Need help on adding Textures to aircraft please

[PhantomTweak]

I just re-installed FS9 for about the 5th time. I dumped all my addon airfcraft back into it (I had backed them up onto another drive) using cut-n-paste. They all show nicely.

NOW tot he problem! Now that I have my aircraft back the way they were I went about my usual peruits of adding some new textures. First, Dean Shupe's Executive. The files, when left as they were when I got rid of the OLD FS9, show up just fine. As soon as I tried to add in a new texture, bang, it became an AI aircraft by magic. I remove the new texture from the folder and from the Aircraft.fg file. STILL no good. I reload the entire folder from backup, everything is fine agin....
What am I doing wrong>?? I never had this problem before. I could add all the textures I wanted with no problem...., now, if I add a texture to an aircraft cfg file, bang! It's officially an AI and not available any more. I take it back out. No good. I have to reload the .cfg file as was BEFORE the program reload.

ANY help will be accepted MOST gratefully!!

Pat☺

[Hagar]

First, Dean Shupe's Executive. The files, when left as they were when I got rid of the OLD FS9, show up just fine. As soon as I tried to add in a new texture, bang, it became an AI aircraft by magic. I remove the new texture from the folder and from the Aircraft.fg file. STILL no good. I reload the entire folder from backup, everything is fine agin....
What am I doing wrong>?? I never had this problem before. I could add all the textures I wanted with no problem...., now, if I add a texture to an aircraft cfg file, bang! It's officially an AI and not available any more. I take it back out. No good. I have to reload the .cfg file as was BEFORE the program reload.

ANY help will be accepted MOST gratefully!!

Pat☺

Pat. Do you mean the Spartan Executive? http://simviation.com/1/search?submit=1&keywords=spartan+executive&categoryId=38

If you're experienced at adding textures I'm not sure why you should be having problems. It might help if you paste the [fltsim.x] entries from your modified Aircraft.cfg here so we can check it out.

[PhantomTweak]

Yes, this bird here: Spartan Executive for FS2004/FS9 by Milton Shupe, Scott Thomas, and Urs Burkhardt for FS2004/FS9/ACoF
http://www.flightsimonline.com/Spartan/
I love it, they did an incredible job on it and I would love to run through the sparadv1.zip that was included in the zipfile.

I installed it using the spartansetup.exe according to the included directions in the main zip, using 7Zip to do the initial unzip from the main zip to a temp file to have the installer EXE available, although they do run nicely from withing a zipfile.
[fltsim.0]
title = Executive VC
sim = mspartan
model = vc
panel = vc
sound =
texture = urs
panel_alias =
sound_alias =
kb_checklists =
kb_reference = spartan_ref
atc_id =
atc_id_color =
atc_parking_types =
atc_parking_code =
ui_manufacturer = Spartan
ui_type = Executive-VC
ui_variation = Original
description = Spartan Executive-VC

is the only paint available after the intiial install proceedure.
I then added

[fltsim.1]
title =Polished Spartan Executive
sim = mspartan
model = vc
panel = vc
sound =
texture =
panel_alias =
sound_alias =
kb_checklists =
kb_reference = spartan_ref
atc_id =
atc_id_color =
atc_parking_types =
atc_parking_code =
ui_manufacturer = Spartan
ui_type = Executive-VC
ui_variation = Silver and Gold
description = Spartan Executive-VC

Spartan 7W Executive, Model by Milton Shupe, Scott Thomas and Urs Burkhardt.
acdesign@flightsimonline.com

[fltsim.2]
title = Executive VC pin
sim = mspartan
model = vc
panel = vc
sound =
texture = pin
panel_alias =
sound_alias =
kb_checklists =
kb_reference = spartan_ref
atc_id =
atc_id_color =
atc_parking_types =
atc_parking_code =
ui_manufacturer = Spartan
ui_type = Executive-VC
ui_variation = Pin
description = Spartan Executive-VC


to the aircraft.cfg, and of course added the texture files to the main "_Spartan" directory in my Aircraft folder.
These worked great, but I devloped an seemingly unrelated problem at this point, necessatating the uninstall/reinstall as recommended in David "OPA" Marshall's PDF file concerning this proceedure. I simply copied my Aircraft, Addon Scenery, etc etc folders to another drive as a backup until I was done with the main programme and was ready for them.
Once I had FS9 up and running again, I checked the programme, set up my Settings Prefernces, etc etc.
Now, I had found some more paibnts for the Spartan, yes, I verified the were for the correct version, and not the
[fltsim.0]
title=Spartan 7-W Executive (Stone)
sim=spartan
model=
panel=
sound=
texture=
kb_checklists=
kb_reference=
atc_id=NC17667
ui_manufacturer=Spartan
ui_type=7W Executive
ui_variation=Green on silver
description=" "
atc_heavy=0
atc_airline=
atc_flight_number=

version of the aircraft, by Mr. Stone.

