I downloaded the beautiful Cessna 310q found at http://www.simviation.com/fsnd/Downloads.htm only to find I have problems with it displaying in my setup.It states that DDS 2048x2048 textures are used and it has problems with lesser graphics cards. Well, I guess I'm one with an underpowered graphics card as I can't get the textures to show (see pic below). I have a Radeon X1950Pro, but with only 256mb video memory. I have 3GB system memory. I'm running the desktop at 1440x900 and run FSX in windowed mode (because of other addons).Anyway, I was wondering if anyone could tell me how to convert the textures down to 1024x1024 and any other files that need modifying so that it would appear correctly on my system. It's a truly lovely plane I'd love to be able to see it on my system.

havent you heard the new Cessnas' are equipped with cloaking devices ;)

I have the same problem. Until I find a way to convert the textures I have deleted it from FSX. I hope some texture expert will come on this thread and help us. Regards, Bob.

You can do it a few ways, here are two simple methods:In Photoshop:Open the files in Photoshop (you could use a demo version if you don't have the full one, demo available from www.adobe.com, runs for 30 days), go up to the 'Image' menu and choose 'Image size', tick all the constrain checkboxes and type in 1024px in the dimensions, make sure 'bicubic interpolation' is selected in the bottom drop down menu. Hit return and save the file by going to the file menu and choosing 'save' or simply hit Control+S.Note that many versions of Photoshop require a plug in to be placed in the application plug in folder to enable PS to read and save DDS files (you can get that plug in free from NVidia). Also note that DDS files invariably have mip maps, which means you may see an option asking you if you would like to open the mip map files when you open the textures in Photoshop, you should choose the 'no', option and when you have done the resize, when you hit save it will ask you if you want to generate new mip maps, and you should choose 'yes' in that instance. In Paint.net:Open the files in Paint.net (available free from www.getpaint.net) and go up to the 'Image' menu. Choose 'Resize' and type in your new required size. Choose 'save as' from the 'file' menu, and make sure file type is DDS (it should be, but check anyway), hit return and when the dialogue box pops up, make sure you check the 'mip maps' option.Stuff to consider:I think using Paint.net is preferable, especially if you don't have Photoshop, since paint.net takes about 30 seconds to download and install and runs forever, whereas Photoshop takes a lot longer than that, is only a demo, and takes up nearly 500 Mb on your drive, not including the downloaded installation file. Plus you'd probably have to faff around getting the plug in for it to enable it to open DDS files.Whatever way you choose to do it, for either Photoshop or Paint.net, it is possible to create a batch action that will do all your textures in one go, but if all you are doing is a conversion on just one set, then it's probably not worth the bother of doing that and you can just convert the textures one by one, as there will not be too many of them.Shout up if any of that is not clear, and before you do anything, make a back up copy of the textures, in case you mess something up.Hope that helps.Al

I converted only the 2048x2048 textures by opening them with DXTBmp, sending them to paint, stretch/scew to 50% and then closing paint (sends them back to DXTBmp) and saving them. Now the plane is a little less transparent, but still not right. Any ideas?

Well, strictly speaking it's the size of the texture based on how many pixels there are across and down for a set resolution that FS is using.I don't know the ins and outs of your particular issue, but I would presume you would only need to convert the textures that were presenting a problem, so long as you have determined that it is the fact that those at 2048 px that are causing the issue with your graphics card.Typically, as long as the proportions of a texture file remain the same (i.e square) you can use a fair variety of sizes for the texture file (256x256, 512x512, 1024x1024 etc) and all the different sizes mean is that the more pixels you use, the smaller the individual pixels will be when used to texture a model at a particular size, so the sharper it will look.With DDS textures, things go a stage further, since a DDS can include mip maps. Mip maps are progressively scaled down versions of the main texture. Your graphics card uses mip maps to scale the displayed image to smaller sizes and give it a sharper appearance when viewed at oblique angles if you have anisotropic filtering on. A DDS texture can do a better job of how things look in FS because some of the work the graphics card has to perform is already done for it by virtue of the fact that those mip maps are effectively 'pre scaled' versions of the texture, so your graphics card does not have to do so many calculations, but since there is more graphic information in a mip mapped image, graphics cards with limited memory can struggle, this is probably why your graphics card is having difficulty with 2048x2048px DDS trextures.Here is a DDS texture with the mip maps, which are the progressively smaller versions of the main image, going off to the right:Al

