aeromax 10 Posted July 10, 2011 Report Share Posted July 10, 2011 Hi, if anyone needs help about painting, programs and how to do that incl. copy and paste alphachannels, don´t hesitate to ask :icon_thumbup: Best wishes stay tuned :001_th_smiles89: Link to post Share on other sites
mutley 4,498 Posted July 10, 2011 Report Share Posted July 10, 2011 Thanks Max, that may be very useful :001_th_smiles89: Link to post Share on other sites
aeromax 10 Posted July 12, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 12, 2011 I agree. For questions, I am happy to help. :001_th_smiles89: Link to post Share on other sites
Sabre 28 Posted July 12, 2011 Report Share Posted July 12, 2011 Is there such a thing as a beginners guide to re-paints? Would be useful. Link to post Share on other sites
mutley 4,498 Posted July 13, 2011 Report Share Posted July 13, 2011 Is there such a thing as a beginners guide to re-paints? Would be useful. Graeme, that has been on my to-do list for about 5 years, there are many tutorials around. We may already have one in our archives, I will have a look. Link to post Share on other sites
jankees 917 Posted July 13, 2011 Report Share Posted July 13, 2011 beginners guide, part 1: - get yourself a good graphics program, like Photoshop or the Gimp. A vector drawing program , like Illustrator, may be useful too, but is not immediately necessary. - Make sure you know how your program works. - download DXTbmp here: http://www.btinternet.com/~mnwright/programs/dxtbmp.htm - set up DXTbmp so it recognizes your graphics program. Then there are two ways: 1:convert an existing texture, or 2:paint using a paintkit. With 1, you open the texture file you want to change in DXTbmp, you export it to your graphics program, convert what you want to convert, save it back to dxtbmp, save as dds file and ready. With 2, you open the texture file from the paintkit in your graphics program, you draw what you want to draw, save as bmp. If necessary, you adapt the alpha layer (which dictates if (part of) the texture is reflective) and save that as a bmp too. You then combine these two (the texture and alpha) in DXTbmp, and you save as dds file. and ready again! Sometimes you also need to adapt the spec file (which dictates the color and type of reflection), or you use an existing spec layer. That's about it, in a nutshell. Filling in all the details is more work as you can imagine... Link to post Share on other sites
aeromax 10 Posted July 14, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 14, 2011 that´s right !. :icon_thumbup: if you like, try gimp 2.6. it´s free and easy to use. Link to post Share on other sites
PanzerFodder 0 Posted July 19, 2011 Report Share Posted July 19, 2011 Right then Chap's, this is my first attempt at repainting in FSX. Few thing's I'm not sure about, and am hoping that one of you can help me out a bit here. 1)When I save my Photoshop bitmap image (24 bit) and then convert it to a DDS File ! why are my files bigger that the original aircrafts textures? my ones are about 5.33MB each and the originals are much smaller? does this matter?. 2)In the DXTBmp program there are several formats to save a DDS file, I used "DDS DXT5" is this the right one to use for FSX? 3)Not really sure about how to save the Alpha Channel, as when I want try make one, it asks me if I want to replace the original with it??? that's very confusing???. Here she is, still got a very long way to go with this one, and am not even sure if I like the colors yet so I may change the whole thing at some point (I thought that they were looking nice at the bitmap stage, but once they are in the FS they seem to be much lighter and also much to shiny). Cheer's...Graham... Link to post Share on other sites
Sabre 28 Posted July 19, 2011 Report Share Posted July 19, 2011 Nice start Graham, clearly the instructions above meant more to you than they did to me You'll have to explain it to me some time I knew you couldn't resist the painting. Good job so far :001_th_smiles89: Link to post Share on other sites
allardjd 1,853 Posted July 19, 2011 Report Share Posted July 19, 2011 Can anyone give me any insight it tools and techniques for producing a "mottled" fill for a selection, as opposed to just a monochromatic fill? I've only dabbled in repainting a very little using FS Repaint and Paint.Net, the latter with DXTBMP. My results are OK but far from great. John Link to post Share on other sites
