Simviation Forum - FSX Repainting

Oct 10^th, 2006 at 11:50am

wji Offline
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Just a report on my first atempt at repainting an FSX aircraft -- no joy.

I used DXTbmp to convert the .dds file to 24bit, repainted, and saved back to various DXT Ext formats and no joy -- just blank grey.

Oh well, back to the drawing board

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Reply #1 - Oct 15^th, 2006 at 2:18am

SkyNoz Offline
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Can you open a saved format from FSX and examine it. Sometimes I found out by opening and saving it will give default saving format, also to make sure that when you save out of your paint program the layers are flattened and check the alpha.. I think that's why it may not laod.

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Reply #2 - Oct 15^th, 2006 at 12:25pm

wji Offline
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Thnx for the tip
It seems many FSX users are having success changing the FSX aircraft-exterior .dds file-format to .bmp(DXT), so I'll have to check into it a little more carefully.

I want to paint my FSX Mooney like my realworld one so I can dub outside- shots into my YouTube videos Cheesy

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Reply #3 - Oct 16^th, 2006 at 8:44am

igorski Offline
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Any solid info in this area would be apprecieated, I dont have FSX yet but one of my guys is trying to repaint the defualt aircraft with no success yet! The aircraft vanishes when he re-saves the files as DDS! ??? ??? ??? Tongue

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Reply #4 - Oct 18^th, 2006 at 12:09pm

wji Offline
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I'm thinking the DXTbmp we came to know and love (mainly because Martin Wright gave it to us FREE) outputs a different DDS file than the one used in FSX.

I've outputted from DXTbmp every fileformat available (.dds; .dxt3; .dxt1; .dxt5) and still no joy viewing my repaints in FSX.

Ah, shucks! Cheesy

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Reply #5 - Oct 18^th, 2006 at 12:13pm

igorski Offline
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Is there anything from Microsoft? A new version of Imagetool perhaps?

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Reply #6 - Oct 18^th, 2006 at 5:44pm

SkyNoz Offline
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Try this Converter wji, it should be updated with specified format's.

http://www.ati.com/developer/compress.html

Project Kfir!&&&&My Gmax page&&Aircraft modeler/Aircarft painter&&&&Aye the key!&&[GeneralEngineData]&&//0=Piston, 1=Jet, 2=None, 3=Helo-Turbine, 4=Rocket, 5=Turboprop

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Reply #7 - Oct 19^th, 2006 at 12:09pm

wji Offline
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Thanks for link, but . . . I'm going take the wait-and-see route. I d/l said program but it's not user friendly. DXTbmp has a DDS-DXT5 output but it won't show up in FSX.

I'm going take the wait-and-see route . . . ???

EDIT:

Thanks to Martin Wright for answering my question.

« Last Edit: Oct 23^rd, 2006 at 10:48am by wji »

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Reply #8 - Oct 25^th, 2006 at 4:48pm

bbstackerf Offline
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This probably the hard way, but this is my solution. You need the DDS converter available in the link in FSX FAQ.

I just open the dds files for the aircraft in the converter (the ones you want to modify) , convert them to bmps..keeping them in the same texture folder, open as normal with DXTbmp and and your paint prog to edit. Save them back to the texture folder bmps like normal, and convert them back to dds files with the DDS Converter prog.

Kinda the long way around, but it DOES work. And after a few times it fairly quick and painless.

Keni

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Reply #9 - Oct 25^th, 2006 at 4:51pm

Hagar Offline
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Why don't you mail Martin Wright & ask his advice? I'm sure he will update DXTBmp if necessary.

PS. Never mind. I see he's on the case.

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Reply #10 - Oct 28^th, 2006 at 1:00pm

wji Offline
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"PS. Never mind. I see he's on the case."

Roger that, Hagar . . . click the Mips box and

viola!

I even have the YouTube video of my first FSX repaint -- the Default DC-3.

Thanks to Martin Wright.

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Reply #11 - Nov 3^rd, 2006 at 11:10pm

Demo Offline
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Open the FSX texture in DXTBmp and flip the image and Alpha... not mirror... the DDS are upside down and converting to BMP requires them to be rightside up to be applied to the aircraft correctly... do you repaints in what ever program you use and save making sure the image and alpha are right side up XD... thats how mine worked anyways... i repainted the blank 747 with no hassle...

