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I have recently started dinking around with tgatool2,MS Paint and Picture it. I have exported ace files to bmp files and painted them or weathered them.When I convert them back to ace files and put them into a loco folder I lose the transparent window effects.How do I fix this? I am pleased with the weathered textures and the renumbers that I have done. I of course would never release them without the permission of those that crafted them. Apart from the window issue my next question would be how to create a totally new engine with the new skins? I have tried this also but I get duplicate engines and game crashes. I think there is a guide or two on the subject and I will start searching.Thank you Pete
Hiya Pete,You need to save the files in the Targa file format (.TGA). I don't think that MSPaint Supports TGA (someone please correct me if I'm wrong).I'm sure there are some really good paint programs on the market, but I would suggest trying Paint Shop Pro (www.jasc.com). That product is very good for doing repaints for MSTS. Its also fairly inexpensive as well.As for creating new locomotives, its not as simple as taking the skin from one and applying it to another. It is highly unlikely that the texture maps from one loco would be applicable to another, since they are likely mapped in different locations/files. You actually would have to create a locomotive on your own.There are three primary possibilites:- Train Sim Modeler is great for the beginner, and is very easy to use. I have been using it since it came out, and it's a nice program. However, it does have it's limitations compared to the others.- 3d Canvas is a very popular choice among the talented modellers that frequent this forum. The learning curve is much higher than TSM, but it produces great results. Take a look at some of the fantastic work that Julian (Fozzy) is doing in it, and you'll see what I mean.- 3d Studio Max is the last major 3d modelling program. The models put out by it are top-notch, but the learning curve is very high, and the program is obscenely expensive.So really it boils down to personal preference. I use TSM right now, but I will eventually flip to 3d Canvas as I see the limitations of TSM.Brian.
You have to save the alpha file also. When you get ready to change your repaint to ace file you create new alpha then send it to paint copy the one you saved to it, save then reload to TGAtool, then save as ace thats basiclly the way I do it.