Nosearts using the Emblem system, and Cockpit Photos

[Justicier10-7]

Just wondering if anyone knows, if I replace the EmblemsSQUAD.dds with a bunch of nose arts and pinups, will that also change the squadron logos we see in Career mode. Does the aircraft emblems and Career mode squadron emblems draw from the same file?

Also, curious if the code is still in place in IL2K to be able to add Cockpit Photos like Great Battles and Flying Circus had. I know the cockpits currently don't have a defined "spot" for a photo (or checklist, notes, etc.), but have the devs said anything about re-adding this functionality in the future?

[Stonehouse]

2 hours ago, Justicier10-7 said:

if I replace the EmblemsSQUAD.dds with a bunch of nose arts and pinups,

It doesn't work that way in my experience. The game reads the emblems from that file and the corresponding one for the Eastern Bloc units. The emblems themselves are held in the dds file as what I judge but do not know for sure as approx 500x500 pixel images on a transparent background in a matrix like arrangement and are individually turned on and off by setting a 1 or a 0 in emblems.cfg. The first position in the dds file is left deliberately transparent as this equates to no emblem selection made. 

2 hours ago, Justicier10-7 said:

will that also change the squadron logos we see in Career mode. Does the aircraft emblems and Career mode squadron emblems draw from the same file

Yes and Yes but I believe the career configuration files will have selected appropriate historical emblems for each unit.

I have set up custom emblems leaving the stock emblems strictly untouched to avoid impacting anything the dev team has set up. EG my own emblem.

[Justicier10-7]

That's very helpful info! I didn't know about the .cfg file. Now that I was able to edit the .cfg and add a test image to the end of the grid of emblems, it works!

[Stonehouse]

Just a suggestion. As those files are able to be updated by a game patch, I would suggest setting your custom versions of the files up as a JSGME mod (even though what you are doing is not a mod requiring mods to be enabled in the game options) so you can revert easily to stock prior to a patch and avoid a patch overwriting your changes. Also gives you a chance to evaluate whether you need to update your custom files to suit changes in the game.

One other thing - these are like skins so if you want people to see them in MP then the other players need a copy of your custom files (which again makes setting it up as a JSGME mod a good idea).

Last thing - there is also a LOD version of the emblem dds files eg !emblemSQAD.dds that should be updated too. I believe you can create it (I am not the most skilled graphic artist but think this is correct) by making a reduced size copy of your custom emblemSQUAD.dds. Can't remember the size it needs to be off the top of my head sorry.

Edited August 15 by Stonehouse

[Justicier10-7]

I presume the LOD file goes in the same directory?

[Stonehouse]

5 hours ago, Justicier10-7 said:

I presume the LOD file goes in the same directory?

game\data\Graphics\textures\common