SO, everything being both hunky and dory now, I went ahead and unzipped the new paints, Black 5, and Copper 2, along with the Silver and Gold, and PIN repaints. into the _Spartan directory.
Please note that the PIN and SIlver and Gold were added to the AIrcraft.cfg before reinstall.
NOW I wanted to add the black5 and Copper 2 textures into the file.
the Aircraft.cfg now looked like
[fltsim.0]
title = Executive VC
sim = mspartan
model = vc
panel = vc
sound =
texture = urs
panel_alias =
sound_alias =
kb_checklists =
kb_reference = spartan_ref
atc_id =
atc_id_color =
atc_parking_types =
atc_parking_code =
ui_manufacturer = Spartan
ui_type = Executive-VC
ui_variation = Original
description = Spartan Executive-VC

is the only paint available after the intiial install proceedure.
I then added
[fltsim.1]
title =Polished Spartan Executive
sim = mspartan
model = vc
panel = vc
sound =
texture =
panel_alias =
sound_alias =
kb_checklists =
kb_reference = spartan_ref
atc_id =
atc_id_color =
atc_parking_types =
atc_parking_code =
ui_manufacturer = Spartan
ui_type = Executive-VC
ui_variation = Silver and Gold
description = Spartan Executive-VC

Spartan 7W Executive, Model by Milton Shupe, Scott Thomas and Urs Burkhardt.
acdesign@flightsimonline.com

[fltsim.2]
title = Executive VC pin
sim = mspartan
model = vc
panel = vc
sound =
texture = pin
panel_alias =
sound_alias =
kb_checklists =
kb_reference = spartan_ref
atc_id =
atc_id_color =
atc_parking_types =
atc_parking_code =
ui_manufacturer = Spartan
ui_type = Executive-VC
ui_variation = Pin
description = Spartan Executive-VC

[fltsim.3] <----- replace the XX with the next available number
title = Executive VC black5
sim = mspartan
model = vc
panel = vc
sound =
texture = black5
panel_alias =
sound_alias =
kb_checklists =
kb_reference = spartan_ref
atc_id = CF-IVE
atc_id_color =
atc_parking_types =
atc_parking_code =
ui_manufacturer = Spartan
ui_type = Executive-VC
ui_variation = Spartan 7W Black Five
description = Spartan Executive-VC, Black Five livery and "run down" interior by Urs Burkhardt

[fltsim.4]
title = Executive Copper version 2
sim = mspartan
model = vc
panel = vc
sound =
texture = copper 2
panel_alias =
sound_alias =
kb_checklists =
kb_reference = spartan_ref
atc_id =
atc_id_color =
atc_parking_types =
atc_parking_code =
ui_manufacturer = Spartan
ui_type = Executive-VC
ui_variation = Copper version 2
description = Spartan Executive-VC Repaint by Leon Louis

I opened FS9, and viola, No Spartan to be seen. In FS9. It was there as an AI in the Aircraft Folder of the FS9 folder on my C Drive, Pat>Appdata>Roaming> etc etc>FS9
Please note that C Drive is for the Operating System (Win Vista Home Premium), and D:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\FS2004 is there the game resides.
SO! I thought to myself, and after getting a bad headache, decided the best way would be return things to "As they were before problem" status. I deleted the last 2 entries in teh [fltsim] section of the aircraft.cfg file. Back to the "way we were" so to speak.
Still no Spartan. I copied the aircraft.cfg from my backup drive back into the _Spartan folder, and boom, back it came. I did shut FS9 down for every step, btw.
Ok I thought, and added ONLY the black5 [fltsim.3] section back in. Bang, gone. Deleted it, no help, releaded aircraft.cfg file from back up, bang all is well. Ok, it's in the Black5 setup I think to myself. Nope, the Copper 2 entry has the same effect with the same solution required.
Ok, maybe it's a peculiarity of the Shupe Spartan, I'll email him about it.

