Skip to content

MSTS Engine And Livery Skinning

Best ReSkin Program

Started by bwbrgb December 12, 2004 16 posts 7 min read

Notice to all visitors and members of the Train-Sim.Com message forums:
If you plan on using a signature banner in your posts, we would like to remind you that there is a maximum size for banners. That maximum is 450 pixels wide by 120 pixels high, and not to exceed 25k. Your compliance is appreciated. FORUM RULES Problems? There are two common reasons for problems with logging in and posting messages. The first is that you are running a firewall that prevents your messages from being sent to the server. The other is that you have cookies disabled; the DCForum software requires cookies to work properly.

Previous Topic | Next Topic

Printer-friendly copy Email this topic to a friend

Reading Topic #6198

bwbrgbMember since Jun-29-04 · 21 postsDec 12, 2004 9:26 PM

Just getting into repainting and would like opinions on whether MSPAINT is good enough for reskinning or should I have PaintShop Pro 9 or 3D Canvas . There might also be some other programs that are just as good or better , so your opinions and help will be appreciated .THANX
Rod Berger

Printer-friendly page | Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top

RE: Best ReSkin Program, yellowdog, Dec-12-04, 04:43 PM, (1) RE: Best ReSkin Program, RSD 12, Dec-12-04, 05:52 PM, (2) RE: Best ReSkin Program, bwbrgb, Dec-13-04, 06:08 PM, (12) RE: Best ReSkin Program, sooner, Dec-12-04, 06:05 PM, (3) RE: Best ReSkin Program, CARex, Dec-12-04, 09:45 PM, (5) RE: Best ReSkin Program, yellowdog, Dec-13-04, 10:42 AM, (6) RE: Best ReSkin Program, sooner, Dec-13-04, 11:58 AM, (7) RE: Best ReSkin Program, yellowdog, Dec-13-04, 01:00 PM, (9) RE: Best ReSkin Program, sooner, Dec-13-04, 04:35 PM, (11) RE: Best ReSkin Program, yellowdog, Dec-14-04, 10:16 AM, (15) RE: Best ReSkin Program, NewEnglandRailFan, Dec-12-04, 08:03 PM, (4) RE: Best ReSkin Program, NorthShore_364, Dec-13-04, 12:52 PM, (8) RE: Best ReSkin Program, UP6767, Dec-13-04, 06:39 PM, (13) RE: Best ReSkin Program, NewEnglandRailFan, Dec-13-04, 07:22 PM, (14) RE: Best Reskin Program, OCrailfan, Dec-13-04, 01:01 PM, (10)

Conferences | Topics | Previous Topic | Next Topic

yellowdogCharter Member · 1925 postsDec 12, 2004 9:43 PM

RE: Best ReSkin Program

Paint is no good for the simple reason that you cannot save .tga files with it. MSTS relies on .tga files to utilize alpha channels. No tga file, no alpha channel, no alpha channel, no invisibile parts like windshiels, etc (this is a simple explanation). Paint Shop Pro is good (though I don't have it) as is Adobe PhotoShop. 3D Canvas is a modelling program, so I imagine that an imaging program would be better. 3D Canvas may not even be a program you can use to reskin with, but I don't have any experience with it.

Clayton

Printer-friendly page | Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top

RSD 12Member since Jul-7-02 · 353 postsDec 12, 2004 10:52 PM

RE: Best ReSkin Program

I use Paint Shop Pro 8, and it works very well for me. I recommend it highly. Adobe is a great program, too, from what I hear, but I have not tried that software.Mark

Attachments
Best ReSkin Program – image 2
http://www.train-sim.com/dcforum/User_files/41bccb91671d7324.jpg

Printer-friendly page | Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top

bwbrgbMember since Jun-29-04 · 21 postsDec 13, 2004 11:08 PM

RE: Best ReSkin Program

THANX GUYS !
I have PSP 7 and PSP 9 but do you agree that PSP 9 is a bit of overkill for a beginner ?
I'll try PSP 7 first and go from there if it's good enough . I'm still at the stage where layering and alpha are exotic , but time and experience may change this .Thanx again -
Rod Berger

Printer-friendly page | Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top

soonerMember since Jul-2-02 · 1090 postsDec 12, 2004 11:05 PM

RE: Best ReSkin Program

I did a bunch of mods in Paint, Clayton. I wouldn't say they deserved to be called "repaints" - but I've done many a renumber with Paint alone and never experienced a problem with alphas. It's not very versatile, of course. For instance, there's no equivalent to PhotoShop's "transform" feature - indispensible for photoreal reskins - and the color manipulation available with the other programs leaves Paint far in the dust. But I think it's okay for getting started.

