Templates with fuselage cut in half

[SaVas]

OK, so my question is this. HOW does one repaint an aircraft where the fuselage is split in half with the front section and the tail section separated? How am I supposed to get things lined up?

There has to be an eay explanation.

Much thanks,

The beginner repainter

[igorski]

Trial and error, or a lucky guess

[SaVas]

Egads!  :o

*remembers to save a bunch of layers and detail what each of them are so he can tweak them*

[Felix/FFDS]

Since you're so fond of payware, Abacus' FS Repaint allows you to see a 3D rendering of the model.  If you use the default editor, you can "line up" the lines from one texture to another.  Basically, you can see what you're drawing as you're drawing it.

I use it to create the basic repaintable variant, and to do spot line ups, while then going to a regular paint program for the major repaint work.

[SaVas]

So that Abacus repaint program is worth the expense? I wasnt sure after looking at it, but then again, this is a whole new realm of simulating for me

[Felix/FFDS]

Even if it were only to set up the initial repaint folders, aircraft.cfg, and texture copies, it is - for me.

The added feature that it is the only paint-editing program that allows you to see your changes on a compiled flight simulator model (inlcuding FS2004), as you're making them is the clincher.  As a paint editor itself, however, it's very basic.

You would still do the major editing in, say, Paint Shop Pro, but you can set your base texture "matchups" in FS Repaint's editor.

(An early version allowed you to use PSP7 "real time" but that wasn't compatible with Photoshop.  The current version basically "exports" a snapshot to the paint program, then updates the FS Repaint "model" when you return. I still keep the earlier version, with PSP7 in addition to the latest and PSP9).

[igorski]

I got the trial version of the Abacus program but it disagreed with my system, so i just rely on having FS running while im working, and when required saving my files with Imagetool, and looking at them in FS (aircraft menu only, not in-game or it'll never 'refresh' the textures)

[Travis]

I thought it didn't even reload the textures unless you exited the game and then started over?

[igorski]

Usually, if you treat her real nice  ;), then it'll show the refreshed textures if you exit to main menu WITHOUT selecting an aircraft, save the new textures, then go back into the select aircraft menu and pick the aircraft your painting.

[Lionel_Goh]

SaVas,

here's the basic concept.

Cut the first half.. paste it on a new canvas or file.
Cut the second half.. paste it on the same canvas as the first half..

Then Align them together

When you have finish painting.. paste it back (You don't have to split them.. just paste and align and then remove the excess areas)

to get a nice alignment.. set ur fuse layer to "multiply"

Here's my opinion on FSRepaint.
I haven't tried out its painting side.. but I think I rather preview my aircraft in FS. The big difference is the lighting.. FS allows you to see how would the plane look like in the afternoon , dusk , dawn , morning..etc so you can tweak the colours accordingly.
So I would recommend a graphics editing software such as paint shop pro or photoshop or g.im.p (free)

[Merlin66]

What about using VAS Gold from Abacus?? I use in to assist on panel lines etc for the YAS spifires, excellent and easy to use.

[Felix/FFDS]

What about using VAS Gold from Abacus?? I use in to assist on panel lines etc for the YAS spifires, excellent and easy to use.

VAS Gold works only on the FSDS source file.  

FS Repaint is by the same developers, and works on the compiled mdl file.

Basically, FS Repaint IS VAS-Gold for MDL files.