How does the Palette.BMP file work in a CFS1 Panel?...

[P J Dunbar]

I've just reworking a panel but when I want to see what it looks like in CFS1, the colours appear distorted and a lot of detail are lost when compared with my photorealistic 256 colours panel.BMP file.

I tried a few palettes from other panels but each time the result is either worse or only slightly better and I never get the quality of my .BMP. With no pallette file at all, there doesn't seem to be a real difference.

When I open my panel.BMP in Paint Shop Pro, a palette window can be displayed which shows all the 256 shades of this particular image. The pallette.BMP in the panel directory is a picture which contains one only pixel.

Could anyone tell me how to select the right colour out of these 256 and create the right pallette file that will display my panel.BMP correctly in CFS1? Thanks a lot for any piece of info.

Greetings,

Pol.

[hubbabubba]

Bonjour P.J.!

For once, a question for which I DO have an answer.
I don"t use Paint Shop but a prog called Saint Paint. It does not matter for your answer.

1- Palette.BMP is a 1x1 pixel bitmap that contains all 256 colors in its set of instructions.

2- You must include pure red, green and blue (255,0,0 - 0,255,0 - 0,0,255) and half-pure RGB (128,0,0 and so on..) plus white and black to obtain a decent set of "no panel" gauges when in "no panel" mode. To do so, reserve those colors in your palette and substitute them in your panel bitmap by colors that are a close match, normally dark's one are the best suited for that.

3- Make sure that your gauges bitmap palette are blending well with the palette of palette.bmp. Otherwise, redo gauges bitmaps so it does.

4- Use palette.bmp palette for any further works on that panel or any secondary panels (i.e. maps or throttle sets).

5- Make sure that you panel.cfg file contains those lines:
[8 Bit Colors]
PALETTE=PALETTE.BMP
If you don't, CFS will use its own set of colors with the results that your getting.

Hope this will help.

Hubbabubba
P.S.= Take as many pictures as you can of any Taifun that crosses your path. I'm particularly interested in flaps, flood-light, pitot tube, balancing masses close-ups and any pictures detailing the cockpit interior and its gauges and controls. Luky you.:greenf:

[Finn]

Dear Hubba. I recall a nice Bf 108 Taifun hanging in the entrance hall of Zurich airport. Maybe someone is going through that airport, then by all means take a lot of photos.

Best regards
Finn
Bonjour P.J.!

For once, a question for which I DO have an answer.
I don"t use Paint Shop but a prog called Saint Paint. It does not matter for your answer.

1- Palette.BMP is a 1x1 pixel bitmap that contains all 256 colors in its set of instructions.

2- You must include pure red, green and blue (255,0,0 - 0,255,0 - 0,0,255) and half-pure RGB (128,0,0 and so on..) plus white and black to obtain a decent set of "no panel" gauges when in "no panel" mode. To do so, reserve those colors in your palette and substitute them in your panel bitmap by colors that are a close match, normally dark's one are the best suited for that.

3- Make sure that your gauges bitmap palette are blending well with the palette of palette.bmp. Otherwise, redo gauges bitmaps so it does.

4- Use palette.bmp palette for any further works on that panel or any secondary panels (i.e. maps or throttle sets).

5- Make sure that you panel.cfg file contains those lines:
[8 Bit Colors]
PALETTE=PALETTE.BMP
If you don't, CFS will use its own set of colors with the results that your getting.

Hope this will help.

Hubbabubba
P.S.= Take as many pictures as you can of any Taifun that crosses your path. I'm particularly interested in flaps, flood-light, pitot tube, balancing masses close-ups and any pictures detailing the cockpit interior and its gauges and controls. Luky you.:greenf:

[P J Dunbar]

Sehr geehrter Herr Hubbabubba!

Vielen Dank fur Ihre so schnelle und ausführliche Antwort but I have some difficulty to understand how it is possible to fill a single pixel with 256 colours and have no idea of how I must proceed.

Last night I've just noticed that I could preserve quality in the "dégradés" by adding a slight "noise" to the concerned areas before reducing the .BMP's number of colours to 256.

There's another question that worries me: when I modify the virtual cockpit textures on the stock CFS1 aircrafts the gunsight loses its transparençy even though as the background area and the left corner pixel remain real black (0,0,0). After editing though, the .BMP value falls from some 88.000 Kb to only 66.000 Kb. There must be someting lost somewhere but I definitely don't understand much in programing techniques.

I've had the confirmation from the Army Museum in Brussels: they do have a Bf108 Taifun on display. All I just need now is to find the time to go there.

Greetings,

Pol.

[hubbabubba]

Hi Pol!

I will answer the best way I can to your questions.
I have some difficulty to understand how it is possible to fill a single pixel with 256 colours and have no idea of how I must proceed.
A bitmap file contains more than an image, it contains also sets of instructions such as: size of the picture, number of colors, palette of colors, etc..

In the case of an "extended" bitmap, it will even contains instructions as "how many formats?" and "how much transparent-translucent" you want your picture to be.

To get a 1x1 bitmap, just take the bitmap picture you used for your panel and reduce it to a size of 1x1. I can't tell you how to do it on Photo Shop but in my painting program I go to "resize" commands. If you want, since a picture is worth a thousand words, I can show it to you. You'll just have to "translate" from Saint Paint to Photo Shop.

Last night I've just noticed that I could preserve quality in the "dégradés" by adding a slight "noise" to the concerned areas before reducing the .BMP's number of colours to 256.
My program does a fantastic job of "True colors to 256 colors" translation. To show you, I will give you a sample of a picture that went trough a color reduction. I took part of a larger photo containing as much different colors as possible and had it reduced to 256 colors with the function "best colour match, no dither". Don't cheat and try to tell which is which.

when I modify the virtual cockpit textures on the stock CFS1 aircrafts the gunsight loses its transparençy even though as the background area and the left corner pixel remain real black (0,0,0). After editing though, the .BMP value falls from some 88.000 Kb to only 66.000 Kb. There must be someting lost somewhere but I definitely don't understand much in programing techniques.
What do you mean exactly by "virtual cockpit"? If it is the cockpit you see at the beginning, there should be no problem. BTW, it is not necessary to use RGB 0,0,0 for the transparency; as long as the first pixel in the corner is the same color as the parts you want to be transparent your OK.
If you mean the panel that appears after depressing W once, it is a bitmap found in the "texture" file of your a/c and it then obeys to the transparencies rules of bitmaps. Tinkering with it will make you loose the set of instructions needed to make it transparent. Use BMP2000 or BMP2CFS to verify and, as the case may be, correct that. You may also post a picture of your problem and I will see what I can do.

Hope this help.
Hubbabubba
P.S.= Hope their Taifun is not suspended 10 meters over the floor because, if it is the case, you may have some troubles getting close-ups!!!:costumes:

[hubbabubba]

My little test is moot if you already know the answer, isn'it?http://img530.imageshack.us/img530/7076/2561zo.pnghttp://img530.imageshack.us/img530/1507/tc8kp.png
Those two pictures are PNG but they are both extracted from a True Color and a 256 Colours bitmaps. Impressive, don't you think?

[P J Dunbar]

Hallo Hubba!

Thanks a lot for the explanation. Now I understand better how I must proceed to create my palette. Until now I believed that a single pixel .BMP could only contain a single colour. My perceptibility of things being first of all visually oriented, I often forget that a pixel can be a lot more than just a very small coloured square.

The lost of quality I'm referring to happens only with CFS1 panels. There is no such problem in CFS2 and later FS versions. I once came across the same problem, even worse, when I tried to convert some of my .BMP textures into .AF files. The result was really horrible! In fact a lot of early CFS third hand and payware aicrafts had really horrible textures because .AF textures don't offer much possibility for a good repaint. If I could do a good job on some of Ivan's planes it was due to the fact that their textures were very accurately well mapped and although they were named .AF, they actually were .BMPs.

The virtual cockpit I mention is the three dimensional inside view which appears after pressing "S" once. After modifying the colours of some of the inside surfaces and canopy framework which should be greener and darker on stock Spitfire and Hurricane, I noticed the gunsight ring in the texture had lost its transparency. I'll follow your advice and will try to restore it with BMP2CFS. I will see where I can download it from (if I haven't already got it in some archive somewhere). I'll also send you a copy of my files so you can have a look. Thank you.