That transparency could be a limitation of the graphics card, and that might be tricky to fix, although you can try converting the textures to DXT format, instead of DDS, which might get around it.As an experiment, try turning the nav lights on or off and see if it affects their appearance, also try turning off 'advanced animations' in the FSX options. If it does, you may be experiencing something that is a limitation of older graphics cards with DDS textures. If you read my AVSIM review of First Class Simulation's Around the World in 80 Flights add on a while back, you will notice I mention this is an issue with the FSX version of the Lockheed Electra in that package, and I point out some things on the review which you can try if experiencing such an issue, but as FCS pointed out on their website, it is largely older graphics cards which can suffer it.Review here: http://www.avsim.com/pages/0309/FirstClass/80.htmLook about a third of the way down the review for some suggestions.Al

Advanced animations and Nav lights made no difference. While my graphics card is not the latest/greatest, it's not a bottom of the barrel either. I have give up for now and will try some more tomorrow. One thing I have a question about converting the files to DXT3, I will have to flip them all correct? I ask because the DDS files are upside down and I seem to remember reading something about having to flip the files if going from DDS to DXT.

Yup, you may indeed have to flip them.Al

I downloaded the beautiful Cessna 310q found at http://www.simviation.com/fsnd/Downloads.htm only to find I have problems with it displaying in my setup.It states that DDS 2048x2048 textures are used and it has problems with lesser graphics cards. Well, I guess I'm one with an underpowered graphics card as I can't get the textures to show (see pic below)....

For fun I tried to download this 310. I have a Graphics card with 1GB of memory and there's not been an add-on I haven't been able to try with it. I had the same problem with invisible textures, only in the external model. I suspect it's more than 2048x2048 textures (I have several add-ons with such textures). I would suggest contacting the author, perhaps the author may have compiled the model incorrectly.Regards,John

I went over it with the authors tonight and tried several different things including different texture sizes and formats. None of it worked. You can follow along at http://alrot.proboards.com/index.cgi?board...d=35&page=2 starting at reply #26. I posted several pictures. Oddly enough, the CitationX worked flawlessly inside and out. I'll keep that one and delete the Cessna310 (and Saab) and just use the default Baron when I want to fly a twin.

You might want to take a trip over to Just Flight later this week if you are on the lookout for a shiny new twin - their new Flying Club V2 Duchesss will be on sale in a couple of days.Al

You might want to take a trip over to Just Flight later this week if you are on the lookout for a shiny new twin - their new Flying Club V2 Duchesss will be on sale in a couple of days.Al

And of course the Carenado Seneca should be out soon as well. Always loved the way the Duchess looked IRL though, and the aircraft I took flight instruction in was also a T-Tail....

And of course the Carenado Seneca should be out soon as well. Always loved the way the Duchess looked IRL though, and the aircraft I took flight instruction in was also a T-Tail....

I still have and fly the Carenado Piper Dakota that was released for FS9 and updated for FSX. It's one of my favorite planes. I will keep an eye out for their Seneca.

OK yall' are going to have to forgive me. I already feel bad enough so I'll just repost my reply to the authors of this fine plane here.

Alejandro and Brett , I feel like such an &@($*. Last year I had moved my FSX installation to a new drive and I guess I never got around to installing sp2 again (though I did have sp1 installed). I've since installed several addons that require sp2 with no ill effects, but on a hunch today I decided to check the file knowing that it would be sp2. Right-click FSX.exe, properties and check the file version and low and behold, sp1 :(. I'm sorry for not double checking this and putting you two through all this. My sincerest apologizes. :'(Anyway, here she is in game:

She really is a beauty.