Another Bulleid in progress.......

[paulco]

You'll find the Tutorial headed "Texturing". It's very good and tells you all you need to know..........after that it's practice!

Hello, me again.

Had an Idea this would'nt work for me. I've messed it up, yet again. I have my laptop by side of computer with Dummies guide to Reskinning. Have followed sections 1 through 3, I think correctly. I have now repainted Loco three times with TGATools2 programme but every time I save it, IT cannot be found, Even I can't find it! And I do have a reasonable sense of saving files, having done so on numerous occasions before.

On the first two occasions, just messages cannot find file, on third occasion messages saying Invalid Image or access violation. Will have another go, but meantime if anybody has any other ideas, any help gratefully appreciated.

One more thing, can anybody please confirm that BATS_BoB_BR_34067 and SR2IC155 are the same Class of Engine? and again it's only the body colour of SR2IC155 that i'm after.

[alanch]

Vista by any chance? Are you trying to save in the Program Files folder hierarchy without Administrator rights?

[dee4141]

Firstly, Tangmere and Fighter Pilot are both the same class - Battle of Britain.

Presumably you've reskinned in your paint program and then closed this to reveal the TGATools programme. If you've used TGATools2 then you need to first save your new data - your new skin should appear in the visible .ace file. Then you need to export this changed .ace file to your Trainset file - clicking through until you find the exact .ace file in the folder that you are working from. You are then asked if you want to overwrite - click OK, and you should have the reskinned .ace file saved. Check in Shape Viewer to see the result.

[paulco]

Vista by any chance? Are you trying to save in the Program Files folder hierarchy without Administrator rights?

Hi Alan, thanks for reply.

No way Vista, never did like. I'm an avid XP user and also an avid MSTS1 user.

[paulco]

Firstly, Tangmere and Fighter Pilot are both the same class - Battle of Britain.

Presumably you've reskinned in your paint program and then closed this to reveal the TGATools programme. If you've used TGATools2 then you need to first save your new data - your new skin should appear in the visible .ace file. Then you need to export this changed .ace file to your Trainset file - clicking through until you find the exact .ace file in the folder that you are working from. You are then asked if you want to overwrite - click OK, and you should have the reskinned .ace file saved. Check in Shape Viewer to see the result.

Hi, thanks again for a reply.

In process of reskinning again, but doing each Panel in Paint Programme individually is somewhat time consuming, also don't know whether I should be painting over rivets or opening flaps/panels. Have copied and pasted your message above for referal when I get back to point of saving project but think this will be tomorrow now. Thanks for your time and patience. But will keep checking forum this evening, if theres anymore advice.

[dee4141]

also don't know whether I should be painting over rivets or opening flaps/panels

How you reskin is up to you - when you see the finished loco you'll know whether you like it or not. It does take practice, so don't be put off if you don't like your first effort. Keep a copy of the original .ace files though, then you can always start again from a good basis.

[paulco]

also don't know whether I should be painting over rivets or opening flaps/panels

How you reskin is up to you - when you see the finished loco you'll know whether you like it or not. It does take practice, so don't be put off if you don't like your first effort. Keep a copy of the original .ace files though, then you can always start again from a good basis.

Hi , me again, not having a lot of joy with this, but having fun anyway.

Again following instructions to the letter, I THINK! Ho Ho, Painted Engine/Boiler to new colours, everything fine until the point when I save/convert BMP to .Ace file. Export, Ace (Alpha) etc, but when i try to reload it message says Invalid Bitmap or alternatively just comes back with blank screen. This is my fourth or fifth attempt at this so this morning I decided to try and Repaint the tender01 and tender02 which is basically the Side and Rear, more for speed with the painting as opposed to repainting the Engine/Boiler. But again with no joy. there are two things that I need to ask about

1. I seem to be working in 24 bit but not sure whether this makes a difference.

2. I sometimes open a File, with the option of selecting:- BMP, ACE or targa. But on a few occasions a file will come up that is Targa with no option to alter to BMP or Ace and I think this might be part of the problem, Maybe.

Anymore help or suggestions Please. Additionally, for Information, I still have my last repaint saved in MS Paint but have tried to save it to TGATools2 without success.

[dee4141]

I'll try to take you through the steps.........

Assuming you're using TGATool2

1. Open file (I always select .ace files)
2. Send .ace main image to Editor (I use Paint Shop Pro)
3. Image opens in PSP as a .bmp
4. Repaint
5. Close Editor
6. In TGATool2 (which is still open) select Reload Data - this brings your repaint back to TGATool2
7. Export Ace(Alpha) to Trainset folder - click OK when asked to overwrite.

That's it , you should be able to see your changes in Shape Viewer.

Do the same thing if you're editing the alpha channel, only use "Send Alpha image to Editor"

[paulco]

I'll try to take you through the steps.........

