rfactor painting for dummies...

[Jerry Santucci 33]

i be the dummy..

i printed the "getting started guide" from rfactor.
downloaded the rf3. rar file.
tried to look at the two links on trackpedia. one said could not open. the other wanted me to register - then denined my registration.
downloaded "Paint.net" (did not download the windows frame something or other)
downloaded Nvidia plug in - into my paint.net folder (should have i ?)


tried to open the template rar file. paint net wouldn't do that? i checked my folder outside of the paint.net program and it is there, but paint.net will not (it seems) open an .rar file.
went to rfactor to get a template file - seen the rtrainer, but no F3?
so i took keith's dds file he had on the filezilla thing and was going to see if i could use it as a template. it was just showing it as "background" and wouldn't let me open up any/the layers?

even if i use the rfactor "team red" skin #19 - if that number doesn't conflict with anybody. i would still like to mess with this as a side thing. so next year i could be ready.

thanks in advance.

[dc]

First, the proper paint file is a PSD layered document. That's a 2D file that can be edited in Photoshop or any paint program that Keith previously mentioned that would work with Photoshop layered documents.

The file that is used by the game for the skin is a .dds file, and that is a flat, non-layered graphic file that the game uses to wrap your paint "skin" around a 3D rendered car. On a PC, there are NVIDIA plug-ins that will allow you to save the PSD file down to a .dds file to use in the game. Mac artists will need to use something like SquishDDS to create the file from a PNG file as saved out from Photoshop. One more step, but the results are the same.

When you work on the layered Photoshop file, you add your colors, logos, artwork and everything else to various layers to create the skin. Some knowledge of working with a graphics program goes a long way here. Even the most simple programs need some common background for you to be able to get around well.

The .dds file is then titled something like "santucci_rF3.dds" and placed into rFactor --> GmeData --> Vehicles --> rF3 --> then create a folder called "League" inside of that last rF3 folder, and place that file inside it.

Inside of that folder, all of the required files for your car skin will be placed. I like to use another car from a different rF3 team folder and copy the contents into my new folder. They will include a .veh file which is the vehicle file, your new "santucci_rF3.dds" file which is your new skin, a few other .dds files for arms, driver and maybe a helmet, and the base .txt file that provides the description of your skin. You can edit that file in NotePad or some other text manager to reflect your new design.

The .veh file MUST be edited now. Open that file in a new NotePad document, and you will see all of the names of files that your skin will reference. Here's what my skin .veh file looks like when you open it:

//
// The first section defines what maps to load for the new vehicle skinning
// technology. The first line defines a "prefix" to be used for all generic maps.
// Currently, generic maps are used for the livery, wing, driver, driver arms,
// driver helmet, and pit crew. The second line will replace the default livery
// with the new specified, for the track specified. The format is as follows:
//
// DefaultLivery="PREFIX" // PREFIX is the base texture map name, assumed to be BMP unless specified
// PitCrewLivery="PREFIX" // This is only needed if it differs from the default livery PREFIX
// TrackLivery="TRACK, PREFIX" // TRACK is the track name as defined in the event GDB
// TrackLivery="TRACK, PREFIX" // For example, "2001_Monza"
// TrackLivery="TRACK, PREFIX" // You can have an infinite # of these lines
//

DefaultLivery="dcarter_rF3.dds"

HDVehicle=rF3\rF3.hdv
Graphics=rF3\rF3.gen
Spinner=rF3\rF3_spinner.gen
GenString= // Used to generate GMT names in *.gen file
Sounds=rF3.sfx // Sounds=default.sfx
Cameras=rF3_cam.cam // Defaults to default.cfg in UserData directory
HeadPhysics=headphysics.ini // Affects driver eyepoint only
Cockpit=rF3_cockpitinfo.ini
Upgrades=rF3_upgrades.ini


Number=4
Team="ApexSpeed"
PitGroup="Group02"
Driver="Doug Carter"
Description="ApexSpeed #4"
Engine="ISM"a
Manufacturer="RaceWorks"
Classes="OWC 2006 rF3"

FullTeamName="ApexSpeed"
TeamFounded=1999
TeamHeadquarters="North Aurora, Illinois"
TeamStarts=0
TeamPoles=0
TeamWins=0
TeamWorldChampionships=0

Category="RaceWorks,2006 rF3"

The bold, red content above you can edit to your personal information, as well as the title of your .dds skin file, so it knows what to look for. Save that back into your new folder and you're good to go in the SIM to fire up your new car.


For the league, we'll take all of the skins, and edit the files to make sure that no numbers overlap and no grid/paddock positions are the same, then zip them ALL up, and post them on a one of the servers for everyone participating to go get and install. Once we do that, anyone who joins the server who doesn't have those skins installed will see only grey bricks for cars.


