FSX Repaint Problem

[MoCat]

P.S.

You will probably have to flip the image in PSP7....for some reason when DXTBMP opens the file, it's upside down!

MoCat

[lifejogger]

mocat said:

Lifejogger,

I have PSP7, I open the .dds in BMPDXT then move to PSP...save as norm.bmp paint as you would. Then, Open with Image which came with deluxe and save to the filename.dds. you may have to change to 32 bit or DXT1, DXT5 which ever you want to use!

MoCat

I am not sure I am having any problens, in experimenting with repaints in FSX. I have opened the .dds file in BMPDXT and the I send it to the editer (PSP7). I convert the bmp file to a psp file make my changes then save it back to bmp file. I then reload it back into BMPDXT and save it as a DXT5 dds file. When I bring up FSX and look at my changes I see everything I changed and everything looks good. However I do not have SP2 installed and that might make a difference.
Here are a couple of picts of some of my experimenting?

This is experimenting with a repaint I might do.


This was changing the green of the default color to a lighter shade.

[Kofi]

Lifejogger,
You need to use another tool other than DXTBMP to make FSX DDS textures.

DXTBMP flips DDS textures upside down....

[lifejogger]

kofi said:

Lifejogger,
You need to use another tool other than DXTBMP to make FSX DDS textures.

DXTBMP flips DDS textures upside down....

So those textures are up side down?

[Kofi]

Somebody over at SOH said they used Photoshop to convert to DDS.....

[MoCat]

Kofi,

I use dxtbmp....but one the file is in PSP7, I have PSP7 flip it....then save with image tool to a prenamed file *.dds....works fine. It's how I did the Caribbean SeaPlane Repaints!

MoCat

[Deleted]

DXTBmp won't save the dds files correctly. However, you can use it to open a dds file that you want to change and then you need to export both the rgb layer and the alpha layer separately (as 24 bit bmps) just as you did for repaints in FS9. You can then work on either or both in your favourite editor.

Obviously you'd then like to do as you did before - open the rgb bmp in DXTBmp, import the alpha back and save it as your extended bmp of choice. But this is when DXTBmp goes wrong - it corrupts the dds file you save and what you get is a shiny black texture.

You can now do two things.

Option 1 is to open the dds you've just saved using DXTBmp in eg Photoshop with the dds plug-in and resave, after which I have found all then works. This is the easiest option really.

Option 2 is to stick with Photoshop the whole way through. Open up the dds in the first place in Photoshop and look at the layers it gives you in the layer tab. You have the RGBs and the alpha layer nicely set out for you. If you click on the alpha layer it opens it as an editable bmp and you can then edit it and drag it back or even combine it with another RGB bmp that you've been editing. So you see, you can create a new RGB texture for an aircraft, drag across the original alpha and then save your new texture thus saving lots of work.

Trouble is if you ignore the alpha, as the methods you've been discussing do, you lose so much of the brilliance that FSX has to offer. And you mustn't forget to combine your new dds texture with the bump maps and other stuff that come in the FSX texture folders. Most of the time you won't need to change them but occasionally you might.

The tute in the sgtmajor link is very good and not too long so I'd thoroughly recommend it.

PS

For anyone who's concerned about this flipping stuff. Basically, dds files (and their corresponding alpha's etc) are upside down. This really only concerns model makers. However, if you are repainting an existing plane it usually helps if you can see registrations and any other text that appears on the aircraft the right way up. So all you need to do is open the dds into editable form and flip it the right way up to work on. Then, when you've finished and before you combine the RGB and alpha back to dds, you have to remember to re-flip it/them back upside-down. That's all it is.

[Admin]

This thread has convinced me of one thing. I won't be repainting aircraft

[Kofi]

admin said:

This thread has convinced me of one thing. I won't be repainting aircraft

Nor I..... ;D ;D ;D

But I definitely have great respect for those who do....

[Deleted]

Here's my repaint of the default FSX 747 in the BA World Tails 'Benyhone' livery.