Assuming you're using TGATool2

1. Open file (I always select .ace files)
2. Send .ace main image to Editor (I use Paint Shop Pro)
3. Image opens in PSP as a .bmp
4. Repaint
5. Close Editor
6. In TGATool2 (which is still open) select Reload Data - this brings your repaint back to TGATool2
7. Export Ace(Alpha) to Trainset folder - click OK when asked to overwrite.

That's it , you should be able to see your changes in Shape Viewer.

Do the same thing if you're editing the alpha channel, only use "Send Alpha image to Editor"

Hi again, and thanks again for reply.

Will give this a try tomorrow early AM. Have been on computer since 05:30 this morning and starting to go goggle eyed. I am currently usng MSPaint, but if this works I might invest in something better. Will get back to you tomorrow if your around, to let you how it went

[paulco]

I'll try to take you through the steps.........

Assuming you're using TGATool2

1. Open file (I always select .ace files)
2. Send .ace main image to Editor (I use Paint Shop Pro)
3. Image opens in PSP as a .bmp
4. Repaint
5. Close Editor
6. In TGATool2 (which is still open) select Reload Data - this brings your repaint back to TGATool2
7. Export Ace(Alpha) to Trainset folder - click OK when asked to overwrite.

That's it , you should be able to see your changes in Shape Viewer.

Do the same thing if you're editing the alpha channel, only use "Send Alpha image to Editor"

Hi again, and thanks again for reply.

Will give this a try tomorrow early AM. Have been on computer since 05:30 this morning and starting to go goggle eyed. I am currently usng MSPaint, but if this works I might invest in something better. Will get back to you tomorrow if your around, to let you how it went

Hi me again, it's now tomorrow. Yet again thanks for reply and your time and patience.

I completely understand your instructions above, in fact they look very simple for the likes of me. Here is what i'm doing:-

1. open file MAKING SURE to select .Ace files

2. Steps 2 through 5 Simple.

Step 6 is where I think myself or something is going wrong, possibly a difference between my MS Paint and your Paintshop
Pro, but more likely me.

When I get to step 5 and close editor, My new paint job is there in front of me in TGATools2. I still follow instuctions for step 6 but dont have Reload Data, only file/open option but everything seems to go wrong from here on.

But the fact that my new paint job is still on the screen in TGATools2 I try step 7. Making sure to select Export Ace(Alpha)

I then get the Message:- This is not a Bitmap Image or it's Format is not currently supported.

Sorry to be a nuisance with this, but I seem to be so close. Maybe I should go out and purchase Paintshop Pro.

[dee4141]

As you see your reskin on closing the Editor I think you're using TGATools2A. This doesn't matter. The problem seems to be that your Editor is not making a .bmp file. Perhaps you could convert the file to a .bmp file before closing the Editor?

[paulco]

As you see your reskin on closing the Editor I think you're using TGATools2A. This doesn't matter. The problem seems to be that your Editor is not making a .bmp file. Perhaps you could convert the file to a .bmp file before closing the Editor?

hello, definetly TGATools2 and the title does say it's a bmp file. I also have 2 bitmap image shortcuts on my desktop which are 34081_Body_GA bitmap image 3.0 MB and BMP-34067 which is a tender I repainted

[dee4141]

Paul, I'll send you a pm.

[paulco]

Paul, I'll send you a pm.

Hi everybody, TGTools now working

I have sent DEE4141 a PM but would like to thank everybody else on the forums who have been helping with this.

Problem was the difference in the Image drop down menu between TGTools 2 and TGTools 2A.

TGTools 2A has third option in Image dropdown menu to Reload Data whichTGTools 2 did'nt. Makes all the difference.

Many thanks for your time and patience. Now I can have some fun.

[paulco]

Hi Danny, hope your around.

A while back you said I could not upload A reskin of BATSCd0003_BoB_BR_34067 which I understand due to copyright etc.

But did you say I could upload a Picture? although I dont know how. but first a couple of questions:-

Having repainted Loco and Cab, I repainted 90% of Tender only to find there was'nt a shape file to paint last Piece which is on the top of the tender behind the coal bunker, it looks like 4 Tanks of some description. Did find similar .s file in another Loco called tops and thought I could transfer it but it did'nt work. Unfortunately it sticks out like a sore thumb. So I CHEATED. I swapped 34067's Tender for 34081's tender and now have my first major result, which i'm quite chuffed with.

Which brings me to my next question, during the repaint I changed the coach lines on the boiler, cab and tender from a two colour stripe to a Red/Black/Red 3 colour stripe, which is clearly visible in Paint and SView, but when running actual Loco in Train Store, the top stripe on the boiler and bottom strip on the tender only show as red. Have tried repainting both stripes again, Twice. but no luck. Would like somebody to see this, Just for an opinion.