[Michael Martin]

Part 1 installing gimp and plugin
Part 2 Templates
Part 3 Paint
Part 4 exporting
Part 5 File locations
Part 6 Assetto Corsa showroom
Part 7 Preview and Livery
Troubleshooting




Installing the SRS Skin app
http://www.simracingsystem.com/showthread.php?tid=736


Videos playlist for this guide
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLHrB4x7wv9WMegH3WStX5zmYYmEYOoTcy


Guide by Ruessll Sobie.
It is worth a read even if your not going to work in 3d.
http://www.simracingsystem.com/showthread.php?tid=2249




For this example we will be making a skin for the BMW 1M S3





Disclaimer
Barebones to get you started making skins. This guide assumes that you have basic image editing knowledge.
I’m not a professional I do this as a hobby. This is only designed as a guide and not the bible for how to make skins.


PART 1


You can get Gimp 2.0 from here
https://www.gimp.org/


Updated. Gimp now includes .dds support so no need to install the plugin.


You will also need the .dds plugin found here
https://code.google.com/archive/p/gimp-dds/

• Click downloads tab and you want the most recent .zip file depending on your windows (highlighted)
  

• Extract the .zip file and copy and paste the dds.exe file into your Gimp install folder.
  

GIMP 2/lib/gimp/2.0/plug-ins

No need to run it.



PART 2


To find the templates you need find the templates folder. This will be in your main Steam directory.
This is mine yours may be different
D:/steam/steamapps/common/assettocorsa/sdk/dev/skin_templates



We are doing the BMW 1M

• Copy and paste the folder to your workspace.
  
• In this folder make a new folder with your name.
  
• This needs to be lower case and the space replaced with and underscore
  

PART 3


Painting

• Open the template file in gimp.
  
• To make life easier work in layers.
  
• Base is as it says your base colour.
  
• Everything else needs to be a new layer on top of this.
  
• To make moving the layers about easier make the Occlusion layer invisible by clicking the eye.
  
• Then make the wire frame visable so you can see the car.
  

Now place your logos design on the map.
Each time you add a new logo paste it to a new layer.
Usefull to know

• CTRL + A to select all. Use when copying a logo from a new window.
  
• CTRL + C to copy
  
• When pasting go to edit, paste as new layer. Will make it easier to move objects around
  
• SHIFT + S to scale objects
  
• SHIFT + R to rotate objects
  
• CRTL + Z undo last action
  

Once you have finished your design make the wire frame invisible and the Occlusion layer visable again.


Save your design as a .psd



PART 4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XTByzEx78Yg


****UPDTATE**** 09/22
A little update.

When exporting the .dds file you no longer need to flatten the image.

In the pop out window where you select compression type. Change the save drop down menu to visible layers.

To export your design first flatten your image.



File export as

• Select the folder with your name and save as .dds file type.
  
• Keep the file name the same so in this case SkinBase.dds.
  
• This is important as it’s how Assetto Corsa reads the file. Some different cars have different names for the skins so always check another skin folder of the same car. (location in a few steps)
  

When you export you need to choose these options.

• Compression: BC2/DXT3
  
• Mipmaps: Generate mipmaps
  

Once saved close Gimp and when prompted disregard changes. If you keep the changes It will save the flattened image which will make it harder to edit later.


PART 5
Where to put the skin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WrbgR86Oxh8



Now we need to copy your named folder into the Assetto Corsa folder.

• First copy your named folder.
  
• Then find the skins folder for the car.
  

This is mine yours may be different
D:/steam/steamapps/common/assettocorsa/content/cars/bmw_1m_s3_skins

To make this easier to find you can create a shortcut to this folder in your workspace



PART 6


Preview the skin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkNBNp0qeAc

• Load Assetto Corsa and view the car in the showroom.
  
• Click Drive, find your car ‘BMW 1m’
  
• Choose the stage 3 version by clicking on the spanner.
  
• Click the colour wheel and find your livery. (For now it will have the n/a logo but will be called your name.)
  
• Open the showroom to view your car and admire your work.
  
• Once you have finished picking holes in your design close assetto corsa.
  

• To make previewing quicker you can launch the showroom without loading Assetto Corsa
  

• Go to your main Assetto Corsa folder and make a shortcut to your desktop for acShowromm.exe you can do this by right clicking and dragging to your desktop.
  

D:/steam/steamapps/common/assettocorsa



The showroom will load the previous car you view in game so speeds up the preview process.


Now go back to step 4 and repeat until you are happy with the design.


PART 7
Making a livery and preview image
https://youtu.be/_0nrCuj_KcA



Open gimp and create a new image.
The livery needs to be 64x64 pixels

Create your design.


When done export as livery.png
This needs to go in your name folder.





Create a new file for your preview
The preview needs to be 1022x575 pixles

• To get a picture of your car open the Assetto Corsa showroom to view your car and press PRINT SCREEN
  
• Press ESCAPE to exit the showroom. Edit, paste as a new layer into you gimp file.
  

• Resize so it fits. (SHIFT + S)
  
• When done export as preview.jpg
  
• This needs to go in your name folder.
  

You should now have 3 files in your skin folder

Put This folder into your skins folder for the car and your ready to go.
D:/steam/steamapps/common/assettocorsa/content/cars/bmw_1m_s3_skins