Kevin Futter

1 hour ago, Out2gtcha said:

Any way to get the rest of the group a "like" button Kev?

 

I dont appear to have one

Oh? Let me check it out.

Kev

OK, I've just added a few new categories, based on what we've seen uploaded so far. It's obvious that national markings under Military Aviation will be popular, so I've created an explicit category for that, along with a few subcategories for what I see would be the most popular areas under that. Any national insignia markings that don't currently fit any of those subcategories can just go in the main subcategory of National Insignia. The same goes for anything related to military aircraft that doesn't fit any subcategory created so far. New categories can always be created as necessary, and files moved to more relevant categories.

I also created another top-level subcategory under Aircraft - Military, called Camouflage Patterns, which pretty much does what it says on the tin. Again, this can be subdivided down the track if demand warrants it.

Note that I haven't made corresponding forum areas for all these new categories, since I don't think that's warranted at this stage. Just as with the categories themselves, we can revisit and revise that in the future.

One thing no one has done so far is provide any screenshots, so I might backfill a few when I get a chance.

Kev

Welcome aboard, Greg!

Great to see you here.

Kev

6 hours ago, Out2gtcha said:

Is the .studio3 format ok do upload in?

For now I'd have to say yes, but we're really only in the beginning phases of this journey, and that answer may change over time. Ideally it would be great to use a more portable format that any software can use, but I'm not sure such a thing exists. I'm hoping that once we get more experienced and expert users on board, they can school us in all the best practises, and we can adapt in light of that expert knowledge.

Kev

Hi Steve - thanks for uploading! However, you’ll need to submit this via the Downloads section of the site. The system will automatically create a post here for you. I’ve put a brief description of how to do it in the Site Info section.

Kev

Welcome aboard, Steve!

Kev

21 minutes ago, Thomas Lund said:

I think we should encourage that the file name contain a good description of the content plus scale, kit etc as appropriate

We do need to be careful not to overload the file name with descriptive content, as there is a field for description where expanded information can be supplied. I haven't bothered to work out a naming convention yet, as it's too early to tell if it will be required, or even useful. I'll see if I can add a custom field for scale, so that if it applies at all, it can be added as explicit data. Maybe the same for target kits, too.

Kev

1 minute ago, Out2gtcha said:

I might suggest breaking it down first by Scale/Era/Country or something of that nature. As an example, Ive got a TON of Luftwaffe designs Ive made, along with a lot of codes, of all varying countries.  (all 1/32nd in my case)

Thomas and I had a discussion on Facebook about the scale thing, which prompted my starting this thread. I've always thought that the scale was less relevant, as the software could literally scale the design to whatever you want. But Thomas pointed out that it's not so desirable to do so in the case of canopy masks, or camouflage masks designed to fit a specific kit.

And speaking of canopy masks: do they deserve their own category? Or should they just be grouped in with whatever broader category they belong too? Are they something that modellers even bother to design themselves?

Kev

6 hours ago, Mozart said:

Something I've I've always had to research is the way in which national marking evolve, the roundel and German crosses for instance.  I know Thomas has uploaded some very useful masks for different categories of roundels, and very useful they are too but it would be good to cross reference this to photographs for positions, dates, dimensions and critically colours linked if possible to the range offered by companies such as MRP, Tamiya, Vallejo etc.  I'm struggling at the moment to tie down a good Cold War colour range for my Echelon Lightning for instance.

I always thought someone should bring out a series of booklets that cover that stuff, and if I knew more about it, I'd do them for KLP! But unfortunately I struggle with that stuff too.

Kev

Welcome aboard, Thomas!

Thanks for kicking off our uploads.

Kev

As I post this, the site is brand-new, and in its infancy. To kick things off, I've created a basic set of categories for file uploads, but with the intention that they will evolve over time to meet the needs of both the site and our members.

So with that in mind, I'd like to initiate a discussion on the types of categories you guys feel might be useful as we grow. I can certainly see the category of 'Aircraft - Military' being entirely too broad for the long haul, but I'm also mindful of the fact that too many categories can also be a problem. Splitting up a large category like that could be done in many ways (by scale, by country, by aircraft type, by era, etc), so it's no easy matter! At the same time, some of the smaller categories are probably just fine as they are.

One way to handle this is to sit back and wait to see what gets uploaded, and then mould the categories organically around that. While I'm happy to take that approach, I'd also like to hear what you guys think!

Kev

To upload new mask cutting files, it's important to note that this is not done from the Forums section of the site. Instead, choose the Downloads section of the site from the main navigation menu above, as shown in the screenshot below:

Click on the green "Submit a file" button to begin the upload process, and then choose an appropriate category for your design:

Note that our subcategories are expanding all the time, so if you can't find something suitable, choose the top-level category that represents the best fit.

Once you've chosen a category, click the "Continue" button, and you'll be presented with the upload screen. You'll also have the option of submitting a screenshot of your file, so that members can get an idea of what it represents. This is highly recommended if you can do it, but not required.

Scroll down further, and you'll be able to give your file a name, and a brief description. You can also give it a version number, though the system will use the default of 1.0.0. If you subsequently make revisions to the file, the system will allow you to replace it with a new one. If this happens, it's pertinent to give it an updated version number.

That's it!

Welcome aboard, Aaron! Great to see you here, mate.

Kev

Thanks, Max - and welcome aboard!

Kev

Great to have you here, Karim!

Kev

Welcome aboard, Mal! Great to have you here.

Kev

Welcome!

Scale Model Paint Masks is a site dedicated to providing a repository of downloadable paint mask files for scale modellers, driven by and for the scale modelling community. We cater for any genre of scale modelling, in any scale and of any era. Members are free to upload their designs, download other members' designs, and contribute to discussions in our forums.

Scale Model Paint Masks is brand new, and we hope to grow and evolve it over time. We plan to expand the forums to include tutorials, reviews, and anything else our members would like to see that fits our scope.

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