jankees 917 Posted July 19, 2011 Report Share Posted July 19, 2011 Right then Chap's, this is my first attempt at repainting in FSX. Few thing's I'm not sure about, and am hoping that one of you can help me out a bit here. 1)When I save my Photoshop bitmap image (24 bit) and then convert it to a DDS File ! why are my files bigger that the original aircrafts textures? my ones are about 5.33MB each and the originals are much smaller? does this matter?. 2)In the DXTBmp program there are several formats to save a DDS file, I used "DDS DXT5" is this the right one to use for FSX? 3)Not really sure about how to save the Alpha Channel, as when I want try make one, it asks me if I want to replace the original with it??? that's very confusing???. Cheer's...Graham... Let's see if I can help here.. 1: it all depends on the size and format of the original textures. 5.33 sounds à bit strange to me, what is the size of the textures? 2048? 2: I use dxt5 myself 3: did you work with a paintkit or the original textures? Original: export from dxtbmp (button below alpha's image), edit it, save in Photoshop and import in dxtbmp, and yes you want to rep ace it then. Paintkit: if that has separate file for alpha's, edit that and import in dxtbmp, again, replacing what is already there. No separate alpha's , do as with original textures. Hope this helps? Link to post Share on other sites
PanzerFodder 0 Posted July 20, 2011 Report Share Posted July 20, 2011 Thanks for the reply, jankees To answer you question, I am using a ready made paint kit that is available at the Lionheart website. I have checked and the Photoshop layers are 2048 x 2048. I still don't know why my DDS are so large, in Photoshop should save as a 16bit a 24bit or a 32bit bitmap file, or put another way! what size do you use? Took a couple of screen shot's for you, the very top layer in the Photoshop paint kit shows a layer called Alpha layer and the opacity is set to zero?. This shot of Dxtbmp drop down menu shows all the different Alpha layers that are available! which one do I need? Sorry if all that has confused you!, I have also managed to confuse myself as well, Cheer's...Graham... @ Sabre: you were right! I couldn't resist it in the end, but at least I did put up a strong fight for a while Link to post Share on other sites
jankees 917 Posted July 20, 2011 Report Share Posted July 20, 2011 Ok, let's see.. The alpha layer is now transparant in ps, but if you want to change anything to it, you make it visible (transparancy to 100%), and put à layer on top with your changes. You then save it with à different name (alpha1 for instance) as à bmp. I usually save things as a 24 bits bmp. You also save your regular textures under their oen name as à 24 bmp. You then open the regular textures in dxtbmp, add the alpha (left little button below the alpha image in the topleft corner) and save the whole lot as dxt5. I have never used the alpha menu you show, but that night work just as well. Does this help? JanKees Link to post Share on other sites
PanzerFodder 0 Posted July 21, 2011 Report Share Posted July 21, 2011 Ok, let's see.. The alpha layer is now transparant in ps, but if you want to change anything to it, you make it visible (transparancy to 100%), and put à layer on top with your changes. You then save it with à different name (alpha1 for instance) as à bmp. I usually save things as a 24 bits bmp. You also save your regular textures under their oen name as à 24 bmp. You then open the regular textures in dxtbmp, add the alpha (left little button below the alpha image in the topleft corner) and save the whole lot as dxt5. I have never used the alpha menu you show, but that night work just as well. Does this help? JanKees Thanks JanKees. That has cleared up most of what I was not sure about :001_th_smiles89: , will put that into practice now and report back the next time I get stuck . Cheer's...Graham... Link to post Share on other sites
aeromax 10 Posted July 21, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 21, 2011 Hi Graham, by time ´ll give you instructions about paintings and programs i do, on privat mail. keep on... best wishes, greetings, max. :001_th_smiles89: Link to post Share on other sites
PanzerFodder 0 Posted July 24, 2011 Report Share Posted July 24, 2011 Hi Graham, by time ´ll give you instructions about paintings and programs i do, on privat mail. keep on... best wishes, greetings, max. :001_th_smiles89: Getting the hang of it now, althought my DDS files are still 5.33 MB in size, no matter what I seem to do . My re-paint below is base on some colors that I saw on a real Kodiak Floatplane it's not going to be an exact copy though! as I wanted to add the Quest logo to my tail, and I will not be useing the original aircrafts number, I may even put a small Canadian Flag on the nose as well, just for the bush flying up here . Still have to get the stripe positions sorted out as I have managed to get the wing strut growing out of one "LOL" . BTW:This, and all the other Kodiak paint jobs that I have seen have always looked to shiny to me, anyone have a matt or dull layer that they can let me have? Cheer's...Graham... Link to post Share on other sites
