Regarding Skins, downloading, sharing and shift

[FoolTrottel]

Currently working on a thing called CheckSkins ... 

The idea is to run it every now and then on your gaming PC. It will have the same usage restriction as CheckMods had: One has to be a DD to use it! (Could open it up for everybody - but we would probably run into Bandwidth issues - lol)

* It will upload all your skins to a central location, if they are not there already. 

* It will download all skins from the central location to your skins folder, if they are not there already.

* It will be file-name based, including only .dds files. It will not be contents based. Yes, this will pose a problem when you update a skin! Not sure how to handle this, and whether this will be a problem! (It's always possible to manually delete files from the central location...)

On the one hand, I would like it to be as automated as possible - you start it, and it does its thing, up- and download missing skins.

However, I can imagine one would want some options:

1. Only download locally missing skins

2. Only upload centrally missing skins (Wait, this one makes no sense at all!)

3. Both

 

Here's a preview:

 

Any suggestions?

Remarks? Ideas? Feel free, go ahead!

[Crash]

I think that its a great idea to fill the gaps in peoples skin folders so we all can get the full benefit of the skinners talents.

[DD_Arthur]

Wot a brilliant thing FT. 

Would it be a good idea for me to cull my skin folder?   It's over 12gb. in size

 

 

 

 

 

 

[FoolTrottel]

4 minutes ago, DD_Arthur said:

Wot a brilliant thing FT. 

Would it be a good idea for me to cull my skin folder?   It's over 12gb. in size

 

 

 

 

 

 

lol... I'm sure I'll make it download-only for you then

 

[DD_Arthur]

4 minutes ago, FoolTrottel said:

lol... I'm sure I'll make it download-only for you then

 

Possibly.  Fact is I don't use 99% of them.

[Crash]

But other people might which is the point.

[FoolTrottel]

Just now, DD_Arthur said:

Possibly.  Fact is I don't use 99% of them.

Well, I think you've answered your own question now, haven't you? 

[Crash]

Is skin collecting a hobby?

[wingflyr]

Wow this is fabulous FT, what a neat tool for skin collection. 

[BluBear]

Bravo sir! What a jolly good idea. 

[DD_Arthur]

1 hour ago, Crash said:

Is skin collecting a hobby?

Not really but I've been really active in BoS since day one so I've collected a lot of stuff along the way.  

At the time.....it seemed a good idea to download a whole squadron worth of 109 E7 skins, etc. lol.  

[Painless]

Bloody marvellous Arjenski, yet another fine idea from the Dutch silver fox 🧐

[fruitbat]

Great idea FT, can i make a request though?

Would it be possible to add a check box to only download 4k skins, should be easy to do given the  4k file size vs 2k file size?

 

I'm also planning to work on something for myself which can be made available to all once done. As it really offends my sensibilities to not have all 4k skins as default and in particular not have proper German markings by default, I'm planning on altering an available mod to change all the default skins to 4k, for the ones that haven't already been updated to that standard, including the relevant normal maps, and correct German markings. 

This will make all the AI planes and any of you peasants using 2K skins appear in glorious 4k correct markings goodness!

Edit

Made all the easier since i've just found a current list of what i need to change and not change.....

Quote

Battle of Stalingrad

 

IL-2 Mod. 42 / Art by 1CGS-ICDP / Prepared by ICDP / 4K resolution (Added 10/19/19)

 

Lagg-3 Ser. 29 / Art by 1CGS / Prepared by Jason / 2K resolution

 

Pe-2 Ser. 87 / Art by 1CGS / Prepared by Jason / 2K resolution

 

Yak-1 Ser. 69 / Art by 1CGS / Prepared by Jason / 2K resolution

 

Bf-109 F4 / Art by 1CGS-BlackHellHound / Prepared by BlackHellHound / 4K resolution (Updated 7/4/19)

 

Bf-109 G2 / Art by 1CGS-BlackHellHound / Prepared by BlackHellHound / 4K resolution (Updated 10/5/19)

 

Ju-87 D-3 / Art by 1CGS / Prepared by Jason / 2K resolution

 

He-111 H-6 / Art by 1CGS / Prepared by Jason / 2K resolution

 

