Texture Question Please?

[dougal]

Can anyone explain what the 'texture.cfg' file does from inside the 'texture' folders?


[fltsim]
fallback.2=..\..\..\..\Texture
fallback.3=..\..\..\..\Scenery\Global\texture

Don't really get what this does

[ncooper]

FSX looks first for aircraft repaint textures contained in the specific folder referenced
in the aircraft.cfg file for each repaint.
The texture.cfg file tells FSX where to look for the textures it needs that are not
in that folder.

Many aircraft designers use a master texture folder that contains all the textures
common to all its repaints, usually the VC, wheels, glass etc.
To save adding all these to every repaint folder, the texture.cfg file refers back to
the master texture folder, allowing the repaint folder to contain only the textures
that are specific to that repaint, usually the exterior textures.

Regards,
Nick

[dougal]

FSX looks first for aircraft repaint textures contained in the specific folder referenced
in the aircraft.cfg file for each repaint.
The texture.cfg file tells FSX where to look for the textures it needs that are not
in that folder.

Many aircraft designers use a master texture folder that contains all the textures
common to all its repaints, usually the VC, wheels, glass etc.
To save adding all these to every repaint folder, the texture.cfg file refers back to
the master texture folder, allowing the repaint folder to contain only the textures
that are specific to that repaint, usually the exterior textures.

Regards,
Nick

I understand. That makes sense, thanks. Why though, do some start at 1, while others start at 2?

[trucker17]

Taken from the A2A web site.

If you paint an RAF Mustang IV with the grills on the nose then make sure your texture.cfg file has the Mustang_IV texture folder as the main texture folder.


[fltsim]

fallback.1=..\texture_IV (this means any textures in the texture_IV fodler will be loaded first... in this case our bumpmap with the nose grills).
fallback.2=..\texture
fallback.3=..\..\..\..\Scenery\Global\texture
fallback.4=..\..\..\..\Texture

If you paint an early P-51D with fabric elevators and no rocket pylon holes then your texture folder should look like this.

fallback.1=..\texture_E (E for early, ie fabric elevators and no rockets.).
fallback.2=..\texture
fallback.3=..\..\..\..\Scenery\Global\texture
fallback.4=..\..\..\..\Texture

If you paint an mid P-51D with metal elevators and no rocket pylon holes then your texture folder should look like this.

fallback.1=..\texture_M (M for mid, ie metal elevators and no rockets.).
fallback.2=..\texture
fallback.3=..\..\..\..\Scenery\Global\texture
fallback.4=..\..\..\..\Texture

These tell FSX where it will find each file needed to complete the chosen aircraft, and how it will look when you see it in the sim.

[WarHorse47]

Here is the explanation from Microsoft (http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc526975.aspx). Look about 1/3 down the page.

I would think in your example someone accidently left out fallback.1=

[ncooper]

I have never seen a texture.cfg file that did not start with fallback.1.
I have tried amending one to start fallback.2 and the aircraft textures did not display properly.
I expect that the repaint from which you posted the texture.cfg entry will not either.

Just to expand a little, each additional instance of ..\ after the =..\ moves the target further
away from the aircraft folder, so textures can be placed anywhere inside the FSX root folder.


[fltsim]

fallback.1=..\texture this is to the texture folder inside the aircraft folder
fallback.2=..\..\Douglas_DC3\Texture this is to the the Douglas_DC3 folder outside the aircraft folder but inside the Airplanes folder, \Texture then redirects to the texture folder inside Douglas_DC3
fallback.3=..\..\..\..\Texture this is to the main texture folder in the FSX root folder
fallback.4=..\..\..\..\Scenery\Global\texture this is again to the FSX root folder, this time Scenery and then \Global\texture directs to the specific texture folder

Regards,
Nick

[Bjoern]

The lines relating to "FSX\texture" and "FSX\Scenery\Global\Texture" are not entirely necessary if the model uses entirely cutom textures. Pointing to "FSX\texture" is only necessary when using the default fresnel ramps and reflection maps. Why there should be a need for pointing to "FSX\Scenery\Global\Texture" has always been a mystery to me.