Sabre 28 Posted July 25, 2011 Report Share Posted July 25, 2011 Coming along nicely Graham, you'll be in full flow soon, I'm confident :001_th_smiles89: Good looking job so far. Link to post Share on other sites
jankees 917 Posted July 25, 2011 Report Share Posted July 25, 2011 coming long nicely I would say? Moving the stripe shouldn't be too difficult, as the struts seem clearly marked in the paintkit image. As for the shine (and I agree with you there, never liked the shine on the Kodiak), that is what the alpha channel does (together with the spec files). Open one of the existing textures in dxtbmp, and have a look at the alpha that comes with it. If you make yours lighter in color, more towards white, it should become duller. Often, a completely white alpha gives you a matt or dull plane, though this can be a bit too dull. If the original texture has a white alpha already, you'll have to look at the spec files. Again, open them in dxtbmp and see what they are like. Then open a texture you DO like, and see how that is made. From then on, experiment until you get the desired result. I have never painted this aircraft, so I can't help you with details. As for the file size, if your original bmp is 2048x2048, and the alpha too, and you save as dxt5 dds, the I don't understand how you end up with 5.33 Mb, it should be 4.096 Mb. Have you got mipmaps (on the right in dxtbmp) on? that should be OFF. Cheers Jan Kees Link to post Share on other sites
aeromax 10 Posted July 27, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 27, 2011 Hi Graham, so i don´t have this aircraft. Just send me the file you talking about: (althought my DDS files are still 5.33 MB in size, no matter what I seem to do); or the complete texture and i gonna see what i can to; to explain ASAP. :001_th_smiles89: Max Link to post Share on other sites
remingtonbox 18 Posted July 28, 2011 Report Share Posted July 28, 2011 You can get it off the Lionheart Creations website, a super comprehensive paint kit... http://www.lionheartcreations.com/Kodiak.html about 3/4 of the way down Link to post Share on other sites
aeromax 10 Posted August 1, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 1, 2011 You can get it off the Lionheart Creations website, a super comprehensive paint kit... http://www.lionheartcreations.com/Kodiak.html about 3/4 of the way down Yeep, i still got it, but now i´m looking for the installed texture on sim of this kodiak, because that are only psd´s. greetings :icon_thumbup: thanks. Link to post Share on other sites
charlie 6 Posted August 1, 2011 Report Share Posted August 1, 2011 Hi all, Nice repaints coming along. I had a go at the Kodiak some time ago, and I couldn't get rid of the shine. My solution was to cheat and do a bare metal. I also found there was a layer missing in the paint kit and not all the dirt was there so I added it. I may be able to dig it out if anyone wants it. Dark grey gives: Link to post Share on other sites
PanzerFodder 0 Posted August 3, 2011 Report Share Posted August 3, 2011 Hi Charlie. Thats some very nice repaints there, if you have the missing layers handy, why not upload it to Muttleys Hanger, think that a lot of guys here have the Kodiak, and could be a usefull addition to the downloads section. I have been trying to get some old IL2 layers to reduce the shine on the Kodiak (but without much luck! ), so guess I'm stuck with this for the moment. I have also been working on making the prop spin animation look a bit more realistic! but for some reason when you view the turning prop from the max zoom-out, it disappears for some reason? Cheer's...Graham... Link to post Share on other sites
aeromax 10 Posted August 3, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 3, 2011 Cool repaints ! :icon_thumbup: Link to post Share on other sites
charlie 6 Posted August 3, 2011 Report Share Posted August 3, 2011 Thanks guys, the zipped file is 140MB, and the biggest of the individual files weighs in at 40MB. I'm working on it! Link to post Share on other sites
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