Paint problem

[hobby]

I have just painted an AI DHC2 Beaver using the MS "Paint" program. I have saved the newly painted aircraft as a bmp and correctly added an entry to the acft cfg file. However when I select the aircraft it arrives with no textures!!!

Most of the texture files when opened have the appearance of a flower in FS9. My repainted Beaver just looks like the paint kit repainted!! Therefore no textures appear on selection.

Can someone please tell me how to convert my repainted paint kit to the required "flower" format so that my new textures show up correctly on selection?

[TSR2]

Hi Hobby,

You cant use MS paint to paint aircraft mate. Although their still BMP files, they're in the wrong format.

[Airspeed]

Hi Hobby,
"DXTBmp" is freeware that converts files to DDS format. It's still a lot of learning, as the image needs to be upside down or mirrored, or maybe both. Suggest you d/l that and have a play with it. If Ben says it won't work, I'd back him, but that converter MAY help you out.

[DaveB]

I think Hobby is in FS9 but using Win7. Win7 has it's bonuses but it can be a devil to find your way around!

The boys are correct mate. I'm not au fait with Paint other than to PrntScrn then 'save as' a jpg but I don't think it can save in a format recognised by FS9. All is not exactly lost though. Do a search for DXTBmp then download the very latest version possible. When you've done that.. open DXTBmp up then point it to files for the aircraft you're painting for.. not your own paint just yet. Reason being, you can check which format the other paints are saved in so you can save yours in the same format DXT isn't a difficult program to use.. I'm sure you'll get the hang of it in short order The usual for FS9 is 'save as' Extended format, then either DXT3 or 32bit-888. 32bit will be high-res and large file sizes.. DXT3 will be less so and a quarter of the size

Any probs with it.. give us a shout

ATB
DaveB

[Dev One]

You will need also to create an Alpha version of your repaint so that you can add any shine that you require. This Alpha does not need to be packaged with your final textures in the aircraft folder. DXTBmp will have a header that has Alpha in its listing & one needs to Import that & it will show in the top right box.
I save my textures in DXT3 for FS9 & keep the max size of the paint to 1024 x 1024, which is the max that FS9 can handle. For Alpha - pure white has no reflection, pure black is max reflection, but tends to make everything transparent, I find an RGB of 220,220,220 is max for a realistic shine, with 240,240,240 for an average shine. Name your alpha layer xxx_t_alpha.bmp, for your xxx_t.bmp main paint.
Cannot help for FSX, but know that its quite a bit different!
HTH & good luck
Keith

[DaveB]

Hobby..

Here's a link for DXTBmp.. http://www.mwgfx.co.uk/programs/dxtbmp.htm

ATB
DaveB

[Garry Russell]

You can use paint but it's not very good

A with all programmes the BMP's are standard and you have to use extended using DXT.BMP

As far a saving BMP format, Paint is no different to any other programme.

All Ian Roussels paints were done in MS Paint