How to Create a Repaint for Microsoft Flight Simulator
Know how Flight Simulator X works with textures., Find a base., Copy the base to somewhere you can easily get to it through the file browser., Open the textures in DXTBmp., Edit away!, Save your masterpiece., Reload the DXTBmp file from the top...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Know how Flight Simulator X works with textures.
FSX (Flight Simulator X) uses DXTBmp (a specially formatted Bitmap File) to handle its textures.
Therefore, if you were to edit them in paint, you could break the Alpha Channel (the thing that tells the model how it sits on the aircraft model).
There are plenty of ways to edit them, but one good option is DXTBmp.
It was created for FS2004 (An older version of FSX,) but it still uses the same format. , Most default aircraft in FSX have a white repaint, so you can use this as a base, but there are also ones you can get online if you'd rather not accidentally change or break your default aircraft., If you don't put it somewhere you can find it, you can have difficulties editing the textures.
If in doubt, just copy it to the desktop., Then export them to your favorite editing software.
On the right side you can find the export button, it defaults to Paint., Make your masterpiece.
Just remember to save it in the same orientation as you got it in DXTBmp., Just click save in your editor.
It will pop up a dialog box, change to "all files"
and click the png file that shows up in the folder and save.
Don't worry; it's the temp file, not the end result., Then you can save it as a DXTBMP file from the file dropdown menu., Put it in your install folder for FSX, then take it for a flight! If it works, congratulations! You have created a working repaint.
Have fun with your new plane. -
Step 2: Find a base.
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Step 3: Copy the base to somewhere you can easily get to it through the file browser.
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Step 4: Open the textures in DXTBmp.
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Step 5: Edit away!
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Step 6: Save your masterpiece.
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Step 7: Reload the DXTBmp file from the top menu.
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Step 8: Test your masterpiece.
Detailed Guide
FSX (Flight Simulator X) uses DXTBmp (a specially formatted Bitmap File) to handle its textures.
Therefore, if you were to edit them in paint, you could break the Alpha Channel (the thing that tells the model how it sits on the aircraft model).
There are plenty of ways to edit them, but one good option is DXTBmp.
It was created for FS2004 (An older version of FSX,) but it still uses the same format. , Most default aircraft in FSX have a white repaint, so you can use this as a base, but there are also ones you can get online if you'd rather not accidentally change or break your default aircraft., If you don't put it somewhere you can find it, you can have difficulties editing the textures.
If in doubt, just copy it to the desktop., Then export them to your favorite editing software.
On the right side you can find the export button, it defaults to Paint., Make your masterpiece.
Just remember to save it in the same orientation as you got it in DXTBmp., Just click save in your editor.
It will pop up a dialog box, change to "all files"
and click the png file that shows up in the folder and save.
Don't worry; it's the temp file, not the end result., Then you can save it as a DXTBMP file from the file dropdown menu., Put it in your install folder for FSX, then take it for a flight! If it works, congratulations! You have created a working repaint.
Have fun with your new plane.
About the Author
Brenda Gonzales
Brings years of experience writing about DIY projects and related subjects.
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