Need help on adding Textures to aircraft please

[PhantomTweak]

D:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\FS2004 is there the game resides.

Same place as prior to reinstall, all aircraft WERE easily and quickly modifyable.
After install, problm arises.

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

TxtEdit ------- Version 4.5.2

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

Bear in mind this is ANY aircraft I try to edit now. Not ONLY the SPartan. ALL my Owen Hewitt Bell 206B III Jetranger folder airfcraft (2 folders many aircraft, all B206B_III from Mr. Hewitt) vanished when I tried to edit the Megapack ones only. They are in two separate folders, but the only real difference, not counting ui_variation= , is that one folder was ui_type=206B III Jetranger for the megapack folder, and ui_type=206B Jetranger III. I split them off because it seemes like people who do textures for Mr. Hewitt's B206B III use one or the other. And there are SO bloody many....
ANYHOW...I drift...

I don't know yet. I have to help clean the fish tank today so we can reinitialze that. Total stripdown, scrub and restart. No fish atm so no worries there...But I will see this evening, one way or t'other and post the result. Thank you for the idea!

BTW: I reinstalled FS9 right back into the same folder (see above) as the one I uninstalled. I used teh boxed disk to uninstall and reinstall, but the folder remained after uninstall, so i just reused it. Could THIS be the problem? Should I just uninstall, delete alll that remains afterwards, make a new folder and install into that? Be just as easy to make it D:\FS9...?
And a gentle reminder: I am using Win Vista Home Premium as an OS. It's what came with the comp, and you know how twitchy Dell computers can be about OS installed...Rather not go through changing it atm...

Please feel free to keep prizing info outta me, SOMEthing has to give eventually! Use a crowbar if it helps, or a nice tug from a carrier....Heck, at this point I am open (pun intended here) to trepannation!

Off to clean fish poop and hardwater deposits...
Pat☺

[Hagar]

Bear in mind this is ANY aircraft I try to edit now. Not ONLY the SPartan.

I understand that. It's the reason I asked about your text editor. Please try using Notepad. It's what I've always used with no problems.

I'm sure this is something very simple.

[paly]

Well, it all depends how much grief you are prepared to put up with, but my 2 cents?
Vista was/is possibly the worst Windows ever. Don't use it if you don't have to.
Windows 3.11 + Windows 95 + Windows XP = Windows 7 !! == possibly the only OS you'll need until at least 2020
Plus Windows 7 is a painless install / upgrade, it really is...
...but, it's money. Your call...

It is beginning to sound like a file writing / cache problem though - I'm all out of advice. :-/

[PhantomTweak]

OK tried the trusty ol' Notepad. no change. Same symptoms.

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

trying now, willl know soon....

It is beginning to sound like a file writing / cache problem though - I'm all out of advice. :-/

No worries! I sincerly appreciate the time and thought you have put into this so far! Hagar tooo, please believe that


so, far I too am
Pat☺

[Hagar]

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

TxtEdit ------- Version 4.5.2

Here's my reasoning. If I understand the situation correctly the problem occurs whenever you edit Aircraft.cfg. This affects all aircraft, not only the Spartan. The only common denominator I can think of is the format of the saved file. With an advanced text editor like TxtEdit it's possible to save an edited file in various different formats, some of which include code when saving. Here's an example of the Spartan Aircraft.cfg edited in TxtEdit & saved in Rich Text Format when viewed in Notepad.

{\rtf1\ansi\deff0{\fonttbl{\f0\fnil Courier New;}}
\viewkind4\uc1\pard\lang2057\f0\fs22 [fltsim.0]\par
title = Executive VC\par
sim = mspartan\par
model = vc\par
panel = vc\par
sound =\par
texture = urs\par
panel_alias =\par
sound_alias =\par
kb_checklists =\par
kb_reference = spartan_ref\par
atc_id =\par
atc_id_color =\par
atc_parking_types =\par
atc_parking_code =\par
ui_manufacturer = Spartan\par
ui_type = Executive-VC\par
ui_variation = Original\par
description = Spartan Executive-VC\par
\par

As you can see, the file is corrupt. However, if opened in TxtEdit it looks perfectly normal.

[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

This would explain why the aircraft is no longer listed in FS2004.

Notepad is included with all versions of Windows & is a plain text editor ideal for editing CFG files. I recommend associating the CFG file extension with it so you can open a CFG file in Notepad by double-clicking on it. After editing is finished exit Notepad saving changes when prompted. I'm certain this will fix your problem.

[PhantomTweak]

Holy Cats!
I strongly suspect you of genius, Hagar.

No, no, no denying it now!!

I will immediately if not sooner switch, and give it a try!
Thanx!
Pat☺

[Hagar]

I hope this means the problem is fixed.

I've been called a lot of things in my time but genius is not one of them.

[tgibson]

Usually the only final solution is moving FS and all FS programs outside of any Program Files folder, then using the Flight1 Registry Fix program to point the registry to the new location.