Very roughly designed in CFS1 stock aircrafts but beautiful in CF2 ones, three dimensional virtual cockpits are , I think, an important feature of Combat Flight Simulator because, with the "padlock" function, they allow a very realistic sensation of three dimensional movement in a dogfight. With FSDS I could build a very detailed 3DVC for the CFS2, FS2002 and FS2004 versions of my Lysander without any difficulties but I always felt some disapointment and frustration to see that only two third party designers had managed to achieve it in CFS1 (Pennti Kurkinen for his BF109 and Alain Breton for his Bréguet 693).

When I see the quality and sophistication in your work on the BF108Taifun or in all Ivan's creations I think this could lead to a complete improvement of CFS1 but only a real 3D virtual cockpit in every new creation could transcend the standard level of stock planes.

All the Best,

Pol.

[hubbabubba]

Hi POL!

Go to http://www.simviation.com/cgi-bin/syb.cgi?section=misc&file=bmp2000.zip for a copy of BMP2000, the best program for your problem.

Your inside canopy is definitely a loss of transparency instructions because you modified it. Same thing could happen if you play with gunsight or bullet holes bitmaps.

The loss of coloration between AF and BMP files is due to the fact that AF files are "truncated" bmp files containing only the first 128 colors - maybe even less.
You could use BMP2000 to transform AF files into bmp, it is what Ivan and me do.
There is also another method that I've used involving hex-editing. Don't panic!:violent: It is much easier than you imagine. If you want, I can show you how it's done. The main advantage of this method is that it gives you total control of your 256 colours palette, BMP2000 seems to be a bit restrictive in that domain.

Could you point me to those two 3D panels that you are talking about, I would like to have a look at it.

Bye!

Hubbabubba
P.S.= I'm not more inclined toward computing science than you are but "La nécessité est la mère de toutes les inventions" you know.

[hubbabubba]

Got Alain Breton's Bréguet 691-93&95 at FlightSim and Pentti Kurkinen (you had it misspelled) Bf 109G from Simviation. So don't bother.

To be sure that there's no confusion, your 2D panel getting "ugly" once made into a 256 colours BMP is not due to a CFS1 limitation. Have a look at one of the Panel.cfg file of one of the stock a/c. They all have instructions lines for palette.bmp.

If you have no palette.bmp instructions in your panel.cfg file, which is the case with most FS98 imported panels, you will get "ugly" results. Same thing if you are using the palette.bmp of a stock a/c. They are made of very dark colours and won't tolerate yellows, for example. I know that because I was confronted to that problem while trying to make a panel for a Harvard MkIV.

Good luck! I'm sure you can do it.

Hubbabubba

[P J Dunbar]

Hallo Hubba!

Thanks a lot for the tips. I've made a palette.bmp following your advice and the result is outstanding. Funny, I told you of Pentti Kurkinen's BF109G without ever seeing it! I downloaded it long ago and I've got it on my HD but never could load it on CFS1 (probably because of Windows XP). I'm considering trying BMP2000 or the hex-editing method you mention. Is it possible to convert and repaint .AF textures as .BMPs and simply rename those .BMPs as .AF without having access to the aircraft source file?

How is it possible to restore transparency in the modified files? I'm currently reworking all my CFS1 stock planes repaints I made four or five years ago. At the moment, I'm busy with the Hurricane MkI which I'm turning into several versions corresponding to different squadrons or individual aircraft that were engaged in the Battle of Britain. The Hurricane, like other CFS1 stock planes, is very roughly made compared to some freeware versions, and its textures very badly mapped, but it has the 3D Virtual Cockpit functionality and I think I could make it look better, or at least hide some of its flaws.

As I intend to rework the inside textures so that their colours blend with those of my new panel I need to solve this transparency question.

May I send you a copy of the aircraft to your E-mail box so you can judge by yourself? Thank you

Greetings ,

Pol.

[hubbabubba]

Bonjour POL!
Thanks a lot for the tips. I've made a palette.bmp following your advice and the result is outstanding.

Happy to help. By the way; don't forget to make place in your palette for true RGB and half-true RGB or will have surprises in the "no cockpit" view.

May I send you a copy of the aircraft to your E-mail box so you can judge by yourself?

By all means do. My E-mail is under my profile. Send me the textures you have modified so that they are now opaque. I do have a stock Hurricane MkI to compare them to.

Is it possible to convert and repaint .AF textures as .BMPs and simply rename those .BMPs as .AF without having access to the aircraft source file?

Yep. But the texture extension will be .bmp and not .AF?. This is why the entire 256 colours palette is accessible.

Just show me an airplane that you would like to see modified and we will make a tutorial out of it.

I downloaded it long ago and I've got it on my HD but never could load it on CFS1 (probably because of Windows XP).

I may have a cure for that one, interested?

Hubbabubba
P.S.= Your pictures are great but I don't see any transparency problems in them. My mistake?

[P J Dunbar]

Hallo Hubba!

I've just sent the E-mail with the Hurricane's files. Sorry but I don't understand very well what you mean by "make place in your palette for true RGB and half-true RGB".I just added a sample of all primary colours to a copy of my .BMP picture and resized it with Paint Shop. I couldn't get to a smaller size than a 3x3 pixels square so I cut out the pixel in the middle and pasted it after deleting the others. I don't know if it was the ferfect way to do it but it apparently did work fine.

As far as textures are concerned, I actually work on .PSP files of at least 1024x1024pixels and 16,7 millions colours with as many layers as necessary. I make a .BMP copy of the finished job and resize it to 256x256x256. The two planes I repainted for Ivan had their textures with .AF extensions but these actually were.BMPs so it was just a piece of cake to rename and repaint them as .BMPs and .PSPs and then eventually call them .AF back again. That seems to me the only way to get good results. I just wonder if Ivan had changed something in his .MDL or source files or if I could do myself such a thing with any other.AF textured aircraft without having access to its source file. I could achieve beautiful repaints of Ivan's P40 and P47D but couldn't start anything with the Razorback version of the same P47D because its textures were genuine .AF files. That's something I still can't figure out in this .AF to .BMP conversion matter.

Of course, I'd be glad to get Pentti Kurkinen's BF109 eventually working on my configuration. Something seems to me a bit strange however: you started that thread "My Debut as a CFS1 Designer" (isn't it right?) but you prove to have actually much more experience and knowledge than anyone else in this field...:iidea:

All the Best,

Pol.

[hubbabubba]

Hi Pol!

If you don't mind, I will answer your "preliminaries" first then get into the "thick of it" with my mini tutorial on repainting under CFS1.

- Your email is a passionate plea and I have no objection to try to get the results that you expect for a CFS1 "revival", but the observations made by Ivan are still pertinent.

- I have tinkered a lot with CFS1, done numerous repaint and panel and, some, mission and scenery and... but all for private use. My Taifun will be my first release and, hence, my debut.

- To help you see Pentti Kurkinen's BF109, and probably a lot of other a/c, go to that link:
http://www.flightsimdownloads.com/pub/AbacusMDLFix.zip
and install the freeware DLL file distributed by Abacus in the "module" folder of CFS. It seems that from Windows 2000, and probably beyond, OS are having difficulties reading large MDL files. This DLL is sort of a patch but in reversed. It will scan your CFS1 aircraft directory every time you start the game and will "repair" the MDL files so that XP can read them. If it does not work, we will try something else.

- I'm surprised that you can't get a 1X1 BMP. Not that it matters much. Any size will do, it is simply for space consideration that BMP palette files are made that way. That pixel only serves as a "place holder" for BMP's instructions. I know of a couple of freeware that can give you a 1X1 BMP. Windows own MSPaint could do the job, if it is still part of XP that is.

- When you are in "cockpit view" and you tap on W, you get into the "no cockpit" view where some indications are appearing in the right side of the screen. By tapping MAJ+W, you go through a series of color's choices. Those colors are white, bright green, dull green, bright blue, dull blue, bright red, dull red and black. Those colors are taken from what CFS rendering motor perceive as the "next best thing" in your palette. If you don't care about those colors in your palette.bmp file, you may get very ugly rendering. White (255,255,255) and black (0,0,0) are fairly common in any palette and, if not, CFS should have no problem finding a close match. But we can't say the same for the others. Bright red (255,0,0), bright green (0,255,0) and bright blue (0,0,255) are called "true" color as they are composed of only one of the three RGB digit. "Half-true" is my way to describe dull red (128,0,0), dull green (0,128,0) and dull blue (0,0,128). BTW, all gauges and sub-panels are subjected to the palette. If you don't want to see a red zone in a fuel gauge turned brownish, you now know what to do and why.

