HOW TO USE THE CUSTOM PAINT SCHEMES IN RED BARON 3D MULTIPLAYER

Part 1 :Custom paint schemes
Part 2 :Predefined paint schemes
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**PART 1

Red Baron 3D gives you the ability to use your own paint schemes in multiplayer games.  The scope of this document is to explain how to use custom paint schemes with Red Baron 3D Multiplayer.  For instructions on how to create a custom paint scheme (done from within the Single Player game), see pages 166-169 in the manual, or see paintme.txt.

Step 1 - Use the Paint Shop option in the single player game to apply a custom paint scheme to the plane of your choice.  You do not need to modify all components, only those you wish to change.  Do not forget to save your new plane configuration.  Name your configuration something descriptive that you will recognize.  In the following examples, we will name ours CAMEL.  This will save modified bitmaps as well as the plane configuration file in the RedBaron3D\Paint folder.  In our example, after creating a paint scheme, this folder will now contain several bitmaps (.bmp files) as well as a file called CAMEL.cfg.

*NOTE* -- Name each bitmap in your custom configuration with a name that no one else is likely to use.  Each bitmap filename that you use as part of your custom paint scheme must be unique.  If any of your bitmaps carry the same name as a custom bitmap used by another player in the game, that player's custom paint scheme will not display correctly on your screen, and your custom scheme will not display correctly on the other player's screen.  In other words, if both you and another player have custom paint schemes which include a bitmap named WHEEL.BMP, you will each see your copy of WHEEL.BMP displayed on the other player's plane.

Step 2 - Create a subdirectory in your RedBaron3D\Paint folder.  The name of this folder must be no more than eight (8) characters long and should be something you will identify with your new paint scheme.  Eventually you may have several of these folders with different paint schemes in them and will want to be able to keep track of them.  For purposes of the following examples, we will name this folder FTIGERS (this will contain the paint scheme for our Flying Tigers squadron's Camel).

Step 3 - Copy all of your modified bitmaps and your plane configuration file from the paint folder into your new subdirectory.  We are moving all relevant bitmaps and CAMEL.cfg into the FTIGERS folder.

Step 4 - In the RedBaron3D\Paint folder, create a text file and name it paintcfg.ini  Don't worry if you are prompted with a warning about changing a file name extension.

* By now you should have in your Paint folder a file called paintcfg.ini and a subfolder (our example is FTIGERS).  In this subfolder you should have several bitmaps and a config file (our example is CAMEL.cfg).

Step 5 - Now it's time to edit your paintcfg.ini file.  You will probably need the information found at the bottom of this document for this.  Here is the format for the file;
-------------------

;all comments must begin with a semicolon and be on a separate line.

;here is a format line followed by the real thing.
<plane type>,<squad id#>,<local/remote plane flag>,<configuration name>,<config subfolder>

;Our example Camel from the Flying Tigers Squadron
36,13,1,CAMEL,FTIGERS
 

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Plane type - Each plane type has an ID#.  A complete list of flyable planes may be found in the chart at the end document.  The Sopwith Camel is ID#36.

Squad ID# - This is any number between 1 and 190 to be chosen by you.  This will be your squadron number.  Try to pick a unique number.  If everyone chooses the number "1", it may get inconvenient later as you will see.  Notice in the example we have used "13".

Local/Remote flag - This can be either a 1 or a 0 (zero).  Setting this flag to 1 means that this scheme should only be shown on YOUR plane, not those of others who may be flying the same plane type AND using the same squadron number.  Using a 0 (zero) in this flag will apply this custom scheme to all planes in the game who are flying (in our example) a Sopwith Camel and using squadron 13.  This can be handy if you were part of a group who all wanted the same scheme.  It will also be used in the advanced examples below.

Configuration Name - This is the name of our example plane configuration that we saved in the paint shop.  Our example is CAMEL.cfg  Notice that you do not have to add the .cfg extension, the program automatically adds that for you when it reads the name.

Config Subfolder - This is the subdirectory where all my bitmaps and CAMEL.cfg are found.  Our example is FTIGERS.

Note: Since the paintcfg.ini file only determines what you will see on your own computer, keep this in mind when setting the local/remote flag.  Setting it to 1 simply keeps you from seeing another player from flying your paint scheme if he/she is using the same plane and squadron #.