Hope this helps get you started...



d

[Jerry Santucci 33]

maybe this question first.
where do i get the psd layered file for the rF3?
what is the file extention?
paint net doesn't list a .psd file in their open menu, if that is the extention on the file, so it probally won't open it either.
do you know for sure that the paint net program works with psd or rar files.

i guess first i have to either get paint net to open a template up or get another low/or no cost paint program that will. any suggestions?

[dc]

maybe this question first.
where do i get the psd layered file for the rF3?
what is the file extention?

rF3 Skin Template

The extension is a Photoshop base extension, as a .psd document.

paint net doesn't list a .psd file in their open menu, if that is the extention on the file, so it probally won't open it either.
do you know for sure that the paint net program works with psd or rar files.

Couldn't tell you for sure, as I use Photoshop on a Mac, so I am not familiar with P-shop knock offs for the PC. Maybe someone else here can lend some insight on some free paint programs that will work with PSD documents.

Also, a .rar file is a compressed or archived file, like a ZIP file. You need to expand the archive to open the file inside (which is probably a .psd). Do a quick Google search for ".rar file extractor" and you should come up with something that can open it.

i guess first i have to either get paint net to open a template up or get another low/or no cost paint program that will. any suggestions?

I know lots of guys use free open source programs for editing these files outside of Phostoshop. I'm sure there will be suggestions shortly.

[Keith Carter]

You need a plugin for Paint.Net to be able to open PSD files. Get that here:

http://frankblumenberg.de/doku/lib/e...:photoshop.zip


Google TugZip or PeaZip. They are both free archive apps that can open .RAR files.

[Jerry Santucci 33]

will try them - in the a.m.

[Jerry Santucci 33]

hey guys..
after following advice above:
i got the rar file extracted to now being a template_rf3.psd file.
i downloaded the photshop plugin application file and opened it up to be a photoshop.dll file.
went in the paintnet help file and they said to put the .dll file in the effects folder - did that.
opened paint.net and it wouldn't open the file, wouldn't even see it. could not find any kind of photoshop launch or open with, or extract. nothing under plugins either. i also put the photoshop.dll file in the paint net plugin folders too. all of them. (for gigles the photoshop application file is in there too..)
i then tryed to double click on the file under explorer, using paint.nets program. it said file not supported. i can see the file in my folder, just can't see it thru open with paint.net program.
tryed to open it with scan the web. it brought me to photoshop, corell. too much$$'s
and paint shop pro, photo x2 for like 60 bucs. would that program be able to paint?
or any suggestions on how to get the photoshop.dll thing to work in paint.net?
got to go put up two Christmas trees now.....

[JHandley]

Jerry,
I have paintshop pro x2 and have yet to be able to open a dds, psd, or even a tiff LAYERED file that doug sent me.
I can open them as flat files but thats it.
There is probably a way around all this but I havent found it yet.
I too would like to be able to try painting skins but at the cost of photoshop.......

[Jerry Santucci 33]

i was almost going to buy that. thanks for the heads up. i will just peck at this and see what i can come up with. you are right also.. the other programs are high end $ wise.
i should be spending the time i have for this on learning more how to drive, anywho.

thanks again...

[JHandley]

I finally have my paintshop pro loading the layered pdf. I just figured out how to view the different layers!!!!!
Now for the painting!!!!

[Jerry Santucci 33]

is that the $60.00 ish program? if yes, did you download it on-line or get the disc. where from?

hope it works out for ya, can't wait to see it..

[JHandley]

ya, jerrry
Thats the one, paint shop pro photo x2.
I did the download with the disk and tools, the ultimate option.

http://www.corel.com/servlet/Satelli...1&tabview=tab0

im still trying to find a way to save as a dds file though, searching as we speak.
I have saved a green version of the template as a layerd psd file though, it's a start.
Right now it's all green, no black.

[Jerry Santucci 33]

and good luck.. keep me posted -- thanks

[JHandley]

how ya guys like my new rf3?
LOL
Now that I know how to save and use, maybe I can try n paint my own.
i kinda like the wireframe lines on it

Jerry,
I found a converter that converts from the psd layered format to .dds.

http://dds-converter.software.informer.com/2.1/

[dc]

Don't forget to toggle OFF the layers for the labels and the wire frame before you export as a .dds file.

[JHandley]

Thanx doug, I noticed that when I saw the car in rfactor.
If I wanted to keep the wireframe lines I would have to duplicate them by painting them on wouldnt I?

[dc]

You want to keep the wireframe lines on the car?


You don't need to paint them or anything else. Paste and move each graphic on a new layer, and toggle them on or off to view or not. If you want it on the final car, whatever it is, toggle it ON before you make the .dds file. Anything you put on a visible layer will show up on the final product.