- What Ivan's do is what I'm about to show you. You first need to install BMP2000. I will use your attempt at repainting the stock Hurricane as an example. Ready? Let's go!

... but give me some time to prepare it!

Hubbabubba

[hubbabubba]

I assume that by now you have installed BMP2000 in a way that suits your needs. Lets now open the program:
http://img202.imageshack.us/img202/9915/tut0017xm.jpg

The UI (user's interface) is quite self-explanatory. We will enter into details later on but, for now, we want to fine-tuned it to be able to use it. Hit the "Prefs" button and you should see that:

http://img202.imageshack.us/img202/5946/tut0026zr.jpg

Start by choosing the paint program you want to use by pointing BMP2000 to the EXE file of that program through the "Select Editor" button. Then check all the options and let it at the 512 X 512 imported size although the largest BMP files under CFS1 are 256 X 256. It will simply adapt itself.

We will now go have a look at the original textures of the stock Hurricane by
pressing "Load Extended" and navigating up to CFS/aircrafts/Hurricane_ I/texture, WE THEN PAUSE AND MAKE A BACKUP OF THE TEXTURE FOLDER AND OF ITS CONTENT by the method we prefer, in my case, I simply copy/pasted the entire folder on the desk, renamed it by adding an "x" at "texture" and returned the "texturex" folder in Hurricane_I folder.
http://img393.imageshack.us/img393/8361/tut0030tp.jpg

I will wait your confirmation on this post that all went well on that thread before posting Part Two of this mini tutorial.

Hubbabubba

[P J Dunbar]

Hallo Hubba!

The other day you asked me the following question: "Your message came in this morning as I was just getting up, what time was it your side of the pond?". Having seen my E-mail receipt yesterday, I think I can give a very accurate answer. It was 14.33 pm over here when I sent my message, 8.32 am when it reached your place and 9.10 am when you opened it. So you received it one minute before I actually sent it!... Could it be possible that my PC were a time machine?...:iidea:

Being still at work at the moment, I'll have to wait to be back home to start practising your tutorial and won't be able to let you know the result before tomorrow.

So long,

Pol.

[P J Dunbar]

Hallo Hubba!

OK! I followed your instructions and everything worked without problem. You may post the continuation of your tutorial. The only problem is with my internet connection which doesn't work at home for the moment. I save your posts at the office on a USB microvault so that I can consult them at home in the evening. You can send me as many pages as you want.

I could eventually SEE Pentti Kurkinen's collection of BF109Gs. They're actually beautifully designed and accurately textured (although in .AF) but I was a bit disappointed by the virtual cockpit I saw. Perhaps has done anoher version later. Thus the only real CFS1 VC outside the stock planes remains Alain Breton's one. That makes me reconsider resorting to FSDS and Alain Breton's SCASM method for my CFS1 Lysander project. http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/images/icons/icon28.gif

So long!

Pol.

[hubbabubba]

Bon matin, Pol!

It is 6h36 and I have to use a little frontal lamp as to not disturb my canaries and finches still sleeping behind me.

But you made me happy this morning:
- happy to see that my little trick works, it means that you will be able to see my bird eventually;
- happy that you share my opinion about Pentti Kurkinen work, its virtual cockpit is not dynamic or I'm missing something here?
- happy to know that BMP2000 installation went well. Since I'm making this mini-tutorial not only for you but for everyone interested, I have decided to divided it into short lessons so that all can "keep up the pace". Take your time, it's not a race:) !
- Alain Breton impressed me quite a bit. Not only for is VDC (virtual Dynamic Cockpit) but with is texturing of the interior of his plane! I would like to have a tutorial of his for a change.

My mini-tutorial will go on with part two that will concentrate on multiple resolution bitmaps. Keep posted!

Hubbabubba

[hubbabubba]

If you have been patient enough to wait, it is now time to open the stock Hurricane texture folder:
http://img207.imageshack.us/img207/5269/tut0040uh.jpg

We will start by the end and make our way up but leave "HawkText1.bmp" alone for now. Let's open "hurr_w.bmp":
http://img206.imageshack.us/img206/9059/tut0053ud.jpg

Et voilà!!! This bitmap was in fact a collection of bitmaps of the same subject at different resolution: 256x256; 128x128 and so on down to 1x1.

In theory each bitmap is editable individually by double-clicking on it. In fact it depends a bit on your paint program. Mine only reads the 256x256 (which is quite okay with me most of the time) but, for example, MSPaint does read and edit all those formats.

The idea behind multi-resolution bitmap is to make the rendering motor's job easier. In this case for example, if you are looking at the Hurricane from the external view, you will see the 256x256 bitmap when you're close and lower resolution ones when you zoom away from it. If your plane has no multi-resolution textures, the rendering motor will have to work a bit more to get the same results. One experiment to do would be to make each resolution bitmap of an a/c of a different color and observe what happen but it would be out of the scope of this tutorial. Now, let's have a look at your own "retouched" hurr_w.bmp;
http://img211.imageshack.us/img211/7762/tut0064zr.jpg

Nice work, but something is missing, click on "Create Image Set":

http://img211.imageshack.us/img211/6244/tut0078gk.jpg

That's more like it! Again, you can edit any resolution by double-clicking on it with the kudos already explained. As for myself, I work on a "normal" bitmap and only use that process at the end. To save it, click on "Save Extended Format Bitmap" and save it over the same BMP file or in another as you wish.
Do the same with all others except the first one. We will deal with that one in the next part.

Will wait for your go in case you have any question before posting it though.

Hubbabubba

[P J Dunbar]

Hallo Hubba!

Ok! I've saved your post on my microvault and will put the theory into practice during the weekend. It's very amazing to hear of all the things contained in a single .BMP. I had no idea. Concerning multiresolution, I had experienced it with FSDS and CFS2 where several models ranging from a simple sihouette to the fully detailed aircraft can be compiled in a same .MDL ( Joe Amodea has made a very interesting tutorial on this topic) but I had never heard of such a thing concerning the textures in CFS1!... I had only noticed that, seen from a certain distance, stock planes canopies didn't appear transparent anymore but textured. What are the distance corresponding to those textures?...Is there any risk for details such as markings showing blurred at medium distances?... This is a truly very interesting subject and I'm looking forward to hear more about it.:iidea:

See you on Monday!

Pol.

P.S.: I'm surprised to hear that your paint program doesn't allow you to read bigger textures than 256x256. It's must be very hard to turn out a somewhat elaborate skin in such conditions!...

[hubbabubba]

Hi Pol!

My program reads any format. It simply doesn't read the sub-pictures in BMP2000. I will have to be more precise the next time. The next part of my tutorial will concern transparency and translucency and may take me 2 or 3 post so I'm happy to know that I have a weekend to do it!

T'il monday then!

Hubbabubba

[hubbabubba]

If we now go to the first texture of the stock Hurricane named "HawkTest1.bmp" we got that extended bitmap:

http://img202.imageshack.us/img202/5360/tut0084nu.jpg

As you can see, there is no sub-pictures in that one. So why looking at it as an extended bitmap and not as an ordinary one? Simply because extended bitmap is not synonymous with multi-resolution bitmap. "Extended" means that there's more instructions in it. In the case of a multi-resolution bitmap, those instructions concern the number and format of sub-pictures. Now, click on the "Transparency" button.

http://img202.imageshack.us/img202/5227/tut0093ok.jpg

The little colored squares that occupies most of the screen represent the palette of the extended bitmap presently under examination. Color number 0 is the upper left one and color 255 is the lower right one. On the upper left of the screen you can choose if you want to see all colours, as it is the case now, transparent colours or opaque colours through a scroll-down menu.