La-5 Ser. 8 / Art by 1CGS / Prepared by Jason / 2K resolution

 

Fw-190 A-3 / Art by 1CGS-ICDP / Prepared by ICDP / 4K resolution (Updated 7/4/19)

 

Battle of Moscow

 

I-16 Type 24 / Art by 1CGS / Prepared by Jason / 2K resolution

 

IL-2 Mod. 41 / Art by 1CGS / Prepared by Jason / 2K resolution

 

Mig-3 Ser. 24 / Art by 1CGS / Prepared by Jason / 2K resolution

 

Pe-2 Ser. 35 / Art by 1CGS / Prepared by Jason / 2K resolution

 

Bf-109 E-7 / Art by 1CGS / Prepared by Jason / 2K resolution

 

Bf-110 E-2 / Art by 1CGS / Prepared by Jason / 2K resolution

 

Bf-109 F2 / Art by BlackHellHound / Prepared by BlackHellHound / 4K resolution (Updated 12/24/18) 

 

Ju-88 A-4 / Art by 1CGS / Prepared by Jason / 2K resolution

 

MC-202 Ser. VIII / Art by 1CGS / Prepared by Jason / 2K resolution

 

P-40 E-1 / Art by 1CGS / Prepared by Jason / 2K resolution

 

Battle of Kuban

 

IL-2 Mod. 43 / Art by BlackHellHound / Prepared by BlackHellHound / 4K resolution

 

P-39 L-1 / Art by 1CGS / Prepared by ICDP / 2K resolution

 

A-20B / Art by 1CGS / Prepared by ICDP / 4K resolution

 

Yak-7B Ser. 36 / Art by 1CGS / Prepared by ICDP / 2K resolution

 

Bf-109 G-4 / Art by 1CGS / Prepared by Jason / 2K resolution

 

Fw-190 A-5  / Art by 1CGS-ICDP / Prepared by ICDP / 4K resolution (Added 10/18/19)

 

Bf-110 G-2 / Art by 1CGS / Prepared by Jason / 2K resolution

 

He-111 H-16 / Art by ICDP / Prepared by ICDP / 4K resolution

 

Spitfire Mk.Vb / Art by ICDP / Prepared by ICDP / 4K resolution (Updated 4/3/18)

 

Hs-129 B-2  / Art by 1CGS / Prepared by UF_Zargos / 2K resolution

 

Collector Planes

 

Ju-52/3M (For AI) (new template being worked on for flyable version) / Art by 1CGS / Prepared by Jason / 2K resolution

 

Yak-1B Ser. 127 / Art by 1CGS / Prepared by Jason / 2K resolution

 

Bf-109 G-6  / Art by 1CGS / Prepared by ICDP / 2K resolution (Added 8/5/18)

 

La-5FN Ser.2 / Art by 1CGS / Prepared by UF_Zargos / 2K resolution (Added 4/4/18)

 

U-2VS / Art by Yugra Media / Prepared by ICDP / 4K resolution (Added 2/3/19)

 

Battle of Bodenplatte

 

Spitfire Mk.IXe / Art by 1CGS-ICDP / Prepared by ICDP / 4K resolution (Updated 4/25/19)

 

Bf-109 G-14  / Art by 1CGS-ICDP / Prepared by ICDP / 4K resolution (Added 7/3/19)

 

P-47D-28 / Art by 1CGS-ICDP / Prepared by ICDP / 4K resolution (Added 7/3/19)

Bf-109 K-4  / Art by 1CGS-ICDP / Prepared by ICDP / 4K resolution (Updated 4/3/19)

 

Fw-190 A-8  / Art by 1CGS-ICDP / Prepared by ICDP / 4K resolution (Added 7/2/19) 

 

Fw-190 D-9 / Art by 1CGS / Prepared by ICDP / 4K resolution (Updated 4/1/19)

 

Me-262 / Art by 1CGS-ICDP / Prepared by ICDP / 4K resolution (Added 7/2/19) 

 

P-51D-15 / Art by 1CGS-ICDP / Prepared by ICDP / 4K resolution (Added 10/5/19)

 

P-38J-25  / Art by 1CGS / Prepared by ICDP / 4K resolution (Added 10/18/19)

 

Tempest Mk.V Series II / Art by 1CGS / Prepared by ICDP / 4K resolution (Added 10/10/19)

 

[Jabo]

+1. I only 'collect' 4K skins as well.

