Elements of Starting a Paint Job

[Ron Attwood 3,465]

Wot he said. I looked at the Twotter and immediately thought 'Life's too short.'

Just re-read the thread and nowhere did I see any mention of ModelConverterX. How any can do paints without it I don't know. It's free too. L-L-LINK

[Leen3131cs 107]

?? Hi Ron.

Can you tell me what you actually do/can do with the program??
I downloaded the program and I can have a look at a 3D object, I cannot see it texturised, let alone paint on it.
The program reads X-Plane OBJ files.
How can I benefit it?

Cheers

Leen

[vgbaron 3,620]

I also wonder. I tried it mainly to view thumbnails as I was panting the a/c but the quality of the image was horrible.  I keep P3D running and use the aircraft selection view window.

If there's a more efficient way to check your steps visually as you go, I'd like to know about it.

Thanx,

Vic

[SubLogical 1]

Morning Jan

The more I learn about the subject the more I respect the validity of your advice and expect I will either go mad or be marginally successful over the next year or so.  But that's what has kept me so fascinated and interested in this hobby since the early 1980's ... from using a keyboard to fly out of Meigs to becoming a Center ATC controller and writing a sector file for Singapore airport and also designing my own airports and scenery etc, etc ... Fltsim has always presented a gigantic challenge and that is the reason it is my enjoyable addiction. 

Re the twotter paint kit I agree that it's beyond challenging and could have been drafted with a little more concern for beginners ... much more like the PMDG kit that has a "what's this" layer and many other features that seem so benevolent compared to staring blankly at the maze that the twotter kit presents!

I should confess that I'm a life long amateur photographer and am currently making Fltsim videos of the beautiful BC mountain scenery and use the Twotter because of her aptitudes for STOL and mountain flying ... and the real confession is that I want my ranch Logo's and colors on the plane I'm filming with which might help explain my apparent stubbornness in persevering with that plane.

I did find a very good series of beginner tutorials by MrTurbine777 that unfortunately for me don't include the Twotter but are an immense help in the artistry of the passion and usage of PS in creative repainting. I am not interested in copying existing airline paints ... that is cheating!!!!  

But I thank you for your interest and welcome any other helpful thoughts you may have, especially on the twotter.

Best,

Ken

 

[Ron Attwood 3,465]

9 hours ago, Leen3131cs said:

?? Hi Ron.

Can you tell me what you actually do/can do with the program??
I downloaded the program and I can have a look at a 3D object, I cannot see it texturised, let alone paint on it.
The program reads X-Plane OBJ files.
How can I benefit it?

Cheers

Leen

Crikey! I never thought I could tell you anything about painting.

Here's my modus operandi. First I make a folder in the aircraft I'm painting and call it 'texture.painting'. Then I sling all the PSD files in it and copy all the textures from the basic 'textures' folder and paste them in it.

Paint paint paint paint.

With ModelConverterX open navigate to the models folder of your subject and select the exterior mdl. That will load on MCX as a chequered model, Select from the drop down Livery box 'painting' your painted version will appear. Every time you make a change to the .dds or whatever click the double arrowed refresh button. I always hide the event log.

 

The second picture shows the remains of the previous paint and the beginnings(tail) of the latest one.

If that makes sense then you're a better man than I,  Gunga Din.

[Leen3131cs 107]

Thanks Ron,

I am still learning every day, I know a lot, the most I do not know..
I`l give the program a try.
Must say I think ( I am afraid )  it will not be of any help with X-Plane ( you know I am an X-Plane painter)

Let you know my findings asap.
 Cheers

Leen

 

 

[Leen3131cs 107]

Hi  Ron its me again,

 

I downloaded the program and had a look.
Must say I am not disappointed , I assumed the program not being suitable for X-Plane and must sadly say , its of no use for X-Plane. (except for buildings ! )

I hoped it was kinda program like FSRepaint giving the possibilty of actually painting on the 3D model.
FSRepaint is not really exiting as painting in Photoshop with FSRepaint is NOT real time painting. Its paint and reload.
FSRepaint only  works real-time on the model in Paint quality and is only usefull to explore a paint.

I understand real time painting is not possible in this program either.
Its a viewer alike many other viewers.
BUT is not suitable for X-Plane, for repainting planes.

Let me explain.
In FSX (P3D) we have a MDL file wich holds the 3D information of the model.
ModelConverterX is able to load a MDL file and the coupled textures.
X-Plane has no MDL files it has OBJ-files.
There we have a big problem.
One FSX plane has just one MDL file, in wich the whole airplane is situated.

An X-Plane aircraft is build up from various OBJ files.
E.G.  fuselage.OBJ  left-wing.OBJ , right-wing.OBJ, propellor.OBJ , landing-gear.OBJ and so on.

ModelConverterX  can load these individual OBJ files , but never shows us a complete aircraft.
In X-Plane a complete aicraft  has its definition in the ACF file ( building all OBJ files together )
Better said all OBJECTS fly together , leave one wing out and the plane flies with one wing.

ModelConverterX cannot read ACF files and show the plane

In fact we (X-Planeers) have a viewer built in X-Plane , called Planemaker , in wich we also can set values for all sorts of things. power centre of gravity cheer everything.
So the perfect viewer for X-Plane is always available.

I hoped for realistic real-time-painting in ModelConverterX, its not there.

I must tell you I NEVER use Planemaker , reloading the livery in X-Plane goes as fast and givea a much better impression of the works.
It simply shows the final result of the paintwork and thats crucial.

Spoken in general most viewers cannot give me the same level of detail as I can have in the simulator.
Painting for X-Plane is very complicated due to the fact we have to paint multiple objects wich have to join perfectly in the end.

Today I almost finished an extremely complicated livery. ( text corrections to go) 
Better said the Tartan is killing.
Tail and fuselage were two separate parts ( objects) and I had to create an almost 100% representation of a Loganair Saab.
On the rear of the plane there is a Tartan, not just a Tartan , its the original Tartan as shown on the real thing, in axactly the same position..
Its almost  finished and I am too................... hihihihhi.

Best regards and have a good Easter.

 

Yours

 

Leen

 

[Ron Attwood 3,465]

12 minutes ago, Leen3131cs said:

X-Plane is very complicated due to the fact we have to paint multiple objects wich have to join perfectly in the end.

That sounds like Milviz 310 Redux. 15 texture sheets! All to line up.

That's seriously good paint. Great work! Do you get that 'Finished!' feeling, then an hour later go back and notice something you missed? No? Just me then.

[Leen3131cs 107]

When I finished a paint I publish it.

When a paint has been published it always appears not to be finished.

Cheers

 

Leen