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I assume you've read and mastered how to make your own custom REGIMENT/nose art files for IL2 as outlined in my previous tutorial:
Having that taken care of I want to start off by first thanking guys like UberDemon, Purzel, mattm (for knowing about MAT files) and Astroman for bringing this to my attention regarding their use in the generation of CUSTOM REGIMENTS for COOP online and single player OFFLINE play. Finally, Aces High 2 and GregSM deserve all the credit for working out exactly HOW to do it until Forgotten Battles is released...whew...
The ONLY way to get a custom REGIMENT graphic to show in ONLINE COOPs or in SINGLE PLAYER OFFLINE is to use *.MAT files to "point" to a different REGIMENT graphic that the IL2 program would otherwise see assigned to some DEFAULT graphic...for example, there are a number of historical regiments that IL2 includes with the game and the FMB. You can ONLY use these historical regiments or NO REGIMENTS to generate OFFLINE or ONLINE COOP missions. Using *.MAT files we will "fool" IL2 into thinking that it is using one of its DEFAULT graphics instead of our CUSTOM ones...let's get started...
When we select a DOGFIGHT MULTIPLAY mission in IL2 and go to the ARMING screen we can use a CUSTOM REGIMENT graphic as I outlined in the nose art tutorial (Nose Art Tutorial for IL2). As you recall these graphics are located in the REGIMENTS folder within the PaintSchemes folder and they are usually 128x128 or 64x64 pixels in size and must be Windows 256 color, 8 bit *.BMP files. At the ARMING screen in MULTIPLAY we are able to select a REGIMENT graphic and a SKIN graphic for our planes in DOGFIGHT mode. Once we do this, IL2 actually takes the REGIMENT *.BMP file and converts it to a *.TGA format which is used in the game IF instructed to by a *.MAT file. The *.MAT files are editable with Windows Notepad and are little scripts that tell the IL2 program how to process graphic information.
For our example lets say I am going to fly a 12th Guards IAP campaign, but as much as I like the "Gvardia" regiment graphic that ALL the Guards units use, I want to use my own special 12th IAP graphic! Here's how we do it:
First, let's go into IL2 to MULTIPLAY, create a server, load a DOGFIGHT mission and go to the arming screen. Let load up the custom REGIMENT graphic we want to use (in this case I've called it yuri3) See Figure 1 below:
Figure 1
Let's apply it...now DON'T LEAVE IL2, but use ctrl-Esc to go out to the Windows Desktop with IL2 still running in the background. Use Windows Explorer to go to the C:\Program Files\Ubi Soft\IL2 Sturmovik\PaintSchemes\Cache folder. Here is where the *.MAT files become important. There will be yuri3.TGA file there...you may not be able to see the TGA extension at the end of the file, but it is around 65K in size (larger than the yuri3.BMP file which is only 17K (128x128) or 8K (64x64). See Figure 2 (the BLACK ARROW identifies it). Do it this way..I wouldn't suggest trying to convert your *.BMP to a *.TGA...I tried this and got weird results. Let IL2 do it for you!
Figure 2
VERY IMPORTANT: copy this file to your C:\Program Files\Ubi Soft\IL2 Sturmovik\PaintSchemes\Regiments folder and SAVE it!
OK..very good...now we need to create a new folder (Aces High 2 called it CoopRegt and that's fine with me) in our C:\Program Files\Ubi Soft\IL2 Sturmovik folder called CoopRegt. Do this now and SAVE...see Figure 3 (CoopRegt folder is in the BLACK CIRCLE)
Figure 3
Now we also need the *.MAT file for the actual regiment that we want to replace with our new graphic. Go back into IL2 from the Desktop and back to the arming screen. Now we can select the 12th Guards IAP regiment. See Figure 4.
Figure 4
Apply the 12th Guards IAP graphic and AGAIN Esc-Ctrl out to Desktop, reopen C:\Program Files\Ubi Soft\IL2 Sturmovik\PaintSchemes\Cache with Explorer and you will see the 12GvIAP.MAT file. See Figure 5 (the ORANGE ARROW identifies it).
Figure 5
Copy this file to C:\Program Files\Ubi Soft\IL2 Sturmovik\CoopRegt folder. See Figure 6.