(PS i saved mine in DXT3 if that helps at all... i havent experimented with anything else)

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Reply #12 - Nov 4^th, 2006 at 11:42am

wji Offline
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FSX .DDS do not require flipping in DXTbmp

If going from (or to) Extended BMP; e.g., DXT3, flipping the image and alpha is required.

Here's what Martin Wright states:

"Nothing much has changed.... DXTBmp will edit DDS just the same way you edit Extended Bmp.
All the current FSX formats are supported.

If editing an existing DDS file the procedure is exactly as before.

If editing an extended bmp but wanting to save in DDS format you may need to flip the image and alpha before saving as the data in DDS is stored the other way up." -- M.W.

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Reply #13 - Nov 4^th, 2006 at 7:27pm

Demo Offline
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i converted .dds to DXT3 and it applied the texture all wrong. it was resolved when i flipped it to right side up... guess i don't really know what we are doing different...

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Reply #14 - Nov 4^th, 2006 at 11:02pm

Felix/FFDS Offline
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Quote:

i converted .dds to DXT3 and it applied the texture all wrong. it was resolved when i flipped it to right side up... guess i don't really know what we are doing different...

I beleive that the dds format actually reverses the texture top to bottom.

Felix/FFDS

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Reply #15 - Nov 5^th, 2006 at 12:51pm

wji Offline
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"Open the FSX texture in DXTBmp and flip the image and Alpha... not mirror"

I don't see anyone "doing anything wrong," it's in the details:

"FSX default textures" are in .dds_dxt5 format and according to Martin Wright are treated the same as before.

When using Extended BMP formats (DXT3), the images have to be flipped -- as so eloquently pointed out in this thread and by Martin Wright at his forum.

What we are doing differently is: Discussing two different file formats which both will work as FSX repaints: The FSX .dds textures (which shipped with FSX) and Extended BMP files which also will work in FSX (flipped and with mipmaps applied).

That's my story and sticking to it Shocked

I've only repainted one FSX plane successfully so have not yet reached 'Expert FSX Repainter' status . . .

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Reply #16 - Nov 5^th, 2006 at 2:03pm

Scudrunners Offline
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I open the FSC files in DXTBmp. It tells at the top that they are DXT5. I export/save the alpha file as a bmp. I then exported/saved the DDS file as a 24 bit BMP. I then repainted the images in Xara Extreme. (flip them vertically)
When I finished I saved them as Bmp's, reopened that file in DXTBmp and imported the alpha bmp. Now save the whole thing as a DDS (DXT5). This has been working well for me. I have also found that with some imported FS9 aircraft, they work with DXT1 files.

Hope this helps.

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Reply #17 - Nov 5^th, 2006 at 4:26pm

wji Offline
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"Hope this helps."
Sounds good to me . . . Shocked

Thnx
Since my last post I repainted another FS9 crate:

EDIT:

While in the repainting mood I imported the default Mooney .DDS DXT5 file into DXTbmp
Then I saved it out as 24bit.BMP and repainted it
I imported it back into DXTbmp and saved it out as .DDS DXT5
The new Mooney shows up just fine in FSX
I did not flip anything Ah, but does he have screenshots-to-prove-it? You bet.

Above: .DDS Image as imported from FSX

Above: .DDS Image as imported from FSX

Above: .DDS Image as imported from FSX

What more can I say?
If anyone else has to flip any FSX aircraft textures that's fine by me.
Thanks to those who contributed to this thread.

« Last Edit: Nov 5^th, 2006 at 5:52pm by wji »

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Reply #18 - Nov 10^th, 2006 at 5:22pm

Demo Offline
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Ok

I figured out the difference... your saving back into a DDS format... my computer doesn't like DDS so I saved to BMP DXT3 as I stated earlier but it couldh ave been misunderstood as DDS DXT3... dunno but thats why I had to flip Grin

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Reply #19 - Dec 31^st, 2006 at 8:26pm

BourneID Offline
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if you have the ATI or the Nvidia DDS plugins for photoshop...

when you open the file... it will in fact be upside down and reversed...

just go under image and rotate 180* and flip horizontal... it will be as displayed ingame...

just make sure that you reverse these changes when you are finished and ready to save the file...

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