ATS/ETS2: Trucks, Mask Panel for logo/name/DOT#, door/panel/plate, lease stickers

[SomeNordGuy]

If the logo you pick for your company has a transparent background and you/we use the optimized text to start with.

An accessory floating pane over the doors, panels or side plates might be achievable for in game customization of DOT numbers and simple company names on the trucks.

The floating pane for the company logo would be much easier to code/model than adding the text to the door as its a simple texture.

The name and DOT numbers would require an "in game" or "In mod loader" texture generator using the optimized font or an array of pre selected ones.

After that the "player_company_texture" could be thrown over any pre modeled floating pane over any paint job.

Possibly a simple 64x64, 128x128, 256x256, 512x512(depending on graphics settings).... logo, font, mipmap texture generator...

maybe even an opportunity for more in game sponsorship from truck leasing companies for these door logos could be also their temporary lease stickers (Ryder, IdeaLease, Penske, PacLease, Merchants Fleet) which may help offset future development costs? The "leased" trucks also open up a new game option instead of the conventional purchase option. Especially for those who like to swap trucks frequently, 50-100-250K mile leases could streamline the game for those who always want the newest trucks.

This is not an inflammatory demand, just a thought for going forward.

[jab98]

If I’m being honest this sounds kind of counterproductive to the progression of the game given that you can achieve the same thing by making skins for your trucks. Skinning really doesn’t take that much effort and it’s made even easier with mods studio, that basically generates all the needed files for you after you import your skin textures and assign it to the truck/trailer you want. It may make updating the logos on all your vehicles easier and faster if you decide to change/update your company logo, but beyond that I don’t really see any advantages over just making a skin and putting it ingame like you can presently do.

[SomeNordGuy]

If I’m being honest this sounds kind of counterproductive to the progression of the game given that you can achieve the same thing by making skins for your trucks. Skinning really doesn’t take that much effort and it’s made even easier with mods studio, that basically generates all the needed files for you after you import your skin textures and assign it to the truck/trailer you want. It may make updating the logos on all your vehicles easier and faster if you decide to change/update your company logo, but beyond that I don’t really see any advantages over just making a skin and putting it ingame like you can presently do.

You do understand that the developer of those skin platforms/tools holds the rights to your intellectual property and can use it any time they want in other forms and mods without your permission?

Using your merits, Its absolutely counterproductive to include the custom color palettes or the RGB/HSV,HEX color finder also because "all trucks can have masks made in skin platform/tools"

This concept is so crazy simple that it makes too much sense, it would be a feature that the end users would assume that was always there after implementation.

This won't kill custom skinning, because there are those who still want to make custom masks... this will add to the realism of the game.

You are welcome to your opinion, but it's not accurate.

[jab98]

If I’m being honest this sounds kind of counterproductive to the progression of the game given that you can achieve the same thing by making skins for your trucks. Skinning really doesn’t take that much effort and it’s made even easier with mods studio, that basically generates all the needed files for you after you import your skin textures and assign it to the truck/trailer you want. It may make updating the logos on all your vehicles easier and faster if you decide to change/update your company logo, but beyond that I don’t really see any advantages over just making a skin and putting it ingame like you can presently do.

You do understand that the developer of those skin platforms/tools holds the rights to your intellectual property and can use it any time they want in other forms and mods without your permission?

Do they really though? That's like saying the steam workshop owns the rights to your mod and can use it anytime they want. Or Microsoft using any of your work you've done in Microsoft suite. Can you provide verifiable proof that the creators of Mods Studio have said they own the rights to the things people have done or better yet proof of them actually using someone else's work in other forms and mods? Because I've never heard that, and it sounds quite ludicrous.

Using your merits, Its absolutely counterproductive to include the custom color palettes or the RGB/HSV,HEX color finder also because "all trucks can have masks made in skin platform/tools"

This concept is so crazy simple that it makes too much sense, it would be a feature that the end users would assume that was always there after implementation.

This won't kill custom skinning, because there are those who still want to make custom masks... this will add to the realism of the game.

You are welcome to your opinion, but it's not accurate.
[/quote]

That first statement sounds blatantly ignorant and purely meant to chastise me because I have a different opinion. That feature ingame is why I feel skins would still be a better choice over your suggestion, you make one color change skin with your logo and put it ingame and bam you a skin with what several hundred if not thousands of color combinations. Not your style? Then simply make a non-color changeable skin and ingame it.

