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Old 31st August 2007, 08:35 PM   #11
donallabaugh
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Default Re: Yah Right!!!

Phil
Let's try this again.
1.) Duplicate the aircraft folder making sure it is still under the "aircraft" folder within X-Plane.

2.) Open your graphic program. I have tried this with Photo Shop and Adobe Elements 3.0.

3.) Open the xxxxxxx_paint.bmp or xxxxxx_paint.png file that is in the COPIED folder of the aircraft that is to be modified.

4) In the graphics program select the entire image then delete all.

5.) Save the image file with THE SAME NAME as the original file.

6.) You will now have an image file that is invisible in the COPIED aircraft's folder.

7.) Close the graphics program and Start PlaneMaker.

8.) Open the COPIED aircraft. If all went well you may see some parts of the aircraft if it used more than 1 image file. Hopefully most or all of the plane will not be seen, but IF there are lights you should still see them.

9.) If this all works then open the "Misc Objects" menu and add the Object file that contains the aircraft, leaving the Lat, Long and height at zero.

10.) Go back to the main PlaneMaker Screen and see if the object show up.

If the object does not show up make sure the texture file associated with the object is in the same folder as the object file.

Let me know if this much works. Especially up to # 8

Don
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Old 1st September 2007, 03:58 AM   #12
phlsti
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Default Re: Yah Right!!!

thanks for hanging in there with me, Don ......... I tried creating yet another folder to start new thru the steps with little luck, and then decided to re-read your original post ..... where I found that you instructed to create an "objects" folder in the new aircraft folder and placing the new objects in there. WELLLLLLL, that makes all the difference in the world!!! No problem getting the new fuselage to show up now. Just have to read ALL the instructions.

Now just have to figure out how to eliminate the old fuselage.

Phil
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Old 1st September 2007, 06:10 AM   #13
donallabaugh
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Default Re: Yah Right!!!

Quote:
Originally Posted by phlsti View Post
thanks for hanging in there with me, Don ......... I tried creating yet another folder to start new thru the steps with little luck, and then decided to re-read your original post ..... where I found that you instructed to create an "objects" folder in the new aircraft folder and placing the new objects in there. WELLLLLLL, that makes all the difference in the world!!! No problem getting the new fuselage to show up now. Just have to read ALL the instructions.

Now just have to figure out how to eliminate the old fuselage.

Phil
So far so good.

Look at Post #11 steps 3 and 4

After those steps are done look at all the files in the aircraft folder.

Make sure there is only ONE file named:

xxxxxxx_paint.xxx

IF there are more than one then that could be why the original aircraft body still shows up.

What I usually do is open the original xxxxxx_paint.xxx and Save it AS a .PNG file. Then I delete all other files in the aircraft folder that have the ... _paint portion within their name.

The files that may have xxxxxx_paint2.xxx are OK unless your object is going to be the entire aircraft. If your object IS the Entire aircraft then you should delete all files (Except the one you edited) that contain either xxxxxx_paint.xxx or
xxxxxx_paint2.xxx

The _paint and _paint2 files are the ones that X-Plane uses to display the aircraft when it is opened in the program.

Keep the Faith

Don
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Old 1st September 2007, 04:00 PM   #14
phlsti
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Default Re: Yah Right!!!

Hi Don,
I am using the "Paint" program in XP to manipulate the .png file, and in there, I select all, then just click on 'cut'. Everything disappears. I save the file then, but when I go back into planemaker, now the original aircraft is just all white. Only files in the main aircraft folder /aircraft/mine/experiment are Cozy.acf and Cozy_paint.png. Also subfolders /airfoils, /cockpit, and /objects, but that's all. Some panel.pngs in the /cockpit/panel subfolder.

AC3D could be a powerful way to create some nice aircraft if planemaker would just accept them. I'm interested in making this work.
Phil
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Old 2nd September 2007, 10:09 AM   #15
donallabaugh
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Default Re: Yah Right!!!

Quote:
Originally Posted by phlsti View Post
Hi Don,
I am using the "Paint" program in XP to manipulate the .png file, and in there, I select all, then just click on 'cut'. Everything disappears. I save the file then, but when I go back into planemaker, now the original aircraft is just all white. Only files in the main aircraft folder /aircraft/mine/experiment are Cozy.acf and Cozy_paint.png. Also subfolders /airfoils, /cockpit, and /objects, but that's all. Some panel.pngs in the /cockpit/panel subfolder.

AC3D could be a powerful way to create some nice aircraft if planemaker would just accept them. I'm interested in making this work.
Phil
Phil

Paint is not the best type of program for what you are trying to do. The reason, as you have noticed, is that when you cut the image the software does not leave you a blank file, especially in the png format. Basicly what paint did was create an all white image file instead of a transparent or empty image file.

There is a freeware graphics program called GIMP that many X-Plane builders use with great success. GIMP will produce the proper .png files.

Don
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Old 2nd September 2007, 03:57 PM   #16
phlsti
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Default Re: Yah Right!!!

Don, The GIMP program did the trick ...... you have been a big help, and I can now see the aircraft with the new fuselage!!!!

I assume the aircraft will still fly using the old fuselage data, since that hasn't changed, and the only way to change the old fuselage outline to the new object would be to change the profile manually point by point.

Anyway, this has been very helpful. Thank you, Don, for all your help and for seeing me thru.

Phil
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Old 3rd September 2007, 05:54 AM   #17
donallabaugh
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Default Re: Yah Right!!!

Quote:
Originally Posted by phlsti View Post
Don, The GIMP program did the trick ...... you have been a big help, and I can now see the aircraft with the new fuselage!!!!

I assume the aircraft will still fly using the old fuselage data, since that hasn't changed, and the only way to change the old fuselage outline to the new object would be to change the profile manually point by point.

Anyway, this has been very helpful. Thank you, Don, for all your help and for seeing me thru.

Phil
Phil
Your assumption is correct. With X-Plane and PlaneMaker, you must:

1.) Create a flyable aircraft in PlaneMaker
.
2.) Paint aircraft invisible.

3.) Use a Misc Object to replace what you see for the aircraft.

Have fun.

don
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