How to Repaint Textures in FS2004/FSX (Best Software)

Here some the most efficient applications to edit texture files in fs2004/FSX. Microsoft Flight Simulator is a game which, as the name clearly suggests it, simulates flight plans. In order for this to be closer to reality, aside from sound and the plane panel, it is important to have well-rendered textures.For those coming from the IL2 series, creating a new skin, or 'repaint', for FS2004 is not the straight forward process that many are used to. There are some extra steps required relating to file compression, mip maps, and alpha layers, but the effort is rewarded with opportunity for more detailed artistry. This article will focus on those steps and how the techniques can be used in creating a new livery. Before getting into the processes in detail, I'll take a moment to talk about the programs required for this article, ImageTool and DXTBmp.

 1. DXTBmp

DXTBmp provides FS (Flight Simulator) fans with 8/16/24/32 bit and DXT Extended manipulation for multiple versions of this game, starting from the 2000 one and above, as well as Combat Flight Simulator 2 and 3.

As the 2000 edition of the game introduces various new texture formats, alongside transparency variations, DXTBmp enables you to load Extended Bitmap, DDS textures or Targa with Alpha files as well as any other compatible and convertible file type. Additionally, the supported save formats bring the ACE DXT1 texture to the table.

2. Imagetool

Imagetool is a utility developed by Microsoft, and is included with the FS2004 Gmax gamepack. Information about how to locate this gamepack is avaliable here. This gamepack is designed for developers using gmax to create addons for FS2004, and enabled the export of 3D models in compatible formats. However, once the gamepack is installed our interest will only be in Imagetool, which can be found at the following directory:

C:\Program Files\gmax\gamepacks\fs2004\tools

Loading up Imagetool reveals it's very sparse interface. Textures for FS2004 are simply loaded into the application, which will then display the file. Looking to the right hand side, the information reported will tell you the filename, filesize, image dimensions, the compression system (more on this later) and whether there is an alpha layer. The last two items are related to whether the texture has mip maps and how they are being displayed.

hope these tools helps you lot.