Under that scroll-down menu you will find which colour is observed. In this case it is number 0. You can choose any colour by clicking on it or by typing it or scrolling to it in the window. Another window just under shows you the state of transparency of that colour. In this case, colour 0 is totally transparent because it's showing a 0. Totally opaque colours would indicate 255. Any intermediate number would indicate translucent - partly transparent - colours; higher the number, more opaque the colour.

But you will observe just over the palette that it is indicated that there is 73 transparent colours. Let's scroll through the menu to see which one.

http://img202.imageshack.us/img202/3503/tut0100ak.jpg

to be continued on the next post...

[hubbabubba]

We now know that colours 0 to 72 are transparent-translucent. Let's click on number 72 to see what's going on.

http://img204.imageshack.us/img204/6262/tut010a5oo.jpg

It shows that this color is translucent with the number 250 which means that it is almost opaque. Let's click on colour 0 an then on the "Current" button. A small screen should appear over the bigger one on the upper left. For convenience, I've displaced it over the palette.

http://img204.imageshack.us/img204/9906/tut0115qy.jpg

Before going further we shall interpret the colours shown in that screen. Red is for the colour currently being examined, white for the opaque colours and black for the other transparent-translucent colours. As we can see, colour number 0 covers much of the picture where there is no object represented. We can see in white the panel, the gunsight circle and mounting, the railings and the floor pedals. The fine black line contouring those objects represent the 72 other translucent colours. I don't know if it was done on purpose or if it is a "by-product" of the painting method used but I do favour the latter explanation. At this point, another method of investigation must be used to verify where the transparent and translucent colours are being placed. That little screen is unfortunately too small to do that.

Using my own paint program, I have changed the number 0 color of the palette to mauve (255,0,255) so that we can see.

http://img203.imageshack.us/img203/9656/tut011a7aq.jpg

We are noting that almost all non-textured part of the picture are covered by that colour. A fine line is visible along the railings and on the border of the gunsight and the VC panel. If we add the colours up to 72 to the mauve we get that:

http://img203.imageshack.us/img203/6738/tut011b8xp.jpg

The black line has disappeared but the textured objects are still there. Remember that as we will now have a look at your own "HawkTex1.bmp".

to the next post...

[hubbabubba]

http://img205.imageshack.us/img205/3993/tut0128te.jpg

We click on the "Transparency" button

http://img205.imageshack.us/img205/9881/tut0135jo.jpg

then have a look at the transparent colours...

http://img205.imageshack.us/img205/7282/tut0145hx.jpg

... that are not there. It explains why you had a non-transparent gunsight in the virtual cockpit. But the problem is not limited to that. If we have a look at the current color, number one, we can see that it's "seeping" in the objects.

http://img205.imageshack.us/img205/2308/tut0150bh.jpg

The yellow circle are there to show some of these seeping zones. So, even if you were to make only colour 0 transparent you would still loose part of the objects doing so. The problem only get worse if we add colours 1 to 72.

to the next post...

[hubbabubba]

Personally I would redo my bitmap and reserve colour 0 (0,0,0) for transparency but for this tutorial I have retouched your bitmap to get all the zones originally transparent-translucent to colour 0 (0,0,0) while painting colour 1 (0,0,8) all the zones of "seepage". Once that done, we should return to the transparency screen with your modified bitmap. On the "Transparency" window we should type "0" and click the "Save Palette" button down below.

http://img204.imageshack.us/img204/5985/tut0165mb.jpg

If we look at transparent colour only and click on "Current" button we should get that:

http://img204.imageshack.us/img204/9648/tut0177jf.jpg

Note that there is no black lines this time as we have made all zones previously transparent-translucent into only one totally transparent colour. Just to be on the safe side, it is good practice to click once more on the "Save Palette" button before clicking on the "Exit" button that will bring us back to the main screen.

http://img204.imageshack.us/img204/9156/tut0183dp.jpg
Click on the "Update" button then on "Save Extended Format Bitmap" and save your new picture over the old one or as a new picture as you wish. Your virtual cockpit gunsight should be okay now.

Before ending Part Three of this tutorial, three things:

- Use black as transparent colour, not mauve. The latter may left a "mauvish" line along objects;

- An extended bitmap may contain multiple resolutions bitmap or transparent bitmap or both, and;

- CFS1 cockpit are not textured with bitmaps but are transparent polygons integrated within the model file (mdl). Therefore they do not get opaque at a distance but only look to do so because of the rendering motor of CFS1.

The next part will deal with making true BMP files out of AF? files with BMP2000.

Until I receive news from you I'll wait.

Hubbabubba

[P J Dunbar]

Hallo Hubba!

This week is very busy for me at the office. I only found your last tutorials this morning ( all your last messages being from the same day, Sunday,I hadn't noticed there were three of them and already a page 2...). This is just what I was longing to know to solve my transparency problem :iidea: . I'll study and put it carefully into practice as soon as I get home. Thanks a lot.:)

Sorry, but I can't stay longer for the moment.

All the Best,

Pol.

[hubbabubba]

Hi Pol!

As I told you "ceci n'est pas une course", take your time. I have other things to do in the meantime.:wavey:

Hubbabubba

[P J Dunbar]

Hallo Hubba!

Beim Krieg hört man nie auf! Man muss immer wieder kämpfen! You're right, I have too often the feeling of being in a race where it's impossible to stop and have a rest as there are so many things to think about and so little time to do it!

Your tutorial is great: I could repair my textures and found some ideas for repainting them.

I got some more information about the BF108B Taifun in Brussels: it is actually a Nord 1001/1002 Pingouin. Maybe I'll go there next week or just after the New Year. I just found this page that should interess you:

http://mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/allanwebb3/ww205/s145_08.htm

Cheers,

Pol.

[P J Dunbar]

Hallo Hubba!

I had a look on your taifun's screenshots and found them relly great. However I was just wondering why it couldn't be possible at this stage, since you've already managed to texture all the inside areas, to add a black transparent polygon renamed anything with $ at the end and fit the gauges on it, as it is explained in Joe Amodea's tutorial and as I've done to build my Lysander's virtual panels in CFS2 and other FS versions. A name ending with $ is also mentioned in the VC window of every CFS1 stock aircraft's Panel.cfg, isn't it?

After reworking the Hurricane textures everything got all right as far as the transparency is concerned but I came across a new problem I couldn't explain: when I press the Chinese hat button of the joystick on the left, right or rear directions of the virtual cockpit, the wing and the inside of cockpit don't show, I just see the runway, the sky or the landscape behind. In all the other directions: front, front left or right, rear left or right, everything is normal anyway. I don't think it has anything to do with the texture itself. Could it be due to a modification of the pilot's point of view positon in the Panel.cfg file?

I'm looking forward to hear some more about the way of working with .AF files.

Greetings,

Pol.

[hubbabubba]

Tout d'abord, BONNE ANNÉE P J Dunbar!

My apologies for the delay but my internet share of time has shrunk since my daugther's returns to school. The line must stay free in case of an emergency at school and she jumps on the PC as soon as she gets home so I have to wait in the late evening to get it for a couple of hours.

I will try to treat your question in the following order:
when I press the Chinese hat button of the joystick on the left, right or rear directions of the virtual cockpit, the wing and the inside of cockpit don't show, I just see the runway, the sky or the landscape behind.

I have tried to replicate what you are describing without success. Unless you have tweaked the Panel.cfg file it should at least show you un-textured grey or black polygons. So, the first thing that I want you to do is to verify the point of view of the Hurricane_I Pane.cfg file and compare it to those lines:
[VCockpit01]
position=7
size_mm=256,256
window_pos=0.299,0.466
window_size=0.402,0.534
pixel_size=256,256
texture=$Hurricane_I
background_color=1,1,1
visible=0

Verify also that those lines appear at the very end of Panel.cfg:
[Default View]
X=0
Y=0
SIZE_X=8191
SIZE_Y=5000

If anything has changed here, correct it (you may copy-paste the lines above) and verify again.
If nothing has changed, we will have to "strip naked" the Hurry.

But duty calls me elsewhere so, until you have tried the "first solution" and reported back I will have to "sign off".

Hubbabubba

[hubbabubba]

Sorry (again) fot the interruption but we had a plumbing emergency that needed my immediate attention.

Once temporary repairs were done, our server was off-line until past midnight.

But it gave me a chance to check if Panel.cfg could be responsible and my conclusion is: NO.