[FoolTrottel]

WTF? Different sizes of skins. My My, what silliness will they think of next?

Now if I add such a filter, the whole point of this exercise will be lost.

If and when I use a 2K skin, you won't see it ... so ... I will add the most sensible option for this 'issue': Do not use it!

I probably am not getting it...

[fruitbat]

Well,  its really because the skin situation is quite fluid with Box, as initially they all started out as 2k, but newer planes have been released as 4k, and some existing ones have been upgraded to 4k.

This in turn means that the normal maps have been changed as well to fit 4k for these newer/upgraded planes, and don't necessarily fit well as well with the old 2k skins.

A lot of the skins these days are 4k skins anyway, all from Bodenplatte for example, sooner or later everything is planned to be upgraded to 4k templates anyway.

What it would mean would be, that I on my end wouldn't see your skin if it an old 2k skin, but would if it was a newer 4k skin (which is increasingly the more common), and if you were wearing a 2k skin, my mod if used in conjunction, would re dress you in a 4k skin on my end, which will also dress all the ai in 4k correct marking skins too.

[FoolTrottel]

Yea, for sure, I do not get it.

But, it doesn't really matter me thinks. If you do not want/need 2K skins, then delete them from your skin folders after you run the tool. Or, make sure your 4K ones have the same name as the ones in the vault, that way they will be left alone, as in not being downloaded, and not being uploaded.

How am I to tell what are 4K skins anyways? Size? What if we start using 6.5K skins?

If you want only/mostly 4K skins, then do the following:

1. Become Beta tester

2. Build your complete set of 4K skins

3. Run the tool. Upload them all - I will have made sure the Skault is empty

4. Tell everybody to delete the contents of their Skins folder, and then run the tool. (Hm. I can and will create a button for that ....)

Problem solved!

[fruitbat]

7 minutes ago, FoolTrottel said:

If you do not want/need 2K skins, then delete them from your skin folders after you run the tool

That works for me.

 

Edit

I might pick your brains on how to write a .bat file to delete all files smaller than a certain size from a folder though

[FoolTrottel]

Okay, so who'd want to be testing this thing? 
I'll start a PM with the files you need, and instructions and.... 

[FoolTrottel]

1 hour ago, fruitbat said:

That works for me.

 

Edit

I might pick your brains on how to write a .bat file to delete all files smaller than a certain size from a folder though

Googled a bit, and created this:

Set fld="D:\Bos\Data\Graphics\Skins"
Rem 4K is 16777344, so a bit less.
Set FSize=16777340

Rem Show the files within this selection
@ForFiles /P %fld% /S /C "Cmd /C If @IsDir==FALSE If @FSize LEq %FSize% echo @FSize0x09@Path"

Pause
Rem Delete the files within this selection
@ForFiles /P %fld% /S /C "Cmd /C If @IsDir==FALSE If @FSize LEq %FSize% Del @Path"

1. Copy/paste the text into notepad, save as a .cmd file (Yeah, you know)

2. Set your skins folder in the first line, this one is mine.

3. Run it. It will show all skins smaller than 4K. It will then wait for a key press. If you press the key, the files listed will be deleted! If you do not want that to happen, hit Ctrl-C

 

Edit: Note that this one does it recursively, so it includes all sub-folders as well.

Tested this on my Pc, works. Very handy that ChkSkins is there, the 14 skins I deleted this way, were easily downloaded again... it's cool!

 

 

 

 

[Crash]

You seem to be making good progress

[T_O_A_D]

So this game doesn't cache them like the original?

We all have to have the skins downloaded and installed to see each others skirts?

Not sure how well I like that, Were libel to have an extra drive for such stuff 😜

I know once I get it going I plan on making my own personal skins like in the past.

You guys won't want them in your stable, in a cache sure but the stable???

[FoolTrottel]

My stable is full of eels ...

 

[T_O_A_D]

39 minutes ago, FoolTrottel said:

My stable is full of eels ...

 

Better than Snakes I guess LOL