Figure 6
Now you may close IL2...At your Desktop again we now open Notepad to create a batch file called CoopRegt.bat. See Figure 7
Figure 7
As instructed by Aces High 2 SAVE the CoopRegt.bat file to your C:\Program Files\Ubi Soft\IL2 Sturmovik\CoopRegt folder. See Figure 8
Figure 8
Finally, back at Desktop make a SHORTCUT to this CoopRegt.bat file and leave on your Desktop. See Figure 9
Figure 9
Only one more editing job to perform. Remember our 12GvIAP.MAT file now located in C:\Program Files\Ubi Soft\IL2 Sturmovik\CoopRegt? Let's open it with Notepad: you will first see on the last line TextureName ../Red/12GvIAP.TGA
see Figure 10
Figure 10
We will now edit this line to read TextureName ../Regiments/yuri3.TGA
see Figure 11
Figure 11
and SAVE!!!
Ok..we are ready to test and the moment of truth! After starting IL2 BEFORE flying a mission Alt-Tab or Esc-Ctrl out to the Desktop and run your CoopRegt.bat SHORTCUT from the Desktop. Now go back into Il2, and let's load up a COOP campaign mission of the 12th GIAP...if you did everything correctly you should see something like this at the ARMING screen:
and in the mission you should see this:
The new custom regiment file will appear on ALL the planes belonging to the same regiment, not just only your plane. This will work with ANY regiment graphic...so you could make one of "the girls" by Fritze your regimental online and offline logo if desired...just use the appropriate *.bmp and *.tga file instead of my yuri3.bmp and yuri3.tga. Furthermore it will work in missions where NO REGIMENT is specified! The *.MAT files you need to edit are r01.MAT for the VVS and g01.MAT for the LW. I have discovered though that during COOPS online ONLY you can see the custom files on your own PC...they DO NOT upload like the SKINS do in MULTIPLAY...so everyone in your squadron should make their own CoopRegt folder and batch file, if they want to join in on the fun!
Addendum: Aces High 2 has developed a way of starting the custom regiments WITHOUT Esc-Ctrl or Alt-Tab from Il2...He modified a Visual Basic Script from UberDemon which launches the Hakenkreuz (swastika) in the International version of Il2. I have included these files for you in a ZIP: Aces High 2 files
Place the start_il2.vbs, il2.vbs, hakencross.bat, hakendelete.bat files in your C:\Program Files\Ubi Soft\IL2 Sturmovik folder. Place the 0.hc,1.hc,2.hc,3.hc,4.hc, hakencross.bat and hakendelete.bat in a new folder within your main C:\Program Files\Ubi Soft\IL2 Sturmovik folder called hakencross (all you have to do is UNZIP Aces' Files to your main IL2 folder and this should be automatically created!
One final note regarding the start_il2.vbs file: let's take a close look at it...
This file can be EDITED in Notepad by RIGHT CLICKING to open it. As you can see I have the Sleep parameter set for 50000 (see RED ARROW), Aces High 2 used 25000 and all was well for him. Your results may "vary" and you may have to increase or decrease this number if you have a slower or faster PC system. If at first the script doesn't work try INCREASING the number. You may also launch start_il2.vbs from the Desktop by making a SHORTCUT to it. Finally, I have edited the file to add my change (see BLACK ARROW) to the German NO REGIMENT graphic (you remember, the g01.mat file), so that when IL2 loads, it will always substitute MY unique REGIMENT art on all the German planes (as I described above). You may add as many "Set File....blah blah blah...File.Copy....yadda yadda yadda" commands to load various MAT files using this script and it should work! You might have to INCREASE the SLEEP number, though...If you want to NOT use the Hakenkreuz stuff, just DELETE it from the script. Also the Hakencross.bat and Hakendelete.bat may be superfluous, but since Aces included them, so did I.
Soon we should have a script to possibly load these changes and IL2 at Hyperlobby for even more versatility.
More from Aces High 2...look at this
Aces was able to edit the MAT files for the number four 109 in this squadron and replace the "4" with a custom individual graphic! Here is a close-up:
The "JG123" is Aces online REGIMENT graphic, but the 4 aces is his own individual plane graphic! Here's how he did it:
"The aces/number 4 graphic is 128x128 pixels. The procedure is as follows. I have written this for Paintshop Pro users those who use Photoshop should be able to adapt this to suit their needs.
