Painting aircraft

[KellyB]

Is there a tutorial anywhere which explains how to repaint aircraft?

It should start with Step One.

All I can find is What to Use, not How to Use the various softwares like Photoshop, Paint, etc.

Thanks.

[dewoitine]

I use Photoshop to realize a skin.

[Tako_Kichi]

This site should contain enough info to get you started regardless of the tool you use...

http://www.simmerspaintshop.com/

Check out the 'Tutorials' section and the sim specific sections.

Start with something easy and build up. Repainting is a skill that is acquired through time and repetition and you need to know how to use your painting tool's basic functions before even starting on a repaint. If you can't use the tools you can't do a repaint.

[dewoitine]

Good news Tako_Kichi.
If we have the good tools we can better work !

[FOO FIGHTER]

I use Photoshop but it took me quite awhile to get used to it. I had one of those "Photoshop for dummies" type books that didn't help at all. I would suggest jumping in with both feet and just start clicking and using the different features. If you run into a problem use the internet to find the solution, plenty of tutorials out there. After doing just that for awhile, I quickly learned the basics.

You may also want to download some of the templates here at SOH and experiment with those.

[KellyB]

Thanks all for the replies. Each one gets me a little closer.

Just to reveal how little I know, I have the Photoshop plugin for dds files, and can open one up ok. I can even select the various channels and see the levels of color in each.

But what I wanted to do initially is to modify the striping on the stabilizer of a b-26, and I cannot figure out how to select just it and modify it. And that doesn't seem to be a function of Photoshop, because it's the same in MSPaint using dxtbmp.

So, that's where I need to begin; figuring out how to select and change elements of a dds, and I haven't found a tut that gets down that low.

I don't believe us old farts can't learn new tricks, you see, so I shall persevere. 20+ years ago I taught myself how to run and recode typesetting software on an IBM Mainframe pre-desktop publishing, so I should be able to get hold of this. I just haven't lost THAT many brain cells...or at least I don't think I have....:icon_lol:

UPDATE:
An AHA moment. I discovered it IS the use of Photoshop; I had the wrong tool selected. Just now, I found out how to select elements of the dds and modify them. Progress! This dog has learned to shake hands, at least.

Onward. Any further tips will still be appreciated.

[Tako_Kichi]

You really don't want to be modifying the DDS file as the results could very quickly become low resolution. Open the DDS and save as a Photoshop .PSD file (or whatever your paint tool's native format is) and then work on the saved native file. Once done then save as a DDS file again.

Ideally what you want is the 'paint kit' for the aircraft which will then give you multiple 'layers' with each layer containing specific info/parts like the fuselage, wings, panel lines, dirt etc.

[hairyspin]

Ideally what you want is the 'paint kit' for the aircraft ...

...which for CFS3 rarely exists!

If the model you want to repaint is by a known author, try asking him for the UVW template(s); then you'll have a layout showing what part goes where on the texture sheet(s). The stock aircraft don't have these templates available unless one of the MAW/ETO/AvH painters will oblige you from their own work.

Paint kits for new models really ought to be supplied with the model - it's common practice with FS9/FSX payware! These are the raw templates for something I've been working on a while:-

http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/5219/tempestfb2t.jpg


http://img692.imageshack.us/img692/8394/tempestfb2partst.jpg

[FOO FIGHTER]

Stock aircraft use color tag dds files for fin flashes (Example: b_26c_ct_bw_tail.dds). They also use code and noseart dds files the same way. You can remove all of these in the t.mos with a hex editor.

If I'm going to be doing alot of heavy painting or creating a new skin I usually convert the original base dds to a jpeg or bitmap with MW's program and use it as a background template. Saving as a dds when finished using the plugin mentioned above. Standard image size is 1024x1024 but increasing to 2048x2048 shows alot more detail if you added it. You will have to adjust for 2048 textures in the CFS3 ConfigOverrides.xml but the results are awesome. Don't forget that most aircraft have r.dds (reflective) or s.dds (shine) files or both that compliment the base texture. These use light and dark shading to adjust reflectivity or shine that the base texture might have. If you do a complete a skin you may want to add panel lines or weathering. Again, try using some of the templates here with some of the tutorials at the Simmers Paint Shop to get an idea of how everything works.

[KellyB]

Again, thanks to all who have replied. Every post gives important insight into how CFS3's stuff is constructed. The bit about not working on the dds file is notably both obvious now that it has been pointed out to me and really helpful, as are all the tips.

This is what makes this forum such a great place!!!

I'm plugging along on a suitably backed up copy to see what I can do. Small steps, small steps.

[popsaka]

...which for CFS3 rarely exists!

If the model you want to repaint is by a known author, try asking him for the UVW template(s); then you'll have a layout showing what part goes where on the texture sheet(s). The stock aircraft don't have these templates available unless one of the MAW/ETO/AvH painters will oblige you from their own work.

Paint kits for new models really ought to be supplied with the model - it's common practice with FS9/FSX payware! These are the raw templates for something I've been working on a while:
:engel016:

http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/5219/tempestfb2t.jpg


http://img692.imageshack.us/img692/8394/tempestfb2partst.jpg

Hey mate, Is that engine texture a Bristol Centaurus, or?

[hairyspin]

Hey mate, Is that engine texture a Bristol Centaurus, or?

Yes, 18 cylinders of oil-burning, petrol-cooled sleeve-valved engineering. Very smelly.

Johno_UK gave me the photo. :salute: