PMDG Livery Paint Tutorial for FSX & FS9

[Turbine777 13]

Also, I tried my hand at the PMDG B1900C. Obviously a different process. Looks like you just save as BMP. But unless I zoom way in, the texture looks silver (like unpainted aluminum--see the tail on this--the whole paint looks like that if I zoom out). Any idea for how to fix that? Thanks!! This is tons of fun!!

Hi David, The problem with all of them is the Alpha channel. I can see now more of the problem with the night pix on the 747. I don't have the B1900C but the shiny silvery look sounds like FS9 how it works with Alpha's as I see with the MD-11. The darker the Alpha Channel in this case, the more shine. Check out the Alpha section and make sure to check existing textures (known working, usually default PMDG planes). FS9 requires some extra steps I listed also in the tutorial and they are different depending which program you're using (Imagetool or DXTBmp). Glad you're having fun even though at times it can be frustrating. It only gets more fun, that I promise :)

[Turbine777 13]

Just wanted to share something I installed today I thought was pretty great for painters. It allows you to see your DDS files (and pretty much any other image file type, like PSD, Targa etc...) as thumbnails.You install it and reboot, then when exploring your aircraft files you will see a semi transparent view of each file making finding something your looking for much easier for beginners and advanced alike. Nvidia also has a similar program but it doesn't work on 64bit OS's and this does with no problems.http://mysticcoder.net/mysticthumbs/

[Turbine777 13]

I am trying to draw curved stripes on an airplane (JS41). Any tips or tricks for drawing stripes that are curved? Thanks!

The best tool for it is the "Pen" Tool. The pen tool takes a little to get use to, but you should experiment with it since it is the best way. The points you create with the Pen tool can be modified later also which makes it a pretty powerful and beneficial tool. There are a few tutorials out there just on it. I actually think there is more to the Pen tool than any other. The only other thing I could say is to either use a combination of other selection tools like the Elipticall Marquee tool, and add to the selection with a Lasso tool. You could also grab your curve off of a picture. To do this you would bring a picture with the curve you want into PS, then make a selection of the curve (normally it us a color so I just use the wand tool), then drag and drop your selection into your other image,,, then save the selection or fill it with a color so you can make a selection with it later (so you would shut its visibility off and just use it for CTRL+Clicking to make a selection with as needed).Hope this helps.You can also post a screen shot of what your trying to create for a curve if you'd like and I better advise ya.

[klm251 62]

Am about to start this thing :) Dan couldt ya check your email? :)Johan Ketting

[andymax00 0]

Hi guys!I

[andymax00 0]

Never mind

[Turbine777 13]

Never mind

[snwboardn 87]

Another thing to watch out for using photoshop is it doesn't play nicely with Antivirus software. Whenever I attempted to edit an alpha channel with effects or turn something into a smart object Photoshop came back with a warning box "could not complete the convert for smart filters because of a program error." I disabled ESET real time system protection and it fixed it. So just in case anyone else has that problem... This tutorial is par none and should be read by anyone interested in painting. I use "Cargo Pilot" so making your own fleet of special aircraft that you painted is yourself is very gratifying. I really enjoyed the tutorial on Alpha textures, I had always seem them and thought that I never could make a light look as realistic as other people so I would try to lasso what they did, but with a lasso, a fill, a gradient from white to grey and then a blurr I had an alpha channel that I thought looked better! Well done!

[Turbine777 13]

Thanks for the kind words. I'm glad it worked well for you and that you could follow the Alpha Channel section ok. I think writing that section was the worst since every time I reread it with the outlook of a new painter I felt that I would be somewhat lost. I rewrote that section several time, haha.Oh, and thanks for the Anti-virus tip, I'm sure that will come in handy for several painters to come.

[Turbine777 13]

Strange, any particular reason this is no longer pinned? Not a huge deal in any way, but would clear up a discussion with myself and one of the Avsim Administrators.I volunteered it to the new tutorial system and it then became unpinned as well as someone altered it which I am currently having a hard time understanding why.

[Turbine777 13]

What was altered? My guess why it was unpinned because PMDG is making some room for some upcoming "posts" if you know what I mean. :) There was also another post that was unpinned that Robert had post. I think the "Shows a lil leg" or whatever that post was called

A couple of things have been removed, my guess is by Avsim admin. I figured also that is why it got unpinned but it would be a pretty big cooincedence since it happened the same time it was linked to the new Avsim tutorial system and again, would clear up my discussion in another place with one of the Admins. Either way, I think I'm entitled an answer from whomever edited the tutorials content and due to all the effort it would have been nice to treat their contributors with more respect to at least have tossed me a PM, but hey, that's just me. Let's just say, lesson learned.

[fourpoints37 0]

777, I would like to thank you for this post . I was trying to learn how to paint and found alot of tutorials that have a video attached that says "do it like this" , you then have to watch a video with some stupid music playing . The video doesn't explain anything and runs through 100+ mph (again stupid). Seems just people trying to show off more than teach. I was really thinking about giving up, when I found your post on the PMDG forums. Sir, Ican't thank you enough for that post , as it litterly taught me how to paint and have completed two and am now working on a third. I know that took some real time and effort to put that together, and it seems to me that wow, there are still some people in the world willing to help others. Again THANK YOU. I do have a question for you though. I am trying to "chrome" the trim rings on my 747F,747-8i and cannot figure it out , and was wondering if you could enlighten me. Again I tryed looking on-line but all the posts I found were for "text". I look forward to hearing from you soon and by the way I like beer as well(MMM BEEER). Fourpoints37@comcast.net Frank Hermann

[Turbine777 13]

Hi Frank, Glad you found the tutorial useful, you made my day. Knowing it helps teach people was of course the primary goal, but a lot of people see its length and shy away, congrats on sticking through it and I'm really glad to see you found it and it helped you! I agree about video tutorials. As I mentioned in an earlier post, it would take hours and hours of video tutorials to do it at a pace that allowed learning and most of the videos I see are like you mentioned and more of a "Look how fast I can do it" type of thing.As for the "chrome" look. Well to be honest I haven't played much with this until recently. I have been experimenting and have got a good metallic look but shiny chrome is a different story. The best results I found from doing google searches on "Mirror pictures". I look at the photos and try to see what gives the silver look. I think we all at first think it must be a silver or silver gradient but my best results were either a blue to black gradient or white to black. It really depends on what is being painted. In your case it will probably be a white (or light blue, very light) to black gradient and you shouldn't need to adjust the alpha channel. For other liveries you might need to add a dark grey to black alpha adjustment to give the shine you want. I actually was exchanging emails not too long ago with Hodge1 (Jim H) on this for the JS41 props. My last attempt for the chrome look was just for the Reg # for the 911 Tribute. I wasn't happy with anything since unless the sun light was right on it, it just looked white. What I did there was just take an image of shiny metal and "Clip" it to the numbers "911". I did the tail and nose wheel with different images. I then just took a soft black brush and made a couple accents here and there to better give the illusion of metal.I hope this helps and thank you Frank for the feedback! I look forward to seeing your paints!

[Turbine777 13]

Hello again peoples,,, I just want to ask that people please post their questions here rather than PM/Email me. One of the main points to have this as a post is to allow user feedback and questions and answers. I love to answer all paint related questions and have never left anyone without a resolution that has contacted me, but 99% of the questions I get are repetitive and would serve each of us a lot more to be posted and answered here, thanks.

[TMoney10583 1]

First and foremost, to anyone that wants to get into using paintkits: USE THIS TUTORIALI happened on this (THANK GOD) a week or so ago, and I am now on my 3rd repaint. I knew NOTHING about adobe photoshop. And when I mean noting I mean NOTHING. I DLed the free trial for kicks and when it told me that I only have 30 days I had to act fast. I called a friend over who knows photoshop, and even then she pretty much taught me nothing. I then went on to the youtube channels looking for paintkit repaints, and as stated above, its some guy trying to show off his skills and still, I learned nothing.THEN I found this tutorial, and it changed my life................(in making custom skins that is)The thing that I love about it is Dan assumes the reader knows NOTHING about photoshop, which for me helped. And if you do know the ins and outs of photoshop, well then it will be a quicker read. Literally start from the first sentence and follow it to the very end, and I GUARANTEE you will have a Cargolx Italia skin for your 747-400FDan, I have a question. What is the best way to make a metalic finish, like the Cathay pacific bare metal livery.Also, as you told me earlier about CS5's inability to save the files as a .dds, you should include that in the begining maybe letting the reader know that cs3 is preferred. And if you did say that and I missed it I will gladly stop talking now.In closing, if you are serious about learning, then this is your one stop. Also it doesnt only gear to fsx, the tips and tricks section can also be used in personal use with photos.Good job Dan, and I hope everyone that uses this enjoys and posts their work, because I know that I now have a new hobby (and less flying time... :-( but untill I buy photosop i'll make due...), and once im done with everything will definetly be putting my work on the freeware sites for many to enjoythanksTim Steele