Repainting C117

[FSX68]

I am trying to make a repaint of the C117 using paintdotnet. As such, I have a few questions.

what does the % (Percent mean):\

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And when I open one of the DDS files that is a repaint I see little squares, why?

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[Dimus]

I have not used that program but the % is definitely the zoom level. As for the squares it could be a representation of the alpha channel, but can't really say.

[PRB]

I just opened up that file in Photoshop. It has an alpha channel, and it's set to 50% opacity. It looks like paint.net is interpreting the alpha channel opacity as transparency level for the rest of the file. It looks as it should when opened in Photoshop. In paint.net is there a transparency or opacity or alpha setting that you can change?

[FSX68]

I just opened up that file in Photoshop. It has an alpha channel, and it's set to 50% opacity. It looks like paint.net is interpreting the alpha channel opacity as transparency level for the rest of the file. It looks as it should when opened in Photoshop. In paint.net is there a transparency or opacity or alpha setting that you can change?

I have photoshop and it won't open dds files. Paintnet will as I declared it as my editor in dxtbmp.

[PRB]

You should be able to download and install the DDS plugin for Photoshop. For NVIDIA cards, it's here:

https://developer.nvidia.com/nvidia-texture-tools-adobe-photoshop

It really makes life easy for painting FS planes.

[FSX68]

You should be able to download and install the DDS plugin for Photoshop. For NVIDIA cards, it's here:

https://developer.nvidia.com/nvidia-texture-tools-adobe-photoshop

It really makes life easy for painting FS planes.

OK While you were helping me with that link, I googled and found the same thing and installed it. I have old CS2 version.

Anyway thats working but now I see this at the top of the screen: 33.3% what is that all about?

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[gman5250]

That's your zoom level. And remember .dds is an inverted file from .bmp.

If you work in .bmp always remember to invert the file vertically when saving as .dds, otherwise you gonna have some realllly funky looking paints.

Whenever you see those squares you are looking through a transparent layer. Check the layer transparency and look for a value of 100%. If you flatten the layer, the art should look normal.

Best guess info from the images posted here.

[PRB]

Looks like just the zoom level. Those texture files are 2048 x 2048 pixels. Just "CTRL -" and "CTRL +" to zoom in and out.

[FSX68]

That's your zoom level. And remember .dds is an inverted file from .bmp.

If you work in .bmp always remember to invert the file vertically when saving as .dds, otherwise you gonna have some realllly funky looking paints.

Whenever you see those squares you are looking through a transparent layer. Check the layer transparency and look for a value of 100%. If you flatten the layer, the art should look normal.

Best guess info from the images posted here.

Thanks for the info. Appreciate it. :engel016:

[FSX68]

Looks like just the zoom level. Those texture files are 2048 x 2048 pixels. Just "CTRL -" and "CTRL +" to zoom in and out.

Well, I tried the zoom thingie and that worked. :icon_lol:

I just don't know why paintnet pulls in a checkered dds and Photoshop doesn't? I tried in paint.net to display the same checker less image as photo shop does but not having any luck.
I have a PS plugin installed in paint.net so there are PS like features and drop downs that resemble PS.

SO much to learn with PS.....:isadizzy:

[Bjoern]

The checkers are just helpers for displaying transparency. Nothing to worry about.

[FSX68]

The checkers are just helpers for displaying transparency. Nothing to worry about.

I get em with Paint.net but not so with PS. Don't know how to dial the "checkers" out using Paint.net.

Miss the mentor I use to have here with paint.net

[Bjoern]

Does that help?

http://forums.getpaint.net/index.php?/topic/19975-remove-transparent-checker-checkered-chequered-background/

Or that?

http://www.trainsim.com/vbts/showthread.php?282367-Paint-Net-Remove-Checkerboard&p=1494515#post1494515


(Seriously, ANYTHING can be solved with a bit of googling! A-N-Y-T-H-I-N-G!)

[FSX68]

Does that help?

http://forums.getpaint.net/index.php?/topic/19975-remove-transparent-checker-checkered-chequered-background/

Or that?

http://www.trainsim.com/vbts/showthread.php?282367-Paint-Net-Remove-Checkerboard&p=1494515#post1494515


(Seriously, ANYTHING can be solved with a bit of googling! A-N-Y-T-H-I-N-G!)
I know that, just need to know what verbage to use when one googles.

Thanks for the links......

[FSX68]

Does that help?

http://forums.getpaint.net/index.php?/topic/19975-remove-transparent-checker-checkered-chequered-background/

Or that?

http://www.trainsim.com/vbts/showthread.php?282367-Paint-Net-Remove-Checkerboard&p=1494515#post1494515


(Seriously, ANYTHING can be solved with a bit of googling! A-N-Y-T-H-I-N-G!)

The thing of it is there were some areas that WERE checkered and some NOT - a bit of a conundrum you think?

http://i43.tinypic.com/rszpmf.jpg

[Dimus]

Like others have already said, the checkered area is the alpha channel. It is included in the dds file to control shine. The areas without it are simply not shiny.

In other texture structures the alpha channel controls transparency. Obvioulsy Paint.net thinks the alpha is transparency and uses the checkers to show you the effect it would have. If no checkers are shown there is no transparency. If all you see is checkers then the texture is fully transparent.

Again though, in your case the alpha controls shine. Unless you want your paint to be more shiny or less, you don't mess with it. In order to be able to paint though you would have to switch off the alpha from showing. I don't know how this is done in Paint.net

My advice if you have PS CS2. Get the Nvidia plugin for PS and you will be able to edit and save dds files directly from PS (provided you have an Nvidia card). You can even get PS to unflip and reflip the texture automatically when loading and saving.