Question about paintkits...

[todayshorse]

Ok this is the problem im having at the moment, maybe someone knows the correct procedure!

The paint kit comes with the usual .psd's plus an extra one which is a side view of both sides the fuselage, full length.

If i paint the usual psd's, which i have been doing, i can get everything almost spot on to what i want, apart from the details like cargo door lines and bits and pieces which no longer show through as the layers do not allow me to paint 'underneath' them. Even if i lower the opacity, as then the colour im using isnt right!

The full fuselage however, has many layers, and i can paint 'underneath' everything, and have all the details then put back, so they show on top of my paint.

Thing is i cant see what use this has as i cannot use the full fuselage in the actual textures, unless i cut it up and paste it into the normal .psd's over the fuselage sections that are already there.

Seems long winded and a slightly odd way to do things, why not just layer the normal psd's in the same way?

Or is the cutting and pasteing onto the sections of fuselage the way to do it?

Or am i missing somthing simple here?

[garryrussell]

It certainly would be easier to have both fully layered and I don't know why some are done that way

You easiest would be to paint the entire fuse as it has all the layers and you can line things up correctly

Then cut and paste the sections into the seperate maps.

[todayshorse]

Cheers Garry, so it is acceptable to do this with the full fuselage sections?

I can get everything lined up perfect with this rather than cutting my bits out and pasting them onto other sections and hoping they line up, which they mostly do but its infuritating when they dont!!

I can also match the colours better this way as i can alter the full lot in one go rather than several sections.

I did wonder what the full fuselage psd files were for and had sort of figured this, it just seemed a weird way to do it!

The usual psd files have layers, but they dont let me get as much detail as with the full fuselage psd, so i guess everyone must do the same as the repaints ive looked at for the same aircraft have all the details and i cannot see how this is possible on the normal psd section files.

Unless i can create new layers but that seems counter productive when they are already there in the full fuselage sections!!!

I guess the problem now becomes cutting out the exact same sections and putting them exactly as per the originals!

Thanks for your prompt and helpful reply once again

[garryrussell]

NP

When you move the sections into their separate fuse files, first make a copy and flatten or re save the entire fuse as a BMP.....(keep your PSD) intact and then all will be on one layer.

Move the section in and reduce the opacity of your new section to about 60-70 percent

Then you can see the lines underneath to position accurately.

When you see that all is in the correct place (use arrow keys with SHIFT or CTRL)  changed the opacity back to 100.


The entire fuse is very useful when you want to create dirt layers and other things where they run from one to another.

Tapered livery stripes are tricky if you are trying to work on sections.

When you get used to putting the sections back in it will become an easy way to work.

[Dr.bob7]

If your painting an add-on paintkits are wonders but if its a default i can save you alot of time


go to DXTBMP and open a default aircraft and select the file with the T in it, save it to the desktop as a 24 bit bitmap paint it make a new folder and save as a DDS file

[todayshorse]

Ive done a bit of testing on the default aircraft, with good results. However, ive not worked with DDS files - im using fs2004 - so i dont know if they will work will they?

Ive succesfully used the full fuselage method, however im a little out on some of the lining up now!!!!

But it was easier as all the blues are now the same blues because i can alter more at once....

Anyway, the concept works, just need to sort out a better way of moving the new sections over the old ones.....ctrl+t then moving them about is tricky even with the opacity low so i can see though them!

Also, is there a way of painting one side of the fuselage then duplicating it on the other? easily???

[garryrussell]

If you've reduced the opacity you should have been able to see the lines underneath and line it up..then put the opacity back

Anything you want to put on the other side just duplicate that layer and move it to the right position flipping it if the mapping needs it

BTW DDS makes no difference to creating the base paint....always use a kit if you have one it's far easier and more precise.

In either case you are turning it to BMP and working in a PSD.

DDS has extra functions but that is not important now

Are you in FS.9 or FS.X?

[todayshorse]

Im using fs9.

And further investigations reveal my lining up is correct using the opacity method, my paint line was out by the smallest fraction on one of the fuslage sides and it ruined the lot!!!!

Despite copying the first paint over to the second half of the fuselage!

Ill try the duplicate method next!

Blimey this is the most frustrating thing ive ever done First i get the lines right but my colours are a little out, now i can get the colours but my lines are out!

I need a beer and a cigarette, then try again!

[garryrussell]

OK

DDS is only for FS.X.

Just experiment a bit

And take a regular break.....you can't do anything that can't be put right.


The frustration will pass and then you will be on a flyer

[todayshorse]

Totally redid the whole thing, now shes looking good!

Still some slight issues on lining things up, the otherside, the rear section is ever so slightly out...not sure how to solve this, they sure look lined up on the psd's when im doing it!!!

Also learning how the paint works on various bits of the aircraft. Some of the underneath is 'too bright' but i think this is a simple fix with contrast and things like that!.

Redid the lettering on the fuselage-took some libertys with the actual placement as to how the fuselage sections are cut up, it was really a pain to get the lettering to meet up correctly!!

Overall, its coming along nicely

[garryrussell]

Sure is coming on nicely

As to the lining up...models have slight misaligns and distortions

You need to put those distortions into the paint

So if the rudder shifts the logo down by a pixel the the paint needs the rudder area shifted up a pixed to make it straight.

It is how it looks on the model not the PSD

So check out why it's not lining up and look at that area alone it might just be a small area

And use the arrow key to shift then you know how much and what direction you are shifting it.