SO, I try adding a new texture to my Owen Hewitt Bell 206B III Jetranger Megapack. No more Owen Hewitt 206's at all. And I had 2 seperate and distinct folders for them. WITH all the proper .cfg, and .air files, etc etc. but they BOTH are now gone.
Only changed ONE aircraft.cfg file by ONE entry, BOTH folders no longer are selectable as flyable aircraft. Reloaded from back up and guess what....yep both are back.

I may have gone a bit overboard here, and if so I apologise, but sometimes the devil is in the details, as they say, and too much data is never quite enough...
Does this ring anyone's bells? No pun intended....
Pat☺

[paly]

Damn I wish I could spot the problem here, I get it myself sometimes and it can be a real pain to source the root
You're looking in the right place though, because if there is a file missing that particular plane will not show, but it'll show the others
Classic mistake during cut and paste is missing a character at the start or end of the cut/paste block, so look there first
example
fltsim.0]
...notice the missing [

make sure too that no " is present at the end of the description block (or any other character) and again, start your error search near the start/end of a block of text
the rest looks as it should

Make sure there are no typo's, or extra text
I'm assuming the text where you have <----- replace the XX with the next available number that your aircraft.cfg doesn't actually have this line; this
is the only line that seems wrong, all else looks ok

Pointless response really, just trying to give you hope.
But you know it must be a typo in your aircraft.cfg since the original, when copied back, works okay.

If I think of anything else I'll pipe up...just one last stupid thing, is that your aircraft.cfg is being saved as a .cfg and not a .txt file
sorry to insult your intelligence, just grasping at straws...good luck

[paly]

Just noticed as well [fltsim.1] has texture= is the texture folder is just called texture?

[Hagar]

[fltsim.3] <----- replace the XX with the next available number
title = Executive VC black5
sim = mspartan
model = vc
panel = vc
sound =
texture = black5
panel_alias
sound_alias =
kb_checklists =
kb_reference = spartan_ref
atc_id = CF-IVE
atc_id_color =
atc_parking_types =
atc_parking_code =
ui_manufacturer = Spartan
ui_type = Executive-VC
ui_variation = Spartan 7W Black Five
description = Spartan Executive-VC, Black Five livery and "run down" interior by Urs Burkhardt

I suspect the text in Bold type is the culprit. It makes everything following it corrupt. Remarks in the CFG should be commented out like this.

[fltsim.3] // <----- replace the XX with the next available number

OR you could simply delete it.

This still doesn't explain why the original variations disappear from the menu. Not sure what you mean by AI aircraft. The easiest method of making a flyable aircraft into AI Only is to remove the Panel & Sound folders. Also, I don't know what sparadv1.zip has to do with this. It contains 3 AI aircraft (not Spartans) + scenery & adventure files.

[tgibson]

Hi,

I don't know why anything should be showing up in a Roaming subfolder.

It sounds like you do not have permission to change cfg files in the Aircraft folder. Either get full permission for those folders, turn off UAC (at least temporarily), or move FS out of any Program Files folder.

Hope this helps,

[PhantomTweak]

My apologies on the Black5 add on section. I did in fact delete the "<----- replace the XX with the next available number" portion of the addon's text.

Additionally, while I am a horrible programmer, and I freely admit it, I do know enough to check for punctuation, grammar, spare quotation marks, commas etc etc etc. as I go. Not trying to be snippy, just more data for the really GOOD brains to mull over

Not sure what you mean by AI aircraft

I mean that I tied to look for/at the SPartan files with "Aircraft and Panel Configuration Editor Version 1.3.1" I got told that it was an AI aircraft now with no panel file to edit. I could have the file open in another window in front of me, beside the APE window, be LOOKING at the panel.cfg file and bmps. Didn't matter...And yes, I was certain, and verified, the correct pathing several times.

I don't know why anything should be showing up in a Roaming subfolder

Me either, but there it is. I normally operate as Administrator with UAC disabled completely on this PC. It makes for way too many headaches on all kinds of "stuff".
But I will triple check to be certain FS9 didn't reinstall with permissions reactivated. Just in case. Thing is, I can edit all I want, with any programme I desire, save, no sweat, any other part of the aircraft.cfg file, ANY part of the .air file, etc etc. No problems, disappearances etc.
I try to add on a Texture folder/part of the aircraft.cfg file, bang, gone city. Remove ail additions. No return. Reinstall from back up, everything is fine again.