I then went in the Air file to see if a change in section 301 (Fuselage) could mimic your problem. It seems that POV is "hard coded" in CFS1 stock a/c - at least in the case of the Hurricane - so it can't be the culprite.

The part of your message that intrigue me the most is:
I just see the runway, the sky or the landscape behind
You should, at least, see the un-textured internal cockpit.

To verify that we will remove all textures from the Hurricane. Follow that procedure:
1- Make a copy of the entire texture folder in a safe place (I use the desk but it's up to you) then erase all texture files in the original texture folder without erasing that folder;

2- Start CFS1 and go have a look at the Hurry inside-and-out under "Freeflight", it should still be textured! I suppose that, by now, you know that stock a/c have "backup" copies of their texture files. Those textures have the same name as those in the texture folder but are not always as detailed. They are also used by static Hurricanes appearing in sceneries.

3- Make an empty folder and name it whatever you like then "fetch" the textures having the same names as those of the texture folder that you will found in the general "Texture" folder of CFS1. By now your plane should be really "naked".

4- Return to CFS1 under "Freeflight". The 2D panel should be unchanged but, using the POV button (chinese hat) you should see the side panels and the "birdcage" framing in grey on the sides. You should see that:
http://img68.imageshack.us/img68/8560/untitled14pc.jpg

If not, the problem is elsewhere.

Tell me.

Hubbabubba

[P J Dunbar]

Bonjour Hubbabubba,

Tous mes meilleurs voeux de bonheur et de santé à vous et votre famille pour l'année qui vient de débuter!

I will copy your instructions on my micro vault and apply them during the Weekend. That problem is really very strange. To help you to understand it better I will summarize what is actually displayed in each of the 8 directional views of the Chinese hat:

1_ FRONTWARD VIEW: Everything OK: 2D Panel, VC Panel, cockpit interior and outside view display correctly . There is no more transparency problem with the VC Panel's Gunsight.

2_ LEFT FRONTWARD VIEW: Everything OK: Left side of VC Panel, cockpit interior, left wing and corresponding outside view correctly displayed.

3_ LEFT SIDE VIEW: :banghead: Only the outside view is displayed. Cockpit interior and left wing are missing.

4_ LEFT BACKWARD VIEW: :banghead: Only the outside view is displayed. Cockpit interior missing.

5_ BACKWARD VIEW: Everything OK: Cockpit interior and outside view correctly displayed.

6_ RIGHT BACKWARD VIEW: Everything OK: Right rear cockpit interior and outside view correctly displayed.

7_ RIGHT SIDE VIEW: :banghead: Only the outside view is displayed. Cockpit interior and right wing are missing.

8_ RIGHT FRONTWARD VIEW: Everything OK: Right side of VC Panel, cockpit interior, right wing and corresponding outside view correctly displayed.

So everything is correcly displayed in all directional views except for three of them. Funnily enough, it isn't quite symetrical: the right rear view is all right but the left rear view isn't. The aircraft's details are desplayed in no lateral view. On the unmodified model everything is displayed in every directional view. Strange isn't it? I hope my explanation is not too toilsome anyway...

Greetings,

Pol.

[hubbabubba]

Hi Pol!
If you are ready for the next tutorial session tell me so.

But before that, some "mises au point" are necessary.

BMP2000, in the version downloaded from Simviation that I was using, was not translating multi-resolution bitmaps into CFS1. I came to that conclusion while making an AI version of my plane as I wanted to create some dynamic effect in the prop "blur" according to distance.
The new version of BMP2000 found on Martin Wright site do. It also incorporate a function that permits change in the palette, a function that I was eager to see coming.

But all is not for the best. Transparencies and multi-resolution don't mix very well. My cockpit glass was loosing transparency when polygons where at sharp angle. I will have to experiment with that but for the time being I simply keep both version in my "toolbox" and use the one most fitted to my need of the moment.

My next tutorial will focus on transforming R8 textures (0Af, 1AF and so on...) into true BMP textures. Would you prefer to learn how to do it with BMP2000 or with Hex editing? Personally, I would prefer to show you how to do it with Hex.
Why? You may ask. Two reasons:

- It gives a better comprehension of textures under CFS1, and;

- It gives textures true BMP suffixes (myairplane01.bmp, myairplane02.bmp and so on..) which are better suited for use in paint program. BMP2000 create BMP but keep R8 naming procedure.

But I leave the decision to you. In any case, go get a copy of "frhed" at Simviation. You may follow that link:

http://www.simviation.com/cgi-bin/syb.cgi?section=misc&file=frhed156.zip

Happy to be back!:wavey:
Hubbabubba

[P J Dunbar]

Bonjour Hubba,

Thanks a lot for resuming the tutorial. I think I will chose Hex as you suggest me to do. Please could you give me some quick informations on MdlDisas real possibilities with CFS1 .Mdl files? Thank you.

Greetings,

Pol.

[hubbabubba]

Bonjour Pol!

Concerning MdlDisAs, you should ask DieStaffel as he talk with Trevor de Stigter, a New Zealander creator of the program, a mdl file disassembler that lets you work in the SCASM environment and re-assemble into a MDL file. But it is not for every one and does not work on every MDL file.

Not being "computer inclined" as you told me, I would not recommend it in your case. I only used it once in a AF5 model to modify some polygons and some colors and it took me forever. More complicated MDL files are not all recognized by the program and fail to re-assemble.

If you still want to have a go at it, try this link:
http://homepages.paradise.net.nz/tdestig/id17.htm

His paying method is also a bit weird, judge by yourself.

So long!

Hubbabubba

[hubbabubba]

Okay Pol! Let's do it!

The method I'm about to teach you was developed before the release of BMP2000. For a seasoned "skinner" like you its advantages are obvious; while BMP200 can transform RAW R8 textures into BMP files, it keeps their ?AF suffixes, therefore making them impossible to manipulate with most paint program directly. You necessarily have to go through BMP2000 to modify the textures. I don't know if it bugs you but it was definitely bugging me!

First of all, we need a "Guinea pig" for our experimentation. Looking at your posts, I opted for Ivan's P-47, the file is named "P47D23010.zip" and can be found here :

http://www.sim-outhouse.com/index.php?lloc=downloads&loc=downloads&page=downloads&FileUploadName=Ivan#download

Install the a/c in your CFS1 game and keep the zip file... just in case.
Go to the texture folder of that a/c and have a look. R8 textures all have the same prefix: "P47D23__". I have noticed over time that AF99 always give an 8 letters-digits prefix to textures files, filling spaces with underscores when necessary (as it is the case here). Suffixes are different for each files and start at "0AF" and can go up to "FAF" which gives us a maximum of 16 texture files.

We now need to transform these R8 textures into BMP files. You must have by now a favorite program that you use to get into those R8 textures. Personally I use "convr8" that you can find on Martin Wright's website but you are free to use whatever program you like most.

http://img124.imageshack.us/img124/3585/tut013ar.jpg

Since all BMP files we will create have "bmp" as a suffix-extension, we have to distinguish our files by naming them differently from each others. Two rules must be observed:

- Each new BMP file's name must be made off 8 digits-letters, no more, no less, and;

- Always keep it simple, the use of, for example, "propblur.bmp" may respect the first rule but is a sure way to get confused and make mistakes.

In the case at hand, I have chosen to keep the "P47D23" part, using the two underscore spaces to write there individual numbers in front. So "P47D23__.0AF" will become "00P47D23.bmp" up to "P47D23__.aAF" that will be "0aP47D23.BMP". This way I can see at a glance if I've missed something and I can compare R8 and BMP files without problem and confusion. The new BMP files should be created and kept in the same texture folder used for the originals R8 textures.

http://img136.imageshack.us/img136/7208/tut027fo.jpg

There is a last thing we have to do with our newly created BMP files. They all must be "flipped" upside-down. Here is an example made with 00P47D23.bmp:

http://img136.imageshack.us/img136/2223/tut030no.jpg

Any half-decent paint program can do that. This operation is necessary because the MDL file reads pixel's coordinate in an order designed for R8 textures while BMP's order is inverted (programmers are weird that way, don't ask me why).

GO TO PART TWO...