[ncooper]

Why there should be a need for pointing to "FSX\Scenery\Global\Texture" has always been a mystery to me.

There are some aircraft textures in that folder, Ghost Avengers for example.
My guess would be that the original developers of FSX used a standard catchall
texture.cfg and that since then, many developers and painters have simply used
it and amended it to suit their textures.
It doesn't matter if there are no textures at the address but it certainly does if
there is no address for the textures.

Aerosoft are particularly good at texture.cfg files, here is one that offers the choice of many interiors.

[fltsim]
fallback.1=..\..\Aerosoft Beaver Standard Wheels\interiors

//fallback.2=..\..\Aerosoft Beaver Standard Wheels\interiors\black
//fallback.2=..\..\Aerosoft Beaver Standard Wheels\interiors\cherry
//fallback.2=..\..\Aerosoft Beaver Standard Wheels\interiors\cobalt
//fallback.2=..\..\Aerosoft Beaver Standard Wheels\interiors\grey
//fallback.2=..\..\Aerosoft Beaver Standard Wheels\interiors\invader
//fallback.2=..\..\Aerosoft Beaver Standard Wheels\interiors\military
fallback.2=..\..\Aerosoft Beaver Standard Wheels\interiors\old
//fallback.2=..\..\Aerosoft Beaver Standard Wheels\interiors\tan

fallback.3=..\..\Aerosoft Beaver Standard Wheels\interiors\pilot_african-american
//fallback.3=..\..\Aerosoft Beaver Standard Wheels\interiors\pilot_american
//fallback.3=..\..\Aerosoft Beaver Standard Wheels\interiors\pilot_canadian
//fallback.3=..\..\Aerosoft Beaver Standard Wheels\interiors\pilot_dutch
//fallback.3=..\..\Aerosoft Beaver Standard Wheels\interiors\pilot_french
//fallback.3=..\..\Aerosoft Beaver Standard Wheels\interiors\pilot_german
//fallback.3=..\..\Aerosoft Beaver Standard Wheels\interiors\pilot_greek
//fallback.3=..\..\Aerosoft Beaver Standard Wheels\interiors\pilot_italian
//fallback.3=..\..\Aerosoft Beaver Standard Wheels\interiors\pilot_russian

fallback.4=..\..\..\..\Scenery\Global\texture
fallback.5=..\..\..\..\..\..\Scenery\Global\textur e

[ejoiner]

There are some aircraft textures in that folder, Ghost Avengers for example.
My guess would be that the original developers of FSX used a standard catchall
texture.cfg and that since then, many developers and painters have simply used
it and amended it to suit their textures.
It doesn't matter if there are no textures at the address but it certainly does if
there is no address for the textures.

Aerosoft are particularly good at texture.cfg files, here is one that offers the choice of many interiors.

[fltsim]
fallback.1=..\..\Aerosoft Beaver Standard Wheels\interiors

//fallback.2=..\..\Aerosoft Beaver Standard Wheels\interiors\black
//fallback.2=..\..\Aerosoft Beaver Standard Wheels\interiors\cherry
//fallback.2=..\..\Aerosoft Beaver Standard Wheels\interiors\cobalt
//fallback.2=..\..\Aerosoft Beaver Standard Wheels\interiors\grey
//fallback.2=..\..\Aerosoft Beaver Standard Wheels\interiors\invader
//fallback.2=..\..\Aerosoft Beaver Standard Wheels\interiors\military
fallback.2=..\..\Aerosoft Beaver Standard Wheels\interiors\old
//fallback.2=..\..\Aerosoft Beaver Standard Wheels\interiors\tan

