020

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My problem is I load the skins and the names for them show in the mission editor list. Even the refuel/rearm skin list panel within the mission, but the skins don't change when they are selected. They keep a default skin. Does the same thing in the Model Viewer too. All my other aircraft skins work fine. Scratching my head here.

 

As far as ED attempting to clean out the DCS install and forcing users to load skins in the Saved Game folder. NOT COOL! My C: drive SSD is rather small and the last thing I want as a user is to pile gigs of mods on my C: drive. They should give an option in the game to map and external mods folder, not force it to end-user C: drives. Bad move for the very reason I stated. I hate it when Devs dictate where you park mods. DCS isn't the only one that is doing this. P3D vendors are starting to do it as well. The Aerosoft F-14A X is one that comes to mind. Causes all kinds of problems for modders.


Edited by Bananimal

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Bananimal's DCS Mods and Skins

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It'll slow things down. I have no space on my gaming SSDs to move my user data folder. It would have to go to a mechanical HDD. That causes all kinds of other issues as well. Especially when Windows takes a dump on you.

 

The user data folder can be moved in parts ... move to Hdd just the images, videos, documents & desktop folders, but keep on the SSD the Saved Games folder.

 

To move, right click the folder, select properties and then click on Change location.

 

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  • 1 year later...
Does anyone know what the proper skin folder name is to setup the TF-51D custom skins in the saved games folder?

 

It’s Liveries\TF-51D

 

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  • 3 years later...

Still confused gathering OP's questionl .... there are AFAIK two repeatedly recommended installation folders.as i see it.


1) C:\Program Files\Eagle Dynamics\DCS World OpenBeta\Mods\tech\WWII Units\Liveries\"PLANE ID"\"Plane-NAME"

AND 2): C:\Users\"USERNAME"\Saved Games\DCS OpenBETA\Liveries\"PLANE ID"\"Plane-NAME"

(Was checking on the B-17G skins i downloaded)

 

Q1: Now which is right, i think the first one might be for older DCS versions (like 2.5) only, as @Rudel advised the SavedGames folder IMO (for 2.8).

I tend to think option 2) is the way to go.

(Q2: If one uses the first it might be wise to use a MOD installer tool like JSGME?)

 


Edited by jackd
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Yep, i was looking at them and now really miss a similar amount for the C-47 LoL.

BTW i used the Saved Games folder now with a test, and will do from now on, seems the way to Kingdom Come.


Edited by jackd
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47 minutes ago, jackd said:

AND 2): C:\Users\"USERNAME"\Saved Games\DCS OpenBETA\Liveries\"PLANE ID"\"Plane-NAME"

 

Probably a typo, as it should be "Plane ID"\Livery Name\  👍

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Good shout, I still read conflicting ways to sort them.
FWIW Personally, I do as I think Rudel or MaxSenna told me to and put them in the Saved Games folder. Your ‘Option 2’.
Those B-17 skins are a real treat eh.
Rudel taught me well...

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59 minutes ago, MAXsenna said:

Rudel taught me well... emoji6.png

Sent from my MAR-LX1A using Tapatalk
 

Rudel teaches us all, along with yourself, Flappie (even on his holidays) and a number of others. Greatly appreciated and lovely to see. 

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Now i am still confused 'bout the skins themselves.

I downloaded and looked at the B-17G template. There are 2 files in it containing 2 large 8192x4096 PSB files. How do you convert them into the kind of dds files DCS recognizes. B-17G list1_2.psb and B-17G list3_4.psb

example, the one with the body, the other has the wings:

B-17G default PSD.jpg

The same for the Bf-109K4, one PSD, 4096x4096.

When you look in to the savedgames livery folders there are various sized DDS files, addressed by a description.lua, and often most are addressed as 'false' instead of 'true'.

f.i. from a working B-17G directory in saved games:

------------------

livery = {

    {"B17G_Fuzelage_1", 0 ,"B-17G_Fuzelage_1_LG-H_D",false};
    {"B17G_Fuzelage_1", 1 ,"B-17G_Fuzelage_1_N",true};
    {"B17G_Fuzelage_1", 2 ,"B-17G_Fuzelage_1_LG-H_S",false};
        
