Squadron Skins: file organization

[:FI:Falcon]

I am organizing Gurberly's FTP area that we will use for skin storage/dl.

Included here is a list of all flyable Allied ac using the proper file names.

It will kinna look like this:

general name\specific appropriate model skins


FIS default skins

RAF

- BeaufighterMk21
- Hurricane\HurricaneMkIIb /// HurricaneMkIIc /// HurricaneMkIIbMod
- MosquitoFBMkVI
- Seafire\SeafireFMkIII /// SeafireMkIII
- SpitfireVb\SpitfireMkVb /// SpitfireMkVbCLP /// SpitfireMkVbLF /// SpitfireMkVbLFCLP
- SpitfireVc\SpitfireMkVc /// SpitfireMkVc4xH
- SpitfireVIII\SpitfireMkVIII /// SpitfireMkVIIICLP
- SpitfireIX\SpitfireMkIX25lbs /// SpitfireMkIXc /// SpitfireMkIXcCLP /// SpitfireMkIXe /// SpitfireMkIXeCLP /// SpitfireMkIXeHF
- TempestMkV


USAF

- A-20G
- B-25J-1NA
- Buffalo\BuffaloMkI /// B-239 /// F2A-2
- WildcatF4F-3 /// F4F-4 /// FM-2
- Corsair\F4U-1A /// F4U-1C /// F4U-1D /// CorsairMkI /// CorsairMkII /// CorsairMkIV
- Hellcat\F6F-3 /// F6F-5
- P-38\P-38J /// P-38L /// P-38L_Late
- P-39\P-400 /// P-39D1 /// P-39D2 /// P-39N1 /// P-39Q-1 /// P-39Q-10 /// P-63C
- P-40b-c\Hawk-81 /// P-40B /// P-40C /// TomahawkMkIIa /// TomahawkMkIIb
- P-40E-M\P-40E /// P-40E-M-105 /// P-40M
- P-47\P-47D-10 /// P-47D-22 /// P-47D-27 /// P-47D
- P-51\MustangIII /// P-51B-NA /// P-51C-NT /// P-51D-5NT /// P-51D-20NA
- SBD\SBD-3 /// SBD-5
- P-80A

VVS

- BI-1
- I-16\I-16type18 /// I-16type24 /// I-16type24_SPB
- I-153\I-153M62 /// I-153P
- I-185\I-185M-71 /// I-185M-82A
- IL-2\Il-2_3 /// Il-2_1940_Early /// Il-2_1940_Late /// Il-2_1941_Early /// Il-2_1941_Late /// Il-2_M3 /// Il-2I /// Il-2M_Early /// Il-2M_Late /// Il-2T
- LaGG\LaGG-3IT /// LaGG-3series4 /// LaGG-3series29 /// LaGG-3series35 /// LaGG-3series66
- La-5\LA-5 /// La-5F /// La-5FN
- La-7\La-7 /// La-7(3xB20)
- MiG\MiG-3 /// MiG-3-2xShVAK /// MiG-3-2xUB /// MiG-3-AM-38 /// MiG-3U /// MiG-3ud
- Pe-2\Pe-2series1 /// Pe-2series84 /// Pe-2series110 /// Pe-2series359 /// Pe-3bis /// Pe-3series1
- TB-3\TB-3_4M-17 /// TB-3_4M-34R /// TB-3_4M-34R_SPB
- Yak-1\Yak-1 /// Yak-1B
- Yak-3\Yak-3 /// Yak-3P
- Yak-7\Yak-7A /// Yak-7B /// Yak-7BPF
- Yak-9\Yak-9 /// Yak-9B /// Yak-9D /// Yak-9K /// Yak-9M /// Yak-9T /// Yak-9U /// Yak-9UT


Allied other

- P_11c

FIS personalized skins

- TBD (to be determined)

[:FI:Falcon]

File naming convention:

Planetype_skintype_number e.g. A20G_IreGre_FI00

For default/blank skins,

Example:

Hurricane_IreGreen_blnk

Buffalo_IreGreen_blnk

P-40E-M_IreGreen_blnk


For personalized skins,

Example:

SpitfireVb_IreGreen_FI00

P-47_FISmetal_FI99

LaGG_IreGreen_FI50


How does this sound?


F

[Deathsledge]

Stu the great organizer! sounds great man!



DS

[:FI:Snaphoo]

It's great, but I still think that moving the number further up in the order may be a differenter option. If someone has tested the current format, and found it to be acceptable, then great, but I'm just seeing about 40+ skins for FIS alone, and it would be not so fun trying to find yours if you can't see the pilot number at the very end of the file, just before the .bmp.


Maybe P-47_FI00_Metal.bmp or P40E-M_FI22_IreGreen.bmp


My biggest problem comes with the IreGreen or FISMetal all spelled out in the middle. If these are shortened, or the numbers are moved up toward the front of the file, then you have less problem with cut-off at the end of the file (with regard to the plane customization page).