Also, I don't know what sparadv1.zip has to do with this.

I was just mentioning that I would very much enjoy flying those adventures. But it's tough to do when the bird has vanished

[Hagar]

Thanks for clarifying that.

My apologies on the Black5 add on section. I did in fact delete the "<----- replace the XX with the next available number" portion of the addon's text.

I assumed that the entries you posted were copied direct from your modified Aircraft.cfg. Without having the backed up files you're using it's difficult to offer any more than general suggestions. It might be better to download the files & start again from scratch. These are still available from SimV & other major FS websites. Flightsimonline is no longer active & Milton's files are now hosted on Garry J Smith's website. http://www.gjsmith.net/Milton_Shupe/

Rather than use software to check on the aircraft why not look in the FS2004\Aircraft folder & check it out manually. If the panel & sound folders are missing from the Spartan you will at least know the cause of the problem.

[PhantomTweak]

[fltsim.0]
title = Executive VC
sim = mspartan
model = vc
panel = vc
sound =
texture = urs
panel_alias =
sound_alias =
kb_checklists =
kb_reference = spartan_ref
atc_id =
atc_id_color =
atc_parking_types =
atc_parking_code =
ui_manufacturer = Spartan
ui_type = Executive-VC
ui_variation = Original
description = Spartan Executive-VC

[fltsim.1]
title =Polished Spartan Executive
sim = mspartan
model = vc
panel = vc
sound =
texture =
panel_alias =
sound_alias =
kb_checklists =
kb_reference = spartan_ref
atc_id =
atc_id_color =
atc_parking_types =
atc_parking_code =
ui_manufacturer = Spartan
ui_type = Executive-VC
ui_variation = Silver and Gold
description = Spartan Executive-VC

Spartan 7W Executive, Model by Milton Shupe, Scott Thomas and Urs Burkhardt.
acdesign@flightsimonline.com

[fltsim.2]
title = Executive VC pin
sim = mspartan
model = vc
panel = vc
sound =
texture = pin
panel_alias =
sound_alias =
kb_checklists =
kb_reference = spartan_ref
atc_id =
atc_id_color =
atc_parking_types =
atc_parking_code =
ui_manufacturer = Spartan
ui_type = Executive-VC
ui_variation = Pin
description = Spartan Executive-VC

Direct from the currently functional, "In Use", FS2004>Aircraft>_Spartan> Aircraft.cfg file.

[fltsim.0]
title = Executive VC
sim = mspartan
model = vc
panel = vc
sound =
texture = urs
panel_alias =
sound_alias =
kb_checklists =
kb_reference = spartan_ref
atc_id =
atc_id_color =
atc_parking_types =
atc_parking_code =
ui_manufacturer = Spartan
ui_type = Executive-VC
ui_variation = Original
description = Spartan Executive-VC

Directly from the spartansetup.exe run.

If I add

[fltsim.#]
title = Executive VC pin
sim = mspartan
model = vc
panel = vc
sound =
texture = pin
panel_alias =
sound_alias =
kb_checklists =
kb_reference = spartan_ref
atc_id =
atc_id_color =
atc_parking_types =
atc_parking_code =
ui_manufacturer = Spartan
ui_type = Executive-VC
ui_variation = Pin
description = Spartan Executive-VC

or

[fltsim.?????]]
title = Executive Copper version 2
sim = mspartan
model = vc
panel = vc
sound =
texture = copper 2
panel_alias =
sound_alias =
kb_checklists =
kb_reference = spartan_ref
atc_id =
atc_id_color =
atc_parking_types =
atc_parking_code =
ui_manufacturer = Spartan
ui_type = Executive-VC
ui_variation = Copper version 2
description = Spartan Executive-VC Repaint by Leon Louis