    {"B17G_Fuzelage_2", 0 ,"B-17G_Fuzelage_2_LG-H_D",false};
    {"B17G_Fuzelage_2", 1 ,"B-17G_Fuzelage_2_N",true};
    {"B17G_Fuzelage_2", 2 ,"B-17G_Fuzelage_2_LG-H_S",false};
        
    {"B17G_Wing_Left", 0 ,"../323rd BS - 91st BG_OR-M_Super Mouse/B-17G_Wing_Left_OR-M_D",false};
    {"B17G_Wing_Left", 1 ,"B-17G_Wing_Left_N",true};
    {"B17G_Wing_Left", 2 ,"../323rd BS - 91st BG_OR-M_Super Mouse/B-17G_Wing_Left_OR-M_S",false};
        
    {"B17G_Wing_Right", 0 ,"../323rd BS - 91st BG_OR-M_Super Mouse/B-17G_Wing_Rigth_OR-M_D",false};
    {"B17G_Wing_Right", 1 ,"B-17G_Wing_Rigth_N",true};
    {"B17G_Wing_Right", 2 ,"../323rd BS - 91st BG_OR-M_Super Mouse/B-17G_Wing_Rigth_OR-M_S",false};
    
}
name = "322nd BS - 91st BG - LG-H - Hey Daddy"
countries = {"USA", }
-- made by KIZIR_77

---------------------------------------------------

the folder contains these:

B17G folder content liveries, working.jpg

--------------------------

IMO all the true ones must be located some where else, maybe in the default DCS OpenBeta game folder?

The true set ones are directed to an N marked file, probably a normal map in some default folder.

This i wonder since i am working on a C-74 skin, and the wheels don't show up properly in the game ..

 

 

 

 

 


Edited by jackd
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1 hour ago, jackd said:

Now i am still confused 'bout the skins themselves.

I downloaded and looked at the B-17G template. There are 2 files in it containing 2 large 8192x4096 PSB files. How do you convert them into the kind of dds files DCS recognizes.

 

The Liveries graphics are not easily editable, as they are optimized for use within the Sim, where they have to be aplied to the aircraft multiple times per second. In contrast, a Template is an editable graphics file, which you can edit as you see fit .. on this particular case they are Adobe Photoshop files, which you can also edit with other graphics softwares besides Photoshop.

 

1 hour ago, jackd said:

When you look in to the savedgames livery folders there are various sized DDS files, addressed by a description.lua, and often most are addressed as 'false' instead of 'true'.

IMO all the true ones must be located some where else, maybe in the default DCS OpenBeta game folder?

 

Correct, when you edit a livery, most of the texture files remain unchanged: textures for damaged parts, decals, transparencies, bump maps, interior textures, etc. So, a custom livery cames with just the textures that have been edited ... all the rest are taken from the default livery of the aircraft. For the B-17, the default textures are inside this ZIP file:

 

yJKMCp0.jpg

 

The description.lua file is the one that tells DCS which textures have been edited by the livery creator, with that field true/false. Think of this field as the game asking the question, "Should I use the default file?", so true = use the default, false = use the new moded file.

 

Please note that I'm not a skin creator, so I'm not able to help with the photoshop part of creating a livery, but I do understand how the liveries are used by DCS  🙂

 


Edited by Rudel_chw
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On 10/1/2023 at 8:47 PM, Rudel_chw said:

The description.lua file is the one that tells DCS which textures have been edited by the livery creator, with that field true/false. Think of this field as the game asking the question, "Should I use the default file?", so true = use the default, false = use the new modded file.

Hi Rudel, i have been experimenting why sometimes a description.lua script (created or adapted with notepad++) does not seem to work.

If you leave out all the 'true', things seem to work properly, if you leave the false ones there, here's an example of a working one form CrazyEddie.

I am still experimenting, as i feel it might have to to that my SavedGames folder (moved with windows via properties to another drive) can also be a cause not finding the 'true' lines address items directed in the lua. (note the simplified namings like 'Body" etc.

--------------------------

livery = {
    
    
    {"Body",    DIFFUSE            ,    "c-47_body_d", false};
    
    {"Wings_R",    DIFFUSE            ,    "c-47_wings_r_d", false};
    {"Wings_L",    DIFFUSE            ,    "c-47_wings_l_d", false};


    {"C-47_serial_number",    DECAL        ,    "empty", false};
    
    {"C-47_bort_number",    DECAL        ,    "empty", false};

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Edited by jackd
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