Champ Camp Rejoice, for I have found a light.

**Cazzie** · March 26th, 2009, 12:48

I did a test with the textures for "Charlie Brown", one of LilSki's 7AC Champs.

I took the Paint kit and made a separate kit titles Champ for FSX.

I enlarged the Paint Kit's textures to 2048 over their 1024. I did a completely new repaint of "Charlie Brown" with the new sized textures applying all the new techniques I have learned in Photoshop since i first did the repaint for FS2004.

I then brought over the textures one by one from DXTBitmap, changed the size of then and their Alphas to 2048 and proceeded to take them to Photoshop, paste the new textures and invert them vertically (didn't forget to resize and invert the Alphas too). I then reloaded them in DXTBitmap and saved each as DXT5 DDS textures.

Now dig this, with 1024 X 1024 32-bit 888-8 bitmap textures in FSX, I was getting onlly 15 - 17 fps. Now with 2048 X 2048 DDS textures, I have the most resolute "Charley Brown" ever and I am now getting 25 fps! Zowie! This was tested after all the recent tweaks.

Pointy and Champ Camp, ol' Caz has his work cut out now converting all my Champs. When I get through, I going to try and do the same with Stuart's WW I aircraft.

Now, can anyone tell me, using the FSX SDK, can one write anything that will let the port overs incorporate bump and spec textures if they accept DDS textures?

Caz, always looking for a new ballpark to play in.

Charlie never looked so good in a flight sim!

***stiz*** · March 26th, 2009, 13:06

Originally Posted by Cazzie

Now, can anyone tell me, using the FSX SDK, can one write anything that will let the port overs incorporate bump and spec textures if they accept DDS textures?

unfortunatly thats not possible, however i'm sure i've seen a true fsx one on a computer somewhere

**Cazzie** · March 26th, 2009, 13:25

Originally Posted by stiz

unfortunatly thats not possible, however i'm sure i've seen a true fsx one on a computer somewhere

Afraid not stiz, the one you saw was the one made to port over. Thing is, I had already ported my Champs over and made them FSX capable with the MDLMat. Unless Kevin gets the FSX drug in his viens, it is not likely we will see an FSX native Champ. Dream yes, but reality, not so likely.

Thanks for the answer to my query.

Caz

**djwaglik** · March 26th, 2009, 13:29

Converting bmp's to dds is a good idea, because dds are loading faster and are easier on fps in the fsx. I have converted all the planes which i am using, including AI, too.

***stiz*** · March 26th, 2009, 13:43

Originally Posted by Cazzie

Afraid not stiz, the one you saw was the one made to port over

i think someone missed the hint :wave:

**Cazzie** · March 26th, 2009, 14:18

Originally Posted by stiz

i think someone missed the hint :wave:

Oops, sorry lad, sometimes the simplest of hints goes completely over my head. Ya gotta remember, before I got old and lost my hair, I was a blond.

One day if the brain doesn't go first, I may try a hand a poly pushing, but that is currently out of my league.

Caz

pointy31 · March 26th, 2009, 20:06

Haw!...Me, I like dat yah.....mais, das mo betta dan Grandmas' strangled aigs...

***N2056*** · March 26th, 2009, 20:16

Originally Posted by pointy31

Haw!...Me, I like dat yah.....mais, das mo betta dan Grandmas' strangled aigs...

Uhh...So I'm supposed to steal second base?

**Cazzie** · March 27th, 2009, 04:31

Originally Posted by pointy31

Haw!...Me, I like dat yah.....mais, das mo betta dan Grandmas' strangled aigs...

Careful how you use da woid "AIG", some folks don't take kindly to that!

Are you flying the Champ in FSX?

Lemme know, I'll zip and email you the textures for "CB" and let you try them out.

Caz

harleyman · March 27th, 2009, 04:50

WOW Cazzie...Charlie is looking great...

I see the F-16 got stuck.. I was gonna pop it in this morning and couldn't find it..LOL Till I looked up...:faint:

pointy31 · March 31st, 2009, 16:35

Originally Posted by Cazzie

Careful how you use da woid "AIG", some folks don't take kindly to that!

Are you flying the Champ in FSX?

Lemme know, I'll zip and email you the textures for "CB" and let you try them out.

Caz

Yo Caz, I got my FSX computer back, ready to try those textures...

**Brian_Gladden** · March 31st, 2009, 16:48

I still have nightmares about Tri-Champs. The closest I ever came to bending an airplane when I was a Line tech was a Tri-Champ.

The shop where I worked had just done the annual on it and I was tasked with towing it across the airport to put it back in it's t-hangar.

It was mid January and we'd had alot of snow that winter. there was a 6 or 7 inch ridge of ice built up in front of the hangar where the bi-fold door hit the pavement. I opened the door and tried to put the ole girl in by hand. I couldn't get enough traction with my boots to push it over the ridge. after about fifteen minutes and one face plant, I dropped the tow bar on the front hitch on the 4X4 Kabota that I had towed it with and tried to push said champ into the hangar.

It did not go well.

Halfway through the door one of the main wheels caught and the plane turned nearly 90 degrees on me Inside the hangar!

Now these T-hangars are sized for a Barron or Cessna 206. Good thing because the wingtips and tail didn't hit anything.:faint:

That was the most scared I ever got moving airplanes.

Brian

pointy31 · March 31st, 2009, 16:55

Brian, I used to move floatplanes (Cessna 170's and 180's) around the base with a dolly hooked to the front of a jeep, quite a scary job for a 15 year old kid making $25 a week. What made it worthwhile was the fact that when a plane landed in the bayou and I already had one on the ramp, the pilot usually left me the keys and I'd get to taxi it around a bit before I pulled it up on the ramp... That's a lot of responsibility for a third-grader...

**Cazzie** · March 31st, 2009, 18:23

Originally Posted by pointy31

Yo Caz, I got my FSX computer back, ready to try those textures...

Got yer email, the only Champ I have truly converted so far is Charlie brown Mike, I've been busier than Ted Kennedy at Happy Hour the last week, hosted a reception, worked a wedding, attended two races, went to Durham to get my youngest son a new tower for his BD. Whew, I am an exhausted old man!

When I get around to converting all to DDS, I'll send them to you.

I tried the "CB" DDS textures in DX10, no go, the Champs are still only DX9 capable, as are all port overs.

Caz

**Cazzie** · March 31st, 2009, 18:25

Originally Posted by Brian_Gladden

I still have nightmares about Tri-Champs. The closest I ever came to bending an airplane when I was a Line tech was a Tri-Champ.

The shop where I worked had just done the annual on it and I was tasked with towing it across the airport to put it back in it's t-hangar.

It was mid January and we'd had alot of snow that winter. there was a 6 or 7 inch ridge of ice built up in front of the hangar where the bi-fold door hit the pavement. I opened the door and tried to put the ole girl in by hand. I couldn't get enough traction with my boots to push it over the ridge. after about fifteen minutes and one face plant, I dropped the tow bar on the front hitch on the 4X4 Kabota that I had towed it with and tried to push said champ into the hangar.

It did not go well.

Halfway through the door one of the main wheels caught and the plane turned nearly 90 degrees on me Inside the hangar!

Now these T-hangars are sized for a Barron or Cessna 206. Good thing because the wingtips and tail didn't hit anything.:faint:

That was the most scared I ever got moving airplanes.

Brian

nose draggers!