repaint help

BatmanYZFr1 wrote:

abacus V2 so far works ok, but...
Looking at other repaints, I can still see the rivets and the lines from the different metal sheets to make the planes' exteriors.

Are you sure that those 'other repaints' were made using Abacus?

I can assure you that the only reason FS Repainter is so popular is because it's easy to use compared to any proper graphics editors. You'll never be able to achieve results like the ones you see and admire with FS Repainter.

If you're serious about the whole repainting business, you have other options.

You can experiment with proper freeware graphics editors such as:

paint.net ➡ http://www.getpaint.net/

Gimp ➡ http://www.gimp.org/

If you'd rather follow a proper tutorial written expressly for aircraft repainting, get involved in the POSKY Painters Learning Center; where you'll find excellent tutorials. Those are usually based on Adobe Photoshop but once you're familiar with the basics, you can use Corel's PSP or most other editors instead.

Anyway, to follow those tutorials, it might be easiest to actually learn with Photoshop or PSP of which you can get fully functional trial versions, obviously, they have a time limit, I think it's 1 month.

Adobe trials ➡ http://www.adobe.com/downloads/?ogn=EN_US-gntray_dl_trialdownloads

Tailhook....you know Waaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyy to much!!!

You obviously haven't got around to reading my signature yet warlord 🙂)

that was the sound of my head exploding!

Thanks tailhook, you rock FS repainter is easy, but like u said, it's not gonna give me the quality that I want.
I'm about to go through the tutorial u suggested and give it a shot with Adobe.
wish me luck and thanks again 🍻

You're very welcome Batman, glad to hear that you're not taking the easy way out but are prepared to put some effort into repainting.

If you stumble, don't give up. I haven't heard of anyone yet who succeeded the first time.

🍻

Thanks all of yall....for the comments in helping with repaint.....Batman made it looks o simple after veiwing these comments...thanks yall thanks batman....

Thank you Tailhook. I now have my second favorite thing to do with FSX.
Opensky's tutorials were great and it only took the 2nd attempt (3rd if u count the FS repaint crayola job) to get a working texture with the properties I wanted. Layer properties are definate must have.

I gotta pick your brain again though... Sounds and VC did not translate in FSX from the opensky 747kit. is there a CFG fix or can i just copy those folders from a full working texture?

Also, I tried to just use the stock FSX texture pages (I think they make the best looking planes) to repaint but aside from major airfoil and fuselage pieces, I got no idea what parts I'm looking at. Has anyone ever blown those up and labeled them, or are there other kits out there that i can browse through. I tried forum search and google and got nothing useful.

Yo man its frustrating...Anyone know of a Paint By Number program...lol jk...

BatmanYZFr1 wrote:

I gotta pick your brain again though... Sounds and VC did not translate in FSX from the opensky 747kit. is there a CFG fix or can i just copy those folders from a full working texture?

Maybe your query should be worded differently. Sounds and and VC are NOT a part of your Repaint Kit.

I'm assuming that you were trying to install you're complete repainted a/c into FSX. The VC is a part of the model -- if the original has no VC, it won't have one no matter which sim you use.

Now if you don't hear any sounds in FSX, open the Sound folder (the one inside the 747 Aircraft folder in question), next open the sound.cfg (with notepad if you haven't done it before) and change this:

[fltsim]
alias=B737_400\sound

to this:

[fltsim]
alias=B737_800\sound

Reason being, usually POSKY aliases their sounds to the default 737 and as most of their releases were made during the days of FS2002 and FS2004 you won't hear a sound because FSX uses the -800 whereas those previous versions used the -400.

Your final query:

Also, I tried to just use the stock FSX texture pages (I think they make the best looking planes) to repaint but aside from major airfoil and fuselage pieces, I got no idea what parts I'm looking at. Has anyone ever blown those up and labeled them, or are there other kits out there that i can browse through. I tried forum search and google and got nothing useful.

You said you're using Adobe... did you get the plug-in? ➡ https://forum.flyawaysimulation.com/forum/topic/32002/abacus-fs-repaint-v2/

The painkits I've seen all use .bmp; I recall that when FSX which uses .dds was first released, some venturing souls started making paintkits in .dds -- whether they succeeded or not and where they can be found I don't know.

Let us know how you're getting on 😀

Thanks again for the speedy reply. Im glad u know the inards of the CFG stuff. (is there a class or something LOL 😂 )
Sadly it's Saturday morn here and Im stuck at work on a laptop. I will definately try the plugin and fix the sound when I get home.

The info on the models and kits is also appreciated.
shouldn't be too long before I find the perfect combinations and show off a nice Livery.

🍻

BatmanYZFr1 wrote:

..and Im stuck at work on a laptop..

...ouch, how did that happen

Re the .cfg files, information and guides are available if you need them. I'd strongly suggest that you stick to the basics first if you're new at this.

I don't have to tell you to back up the originals before you start editing, do I?

Just some basics:

You have to grasp the concept of 'aliasing' which is used frequently to keep a/c downloads smaller. Good soundsets and panels take up a lot of space.
Have a look at your FSX default Boeings. You'll find that only the 737-800 has actual sound files inside the sound folder. The others, such as the 747 are 'aliased' to the 737-800.

All you have to remember is that if you download a freeware a/c and you find that after installing it you don't have sounds or there is no panel, open the sound- or panel folder and see what it says in the respective .cfg and edit it accordingly.

That's really the easy part.

