SubLogical

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

Thanks jankees ... I'll gratefully take all the luck I get blessed with but in the interim I've repainted the Otter (on a blow up picture) which is a clumsy endeavor but it has been very helpful in getting started in PS as well as providing a shakedown on the color scheme and logo's layout choices as I can see the results before tackling the Paint Kit. The kit , which is advertised as "easy", looks like anything but easy and I'm currently groping around the internet for a tutorial that helps one get started in using them. Hopefully I'll find the keys to learning the art form and won't have to rely on luck but I'm not giving odds on any bets Ken

The "Moderator" has spoken! And I do apologize for the exposition of my nonsensical and spendthrift behavior on this forum ...

Some thoughts for any struggling new painters like me that might tune in to this thread:- 1) After looking over the available software programs I made what I think is obviously the best decision and signed on with PhotoShop ... it seems expensive but clearly the value is light years ahead for this work and once you get comfortable with using it, you will be both amazed and probably more successful in this art form over the long haul. I worked for years with PS Elements but it's not in the same league. 2) Learning PS is going to be a challenge but it has plenty of tutorials and mercifully when you get stuck for answers on how to use it in a specific situation ... just "google it" ... "HOW TO separate an image from its background" was a problem I couldn't figure out until "Wiki-how" did it in diagram format for PS and ended my nightmare. I'd like to google Google "How did we make it this far without them? I'm not sure you could get that kind of backup with the free software. 3) My first re-paint will be on a Twin Otter using Aerosoft's paint kit (and breaking open a paint kit is a frightening experience ... figuring out how to move beyond just starring at it, I'll have to figure out later ) but I went looking at "Airplane" sites on the internet for a picture of an Otter that I could start practice-painting over to get an idea of what colors might work and also further my Photoshop education by doing at the same time. It's a great way to get your toes wet. 4) Lots of painting tutorials available on the internet and for certain you're bound to pick up some hints but my conclusion is these delightful and generous efforts are mostly presented by great painters but poor teachers ... of course I do admit to being a slow learner . Keep 'er going! Ken

Much appreciated jankees ... My first project is a Twin Otter and I've been staring blankly at the Paint-kit so kindly provided by Aerosoft wondering where and how to strike first. Most of the kits I've seen so far have been for large tubeliners and present a large target "side-on" to throw paint at but this kit is not so easy to understand ... with the various parts all "scrunched" together. I may have to find a painter who has already mastered this bird to tell me how best to start it ... and then pay him to finish it

I just watched a You Tube that answered perfectly my plea for a kick start ... got lucky! If you're in my position this would be a good place to start ...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_O6LuzfLk4g Now to learn how to paint ... Ken

Ron, you've been reading my mail ....

I haven't managed a lift-off on a repaint yet and my biggest problem seems to lie in the initial preps to set up the start of the project. I have the Paint Kit (Aerosoft Otter), the DXTBMP file converter, a copy of SketchBook and Paint.net, a fairly good idea of how I want to re-paint the Otter but what do I do first and next ? Is there a good starter tutorial you might recommend that covers the moves you should or have to make before you reach for the paint bucket? I saw one fellow go straight to the Airplane.cfg and make a copy of a plane and set it up as what I guessed was going to be his paint target, I'm not sure if he took the Paint Kit files , exploded them from the Paint kit and changed them to DDS files after or before he started the painting, and when did the flattening occur ... etc, etc. I am not afraid of the actual painting ( I do a lot of photography and editing ) but the terminology and opening moves send me running to my wife for sympathy and protection when sit down to start A direction to the kindergarten area would be very much appreciated. Ken

Many thanks for the prompt reply Nico ... you were embarrassingly right on both issues. Many years ago when I was programming I always found the code easier to write than the instruction manual ... it was difficult to outwit the users ability to find the bugs Now that I'm up and running it's time to convey compliments for your masterful effort which is so generously passed along to the rest of us. I can't imagine a more enjoyable hobby that I lucked into as a Christmas present when Bruce Artwick was about to sell FS to Microsoft. All the best, Ken

I'm stumped on how to get the Parking features working ... no planes show up at any of the airports including the larger ones:- 1) I mainly fly the smaller airports so I set the minimum spaces to "5" but it won't retain that minimum and according to the log re-sets to the default of "10". I click the save button just to make sure but no deal! 2) The ParkPos shows the airports I'm interested in with their parking data but no planes so I must be missing a switch?

Hi Vic, Many thanks for the feed back ... you're right but I found that out during a session with Nvidia regarding the FPS drop issue. They re-installed the latest driver and it cured the shadow play in the process but did nothing for the FPS issue which I now believe to be a P3d matter. Anyway for my edification Nvidia told me to always do a "custom" driver upgrade, check all the boxes except 3D (if you're not using it) and be sure to check the box to "remove old driver". Best, Ken

I have just finished installing the latest Hot Fixes for P3d ver 3.4x without a full re-install and everything seemed to go well. But, I have some new bugs that have me baffled ... 1) I have developed the 50% "FPS drop" disease caused when Un-docking panels and placing them on another monitor and nobody else seems to have this problem ... as I can't find the reason I'll try Nvidia to see if they have a fix ... it's something new! 2) A strange pair of Icons now inhabit my screen on startup and flight and I don't think it's any of my add-ons but before I resort to a full P3d re-install I thought someone might have a simpler suggestion. See the pic file attached. Ken https://www.dropbox.com/s/7ewhf4l6tk48vlu/P3d odd symbols.png?dl=0

Well done Bryan! "Check your 2D window transparency option in P3D isn't set to full transparent..." That was the problem ... I intentionally set that to "0" as I wrote a Camera that I used for a "full" outside cockpit view and it not only removed the 2D dash but all the 2D addons. Many thanks for your persistence and great detective work. Best, Ken

Bryan, Just to let you know the View's menu addons are now stored in Vehicle --> Instrument Panel where I tried to light up FS2 with no luck. Ken

Hi Bryan, No good news! Re-install went well and Q400Voice.gau installed into Gauges properly. On first attempt to start FS2 Crew using the "N" key I noticed a millisecond flash outline of what I suspect was the main panel's attempted load and then all further attempts produced no activity. The panel.cfg contains the 4 FS2 Window titles and their windows with matching numbers and my guess is that it's correct code. Majestic are interested in this problem and are standing by for a report from me and I will confirm that so far the problem continues to eludes us. It may be that they have some ideas worth trying. Of interest is that the program worked fine in the past and only failed after the P3d update and the latest Q400 modifications. Perhaps you should standby until I can get their opinion as it seems there's not much more you can add at this point. I'll keep you posted, Many thanks, Ken