I will use any naming convention that is agreed upon, and I'll be honest when I say I have been using a completely different naming convention to get my "prototype skins" to the planes, so I haven't used this naming convention yet. Just thought I'd throw out another option.

Thoughts?

[:FI:Falcon]

Shoot!

I'm easy.

Then how 'bout ...

P-47_FI00_FISMetal,

Hurricane_FI00_IreGreen,

then?

~~~

Or,

what was your system again, Jake?


F

[:FI:Snaphoo]

what was your system again, Jake?

I seem to disremember at the moment.

[:FI:Gurberly]

I would stick with the plane_skin_number approach it will really make this easier to find.

Much more logical as number is a property of the skin which is in itself a property of the plane.

You could if you wanted to split the name pit of teh file name anf have it as a folder from the plane type... e.g.

plane\skin_name\filename.zip

G

[:FI:Sneaky_Russian]

I dont see that aircraft name is necessary as (part of) filename; since that is identified in the IL2 folder structure.

If each skin was put in new folders :-

• PaintSchemes
  |
  Skins
  |
  Yak-7A
  |
  "FIBL_IrGr.bmp" (FI blank skin)
  "FI23_IrGr.bmp"

..and then zipped, unzipping to same location will "merge" each addition to the master record (either FTP skin repository or IL2 main folder).

[:FI:Snaphoo]

Actually, the aircraft name is very necessary Sneaky. We're talking about giving a whole lot of skins to a whole lot of people. If none of them have aircraft names in them, then it's going to be even more confusing to sort all of them out, if something goes wrong with the unzipping. And it's better to have a failsafe in that case, than to not and have this thing fall apart at the tail end after we've put so much work into it.

Gurb, how is it more logical to potentially hide the number from view, thereby making it more difficult to locate the proper plane for personal use? I'm just curious. I understand the association you're making and it is very logical to have the file name in that order. But it seems more pragmatic, to me, if you put the pilot number after the plane designation, then the color scheme of the plane (Plane_Number_Scheme).

I guess I'm going to have to test the new naming convention and see what falls out. If someone else has tested the naming convention possibilities, and it works just fine, please let me know and I'll go with the more logical setup.

Logic is fine, I'm a fairly logical person, but being logical only goes so far if logic makes these skins harder to use. I don't want to have to sift through, potentially, hundreds of skins to find my personal plane. I want to be able to find my plane easily, and that's what I'm thinking with the less logical naming convention.

[:FI:Falcon]

Is this what you're on about Snaphoo,



the number at the end not showing up if it's at the end of a long string?

If so, I see no problem here.

~~~

Sneaky, I don't know much about merging or unzipping and having files automatically dl'g into the right folders. How do you do that?

~~~

Here's a li'l pic of my logic.



Inside the nationality folders will be aircraft type files. Can these folders be individually zipped and then a member can dl by nationality where files are automatically placed in proper folders in the game?

Smaller files by nationality make for a shorter dl for folks w/slower connections. Does that seem reasonable?

So far, I'd like to go with ...

if I understand Jake's worry ...

In the USAF folder

A20G_IrGr_00.bmp

for a blank skin and

in the VVS folder

Yak-7_FIMt_24

for a numbered skin.

That shouldn't be too long.


F

[:FI:Snaphoo]

Cool! I'll start using the obviously logical Plane_Scheme_number file naming convention when I start making blanks tonight.

Now are we zipping these individually, or putting them all in one spot to be zipped later?

[:FI:Sneaky_Russian]

PaintSchemes DL (Test zip)

Just uploaded a test .

Have used format:-

FI number(orBLank)_Color_Plane type (failsafe ID)

taking all suggestions into account.

Sneaky, I don't know much about merging or unzipping and having files automatically dl'g into the right folders. How do you do that?

Just keep the same folder structure as IL2.

This will allow for more manageable DL's too. Simply extract to main IL2 folder (or FI skin folder if you wish to swap custom/standard).
Each skin is directed to the same named folder and will only overwerite skins with the same name (useful for updates).

[:FI:Falcon]

In the "FIS personalized skins" folder I completed the VVS folder format. Skins should be placed in the appropriate folder.



When all skins are loaded and all folders filled (with at least one skin for blank defaults and filled with all active pilots for pesonalized folders), they should then be moved to a second "download for members" VVS folder and then zipped or rar'd.

Members can then dl by nationality and unzip and manually place skins in proper game folder.

A notepad file will be included in each nationality-zip file to remind all where each skin goes.

The first member-wide dl of skins will occur when all is ready and following that any new skins or updated skins will be labeled correctly and placed in a "for next update" folder. At the beginning of each month (or whenever) a new zip file will be created with all new additions and members will be advised of a new version to be released and asked to update their files.

How does this sound?


Falconfused

[:FI:Sneaky_Russian]

This is all IL2 looks for .

[:FI:Snaphoo]

So, are we standardizing the file names, or not? There seem to be at least two different naming methods here.

Seems to me that it would be easier for all if we standardize the naming convention rather than each using his own preference.