1. Open a new image in PaintShop Pro with WIDTH 128 and HEIGHT 128 with a BLACK background color.
2. Design your graphic for the
number 4. I used a great Luftwaffe font which matches the one used in the game,
you can get from here
http://home.attbi.com/~flyingcolors/luftfont.htm
and then added my aces emblem to the left of the number 4 as shown below:
3. Select the Magic Wand tool and click anywhere in the black background area of your graphic.
4. Click on the "Selections" menu at the top of PaintShop Pro and then select "Invert" .
5. Click on "Selections" menu again and click on "Save to Alpha Channel"
6. Click "OK" and when prompted give the channel a name, (I called mine "Alpha Channel 1"). Click on "OK".
7. Click on "File" menu then on
"Save" change save as type box to "Truevison Targa (*.tga) and name the file. Be
sure to select the IL2\PaintSchemes\Regiments folder as the place to save the
file. IMPORTANT - do not save yet click on "Options" button. Leave the first
option "bit depth" set on 24, but CHANGE the second option
"compression" to "uncompressed". Click on "OK" and then click on "Save".(for
this example I've called my file "aces4.TGA"
8. Locate the
psFM03GERRNUM0004.mat file and open it in Notepad. Edit this line to read
TextureName ../Regiments/aces4.tga (substitute the name of your TGA file for
aces4.TGA).
9. If you wish to reposition the
graphic on the skin also edit this line to read
TextureCoordScale 0.4 -0.1 1.0 1.0
The first TWO parameter govern the
position. I have changed them from their default 0.0 and 0.0 values to 0.4 which
moves the TGA graphic left and -0.1 which moves it down. You can experiment
later with this when you've had a
look at the positioning of the graphic in-game by re-editing this file.
10. Save this file to you IL2\Sturmovik\CoopRegt folder
Your CoopRegt.bat will automatically load this file when it is run as the CoopRegt.bat file loads all MAT files (*.mat) in the CoopRegt folder. If you are doing things the start_il2.vbs way then edit this file with notepad and add it to the list of MAT files loaded when it is run e.g.
Set File =
FSO.GetFile("CoopRegt\psFM03GERRNUM0004.mat")
File.Copy ("PaintSchemes\Cache\psFM03GERRNUM0004.mat")
In operation.
When you select the number 4 Luftwaffe aircraft in a coop mission the default number 4 graphic will be replaced with your new graphic file. All other plane number remain unchanged. You could of course make other files with other numbers/emblems for your squad mates and then everyone's aircraft will have something different on it. The number/emblems graphic is separate from the Regiment graphic.
Extra Info : The
psFM03GERLNUM0004.mat file does the same thing for the number 4 graphic on the
other side of the aircraft. Make another TGA file for this side and edit the
above MAT file to point to it. Similarly the number at the end of the MAT
filename indicates the aircraft number 1-16.
Other possibilities exist to edit the Balken, Star and Haken MAT files to allow
modified Wing, Fuselage and tail position graphics"
I started playing with this a little and am trying to figure it out for the Hungarian planes...all have VO, the cross, then 01-04, so it's slightly different than the German situation...will also look at the VVS numbering system... I've confirmed that it works as Aces described with the German planes...but even there, it's a bit tricky as different 109s use different MAT files to do their numbers...this will be a bit tedious to figure all this out...VVS planes seem to use 2 separate files for numbers...11.tga and 10.tga even though you only see 01 on the fuselage...German system is a bit simpler...and God knows how it works with other nationalities yet...
Check this out...HOT OFF THE PRESS!
Andrew Lazarov, our Bulgarian friend, has written a great program called IL2MAT 1.1 for us that WRITES and COPIES the MAT files AUTOMATICALLY when you start IL2 online, offline or even on Hyperlobby! Very easy to install and use and includes a README file! I have also included the Aces High 2's MAT and TGA files here for you if you want to put them in your CoopRegt folder (these include the Geschwader and Gruppe staff officers symbols, etc.)...IL2MAT will copy them for you into the game if you wish...This is the lastest version of IL2MAT and also converts BMP to TGA files for you, greatly simplifying the entire process of making and using custom markings! Give it a try!
Please let me know if this was helpful or if I made any mistakes...meanwhile I salute Astroman, Aces High 2 and GregSM for figuring out the MAT files and Andrew for the IL2MAT program!
Also AcesHigh2 has a great tutorial on editing MAT files on his site...check it out!
S!
Yuri/Turul