[hubbabubba]

Once that done, fire-up "frhed" and, through normal navigation, go open "P47D23.mdl" where you will see that:

http://img217.imageshack.us/img217/8808/tut048zp.jpg

Don't get too emotional now! I will try to get you acquainted with hexadecimal notation without getting in too deeper as I am not much more "computer inclined" than you are.

Computers reads binary language, a serie of ones (1) and zeros (0) that make no sense to most mortals. Hexadecimal notation helps us make sense of it, at least to a point. Decimal notation has ten digits (0 to 9), hexadecimal notation has sixteen digits (0 to F, or f, it's not case sensitive).

Why sixteen? Simply because it is a binary "friendly" notation. The binary system has two digits (0 and 1) and is 2^1=2 (two base one equal two) in mathematical terms. The hexadecimal is a 2^4=16 (two base four equal sixteen) system compatible with binary.

http://img301.imageshack.us/img301/1462/tut052fa.jpg

Digits are arranged in pair, starting at offset zero (000000), there is 16 pairs by row. The offset of the first pair is given on the left. On the right, a "translated" version of hexadecimal notation is given. Most of the time it is gibberish. For example, "4b" at offset 000000 is translated as being "M", but does not tell us what "M" may be. If you look at offset 000084 (or x84 if abbreviated) - I will let you find it all by yourself - you will see that "4c" means "L". We can assume that "N" would be "4e" in hexadecimal and, in fact, it is.

More than that, parts of what's appearing in the right section actually make sense. For example we learn, from x4f to x74, that "This program cannot be run in DOS mode". Good for us!

Curious as I am, I noticed once that the names of the model's texture were clearly readable in those MDL files. Let's click on the "edit" button. A menu appear where you will click on the "Find..." entry.

http://img219.imageshack.us/img219/1787/tut060ok.jpg

A smaller window will appear on top of the larger one. Type in the box "P47D23__.0AF" (you may copy-paste) and, if you are starting from the beginning of the MDL file, you should get that:

http://img102.imageshack.us/img102/818/tut070lu.jpg

Tapping F3 (going down) or F4 (going up) on the keyboard, you will see that "P47D23__.0AF" appears in numerous locations in the MDL file. You may repeat the experiment with others textures files. It simply means that a texture is mentioned in the MDL file as often as it is called to "paint" some parts of the model a/c.

GO TO PART THREE...

[hubbabubba]

Knowing that CFS1 supports extended bitmaps, I decided to try substituting R8 texture names by those of BMP texture - and it worked! - if you keep the name as long as it is originally (8.3)! You will now see why it was so important to keep the renaming simple.

Scroll up the file to be sure that you are at the beginning of the MDL file. Click on "Edit" button and, in the menu appearing then, click on "Replace..." entry. A window like this one should appear:

http://img363.imageshack.us/img363/2405/tut081fd.jpg

Type in the upper section the name of the file you are searching (you may copy-paste) and in the lower section type in the name of the BMP file that will replace it. For the first texture to be replaced it should look like this:

http://img363.imageshack.us/img363/1507/tut096ak.jpg

Click on the button that says "Replace all... following occurrences" and another window should pop-up telling you that 13 occurrences have been replaced.

http://img363.imageshack.us/img363/4426/tut108jq.jpg

If you're not sure of having "caught" all occurrences, simply repeat the procedure going in the opposite direction by clicking on the button that says "Replace all... previous occurrences". In the beginning, not being sure of what I was doing, I used to replaced them one by one but this procedure is safe and fast.

To change the next texture, repeat the procedure above after having changed the digits in the boxes (you now know why you must keep it simple!). Do that for all textures, sweeping up and down for each textures to be sure that all occurrences are modified.

Before closing frhed, save your work. If you don't, all will be lost and you will have to do it all over again. Once you get comfortable using frhed, this operation should take less than five minutes. But at the beginning, PLEASE, take your time.

You may now remove all R8 textures from the texture folder and go see the result in CFS1. If textures are missing, it is because you have missed it during the replacement operation. Go back to frhed and find it. If you can't, there is always the ZIP file you may fall back on.:d

If all went well (:applause: as I'm sure it did:applause: ) you have a MDL file with "true" bitmaps that can be edited directly in your preferred paint program to your heart's content!

Next time: doing it with BMP2000.

But before that, give me some feedback.

Hubbabubba

[P J Dunbar]

Bonjour Hubba,

There must be a problem somewhere because your pictures don't display on my computer. Perhaps is it due to the server here, I don't know? I had already noticed that most pictures from your earlier posts had disappeared after some time. If there is no other solution, please would you mind sending me a copy of the pages with YouSendIt? Thank you.

Greetings,

Pol.

[hubbabubba]

Hi Pol!

Just went to the thread and everything looks fine to me! The page do take some time to load though. You should click on "actualiser" button on IE browser if it stops loading pictures. If that does not work I will send you HTML copies of the tutorial through e-mail.

But try reloading first.

Regards

Hubbabubba
P.S.- Just send you a copy of the entire page in HTML, hope it works!

[P J Dunbar]

Hallo Hubba,

I just tried a few times to "actualize" the page but the pictures still didn't display. At a moment I saw that one picture was half displayed but the loading was already "terminated" and when I tried to reload again it didn't reappear. I'm almost certain the problem comes from the server's filtering here at the Province of Liège. Maybe are there too many large pictures on the whole threat since we started it and the server can't download them all? Anyway I had a look at the text and can see that it gives answers I always wanted to know about repainting!...

Greetings,

Pol.

[hubbabubba]

Hi Pol!

Used "YouSendIt" to mail you the entire page. Your browser sucks!

Bye!

Hubbabubba

[P J Dunbar]

Thanks Hubba! I downloaded the .zip file all right and will take it home to have a look. Cheers!...

Pol

[P J Dunbar]

Hubba,

Sorry I couldn't find time to give you notice earlier, having had a lot of work this week here at the office. I received your envoy of the tutorial pages in good order and could have a look at them. I even found a message about stripping the Hurricane visual model I had overlooked, probably because of the lack of pictures as well as the recent SOH problems.

I'm going to read everything carefully this weekend and try to put it into practice. I'm glad you've just chosen Ivan's P-47D23 as example. I would have liked to repaint it last year as I repainted the other version but couldn't do it because the textures were .AF. It should soon be possible when I've learned your tutorial.

I'm amazed hearing you say that you're no more computer inclined than me. When I see the large amount of things you actually know about this topic, I just wonder where you may have learned them.:applause:

Thanks a lot once again,

Pol.

[Ivan]

Hi PJ,
I thought we already had that dicussion about repainting .?af files. You can still substitute a real live BMP but just have to keep the silly .?af name. BTW, the canopy frame on the D-23 is minorly messed up. You might have noticed that the reflections are different between the two sides. I only made one side smooth. My mistake.

- Ivan.

[hubbabubba]

Hi Pol and Ivan!

I'm amazed hearing you say that you're no more computer inclined than me. When I see the large amount of things you actually know about this topic, I just wonder where you may have learned them.:applause:

I'm not computer inclined but I'm curious which compensate a bit. I taught myself BASIC programming on an old second hand PC with a "green screen" and did the same with my Windows 98 operating system, making it crash so often that I was in a first name basis with the Compaq servicing team after my year of free service guarantee.

When it came to HEX editing I used the same method of trial and error with a lot of errors and, from time to time, a success and a discovery that helped me going further. Thanks for backups!

I'm only happy to help others make a "shortcut" through my mistakes to get at the positive result quicker.

You can still substitute a real live BMP but just have to keep the silly .?af name.

This method lets you get rid off that silly .?AF extension. The advantages are evident: you can work directly from your favorite paint program on any texture. One other advantage, though less evident, is that .?AF texture are limited to a little less than 50% of the palette (± 125 first colours) while .BMP extension opens you the entire 256 colours palette, not a negligible change you must admit.

Hubbabubba

[Ivan]

Hi Hubbabubba,
I don't believe you understand what I am getting at. The texture files can still be BMPs with all the nice palette improvements but just need to be renamed .?af so that the model knows where to find them.

They don't have to be real R8 files. I used this on my F4F-4 Wildcat and the old P-40E also. I typically don't improve the texture any, but you can tell because BMP textures in CFS make the aircraft glow in the dark.

- Ivan.

