This skin pack includes a line bird and CAG bird for VFA-136 ca. 2006-7. While the skins use the dynamic MODEXes (side numbers), the MODEXes for these skins were historically in the 300 series (300 for CAG). Each skin has a "normal" version and a weathered version. Weathered skins have a bleached effect as if the aircraft were heavily exposed to the sun for months on end. Normal skins include pilots with green flightsuits, while weathered skins include pilots with desert flightsuits. Note: this skin pack is distributed as an EXE installer.
IMPORTANT: For compact installations, do not delete Saved Games\DCS, even if you exclusively use Saved Games\DCS.OpenBeta!
For Compact Installations - A Note About Autoexec.cfg:
Rather than copying texture files to their respective livery folders, I prefer to use a series of common texture folders along with unique filenames. This allows a single instance of many of my common textures, and keeps the hard drive footprint to a minimum (especially nice if you run a SSD for your system drive).
The installer will add a series of folders to the DCS Texture path; if you do not have these folders created, then it is no problem. The autoexec.cfg included will automatically point to the Texture folder in your Saved Games\DCS folder, and regardless of whether you run the Release or Open Beta version of DCS, the path will always point to your Saved Games\DCS\Texture folder. Again, this saves space on your hard drive.
If you use your own Autoexec.cfg, then when prompted to overwrite you can click "no". This will create a file called autoexec.new, and you can manually make the updates as you like. Just don't modify the top line with the file date; this is used by the installer for version control. However, feel free to include it in your existing autoexec.cfg, so you don't get prompted to overwrite until there's another update to the autoexec.cfg.
If you inadvertently overwrite your autoexec.cfg, it is actually backed up as autoexec.old. Just open it and copy the appropriate information to the new file.
For Traditional Installations or JSGME Compatible Extractions:
If you don't wish to use the shared texture folder and custom autoexec.cfg, you have a couple of other options available. Selecting the Traditional Install copies all textures to each livery folder, then copies each livery to each version of DCS detected (including release and open beta). As a result, the listed hard disk space requirement assumes both DCS versions are installled. Each skin is independent and portable.
If you wish to install to a location other than your Saved Games folder, you must select the Single JSGME Extraction, or else the installation will fail for not detecting existing Saved Games\DCS folders. Selecting this option will create a JSGME compatible install that can be dropped directly into your JSGME _MODS folder for installation. Each skin is independent and portable.
For either of these installation options, if there is an issue with textures not displaying, then it is likely a problem with the installer. Please let me know what textures are missing so that I can troubleshoot the issue.
Change Log:
1.0 Initial Release
1.0a Installer minor bug fix
1.06 Added VFA-136 patch specific Roughmets and Normal files
Updated font
Added Velcro and reflective tape to helmet (along with roughmet and normal maps)
Minor graphical fixes and improvements
1.10 Added in-cockpit desert pilot texture for weathered skins
Added desert-specific patches to weathered skins
Improved patch normal maps
1.11 Weathering improvements
1.20 Updated patch and helmet textures to 2.5.6 standard
1.21 Updated description.lua files to DCS 2.8.4 standard
1.40 Updated flightsuit textures (external and VR) to DCS 2.9.0 standard
Added custom squadron helmet
1.41 Added custom helmet art to HGU-68 (NVG) helmet