[JHandley]

ya,
kinda they look a little different,
like a techno tiger stripes!!!!!

[TrackBrat]

techno tiger stripes....that is a new one. I am going to try to give this another shot tomorrow, at school. Was hoping to do it yesterday but busting a tire and dealing with all the bs of taking snow tires from a Mk 5 gti onto a protege 5 well its takes time.

any other tips you guys recommend? I can't really install programs on the school server so anything I should do before hand let me know.

[JHandley]

does look a lil hokey with the wireframe.
This looks better

[dc]

Jeff, I'm kind of stumped... what did you do to get black wheels on the car?

[RDeLong]

hey guys,

one other thing you'll probably want to ensure for a realistic look is to make sure the alpha channel is being saved out with your dds export - rfactor uses them to control the amount of reflection (gloss) as well as other lighting aspects. If your skin/car looks extreamly shiny it's because the alpha channel is missing.

if you want to go really crazy you can even make your stickers shine less than the paint by manipulating the alpha channel.

Alpha channel is 8bit grayscale - lighter areas shine more and darker areas shine less. The f3 should have a default one in the template but I can't say for sure - you'd find it in the channels palette (right side next to layers tab in Photoshop). It would be the additional channel below the rgb channels... red, green, blue, alpha.

[JHandley]

nothing doug, its what came with it i suppose.
I used the team grey folder as they only had one car. renamed the original dds file and used the file name for my skin. I suppose that the wheels are in a seperate file but I cant say for sure

[dc]

Strange... the tires are also missing markings. I wonder if a file is missing somewhere. If it is, that's the one that controls those details that I have been searching for.


Hmmm...

[JHandley]

... the tires are also missing markings.

Hmmm...

Damn,
they supplied us with factory second's!!!!!!!

[JHandley]

Okay,
trying different color schemes I think I like this.

[Jerry Santucci 33]

[JHandley]

Is this the right path for mine?
c:/program files/rFactor /GameData/Vehicles/rF3/league/team handley/

After loading rfacto my cars shows up as a new car, I purchased it and ran it fine.

[Tifosi]

I want black wheels too!!!!

[TrackBrat]

ok well i thought I had painting the car figured out and then just more things beyond my skills i guess, now I am just getting frustrated.

[Keith Carter]

Is this the right path for mine?
c:/program files/rFactor /GameData/Vehicles/rF3/league/team handley/

After loading rfacto my cars shows up as a new car, I purchased it and ran it fine.

In order for anyone else to see it, you need to submit the final version to me and we'll include it in the skin pack before the league starts. If you run it now for the fun runs you car will either show up as a temp car or a red car (I forget which).

[JHandley]

You need the dds file only keith or the dds and veh files?

[Keith Carter]

The entire folder for your team. Typically they're named something regarding the team so for you it would be something like "Handley Racing"...

[JHandley]

Keith,
email with contents attached sent.

[Jerry Santucci 33]

thanks jeff, i got the X2 program and i got the rF3 template open.. only to find i am at the bottom of yet another steep learning curve. will have to fiddle with it and re look the above posts. would like to take my team red car and open it in X2. see how they did what they did and try to revamp it, but i guess i will need the above converter you are talking about to convert the dds file into a pdn file. do these converters run as stand alone programs or do they install somewhere in the X2 directory? and does that converter change the file back from dds to pdn. is that what they call flatten it?
i did open the rf3 template file and was stunned by how much i didn't know on how to paint it. i will use the team red car "as is" if i can't get er done, no problem there. and will learn how to paint as i go.

[Matthew Inge]

Hey Doug,

How can I get the rf3 paint job you made so I can start racing it?

[JHandley]

jerry,
once you have it opened in paintshop and played with it, you want to save it as a .psd (photoshop) file.
then you use the .psd file as the input to the convertor and convert to .dds.
Painting is no problem with the mask layer visible. If you look on the right hand side you will see the layers.
the very bottom is the color layer, which I found to be the primary car color.
You can pick a color and just flood fill it to the primary color you want.
On the left side of each layer you will see either a little eyeball icon or the standard red circle with a diaganal line thru it.
Thats where you make the different layers visible or hidden.
Hope this helps man.

[JHandley]

Final Rendition.
Kinda Christmasy
And jerry, the convertor is a stand alone app.

[TrackBrat]

Curious what was with the change of colors from your black and green ones?

Also anyone able to be contracted to work on a skin? Colin gave me a good baseline for my skin, but there is more i would like to do, I just seem to lake the skills to implement the ideas I have, much less the time with finals this upcoming week.

[Jerry Santucci 33]

i will try work on it in my "spare" time.
your car looks good, i can't wait to see them all on track.