[hubbabubba]

Hi Ivan!

Once again misunderstanding has slipped between us. I do not deny that you can make a true BMP file with an ?AF extension - that is exactly what BMP2000 do - but, unless you change that extension from ?AF to BMP every time you want to work at it, and from BMP to ?AF on the way back, you have to use a third party program (show, convr8 or BMP2000) to get it displayed in your paint program. convr8 will limit you to FS98 palette and BMP2000 will revert to the palette you had to start with (the latest version offers you the possibility to update the palette though). It is simply much more convenient to "click'n paint", wouldn't you agree?

Hubbabubba

[P J Dunbar]

Bonjour Hubba,

After having been without internet and telephone at home for about three months I eventually had everything fixed up yesterday. Here at home the pictures of your tutorial display correctly on my PC. I still don't understand why it didn't work at the office.

Congratulations for your perseverance and determination!... Personnaly, I would never have had the heart to start anything on one of those horrible "green screen" computers! I think I would rather have thrown the damn thing out of the window to get it out of sight... The DOS always appeared a sheer nightmare to me! When I bought my first computer in 1997, it was only in order to be able to play with Flight Simulator 6 (my brother had introduced me to FS5 a month before). Even then, the graphics appeared so poor to me that if it wouldn't have been for my imagination to compensate, I'd never have given a damn about the whole thing. Fortunately things improved greatly in the two years that followed and I consider CFS as being the real turning point.

Having seen those beautiful airfield buildings screenshots you displayed some time ago, I just wondered if you had actually been working on sceneries as I have such projects in mind for a near future.

Greetings,

Pol.

[P J Dunbar]

Greetings Ivan,

It seems there was actually a slight misunderstanding about the .AF question. If you don't mind, I just hope to be soon able to make a repaint of your P-47D23 that could be a fine alternative and replacement for the CFS stock aircraft.

So long!

Pol.

[hubbabubba]

Hi Pol!

Happy to know that you are "hooked" at home now. I told you: your office's browser sucks!

Scenery was my favorite pastime until I decided to go squarely into a/c-making business. Since then I have neglected scenery-making for a/c-making (déshabiller Pierre pour habiller Paul, tu vois?). But I will eventually return to it. My intention was to make H.M.S. Heron, a R.N.A.S training base built in 1940 for F.A.A. fighter's pilots (what an alphabet soup it would make:costumes:) near Yeovilton. After that I would do some others F.A.A. bases then some fliegerschull, one at Gatow, the other in Villacoublay. If I'm till alive by that time, I would probably do some north-American, Canadians as well as Americans, training bases of WWII era.

But let me put my Taifun for d/l first!

B.T.W.- I'm still interested in receiving a copy of your "weird Hurricane" model folder to look at it. Now that you can "phone from home", it would be appreciated.

So long Pol!

Hubbabubba

[P J Dunbar]

Greetings Hubba,

I tried by three times to send you the .zip by YouSendIt last night but I was everytime prevented to do it by intempestive windows poping up. This kind of thing doesn't happen at the office, so I'll send you the file from there tomorrow. You will receive two variants of my repainted stock Hurricane: the first one (Hurricane_I) which had the VC textures repainted and treated with BMP2000 shows the mentioned bug. The other one (Hurri_DRSBader) that had its .MDL modified and all its files renamed by Jerry Beckwith's MDLEdit (in oder to get stand-alone variants of the same aircraft model in CFS), its original stock VC texture being however not replaced yet, shows no bug. That would incline me to think that this bug has actually something to do with the texture and not with the .MDL!...

As I'm affraid of getting somewhat "emberlificoté" with the several variants and to allow you to better compare and analyse, I prefer to send you two complete directories.

Just another question: what is to your opinion the best scenery designer to work on CFS1?... I've got a 1997 version of Abacus Scenery Designer as well as a 1996-1997 Aerosoft Scenery Designer for Window and a couple of freewares such as CFSTmap and FS Scenery Creator. I spent a lot of time gathering maps and aerial pictures of Pearl Harbor and London areas, turning them out into large textured areas. At some point, I had to postpone those projects because I hadn't RAM enough on my computers and never got to the stage of real scenery design. I'd like to resume and carry out some of those projects when I've found my way through all my current ones.

Take care,

Pol.

[P J Dunbar]

Hubba,

That airfield in Yeovilton you mentioned in your post is only fifteen miles north of the Westland Yeovil aircraft works which, you probably know, produced the Lysander.:running:

Pol.

[hubbabubba]

Hi Pol!
I tried by three times to send you the .zip by YouSendIt last night ... it it work at least once, so don't bother.

That airfield in Yeovilton you mentioned in your post is only fifteen miles north of the Westland Yeovil aircraft works which, you probably know, produced the Lysander.
I was totally unaware of it. I got interested in Yeovilton because it is mentioned in Paul Lévesque's CFS1 maps but, flying over it, I discovered that nothing was there so I decided to do something about it. My scenery is actually about 3 miles West of the real coordinates to take advantage of a "real" flat sector in the global scenery.

Concerning scenery-making tools I can't help you much there as I am using "AIRPORT for WINDOWS 3" to make my base and "EOD" to create objects to be put in it (with some SCASMing). I do have "FSDS Pro" behind me, tucked in its box gathering dust.

The tools I use (or used to use) are free and compatible with CFS1. More "evolved" tools actually means that they're incompatible with the "primitive" set of instructions of CFS1. As for "CFSTmap" and "FS Scenery Creator", I have used the latter occasionally and the former is installed on my computer but yet to be used as I'm concentrating (or used to be concentrated) on airport-making, not on mapping landscape.

Hope my little tut is bearing his fruits by now. Any question about that?

Hubbabubba

[hubbabubba]

Hi Pol!
This will be the easiest of my tutorials.
I you are ever in doubt, just look at Martin Wright's documentation for BMP2000, that's what I do when I'm not sure of something.
As I told you in the last tutorial, about any program that can read R8 RAW textures can be used to make BMP textures out of ?AF files. Most of those program are coming from Wright's website.
BMP2000 is no exception, another of Martin Wright little wonders for which we should thank him. To my knowledge, it is the only program that does automatically transform ?AF textures in true BMP. But, alas, it keeps the ?AF extension. That is why I wanted you to learn how to remedy that first.
Our "Guinea Pig" is still Ivan's P-47. If you do not want to scrap your previous work, just unzipped a "phony" aircraft container on your desk or any other convenient place. Let's open the first ?AF texture:

http://img213.imageshack.us/img213/127/tut013wl.jpg

This time I'm using the "Load extended Bmp or AF99 Texture" button in the scrolling menu as my intention is to open an AF99 texture. A navigation window appear where you have to change "Windows Bitmap" by "AF99 Texture File" to see the files in the texture folder:

http://img232.imageshack.us/img232/1031/tut022zr.jpg

If you click on 0AF a message like this one will appear;

http://img213.imageshack.us/img213/7213/tut035uu.jpg

It is quite self-explanatory. Note that the texture is automatically flipped. You can save directly or work on it as we have seen in a previous tutorial.

PART II...

[hubbabubba]

http://img111.imageshack.us/img111/5504/tut040kn.jpg

Let us make it a multi-resolution bitmap. Upon saving, we are warned that we can make it a BMP extension file or overwrite the 0AF file with this new one. Here we will overwrite.

http://img111.imageshack.us/img111/4061/tut055ie.jpg

You can use BMP2000 to create files with BMP extensions but you will have to do the renaming yourself. I would use the same renaming procedure as I have used in the previous tutorial and hex editing would be in order.

Out of curiosity, repeat the preceding procedure on the same 0AF texture. This time the message should be different if everything went well.

http://img111.imageshack.us/img111/1788/tut062ab.jpg

Your now know as much as I do about transforming AF99 textures into true bitmaps. I hope it will be of some help to you and to other CFS1 "skinners" as well.

Hubbabubba

[Ivan]

Hi Guys,

That image sure looks familiar! Just a word of warning though, the engine face texture may not be located as well as some of the other parts. I don't remember spending the effort to locate it properly. I figured I would locate it better whenever I went back to texture the part.

- Ivan.

[hubbabubba]

I am sure that it won't be long before P J Dunbar ask your permission to upload a new "skin" for your old P-47. I would not be too concern about texture placement. I think that texturing is not Pol's Achilles heel:mix-smi: !