fallback.3=..\..\Aerosoft Beaver Standard Wheels\interiors\pilot_african-american
//fallback.3=..\..\Aerosoft Beaver Standard Wheels\interiors\pilot_american
//fallback.3=..\..\Aerosoft Beaver Standard Wheels\interiors\pilot_canadian
//fallback.3=..\..\Aerosoft Beaver Standard Wheels\interiors\pilot_dutch
//fallback.3=..\..\Aerosoft Beaver Standard Wheels\interiors\pilot_french
//fallback.3=..\..\Aerosoft Beaver Standard Wheels\interiors\pilot_german
//fallback.3=..\..\Aerosoft Beaver Standard Wheels\interiors\pilot_greek
//fallback.3=..\..\Aerosoft Beaver Standard Wheels\interiors\pilot_italian
//fallback.3=..\..\Aerosoft Beaver Standard Wheels\interiors\pilot_russian

fallback.4=..\..\..\..\Scenery\Global\texture
fallback.5=..\..\..\..\..\..\Scenery\Global\textur e

These can get quite confusing. Virtavia used these with its A-4 Skyhawk to great effect, but they were so generic in their texture file labeling and model naming that it became quite confusing to alias a new texture set to a different model. Not too difficult, but not as easy as it could be!

[Lane Street]

The lines relating to "FSX\texture" and "FSX\Scenery\Global\Texture" are not entirely necessary if the model uses entirely cutom textures. Pointing to "FSX\texture" is only necessary when using the default fresnel ramps and reflection maps.
Pointing to FSX\Texture is never necessary, FSX will look there whether that path is in the texture.cfg or not.


Why there should be a need for pointing to "FSX\Scenery\Global\Texture" has always been a mystery to me.
There are a lot of default vehicles like baggage carts that store textures there.

That being said, the line in most all of the default FSX texture.cfgs...

fallback.n=..\..\..\..\..\..\Scenery\Global\Textur e

...points to a folder on a network at Microsoft that was used as FSX was being developed. That line will never be used by an end user.

cheers,
Lane

[Bjoern]

Pointing to FSX\Texture is never necessary, FSX will look there whether that path is in the texture.cfg or not.

Even smaller texture.cfgs! Splendid!

[dougal]

So when I download a repaint that only has maybe two dds or bmp files, is it because it's also relying on textures I may (or should) already have? If so, then I guess I should stop moving the default FSX aircraft to other places;-)

I very much appreciate the online course here by the way;-)

[Bjoern]

So when I download a repaint that only has maybe two dds or bmp files, is it because it's also relying on textures I may (or should) already have? If so, then I guess I should stop moving the default FSX aircraft to other places;-)

You can do that alright as long as you make any panel.cfg, texture.cfg or sound.cfg point to the new location of the default aircraft.

[ncooper]

It is unusual for any textures to be used from default aircraft,
textures are designed to fit the aircraft model and unless the author
has used an existing FSX model, they won't fit.

In probably more than 99 cases out of 100, an addon aircraft repaint
author will be relying on you having the addon installed
(why else would the repaint be required?) and therefore
all the common textures already there.
He/she needs then only to post the relevant edited textures and the user
needs only to install them properly and the new repaint will display correctly.

Addon aircraft sound or panel folders are sometimes referenced to default aircraft in
their panel.cfg or sound.cfg files if the addon has no individual panel or sound.

As Bjoern says, if it has been moved so long as the .cfg file is amended to suit the new
location of the default, no problem will have been created.

If an addon aircraft panel is referenced to a default aircraft panel that has either
been moved or deleted, the aircraft will not show in the aircraft menu.
If only the sound is referenced, it will show up and fly but in silence.

Unless HDD space is severely restricted, I can see no justification for not simply
leaving the default aircraft alone.

[Bjoern]

It is unusual for any textures to be used from default aircraft,
textures are designed to fit the aircraft model and unless the author
has used an existing FSX model, they won't fit.

And where do the textures come from when you merge PA's Airbus or TDS' Boeing models with the default VCs...?
(Note: "Copy them over from the default aircraft" is the wrong answer, as it constitutes a waste of hard drive space.)
;)