What you'll have to spend more time on and IMO is an important part of the repainting process is the aircraft.cfg, namely the part that pertains to your own, new repaint. I won't permit myself to go into details here... not again.
If you wanna do the right thing and gain the respect of those who start downloading your textures, include a correct, tested by you, partial aircraft.cfg. In other words, before you upload one of your new creations, make sure you didn't make a mistake in the aircraft.cfg -- pretend you're someone who just downloaded your textures. Follow the Readme and insert the partial text (provided by you, of course 😉 ) and load the aircraft to see if the textures show up.
If they don't, you'll have to go back and make the necessary corrections in the aircraft.cfg.

The best way to learn what to do and what not, is to download textures by other repainters and install (just those textures) into an aircraft you already have. You'll be surprised what you'll find.

A good, basic guideline as to how the part of the .cfg which pertains to textures should look like is to look at the default FSX a/c. One is enough, say the 737 because it has several different textures.
The only thing you have to get used to is that Microsoft gives the various textures numbers instead of names... not a good idea: texture.1, texture.2, texture.3 etc.

Say you're doing an AA repaint, name the texture folder texture.aa --- a KLM would be called: texture.klm etc. Obviously that's what will have to show up in the aircraft.cfg in the end.

If or when you need a detailed guide to the aircraft.cfg, I'll dig one up.
😀

I followed your advice and looked at the CFG sound files...it worked like a charm. I am definitely learning. Thank you again, Tailhook, for your help.
You said if and when I needed a detail guide to CFG...well I would love a guide just so I can learn and understand what is what. So whenever you get the chance, no rush, I would appreciate it big time.
So anyway, I think I found the paintkit I wanna use. I poked around for a while and I think this is the one I want to put my "art work" on. The hiccup is that the file only contains paint-able textures (they are pretty). I dont see any CFG, AIR, sound etc. So I'm worried about putting in my time and not being able to use it in FSX.
I went with the 747-400x

Could you take a look at it and tell me what you think. Needless to say, Your opinion carries a lot weight.
thanks again 🍻

Ok Batman, I think it would also be of great benefit if you got an understanding of the contents and structure of the Aircraft folder at large... an outline of this and a pretty good breakdown of the aircraft.cfg you'll find at David Maltby's site: http://www.dmflightsim.co.uk/

Some of the information on the following page was written long before the event of FSX but it is still applicable: http://www.dmflightsim.co.uk/notes_on_fs_aircraft_files.htm

I'd suggest you keep this page for future reference and study all of it thoroughly. To get closer to the bit you're really concerned with, scroll down to: 'Using multiple texture sets in one aircraft folder'
Everything you see under this header all the way to the end of the page will be important for you. It is quite feasible that once you've digested all this you won't need any other aircraft.cfg guides. D. Maltby's pages look plain by todays standards but I still find his guides among the best.

The hicup is that the file only contains paintable textures

..that is the nature of paintkits. The model that the painkit was made for has to be obtained separately.

Now, the one you've chosen, the PMDG 747 will only be of use to you if you actually own the aircraft... how else will you be able to apply your repaint and test it? In case you don't own it or are unfamiliar with it, the PMDG payware are among the most expensive. Here is PMDG's home page: http://www.precisionmanuals.com/ Oh yes, there is also the small issue of those PMDG paintkits to be used with PSP whereas you're using Adobe PhotoShop... whether that is difficult to change those file formats I really don't know.

I had a bit of a dig and I still can't find new paintkits especially made for FSX. This would make sense if we consider that the .dds plug-in (remember?) bridges the gap between .bmp format and .dds format.

I don't think I've mentioned it before, but you do not NEED a paintkit if you're hell bent on repainting this particular aircraft you fancy. However, without paintkit the technique of repainting changes drastically and becomes a study of its own.

So, without getting ahead of us too far, decide whether you want to pursue the PMDG path or look for something else.
You can search for 'Paintkits' in the various file libraries. If you find one you fancy, download the aircraft and see if it flies well in FSX. If it doesn't, you might decide to repaint it just for fs9 or you'll have to opt for another a/c that does fly well in FSX.

I hope this doesn't sound discouraging 🍻

It was not discouraging at all. You've given me more options to achieve my goal(s).
As far as the PMDG a/c, I gotta let it go ( they are so pretty) . Too expensive, I dont want to stop at just at one a/c and PMDG $$$ will add up pretty fast. The Opensky site you recommended seemed to work fine. (I flew my repaint 747 around just to take some pictures, but now I'll put the a/c to a full test to make sure all is well in FSX) I'll still keep poking around though. I need the exposure to different models.

When I look at .CFG files, I might as well be looking at the Matrix code Thanks for the link to D. Maltby. It's saved on my Favs and will be in the background while I work. And i'll be going over every word of it.

LOL, I am "hell bent" on the Boeing products right now. I dont think i'll be going without a kit any time soon though.

Thanks again, Tailhook, for your time and help. 🍻

Not meaning to complicate matters, but don't be put off by the scary appearance of the .cfg. Keep in mind, that depending on what you're doing, repainting in your case, you will only have to concentrate on a few lines--it will soon become second nature.

I have just found the most in depth guide to the .cfg AND many other aspects re our topic in my archives. To be fair, after an extensive search I've failed to find any trace of the source of those files and am therefore unable to link you to the site.
I do however have those files (guides) in my possession and should you need them at any time, give us a holler. Good luck.

🍻

For the .CFG to be second nature... 😀 ... Good to know I (we all) have backup. thanks again and again. I see what u mean, only a few line to worry about with the repainting. Hope im ready 😉
Like the radio guy said to Chuck Yeager in 'The Right Stuff', "Put the spurs to her..." I'm ready to go supersonic on this thing. hopefully i have something worthy in a week or so.
🍻