Now you are ready to try your custom paint scheme in multiplayer.  Run the Multiplayer game.  When you get to the Game Options screen, choose the same type of plane that you painted.  In the pick box where you select your aircraft, there is a text box to insert the squadron number.  Type in your squaron ID number and click "Accept". Upon entering the simulation, you should see your custom scheme while in any of the external views.  The forward internal views will NOT reflect your custom scheme as they are non-customizable bitmaps.  In order for other players in your game to see your custom scheme, they will need to have your config subfolder and it's contents installed on their computers in their Paint folders. They will also have to have a line in their paintcfg.ini files to reflect this. They will need to have the local/remote flag set to 0 (zero) in order to see your paint scheme. RB3D does not include a utility to transfer these files to them.  You will have to do this on your own via upload, email, floppy or some other means.  Here is a sample of our example paintcfg.ini file followed by a couple of our friends' files.

___________________________________________________________________________
; This is our file
; Here is our Flying Tigers Sopwith Camel
36,13,1 (or zero),camel,ftigers

;Here is our friend Bob's custom Fokker DRI 
10,95,0 (this must be set to zero or we won't see it),drI,custom

;Here is John's custom Fokker DRI scheme
10,123,0,FokdrI,Johns

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; This is Bob's file
; Bob's plane
10,95,1,dri,custom

;John's plane
10,123,0,FokdrI,Johns

;The Flying Tigers custom Camel
36,13,0,camel,ftigers

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**PART 2

If you do not want to take the time to create your own paint scheme, you may use historical squadron paint schemes by doing the following.  First, pick a plane type that you know has a custom paint scheme in the single player game.  A good example might be the Fokker DRI from Jasta 11.  We know that Jasta 11 (The Red Baron's squadron) had a special paint scheme.  Now look up Jasta 11 in squadid.txt to find the squadron ID# (each squadron has an ID# assigned by the game).  Jasta 11, for instance, is ID#17.  By choosing a Fokker DRI and typing "sq17" in the aircraft selection dialog, you should be flying a Fokker DRI with Jasta 11 colors when you enter the sim.  Note, if any line in your paintcfg.ini file uses a Fokker DRI and "17" as it's squadron number, you will get the paint scheme referred to by the Paintcfg.ini file, not the DRI from Jasta 11.  In other words, the paintcfg.ini file takes precedence over the standard squadron colors. 

THIS TABLE CONTAINS ALL THE INFORMATION YOU NEED TO IDENTIFY AND PAINT THE PLANE OF YOUR CHOICE.
BY USING THE SAMPLE DATES AND SQUADRONS, YOU CAN CREATE A CAMPAIGN PILOT IN THE SINGLE PLAYER GAME WHICH WILL GIVE YOU ACCESS TO THE PLANE YOU WANT.  REMEMBER TO CREATE A PILOT WITH HIGH RANK.  

Also, check squadid.txt for a complete list of fighter squadrons and their ID#'s in RB3D.

GERMAN FLYABLE PLANES
PLANE TYPE			PLANE ID#	 SAMPLE DATE		SAMPLE SQUAD
Fokker EIII			#0		 09/01/15		Jasta 2
Albatross DII		        #4		 10/01/16		Jasta 2
Halberstadt DII			#5		 07/01/16		Jasta 2
Albatross DIII			#6		 03/01/17		Jasta 2
Albatross DVa			#8		 08/01/17		Jasta 2
Fokker DRI			#10		 10/01/17		Jasta 2
Pfalz DIII			#12		 12/01/17		Jasta 10
Fokker DVII			#15		 06/01/18		Jasta 2
Pfalz DXII			#16		 09/01/18		Jasta 49

ALLIED FLYABLE PLANES
Morane Bullet			#19		 09/01/15		Esc 49
Nieuport 11			#20		 03/01/16		Esc 49
Nieuport 17			#21		 09/01/16		Esc 49
Spad VII			#23		 08/01/17		Esc 49
Nieuport 24			#24		 02/16/18		Esc 100
Spad XIII			#27		 05/01/18		Esc 49
Nieuport 28			#28		 03/01/18		95th Aero
Airco DH2			#30		 03/01/16		24
Sopwith Pup			#33		 11/01/16		8 RNAS
Sopwith Triplane		#34		 03/01/17		8 RNAS
Sopwith Camel			#36		 10/01/17		8 RNAS
SE5A				#37		 05/01/17		24
Sopwith Snipe			#40		 09/01/18		43