The point I was making in the whole situation is that if someone has to make a texture file with their logo to be able to upload it to the game, why not just go ahead and make full on truck and trailer skins? Doing enough of those logo overlay accessories to allow people to put logos/DOT information in all the accurate and reasonable spots on a truck would be extremely labor intensive and time consuming for the developers. Also, in my opinion the main issue with your idea is that the logo overlay would most likely not be color changeable, so users would have to be mindful of that when choosing truck colors as to not choose a color that would blend too closely with a color in their logo and not "wash it out". I also feel like that kind of limits truck customization. Could you please explain how something like this would add to realism of the game? I still see conventional truck skins being vastly more popular and the correct way to go.

[SomeNordGuy]

That first statement sounds blatantly ignorant and purely meant to chastise me because I have a different opinion. That feature ingame is why I feel skins would still be a better choice over your suggestion, you make one color change skin with your logo and put it ingame and bam you a skin with what several hundred if not thousands of color combinations. Not your style? Then simply make a non-color changeable skin and ingame it.

The point I was making in the whole situation is that if someone has to make a texture file with their logo to be able to upload it to the game, why not just go ahead and make full on truck and trailer skins? Doing enough of those logo overlay accessories to allow people to put logos/DOT information in all the accurate and reasonable spots on a truck would be extremely labor intensive and time consuming for the developers. Also, in my opinion the main issue with your idea is that the logo overlay would most likely not be color changeable, so users would have to be mindful of that when choosing truck colors as to not choose a color that would blend too closely with a color in their logo and not "wash it out". I also feel like that kind of limits truck customization. Could you please explain how something like this would add to realism of the game? I still see conventional truck skins being vastly more popular and the correct way to go.

Chastising you would be counterintuitive.

It is not labor intensive at all.. its a one way masked floating pane as an accessory for each vanilla truck. it would take an hour per model variant(to define coordinates). Then you copy-pasta the mirrored wire frame panel to the other side. Using a square UV.. not hard. (either flat[logo plates] or slightly convex for doors/sleeper sides) and it just needs to be an imperceptible-eye-distance from the model's exterior paintjob mask.

When you create a new profile in the game loader, you already have the GUI in place and the starting logos. As for the mask.. its a simple rip on open source software, png creator , mipmap generator and dds converter. These are all over github and have been for many years...

As far as your inference to lack of end user knowledge for what logos to use on which paint job mask(monochromatic, analogous, complementary, split complementary, triadic, square, and rectangle (or tetradic))... you are being very presumptuous. You are almost being inflammatory in your remarks on this community as a whole. The users could change their logo mask at any time for light or dark backgrounds. If you want to use the SCS event paintjobs, but still want your company name somewhere on the truck. This is the point.

Your feelings are your own, no one can invalidate them. Be insatiably yourself, no matter what anyone says.

The realism is that +70% of owner operator trucks, are trucks with a simple 18"x18" or 24"x24" logo/placard either on the gas-tank-logo-plates, door or the sleeper side. If they are leased nearly 90% of them have at least a white temporary door sticker with the lease brand and filled in with a Sharpie: name, location, DOT number. (handwritten font is a must if leasing tags are going to be introduced)

Paint job masks are for paint jobs. This is something completely new and would give the user that gratifying experience of finally putting your name on a truck all by yourself. It makes the game more personal. It makes the game feel real.. it makes ownership in the truck feel like something.

As far as convoys.. the logo files would be small <10kb, instead of hovering text above the truck.. the logo mask on the door/sleeper could be intrinsic to each player for.. added realism.

As far as implementation.... make it a free DLC... with the added sockets, wire frame panels(painted/chrome tank plates, hovering panels) and use the gui at the loader screen for the custom name/logo mask, so users can opt-in to the implementation of the whole thing.

I can tell you one thing from my years of experience in group projects. There is no correct or incorrect in development. There is only the progression of the project. It all falls onto the shoulders of those who are in charge to deem whether something should be addressed or not. If this fails here. Then i am dead sure that a mod developer will develop the 2 wireframe panels (flat, convex) and it will be a mod with thousands of subscribers.

If the end users want realism and SCS wants the users to have a sense of relationship with the game. Then they will do something like this.

[SomeNordGuy]

Since I posted this, several people are posting development requests regarding this concept in other locations.
Reddit, Facebook and other communication channels.

If anyone wants to coordinate time, resources or effort regarding this concept...
Post here so that we can work together, breaking the project into manageable parts:

1) To modify the (gui) game/mod loader interface, new account and logo menu to add another tab for custom JPEG/PNG to DDS uploader

2) for above added tab, Add a Custom Square 64x64, 128x128, 256x256, 512x512 pixel resolution.. 6 text line, Text with transparency background, 6 open source fonts, Logo DDS exporter/uploader/importer, text colors in a minimal 7 color palette + black, white, gray.

