I continually find amazing looking models but they are textures only. Could someone give me some hands on help of how to change the textuxe of my existing plane....Thanks

...what I use...>>> http://www.abacuspub.com/repaint2/

...when no-one offers to do it for me!

Paul...FS 2004... 8-)...!

I use the same program Fozzer just mentioned, but I use Gimp as the editor... the built-in editor isn't all that great.  Gimp is freeware that I'm told does everything Photoshop does, I think you can get it from gimp.org but I'm not sure.  A google search should find it for you no problem.  DXTBmp is a program that will open the files for you also, also a free program, however I have had nothing but trouble with it, which is why I'm using the abacus program but Gimp as an editor.  You can search youtube, there's quite a few how-to videos posted there.

donby. Can you be more specific. Do you want to repaint the textures yourself or learn how to add downloaded repaints to an existing aircraft?


Brian Z wrote on Jan 12^th, 2013 at 10:09pm:

Gimp is freeware that I'm told does everything Photoshop does, I think you can get it from gimp.org but I'm not sure.  A google search should find it for you no problem.

Adobe recently released Photoshop CS2 as Freeware. This is an old version but should be ideal for repainting. I don't know if it's compatible with Windows 7 but think it's worth a try. I suggest trying a smaller download like Elements 4.0/5.0 first. This might be all you need as Photoshop itself is very complex. http://www.adobe.com/downloads/cs2_downloads/index.html


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DXTBmp is a program that will open the files for you also, also a free program, however I have had nothing but trouble with it, which is why I'm using the abacus program but Gimp as an editor.  You can search youtube, there's quite a few how-to videos posted there.

I can't think why you're having problems with DXTBmp. It's an essential piece of kit & perfectly user-friendly once you understand the basic principles of texture formats & editing. This of course applies to any software including Gimp, Photoshop or whichever graphics editor you choose.

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I can't think why you're having problems with DXTBmp. It's an essential piece of kit & perfectly user-friendly once you understand the basic principles of texture formats & editing. This of course applies to any software including Gimp, Photoshop or whichever graphics editor you choose.

Not sure myself... took me awhile to figure out one problem was that I wasn't flipping the image back the way I found it, but I still can't seem to save with DXT Bmp... I can see the changes I make when I click "Refresh after edit" but when I save from there (I leave everything the way it is, I don't change the filenames or types) the changes don't actually get saved, and instead I see errors like windows and other details painted on where they don't belong.

Just tried again, opened the default King Air, slapped a red oval on, exported and saved.  Opened FSX and loaded the test plane... it's got a GREEN oval on it, and again, the windows and other details painted on where they don't belong.  Think maybe I have a corrupted copy of DXT Bmp?

Brian Z wrote on Jan 13^th, 2013 at 8:07am:

Quote: I can't think why you're having problems with DXTBmp. It's an essential piece of kit & perfectly user-friendly once you understand the basic principles of texture formats & editing. This of course applies to any software including Gimp, Photoshop or whichever graphics editor you choose. Not sure myself... took me awhile to figure out one problem was that I wasn't flipping the image back the way I found it, but I still can't seem to save with DXT Bmp... I can see the changes I make when I click "Refresh after edit" but when I save from there (I leave everything the way it is, I don't change the filenames or types) the changes don't actually get saved, and instead I see errors like windows and other details painted on where they don't belong.

It sounds to me that your edited image has not been flipped or rotated to the same orientation as the original before saving. I presume you flipped/rotated it in Gimp to make it easier to work with.

Also be aware that if you have two texture files with the same file prefix but different extensions (BMP & DDS) in the same Texture folder this will probably cause a conflict in FSX.

Brian Z wrote on Jan 13^th, 2013 at 8:21am:

Just tried again, opened the default King Air, slapped a red oval on, exported and saved.  Opened FSX and loaded the test plane... it's got a GREEN oval on it, and again, the windows and other details painted on where they don't belong.  Think maybe I have a corrupted copy of DXT Bmp?

Highly unlikely. You could try downloading the current version here. http://www.mwgfx.co.uk/programs/dxtbmp.htm

Brian Z wrote on Jan 13^th, 2013 at 8:21am:

the windows and other details painted on where they don't belong.

This is what happens when you flip the edited image unnecessarily.
http://www.simviation.com/phpupload/uploads/1358182605.jpg

Note: The red stripe is mine & should be on the top of the fuselage.

Yes, that's what I'm getting... but for this quickie test I didn't even bother flipping it at all.  And why would I get a negative of the color I actually used?  I'll try getting it again from the site you linked, most of the sites I'm finding for it try to make you agree to also downloading adware.

Ok, deleted and re-installed DXTBmp, but I'm still getting the same thing.  I did NOT flip or move anything, and the rectangle was drawn in red, not green.  I'm baffled, I know lots of people use DXTBmp all the time, why won't it work for me?
http://www.simviation.com/phpupload/uploads/1358187833.jpg

Huh, just noticed that all red markings... the "Beechcraft" logo, and the markings on the door, have also turned green.  Is there some "do random weird things" setting I have turned on?    :D

Brian Z wrote on Jan 13^th, 2013 at 9:53am:

Ok, deleted and re-installed DXTBmp, but I'm still getting the same thing.  I did NOT flip or move anything, and the rectangle was drawn in red, not green.  I'm baffled, I know lots of people use DXTBmp all the time, why won't it work for me? http://www.simviation.com/phpupload/uploads/1358187833.jpg

Perhaps the texture was already flipped from previous attempts. (It actually looks mirrored rather than flipped.)