Although I now have a BA template I doubt I'll do anymore except for maybe the current 'Flag' livery as it's just not authentic enough. The engines are wrong for a start (these are GE and BA uses RR) and there are some other things as well.

Anyway, at least I'm some way up the learning curve should I decide to do any FSX painting in the future.

[Chris B]

Rollerball (et al) How did I miss this thread? You're all making mountains out of molehills herefolks.

First, get the FSX SDK and install the imagetool software.

Second - you have it I see - get the latest DXTbmp.

In Microsoft explorer set associations for all dds files to open with dxtbmp. That way you just double-click a dds and you will be able to see it.

In DXTbmp always flip image and alpha (you've already realised that dds always inverts the images. Don't ask why, it is just so and I don't know

Next, 'save as' 24 bit windows bitmap AND export the alpha channel. REMEMBER where you saved these to.

Go to your painter and edit either or both.

From now on I use drag drop for the next moves. Drag your edited texture over onto the DXDbmp window. Import the alpga channel and 'save as' - here's it gets important. FSX prefers DXT 5 or 32-bit bmp as the basis for it's dds files

Then drag the new bitmap onto Imagetool

Now 'save as' a dds file and drag drop that file into the sim-objects folder in the right place.

Done.

Now the big WHY that I hear a lot of frowns asking.

1. For some reason FSX does not like DXTbmp's saves - at least not on my computer. FSX crashes or shows black planes when I try to load a DXZbmp'd plane and besides, you have to remember to flip the images every time

2. For some reason I find the image quality is better, certainly not worse - and that is purely subjective.

3. It hardly takes time. OK, I have practiced

4. The NVidia tool needs a couple of dlls from somewhere and no-one is able to tell me where. Also it is not absolutely necessary. As long as you can save your texture tile as a windows bitmap you are nearly home and dry. And i don't think there's any painter prog that doesn't 'save as' or export to bitmap

You will notice that I only "unflip" the images if I actually open the dds file. Otherwise I just paint the templates and have done.

Now - that paint of yours, Rollerball, should not discourage you from painting. It is good - well done!

As a tip: the FS default planes all have a "white" version - what better way to get painting practice, than to use a single-layer white texture as a learning tool. Thos Microsoft FSX planes are really painter-friendly to learn on.

Open the DDS, save the image and alpha, flip, create a layer out of the background and set that to merge with all below using "multiply"

Paint your texture changes underneath that layer.

Save, dds it and fly.

You get a perfect paint every time - shadow, rivets, panel lines, grunge and all.

Example: default mustang

[Deleted]

You must be joking

Imagetool like all MS tools is clunky and inconvenient to use. MS like to make all its SDKs like that for some reason and this time around I haven't even bothered installing the SDK with my deluxe version as its just so inpenetrable. And apart from allowing you to export the alpha channel DXTBmp has no further role to play.

Stick to Photoshop - a quality piece of software - and you can't go too far wrong.

Check out my latest package of BA 'World Tails' for the default 747 now up on Avsim, Flightsim and Simviation. They're not too bad...

[hook]

Think I'll stick to just painting the house! -hook

[Deleted]

hook said:

Think I'll stick to just painting the house! -hook

Nahh. It's very satisfying once you get the hang of things. I guess as you can see, we all have our different approaches and what matters is what works for you. It's the results that count not how you get them. Here's another that will be in my next 'World Tails' package - over Central Russia en route from Beijing to Heathrow at 34000 ft mach 0.88. I'm emulating the 777 that came down at Heathrow.



It's a 9 hour flight plan so as there's nothing below but snow I'm running at a sim rate of either 4 or 8. I started this morning and have been running and saving on and off, but there's still a way to go....

[lifejogger]

I use a system similar cbris, I use image tool to open the dds file and then save it as a bmp file. Then I open it with DXTbmp and send it to the editor which is Paint Shop Pro 7. I make my changes and reload the file back into DXTbmp where I save the file back to the bmp file. I then open the bmp file with the image tool and save it as a dds file. Seems to work okay. Below is what I have been working on.