Further, this is some testing done recently that illustrates it better.
Here is the TE used in the video.
For the demo in the video, the wing uses 4 different squadrons with specific main roles:
- Air superiority (55th)
- SEAD (77th)
- Air to Ground (79th)
- Training (78th)
Those squadron skins are set in specific slots for both the Block 50 & 52:
- First slot: 55th Skin
- Second slot: 77th Skin
- Third slot: 79th Skin
- Fourth slot: 78th Skin
Falcon uses the squadron number in game (as well as the aircraft type) in order to establish what skin is used. An example here is an image showing the different skin slots for the F16-C-50…
(Image taken from JanHas’ TexSet.pdf included in his downloads)
So what you need to do is first find out what squadron numbers are associated with what skin slot. This is where Redfox’s post is incredibly informative. If you take a squadron number in Falcon and do the math as Redfox suggests, you’ll see that the default squadron of 1027 will pull the second skin from that list above. All you really need to do is go down that list numerically to find what squadron number will “pull” a skin from the other slots…
1027 = Second slot
1028 = Third slot
1029 = Fourth slot
1030 = Fifth slot
1031 = Sixth slot
1032 = First slot
Now we have a list of squadron numbers to work with. So, using the wing’s example of 4 squadrons, we are going to assign a skin slot per VFW squadron…
1027 = Second slot - 77th
1028 = Third slot - 79th
1029 = Fourth slot - 78th
1030 = Fifth slot
1031 = Sixth slot
1032 = First slot - 55th
Essentially, creating this…
(We use 1-3 since, as you can see listed there, those skin slots share the same body textures, just different tails)
The next step is to make (or edit) a TE in BMS and create 4 squadrons per aircraft type that you use. For this example, we’ll only use the C50. Once you have a TE with 4 F16-C-50 squadrons in it, open the TE up in Mission Commander (note the first image in this post). Simply change the squadron numbers to the ones you assigned above.
Now open Falcon again and create a package. In that package, make 4 different flights (you’ll note the new Falcon squadron numbers). Make each flight a different squadron of however F16-C-50s you want.
You now have a base TE to create a multi-squadron mission with matching skins for a VFW. The TE builder just needs to remember which Falcon squadron number is associated with which VFW squadron. Since the squadron number can be the exact same for different aircraft types (as the video demonstrates), it’s pretty easy to track.
This basically defaults the skin to that particular seat (squadron). There is no need to change your skin in the Loadout screen. You will see your flight in the appropriate skin and you will see the other squadrons in theirs. Likewise, others will see the same exact thing.
Of course, everyone in the VFW needs to install the same skins in the same skin slots. That’s easy enough if it’s offered as a bundle for folks to install (as long as no one renames files).
As a side note, if you include any other AI flights in your TE that use the same model/block that you have skinned, simply assign them to a squadron that doesn’t pull your skin slots (note the empty 5th & 6th slots above when you assigned your VFW squadrons to Falcon squadrons). That way, no AI will “wear” your wing/squadron skins.
For Block 52 squadrons, just rinse & repeat the steps above (starting where the *** is).
It’s actually really easy stuff. It just seems complicated.