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Wannabe Aircraft Developer...


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I am interested in developing aircraft. I have done little but fly to date but have a design background in the real world maring industry. I'm 61 so the brain's more of a rock than a sponge but I use Auto Cad and Rhino design drawing programs currently in addition to Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop and Corel Draw and Photo. All are quite expensive programs, especially as compared to some of the sim design software out there. I am seeing sim software for $50. My question is am I as good or better using my design programs or are there things that only sim type software can accomplish regarding textures, etc. I don't mind spending $50 but if what I have at ten times the money will do the same thing or better....why not use mine. Also, besides the software, is there any other resource for wannabe person regarding aircraft design for sim.

Any feedback is appreciated.

Thanks,

Steve

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Hi Steve,

If you are talking about creating aircraft from scratch rather than painting a skin on an existing model then the best place to start looking is here http://www.fsdeveloper.com/

If it is just liveries then you need a paint program like Photoshop or Paint Shop Pro but anything will do. If you are using FSX then there is a plug-in available from nVidia for Photoshop to create .dds files. Also required would be Martin Wright's DXTBmp program to create extended bitmaps with alphas that FS9 / FSX use too.

So I guess it depends on how deep you intend to get into it.

Cheers

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Thanks, Mutley.

I really am interested in total a/c design, primarily. I do that already in the marine industry but am laid off from my job and at 62 this summer plan to retire anyway so it's a good thing. Painting may go along with it and I would like to learn that as well in time.

Thanks for the great site......I'm with John Allard over here in Ocala, Florida and the Ocala Flight Sim Club. I enjoy John's work and we have a great club if you ever get over this far. How about that KOCF scenery Dree did. We're all enjoying that!

Thanks for the assist.

Steve

Hi Steve,

If you are talking about creating aircraft from scratch rather than painting a skin on an existing model then the best place to start looking is here http://www.fsdeveloper.com/

If it is just liveries then you need a paint program like Photoshop or Paint Shop Pro but anything will do. If you are using FSX then there is a plug-in available from nVidia for Photoshop to create .dds files. Also required would be Martin Wright's DXTBmp program to create extended bitmaps with alphas that FS9 / FSX use too.

So I guess it depends on how deep you intend to get into it.

Cheers

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Steve,

As Mutley says, there are two pieces of this, what you see on the outside of the AC, and everything else.

If you're serious about designing from scratch, you should be sure you have both versions of the Microsoft Software Development Kit (FS9 and FSX). They're both free by download and if you have FSX Deluxe you already have the FSX one - it's included with the package. Also, there's a utility available called AirWrench which sells via download for the princely sum of $20. It provides the keys to the air file, which, unlike aircraft.cfg is not a text file and is difficult (make that impossible) to work with otherwise. The air file plus the aircraft.cfg file between them pretty much define the aircraft and how it behaves. Then there's just the paint and the panel and the sound and....

John

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Thanks for the great site......I'm with John Allard over here in Ocala, Florida and the Ocala Flight Sim Club. I enjoy John's work and we have a great club if you ever get over this far. How about that KOCF scenery Dree did. We're all enjoying that!

Hi Steve,

Ocala is a lovely place, I was there this time last year and stayed with John and Pam who were excellent and generous hosts, we had a drive past of Jim Taylor Field which is a good size in my opinion. Of course John wasn't involved with the OFSC then but I follow the club newsletter now with interest. I would love to come to a meeting one day if only to halve the average age! A great bunch of folk you have there :good:

Good luck with your modelling, we would be really interested to see how you get on, work in progress etc and to offer any help and encouragement as required.

Cheers

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Hi Steve and welcome to the mad-house! Although I can't help at all in your quest to build fsim models, I'd be really interested in how you get on. Do keep us informed of your progress - Good Luck! :whis:

BTW, thanks for the FSDeveloper website HU, Joe - looks useful especially the scenery stuff - I'm still working on CO03, now that I can land there!?! :cool:

Cheers - Dai ( I'm FEH too!) :cool:

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