3) Truck Specific(ripped wireframe extractions from individual models) or General(flat, convex, concave) One-way wireframe panels with a general square mask, non AO, material in blender, "floaters"

4) Sockets/hookups for each SCS vanilla trucks, (entry doors, sleeper panel doors, sideskirts) locations .01 +/- from native exterior skin

5) Coding/xml... that would double up the semi transparent "floater" and the native wireframe masked skin in its own accessory folder for each SCS vanilla truck. ">| |X| |<"

6) Research and design of Lease companies for temporary lease Stickers for ATS/ETS2 (Ryder, Koch, Idealease, Prime, DawsonGroup, Mac's or other Localized companies) square texture masks that can be chosen in place of a transparent background

This is a general work directive, not a demand or a request.
If you feel like contributing to the concept, post here.
If you have any constructive ideas or a previous claim to this concept, share..
I'll start working on all of it or any of it if anyone volunteers in helping out.

[SomeNordGuy]

If you want to see an example of what this would look like download this mod:

90's Corporation Truck
viewtopic.php?t=315955

Code: Select all

file paths for the custom logos:

MOD rear cab:
C:\Users\XXXXXX\Documents\American Truck Simulator\mod\Corporation Truck\vehicle\truck\corp_truck\accessory\rsticker\textures

MOD License plate:
C:\Users\XXXXXX\Documents\American Truck Simulator\mod\Corporation Truck\vehicle\truck\corp_truck\accessory\bumper\share\textures

MOD Door Logos
C:\Users\XXXXXX\Documents\American Truck Simulator\mod\Corporation Truck\vehicle\truck\corp_truck\vtc_textures

BASE GAME LOGO PATH
E:\SteamLibrary\steamapps\common\American Truck Simulator\material\ui\player_logo
^(your drive letter may be different + this is after using scs_extractor.exe on BASE.SCS, DEF.SCS, CORE.SCS + others)

[ external image ]

Using WinRar + Gimp, you don't even need to unzip the Archives after the first one:

Example: yourAchiveFileName.scs (can be any mod .scs archive file)



Setup:

1) Install WinRar & Gimp then follow below:

2) right click yourAchiveFileName.scs file ->Properties choose "Open With" change to WinRar

3) right click yourAchiveFileName.scs file and choose "rename" ->change .scs to .zip

4) right click yourAchiveFileName.zip file ->Properties choose "Open With" change to WinRar

5) right click yourAchiveFileName.zip file ->"extract to "archiveFileName\"

6) in the ui, materials or vehicle folder there will be .dds texture files, eventually you will find one, right click ->Properties choose "Open With" change to Gimp


To work on an .dds texture in an .scs or .zip archive:

<!--no need to move the file out of your mod folder -->

1)Double click to Open any packed or unpacked mod .scs or .zip file archive, double click any dds file, they are usually in Ui, vehicle or material

2) when gimp opens automatically -> "Load DDS" pop-up just choose "no" (unclick box, no "X" )to loading mipmaps, yes to automatically decode colors

3) select all (crtl + a), delete key, then modify the image the way you like by -> Edit _> Paste As -> New Layer,

<!--do not change the image size, the pixel count must stay proportionate to original[shape] -->
<!--transparent backgrounds must have an alpha channel, do not choose flatten all if you want transparency -->
<!-- tools are upper left corner pane, settings for the tools are in the upper right corner pane-->

4) when satisfied with your design, rt click the right lower corner pane(layers), choose "merge visible layers"(clipped to bottom layer),

5) gimp only saves in native xcf... you need to export: File -> "Overwrite" fileName.dds,

<!-- do not choose "export as" or it will change the export settings of the dds.-->

6) go back to the open WinRar window for the original archive, there will be a new pop up, choose yes/accept changes to archive.

7) load SCS title(ATS/ETS2) and check for mistakes... no need to change anything in Mod Loader. straight to game.

easy peazy lemon squeezy.
pitter patter.

[SomeNordGuy]

Point of order:

The players just want to put their name on the door and use the custom paint jobs that SCS pushes out.

[ external image ]

[ external image ]

[ external image ]

[ external image ]

[ external image ]

[ external image ]

[ external image ]

Using this model work flow as a basis, all we need is the Text+Logo editor in the GUI for the Profile tab in the Game Loader.

(The wireframe dimensions need to match the square dds dimensions or you will get distortion as shown)

[SomeNordGuy]

Quick & Dirty representation of "Temporary Lease stickers" and Invert-text-color (door) [just a tad oversize still]

[ external image ]

[ external image ]

[ external image ]

[ external image ]

[ external image ]

[ external image ]

[ external image ]

[SomeNordGuy]

Quick & Dirty representation of "Temporary Lease stickers" and Invert-text-color (sleeper).. [just a tad oversize still]

[ external image ]

[ external image ]

[ external image ]

[ external image ]

[ external image ]

[ external image ]

[ external image ]

[ external image ]