[Ivan]

Hi Hubbabubba, PJ,
I KNOW how good PJ is with texturing. I still have the P-40E that he did. I even rebuilt a few things based on his recommendations. My point about the D-23 textures was that the overlay of the texture file may not have been centered on a pixel like the later projects were. I just wanted to point out my belief before anyone gets frustrated. Just before this recent computer problem, I actually looked over the P-47's with the plan of texturing the engine.

- Ivan.

[EMatheson]

If Ivan wants to texture the engine, Just ask me! I've already done so, and would like to report that his texture there is fully as carefully centered as the others. My crude repaint is attached.

It is a fine craft, and much better than the Abacus payware version of the same.

[EMatheson]

OH CRUD. I just realized i probably should have asked Ivans Permission before I posted my small repaint, and I don't know how to remove it... beleive me, I would if I could. I must beg forgivness from the injured, Ivan, and I do so now, asking that he not ask to have me banned or anything similarly cruel to a poor sinner from Heck. Please?

[Ivan]

Hi Guppanui,
Looks good to me! I will probably do my own version anyway since I have already started on it, but from what I can see yours looks pretty good! That's funny though.... I don't remember having centered that particular texture, but then again, it MIGHT have been done because my practice is to take out as many stupids as possible in a design before making a derivative from it.... Which is why the lack of a texture bothered me a bit.

Thanks!
- Ivan.

[EMatheson]

PHEW!!!!! I kinda feared for my life when I realized my mistake. Thanks for not trying to find me with an ax. I know of other desingers that would have -*coutanakagh*-. What sorta derivatives where you planning? I think a Malcom hood version, or a P-47N(the carrier version) would be nice.

[Ivan]

Hi Guppanui,
Are you serious about the Axe thing? I know there are some folks out there who have just simply claimed one of my planes as their own design. That part bothers me, but someone who is repainting (and does it well) who gives proper credits really does not bother me.

As for derivatives, the original was a P-47D-23 Razorback because I had never seen a good Razorback version. The P-47D-27 Bubbletop WAS the derivative. A P-47D-30 or M or N as suggested by PJ Dunbar might follow, but other things are on a slightly higher priority.

The N was a Pacific Theatre version but not a carrier plane. I was also thinking of a P-47J....

- Ivan.

[EMatheson]

OHH yes. I DO mean the Ax. I have never slipped up like that in the past. The incident I refer to stayed between Shigeru Tanaka and myself. I asked if I could, giving him full credit, of course, convert some of his FS2002 aircraft for compatibility with CFS1. I'd do this by re-writing the .air files and adding custom .dp's. I would have converted his very nice B-1B, Fairey Firefly, Sea Harrier, Hawker Sea Fury, and Il 2 Sturmikov to CFS1. They are, admittedly, quite substandard for FS2002, but would have been the best availble for CFS1 and FS2000 if he hadn't chased me with an ax for even mentioning the possibility. No levelheaded no there, just angry and contentious and slightly insulting words as an initial reply to my e-mail. I hoped it was just a bad day, so I tried again a week later. He threw a temper tantrum and warned he would press legal charges if he could ever find out my identity.
So, these conversions have stayed in my own safe hanger. Really quite too bad.

Yes, I DO mean the ax bit.

[hubbabubba]

Ivan...

When I'm telling you that some Japanese modellers are really paranoiac, will you believe me.

Guppanui, for your pennants, just administer yourself 10 strokes with a whip of your choice. :a1089:

( Just to be sure, you know that I am joking, aren't you? :costumes: )

Hubbabubba

[EMatheson]

How could I be offended? the smilies are just too funny! Of couse you are joking!

I think I will use a liquorice(sp?) whip.

[hubbabubba]

As you just said: PHEW! You have a tendency to take things too seriously. Relax:wavey: .

BTW: where do you live? Your profile does not tell.

If you want to remain anonymous, just ignore that post.

Bye!

Hubbabubba

[EMatheson]

profile duly updated for those who want to know.

As for taking things seriously, I am a teenager in high school. I tend to do silly things like that.

[hubbabubba]

Well Guppanui from West Jordan, Ut. (from Utah, I believe).

I used to be one too - a teenager, I mean - it will pass, take my word for it.:mixedsmi:

Hubbabubba

P.S.- If Tanaka or any other paranoid Japanese threaten you with legal suit, tell him that you know a former criminal prosecutor that will stand in his way.

[Ivan]

Hi Guppanui,
From what I have seen with Mr. ST, he seems to be a bit full of himself. Then again, it might be just a lack of proficiency in English. When one describes ANYTHING he creates as the "Ultimately Accurate" something, it encourages others to find something to knock that person off his perch. I personally have not found all that much of his work that is really "Ultimately Accurate". At least the CFS1 stuff tends to be a bit cartoonish. At the moment out of roughly 300 or so operational planes on my computer, I believe I have a Mossie of his operational even though I have downloaded much more than that.

Regarding repaints or uploads to other sites, I wish folks would send them to me first so I can see what they have done. If not send them to me, I would at least email me to let me know where they have uploaded.

Hubbabubba, does it matter that the fellow is Japanese? I have seen the work of quite a few really good Japanese designers. I have also seen a bunch of quite paranoid Europeans.

I agree, licorice for a whip! Prefer you use Twizzlers!
- Ivan.

[hubbabubba]

Hi Ivan!

The only two paranoiacs I know of are both Japanese, no racial motivations whatsoever behind that. Remember downloading one of Tanaka's Zero to get a better opponents in an add-on missions pack, the flag over the cockpit was shattering any hope of getting "immersed" in the game!:costumes:

How about Nibs licorice? It may be difficult to use the ½ inch variety but I think they are making some longer ones.

Hubbabubba

[Ivan]

Hi Hubbabubba,
Actually that goofy flag over the cockpit was authentic.... For a Kamikaze mission. The flags typically had some encouraging slogan and were made of paper. They were typically ripped off by air as the aircraft took off.

I don't like them either.
- Ivan.

[hubbabubba]

If they only could have gone to pieces for good! Ivan.

Don't get me wrong, I praised Tanaka's work. Japanese and French modellers were among the best from the beginning. But Tanaka kept putting silly flags in his models and his initials, or his ideogram, or both, in all his textures. Try to imagine "La Mona Lisa" with L.D.V. written all across her front!
Hubbabubba

[EMatheson]

I wouldn't. I didn't. I suppose he might have thought it insulting that I was looking for CFS aircraft in his FS2002 files. Anyway, the fact is, I never had a high opinion of his work, and that is why I even tried to convert his FS2002 files for CFS. It was frankly very disappointing how easly it really was. All I did was edit his .air files in a very elementry manner -with old FS98 AirEd to boot. Since they were AF99 files, it took about a hour a plane in DPed to outfit them with custom damage profiles. For complete conversion, it took about One and a half hours. Utterly rediculous, using AF99 planes in FS2002 and calling the result completely accurate and great, especially in the presence of, in the case of the B1B, a payware quality B1 by the I3D group

Oi. I sould stop talking. His huge ego gets my dander up every time.

[hubbabubba]

I'm talking of CFS1 beginnings, Guppanui.

His work was head & shouders above much of the rest. His Mosquitoes and Mustangs were among the best in FS98 and CFS1. But thieves (that's what they are) turned him into what you were confronted to. Add to that his limited English and you're in for a "tongue lash".

Hubbabubba

[EMatheson]

Sorry. A bit of a tantrum, I suppose. Hubba- you are forgetting two very important groups of FS designers! They are the Czechs and Bill Lyons. Download anything for FS98 or FS2000 by Milan Lisner, Tibor Stilz, or Luka Midic, and anything for FS98 by Bill Lyons, also his FS2000 Piper J-4 Cub Coupe. Here you will find some of the best for CFS.

[hubbabubba]

Guppanui,

When you make a short list you are sure to miss someone.

[DieStaffel]

Greetings,
One day, I hope I am rated amongst one of the best CFS1 aircraft designer. Time will tell. My ego needs pumping......

DieStaffel

[EMatheson]

One day, I hope I am rated amongst one of the best CFS1 aircraft designer. Time will tell. My ego needs pumping......

........And you're not already?