Not sure if anyone can help.I'm trying to do a repaint for my VA using the supplied paint kit. The standard of my livery contains a 'swoosh' that goes right up the side.Now in order to do this, I tend to make a mock-up of the whole side fuselage, place a layer on with this artwork, and then cut it back up again.The problem I have with this, is that I can't seem to get the front, rear and tail to line up on the supplied files.Hope someone can help me out with this please. I want to add this great model to my existing lineupThanks

Hello,I think it would be easier to help you if you could show a screenshot of your "problem"...:)GreetingsTim

Well this is an example of my liveryI therefore make up a mock of the whole fuselage from supplied paintkit files, lining up the 3 sections. I'll line the rear section up to match the front and then bring in the tail, but I can't seem to see where the panels join.Otherwise, how it is, I don't know how I'm going to get the 'swoosh' going up the side to match up on the front and rear section.

Sorry can anyone help?How do you guys manage to line the front and back fuselage up without making a temp mockup of the fuselage?

By trial and error, basically, Stuart (is it Stuart?). You can line up the two bitmaps on your screen to get things approximately in the right place, and then just test, test, test. I am forever checking my own paints in the sim as I go, having FS running in the background. Some people are content to do everything within GMAX or FSRepaint, perhaps, but I like to see how colours, shading and reflectivity works in the sim itself, given all the different lighting possibilities.Does this answer your question? There's really no other way, I think, although your idea of making a temp mockup is an interesting one. At the end of the day, though, I can't see that you'll get the precision you need with that method.MarkEDIT: I might add that attempting curved lines such as you have there in your livery is not easy! Good MAAM-SIM paints are not done in a day! But you'll feel very satisfied when you get it right.Mark "Dark Moment" BeaumontVP Fleet, DC-3 AirwaysTeam Member, MAAM-SIM[a href=http://www.swiremariners.com/cx.html" target="_blank]http://www.paxship.com/avsimlogo.jpg[/a]

yeah think I will have to do that. Kind of lined up front and rear, but just can't work out the tail.I've used Photoshop for the last 14 years for my work, so work on everything in layers in photoshop.Must admit most do work that way and find it very useful. I'll just keep trying

Ah yes, the tail. Well, by looking closely at the model in the sim (easy with Active Camera, difficult without) you can see exactly where the join is relative to the bitmaps.One method Jan Visser recommended to me to line things up quickly, which I have never used, being a dork, is to put a grid of coloured squares and numbers on your bitmap, temporarily saved, which you can then examine in FS to see what meets where. Might help. Here's an example of what I mean:http://forums.avsim.net/user_files/165481.jpgMarkMark "Dark Moment" BeaumontVP Fleet, DC-3 AirwaysTeam Member, MAAM-SIM[a href=http://www.swiremariners.com/cx.html" target="_blank]http://www.paxship.com/avsimlogo.jpg[/a]

I've used a version of that technique before. Usually painting entire surfaces different colors to see how they line up. Its excellent if you have a model with some tricky curves and you just cant get the alignment right. That thing of Jans looks like an eye chart! However, he can paint with the very best, so must be a good tool!Eric

I have used your method a few times Eric, yes. For example, with the MAAM-SIM aircraft, different models have different textures sources for the small stuff in some instances. r4d_entrance.bmp contains a wealth of littl'uns, like astrodome surrounds, the sides of steps, treads of steps, etc. If you paint all the different texture areas pink, yellow, bright green, and so on, you soon find out what's what!MarkMark "Dark Moment" BeaumontVP Fleet, DC-3 AirwaysTeam Member, MAAM-SIM[a href=http://www.swiremariners.com/cx.html" target="_blank]http://www.paxship.com/avsimlogo.jpg[/a]

Eric, you have some real beauties there. How about painting our 3's or B-25? I'd love to add some of your liveries to the Free Stuff page.Bill RambowMAAM-SIM http://www.fssupport.com/maam/hgrsm_blkani.gif

Yep, Eric, it would be fun to see what you could do with our bare metal skin... you're a bit of an expert at that stuff :)MarkMark "Dark Moment" BeaumontVP Fleet, DC-3 AirwaysTeam Member, MAAM-SIM[a href=http://www.swiremariners.com/cx.html" target="_blank]http://www.paxship.com/avsimlogo.jpg[/a]

ok got mine coming along. Just need to find the root of the rear tail above the fuselagehttp://forums.avsim.net/user_files/165743.jpg

Hello Stuart,> Just need to find the root of the rear tail above the fuselageDo you mean this area?:http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q108/Tim-HH/fuse.jpgLook here :) :http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q108/Tim-HH/fuse2.jpgGreetingsTim

yeah have tried thishttp://forums.avsim.net/user_files/165744.jpg

Depends which model you're using. On later models, it's here:http://forums.avsim.net/user_files/165745.jpgMarkMark "Dark Moment" BeaumontVP Fleet, DC-3 AirwaysTeam Member, MAAM-SIM[a href=http://www.swiremariners.com/cx.html" target="_blank]http://www.paxship.com/avsimlogo.jpg[/a]