Bill Lyons' TriPacer question

**Drzook** · July 15th, 2011, 20:44

Hey all,
I was working on a little repaint project that involved Bill Lyons' excellent PA-22. I was trying to make it look like the tri-pacer at this website: www.wingsofhoperaffle.org.
I was wondering if there is any way to make the registration any different color than red? I almost get the impression this is hard-coded into the model but isn't there a line in the aircraft.cfg file that can change that?
Thanks in advance.

BTW, I also tried to make the engine like the 135hp Lycoming O-290 as well. I think it's pretty close to what a 'normal' PA-22-135 can do speedwise, but that's also a work in progress. Given a choice I would go with the 160hp engine in a heartbeat but since I had no idea that there was a 135hp model (and never really hearing about this O-290 engine) I decided to take a whack at it.

While I'm thinking of it, does anyone else think the Maule MT7-180 is the spiritual descendant of the TriPacer? I mean, they both seat four people and look kind of goofy in tri-geared form? I dunno, just saying...

***Motormouse*** · July 16th, 2011, 02:20

IIRC the registration is done by a gauge; similar to the way that default planes change their registrations.

hope this helps

ttfn

Pete

**Drzook** · July 16th, 2011, 05:17

Motormouse,
Turns out you were right. it is a gauge, 'nnumberR' that gives it a red registration number. By some trial and error I found the nnumbert gauge is for the instrument panel. I enclosed a shot with the nnumberb gauge (I thought it was blue, turns out it was black). And yes I know I gotta work on the arrows on the tail, make them lower. As mentioned before it's a work in progress lol.
Now for the real technical question: how does one edit the XML file? I opened it up and saved it to a different folder; it opens with internet explorer but it doesn't look like I can go in and edit it. Now once I get that figured out, how does one figure out the code for that particular shade of blue? Black seems to be #000000 but Red is coded as #C21821. Anyone out there know XML editing?

**mgchrist5** · July 16th, 2011, 05:34

Drzook,
I'm also unfamiliar with XML gauge editing. Worst case scenario, it's still possible to just simply add the registration number in the desired color by manually adding it to the physical texture layer via DXTbmp or Photoshop, etc. I've done this successfully with other aircraft that have reg numbers called out by gauges. Just be sure to manually exclude the reg number gauge in the panel.cfg. I realize this might not be the most desirable option...but it's an option if you don't feel like subjecting yourself to XML code!

Good luck.

**Drzook** · July 16th, 2011, 08:45

MGChrist5,
Point well taken. I commented out the gauge after several attempts at changing the size of the registration failed. I then repainted the sides and voila!
Thank you very much! I'm still sorting out the FDE for a lower powered TriPacer. I just might upload this soon; we'll see.

**Hurricane91** · July 16th, 2011, 17:02

Originally Posted by Drzook

Hey all,
I was working on a little repaint project that involved Bill Lyons' excellent PA-22.

Wonderful repaint Drzook!

***Tom Clayton*** · July 16th, 2011, 18:01

For the xml, open a blank Notepad session and drag the xml file in. You can then edit and save it. Just be sure to make a backup copy first, and remember that if you use the Save As option it will go back to a text file unless you use a little trickery.

**Drzook** · July 16th, 2011, 18:22

Leave it to the Old Master when it comes to the quandries of mere mortals such as myself...I found this in (wait for it....) the readme file that comes with the PA22:
Note to repainters: You can designate the panel.n folder on the aircraft.cfg and there will be no numbers displayed on the fuselage if you so desire.
So at this point I have a decently painted (not the best, but working on it) PA-22-135. I think I got the flight dynamics pretty close. O-290 powered Pacers and Tri-Pacers weren't exactly noted for their scorching performance figures. I got about 110mph in cruise and the GPS was showing a groundspeed of 106kts which is pretty close to published figures (107kts).
Now when I get things sorted out and decide to upload this can I just do the whole aircraft? I am not finding anything in the PA22 package that implies I can do this. The alternative would be to upload the texture file and the modified cfg file with instructions how to make this a PA-22-135 as opposed to the 160hp model we have now. I am just not sure what to do at this point. I do know that due to texture degradation every time I go into the dxt3 texture file I have quite a bit of touching up to do at this time.

**Lionheart** · July 16th, 2011, 20:07

Nice repaint DrZook.

***Sunny9850*** · July 16th, 2011, 21:23

If you are working on the textures in PSP or similar and then re-open them in DXTBmp the best thing is to work with two files basically.The PSP file with it's layers only gets saved in the .PSP format. Leaving all layers and detail intact.Once you are ready to "test" the file again in the simulator open the basic file in DXTBmp and export it to the editor. Open the PSP file in the same editor as a separate window. Merge all layers but do NOT save it that way. Copy the temporary single layer and paste it as a new layer in the NORM.bmp you get from exporting the texture via DXTBmp and save that file. Refresh the texture in DXTBmp and save in the format you like.As long as you keep the .PSP file in that way you save yourself all the re-editing.Stefan

**mgchrist5** · July 17th, 2011, 07:34

That repaint looks great, Drzook! Glad you got things sorted out.

I'm still sorting out the FDE for a lower powered TriPacer. I just might upload this soon; we'll see.

Keep us posted. Even despite it's age, Bill's Tri-Pacer is still a fantastic little plane.

**Drzook** · July 17th, 2011, 11:15

Well guys, I just uploaded it to the Outhouse. Not as a complete aircraft; I wasn't sure about the legalities of uploading the whole aircraft and all...so I uploaded the texture folder and the modded aircraft.cfg file. This way one can add the other bits like sounds, model and panel and make their own O-290 powered TriPacer. Alternatively they could just use the textures, add them to the base package and have a very well painted O-320 powered TriPacer. I would like to thank Bill and Lynn Lyons for providing us with such a wonderful aircraft.
Hope you all enjoy it as much as I made it.

**Drzook** · July 17th, 2011, 18:29

Hey all,
I just uploaded a small fix if you go the route of making your own PA22-135. Turns out the fuel burn was about as miserly as your typical Prius at idle. I fixed that; now it gets somewhere near what the real thing does: around 8 or 9 gph in cruise. Hope this helps.