Either one, both extracted directly from the appropriate *.zip files, btw, to the Aircraft.cfg file,
and change the [fltsim.] section to read the proper number, say [fltsim.1] for example, the Spartan vanishes from the FS9 select Aircraft page.
Should I try simply deleting them, Highlight and hit delete button, ctrl-S to save it off, the SPartan STAYS gone. It looks to me that I returned the Aircraft.cfg file to it's original status, including size, checksum, you name it, as when I first installed it with the aforementioned .EXE file.
FS9 doesn't seem to think so. Until I actually reinstall the aircrft.cfg file, either with the installer or from the back-up on Z drive over on another computer (my backup location, my house is fully networked) it refuses to acknowledge the plane exists. I looked, the Panel and sound folders are still right where they were. the files within them are as though I had just installed them with the installer. FS9 doesn't care.
I put the aircraft.cfg file ([fltsim] section perfectly as u see it above) from the installer or from my backup back into the _Spartan folder, and bingo, all is once agian right with the world.
I've had situations where I DID in fact screw the installation of the [fltsim] portion of aircraft.cfg files, adding on a new texture. It happens. I am far from perfect, and have fat fingers, and STILL can't type to save my life after 45 years of practise. Having said that, I've never had such an error result in the disappearance of the entire aircaft from the FS9 world. I may not get THAT texture, I may get a nice grey unpainted aircraft in the selection window, I may get no change in the window at all. But the rest of the aircraft's textures are still there. I have to REALLY mess it up BADLY to make the bird vanish entirely. Then alll I need to do is start at [fltsim.0], make sure the UI Manufactuer-Spartan, for example, the UI_type=Executive VC, the ui_variation=original, the model=vc, the sim=vc the texture=, the panel=, the sound=
all by hand if necessary, and pop! back comes the basic bird into the selection window of FS9.
That was before the reload of FS9.

NOW, even if I change the aircraft.cfg file purrrrfectly, the bird is gone from the ken of the FS9 aircraft select window until the Original, before reinstall of FS9, version of the Aircraft.cfg is loaded back in from my backup drive. No matter what other files went unchanged by my actions, are still in place as they ought to be, etc.
Pat☺, at wit's end...

[paly]

Okay, I feel your pain on this one, we may still be missing something, so lets try this to start

in your new texture folders, remove all the textures except the thumbnail, and add a texture.cfg file which reads

Code: Select all

[fltsim]
fallback.1=..\texture.urs

Now, test it.
If there is nothing wrong with your aircraft.cfg, you should get all variants, but when loaded (just select 'view aircraft'), they will all have the default Urs textures
1) If this fails, it falls back to an aircraft.cfg error.
2) If it works it establishes that there are conflicting textures, maybe FSX DDS textures? I know that some texture addons have been modified for FSX and this could be a problem.
make sure all your textures are bitmaps

Finally, you could try my Spartan Repack for FSX - it is essentially FS9 compatible, so should work, and it is called Spartan_Executive so will install into your airplanes
folder with no conflict
(just remember : you can't have two planes with the same name, so rename/remove one of the Spartan folders aircraft.cfg (aircraft_off.cfg for example will work)

[Hagar]

Please note that C Drive is for the Operating System (Win Vista Home Premium), and D:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\FS2004 is there the game resides.

I suspect this might be the cause of your problem. Win7 treats anything in the Program Files directories as protected system files. This is the reason old sweats like me install FS to a different directory. For example, my FSX is installed to E:\FSX.

What happens if you edit a copy of Aircraft.cfg outside the FS2004 directory, adding the repaints before pasting it into the _Spartan folder?

[Hagar]

Okay, I feel your pain on this one, we may still be missing something, so lets try this to start

in your new texture folders, remove all the textures except the thumbnail, and add a texture.cfg file which reads

Code: Select all

[fltsim]
fallback.1=..\texture.urs

Now, test it.
If there is nothing wrong with your aircraft.cfg, you should get all variants, but when loaded (just select 'view aircraft'), they will all have the default Urs textures
1) If this fails, it falls back to an aircraft.cfg error.
2) If it works it establishes that there are conflicting textures, maybe FSX DDS textures? I know that some texture addons have been modified for FSX and this could be a problem.
make sure all your textures are bitmaps

I don't think that will work paly. If I remember correctly the texture.cfg was introduced with FSX so FS9 won't recognise it.

[paly]

Ah Okay, thanks Hagar

The program files directory that Phantom has it installed to is not an operating system sub-folder, as he has stated his OS is on C:
He simply changed drives without editing the path, so D:\Program Files is just the folder name
(although I whole-heartedly agree the FS9 directory should be just D:\FS9)

In that case, sam as I suggested above, just make all texture=urs in each [fltsim.xx]

[Hagar]

Just a thought. Which text editor are you using to edit Aircraft.cfg?