I can't explain the change of colour without knowing exactly what you've done. I can't try to duplicate it as I no longer have Gimp installed. It might be better to start again from scratch.

There should be no need to flip/mirror/rotate a texture if you intend saving it in the original format. That's unless it's easier to work with in which case remember to revert to the original orientation before saving it.

<Settles into the bathtub...>
Eureka!!!
<Runs down the street, dripping wet and naked>
<Remembers the computer is in the bedroom, right next to the bathroom>
<Goes back inside before the cops show up>

I'm using Windows XP.  One of the update notes for DXT Bmp mentioned "Made fully Vista compatible." 
Where might I find some "rollback" versions of DXT Bmp?  I think that might be what's wrong.
As for mirrored/rotated... no, I deleted the old "test" version, and created a fresh one.  The one I posted above was made just a few minutes before I stuck the red rectangle on it.

Brian Z wrote on Jan 13^th, 2013 at 10:26am:

<Settles into the bathtub...> Eureka!!! <Runs down the street, dripping wet and naked> <Remembers the computer is in the bedroom, right next to the bathroom> <Goes back inside before the cops show up> I'm using Windows XP.  One of the update notes for DXT Bmp mentioned "Made fully Vista compatible."  Where might I find some "rollback" versions of DXT Bmp?  I think that might be what's wrong. As for mirrored/rotated... no, I deleted the old "test" version, and created a fresh one.

Sorry. Think again. I'm using WinXP. There's nothing wrong with DXTBmp. It must be something you're doing.

Can you tell me exactly how you're saving the edited texture from DXTBmp.

I'm clicking "save" in DXT Bmp, not changing anything in the options, "ok" for the warning that the file already exists, overwrite? 

Also, I don't think SP2 ever installed correctly, could that be it?  It says it's installed, but I can never find the check box for DX10 preview.  I've uninstalled and re-installed sp2, but same thing. 

Brian Z wrote on Jan 13^th, 2013 at 6:32pm:

I'm clicking "save" in DXT Bmp, not changing anything in the options, "ok" for the warning that the file already exists, overwrite?

I suspect that Gimp is the cause of the problem here. If I recall correctly the Save procedure in Gimp is different from other graphics editors. Which format are you saving your edited images in? 

The File > Save option in DXTBmp will save in the same format as the edited image. (If the edited image is in BMP format it will be saved in one of the Extended BMP formats.) The usual method of saving out from DXTBmp is to click File > Save As. Then choose the format, in this case DDS Texture. Finally select DXT5. Please try that & tell me if it worked. (Make sure to delete any textures in BMP format from the Texture folder you're working with.)


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Also, I don't think SP2 ever installed correctly, could that be it?  It says it's installed, but I can never find the check box for DX10 preview.  I've uninstalled and re-installed sp2, but same thing.

There's a simple answer to this. WinXP does not support DX10 Preview.

Oh, so THAT'S why I can never find that checkbox!  I'm sure my problem isn't with Gimp... I know about the special save format, to send the texture back to DXT Bmp I export it as a .bmp.  When I click "refresh after edit" I can see the changes I made, which wouldn't happen if it were in .xcf format... dxtbmp wouldn't be able to use it at all.  Same thing happens with the Abacus package, the xcf format won't show up on it, bmp does no problem. 

What I meant by saving and not changing anything in the box... that's when I'm looking at dxtbmp, with my changes showing.  Here, this is the first repaint I really consider finished, I've got a few others that still need something but I can't decide what.  This was done with the combination of Abacus and Gimp.  http://www.simviation.com/phpupload/uploads/1358189169.jpg

OK. I've installed Gimp to check this out. The problem is with the File > Export feature in Gimp. After clicking the Export button click Compatibility Options & check the  "Do not write color space information" box. That should fix it.

http://www.simviation.com/phpupload/uploads/1358211100.jpg

Hm, older pic of the same project, the finished version looks a bit better... anyway, Abacus needs the texture "exported" as a bmp, the same way dxtbmp does.

Ok, I'll go try it.

Yes!  Thank you, that did it. 

There's a guy in my VA who uses DXTBmp and Gimp together, but unfortunately he's only been on sporadically the last few weeks.  If he'd been around he would've probably had the answer off the top of his head.

Well done! I knew we would get there in the end. :)

Hagar....you just answered a question I was going to post about bmp and dds in reply #6. Did you know you're awesome??....thanks man. Thanks very very much   :)

I've just got a copy of FSPaint but I'm losing all the detailing on the aircraft when I paint them, how do I stop that from happening please?

Jon T.

Are you using the built-in editor?  The transparency factor in that doesn't actually make colors transparent, it modifies the alpha channel (if you have the alpha unlocked) instead.  I use an external editor (Gimp) instead, it does WAY more stuff than the built-in one does.  Also, as long as you leave the specular .dds texture alone, all those panels and such aren't as gone as you think. 
  One more thing... in your main FSX folder, go under Textures and backup anything named "test" and "chrome".  FSRepaint opens the chrome texture, I don't know why you'd want to mess with it, and sometimes saves it incorrectly when you're done, so that all chrome turns black.