Simviation Forum - Can Someone help explain repainting?

Jan 12^th, 2013 at 12:53pm

donby Offline
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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

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Reply #1 - Jan 12^th, 2013 at 1:37pm

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

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

Paul...FS 2004... Cool

...!

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Reply #2 - Jan 12^th, 2013 at 10:09pm

Brian Z Offline
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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.

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Reply #3 - Jan 13^th, 2013 at 4:19am

Hagar Offline
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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

Quote:

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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Reply #4 - Jan 13^th, 2013 at 8:07am

Brian Z Offline
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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.

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Reply #5 - Jan 13^th, 2013 at 8:21am

Brian Z Offline
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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?

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Reply #6 - Jan 13^th, 2013 at 8:27am

Hagar Offline
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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.

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Reply #7 - Jan 13^th, 2013 at 8:29am

Hagar Offline
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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

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Reply #8 - Jan 13^th, 2013 at 9:05am

Hagar Offline
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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.

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

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Reply #9 - Jan 13^th, 2013 at 9:21am

Brian Z Offline
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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.

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Reply #10 - Jan 13^th, 2013 at 9:53am

Brian Z Offline
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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?

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Reply #11 - Jan 13^th, 2013 at 9:59am

Brian Z Offline
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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? Cheesy

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Reply #12 - Jan 13^th, 2013 at 10:02am

Hagar Offline
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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?
[img]

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.

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Reply #13 - Jan 13^th, 2013 at 10:26am

Brian Z Offline
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<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.

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Reply #14 - Jan 13^th, 2013 at 10:32am

Hagar Offline
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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.

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