Hi guys i just installed FSX again today with SP2 as i had a number of planes not showing up in the with thumbnails in the menu. After installing again i just added some freeware jets like singapore A380 and its not showing up with a thumbnail so i would like to know a way i can fix this and i take it the steps that i use for this jet can be used on the othere ones as well. Also the A380 that has the 747 panel dont have sound so is there a file i can edit or use to get some sounds from this jet. The Qantas A380 with the same 747 panel has sound working.Regards Darryl

Some planes ship without thumbnails, especially FS9 imports. But it is simply a matter of finding a suitable picture, such as from a screenshot of the plane, using a paint app such as Windows Paint to crop a 2x1 selection from your picture and saving the result in your plane's texture folder as thumbnail.jpg. It doesn't matter how big it is (or the proportions either really) FSX will resize to suit the menu system.You can alias your A380 sound to any sound set you like which will be a lot easier than trying to setup a set of sounds.

[fltsim]alias=B737_800\sound //for the default B737 for example, or the path to any other sound set you like.

Copy this bit of code into a text editor such as Windows Notepad, and save the file in the Sound folder of your aircraft as sound.cfg. Let us know how you get on.

You might also want to try the following little utility - available at Flightsim.com - which makes thumbnails automatically for you.Name: autothum.zip Size: 137,991 Date: 02-07-2007 Downloads: 1,642 FSX Autothumbnail. Automatically generates a thumbnail file for the currently flying aircraft. The image (shown in the "select aircraft" menu) is based on a screen capture. Public Domain.I find it a very handy utility to have.

Thanks for that i have the thumbnail and sound all working now, looking that the othere sound.cfg it has [fltsim] alias=B737_400\sound and thats a jet i dont have so it explains why i didn't have sound.And looking at the panel.cfg file i take it its just the same to change the panel over as well just with like alias=B737_800\panelAnd thumbnail works as well now thanks to you highmike.Ill look at getting FSX Autothumbnail as well as i do have one more thats missing its thumbnail so i can try it out on that one.Thanks Darryl

When does auto thumbnail take a snapshot and add it to the aircraft directory. I do have it installed correctly but wnat to know how to make it work.bha19

When does auto thumbnail take a snapshot and add it to the aircraft directory. I do have it installed correctly but wnat to know how to make it work.bha19

If the utility was successfully installed, when you start up FSX you will get a DOS screen indicating the program is running (in the background) and has connected to FSX.That DOS screen can be minimized - but do NOT close it.Now when you are in Fly Now mode, a new entry will have been added to the Addons option on the Menu bar at the top of your screen (when in windowed mode or when made visible with your Alt key).After you have obtained a "view" of the aircraft which you wish to use as a thumbnail, simply click on the Gen. thumbnail option in that Addons list - see screenshot. A thumbnail will be generated and be automatically placed in the correct texture folder.

The only menu options I have areflights aircraft world options views helpI have no tools or addons.I know when I installed the program I got the security warning and clicked yes. Now that you mention it I did not get a dos screen to minimize Could it be my Microsoft net framework is different. I have version 3.5 sp1 that came with vista.bha19

I run XP so have no idea if the program works with Vista or not.In any case you obviously did not get a proper installation.Did you try to install it running the install program as adminstrator?You may need to turn off UAC also -Start -> Control Panel -> User Accounts and turn off UAC (User Account Control)

Autothumbnail needs an entry in exe.xml (file in same folder as fsx.cfg) like this:

	<Launch.Addon>		<Disabled>False</Disabled>		<ManualLoad>False</ManualLoad>		<Name>Autothumbnail</Name>		<Path>E:\Flt_Sim\Autothumbnail\Autothumbnail.exe</Path>	</Launch.Addon>

scott s..

True - but a proper installation automatically does that for the user. At least it did for me.NOTE: If the OP want to manually create that entry, be sure the path is correct - the sample showed it on the E drive which may not be where yours is.

No luck I tried a fresh install with and without UAC but it still will not load. I do have a exe file with exactly what is stated I need in my appdata>roaming>microsoft>fsx directory. By the way I am using fsx deluxe sp2bha19

No luck I tried a fresh install with and without UAC but it still will not load. I do have a exe file with exactly what is stated I need in my appdata>roaming>microsoft>fsx directory. By the way I am using fsx deluxe sp2bha19

On my XP system I am using FSX Deluxe with SP1 only - would not think that should make a difference however.Did you check to see if the autothumbnail.exe file actually exists?Mine is in C:\Program Files\Autothumbnail\Autothumbnail.exeHere also is a copy of my exe.xml for comaparison to yours - use Notepad to view it on your system..<SimBase.Document Type="Launch" version="1,0"><Descr>Launch</Descr><Filename>EXE.xml</Filename><Disabled>False</Disabled><Launch.ManualLoad>False</Launch.ManualLoad><Launch.Addon><Disabled>False</Disabled><ManualLoad>False</ManualLoad><Name>Autothumbnail</Name><Path>C:\Program Files\Autothumbnail\Autothumbnail.exe</Path> </Launch.Addon></SimBase.Document>Hope that might help.

I have exactly what you have and still no luck. I have auto thumbnail in my program files. My C: drive is actually labeled winvista (c:) but I dont think that makes a difference in the .exe does it? Also just to be safe I copied and pasted you text which looked just like mine but on fewer line to see if that was the trouble, but that did not fix it.bha19