Bud

Printer-friendly page | Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top

CARexMember since Jul-5-03 · 260 postsDec 13, 2004 2:45 AM

RE: Best ReSkin Program

I have to agree with Sooner. Don’t totally discount Paint. I’m currently using DogWaffle (another freeware paint program), but I’ve done a lot of interesting stuff with Paint. Total repaints with alpha channel reassignment.Have a sparkling day,
Bob

Best ReSkin Program – image 4

Printer-friendly page | Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top

yellowdogCharter Member · 1925 postsDec 13, 2004 3:42 PM

RE: Best ReSkin Program

Excellent! You guys want to explain how you got around the alpha channel issue through reassignment because I didn't know this was possible, especially if you didn't have another 3rd party program that could handle the alphas (which the above poster apparently doesn't have).

Clayton

Printer-friendly page | Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top

soonerMember since Jul-2-02 · 1090 postsDec 13, 2004 4:58 PM

RE: Best ReSkin Program

This is the drill I follow to edit an .ace file: I open TGATool2, click “File”, then “Load,” then browse to the appropriate car or loco folder. I open the “Type of File” dropdown menu and click on “ACE Image,” select the .ace to be edited, click “Image,” then either “Send Main Image to Editor" or "Send Alpha Channel to Editor.” The file opens as a .bmp file in the default graphics editor selected - Paint or whatever. I modify the .bmp as you would any other graphics file, exit the editor and on the prompt editor saying "Yes-No-Cancel," click "Yes," which takes me back to the TGATool2 editor. I click "Image/Reload After Edit," then "File/Save As," and assign the file a name with a .tga suffix. I then exit TGATool2 and open MakeAceWIN; browse the “input” window to the loco or car folder and find and click on the edited .tga file, browse the “output” window to the same folder and click on the original .ace file, and finally click on “convert.”

Bud

Printer-friendly page | Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top

yellowdogCharter Member · 1925 postsDec 13, 2004 6:00 PM

RE: Best ReSkin Program

OK, yeah--that makes sense. I forgot that TGATool2 has that little feature where you can "Reload After Edit." I never used that feature, but simply saved the image file separately so I could work on it over a few days, or revert back to previous versions that I might like better.

Clayton

Printer-friendly page | Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top

soonerMember since Jul-2-02 · 1090 postsDec 13, 2004 9:35 PM

RE: Best ReSkin Program

So whatcha workin' on now?

Bud

Printer-friendly page | Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top

yellowdogCharter Member · 1925 postsDec 14, 2004 3:16 PM

RE: Best ReSkin Program

>So whatcha workin' on now? My PhD and the hardwood floors under the carpet in the house I just bought! Actually, I may have a go at repainting these:http://www.train-sim.com/dcforum/DCForumID15/4658.html#16

Clayton

Printer-friendly page | Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top

NewEnglandRailFanMember since Jun-18-04 · 1467 postsDec 13, 2004 1:03 AM

RE: Best ReSkin Program

I use a freeware painting program called Pixia. Its great because its free and you can do layers and blending and stuff. It took me like 3 months to figure out how to work it tho
-Dave

Best ReSkin Program – image 6
You can e-mail me at davej8010@aol.com -or- hrrc_7324@yahoo.com -or- feel free to aim me.

Printer-friendly page | Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top

NorthShore_364Member since Jul-1-04 · 200 postsDec 13, 2004 5:52 PM

RE: Best ReSkin Program

I use PSP8, it works very well, and a job that would take two hours on MS Paint can be done on PSP in 1 minute.

Best ReSkin Program – image 8
Founding Member of the No Patch SP and SSW Locomotives Club

Printer-friendly page | Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top

UP6767Member since Oct-11-03 · 585 postsDec 13, 2004 11:39 PM

RE: Best ReSkin Program

>I use a freeware painting program called Pixia. Its great
>because its free and you can do layers and blending and
>stuff. It took me like 3 months to figure out how to work it
>tho wheres it found at? cause i use paint, and its boreing me!

Shawn.
Guilford Rail System
www.gvrs.tk
SD70ACe_GM73@yahoo.com
Korn's # 1 FAN!!

Printer-friendly page | Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top

NewEnglandRailFanMember since Jun-18-04 · 1467 postsDec 14, 2004 12:22 AM

RE: Best ReSkin Program

Sorry but I don't remember But I found it by doing a search. Try searching for Pixia on Google
-Dave

Best ReSkin Program – image 10
You can e-mail me at davej8010@aol.com -or- hrrc_7324@yahoo.com -or- feel free to aim me.

Printer-friendly page | Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top

OCrailfanMember since Apr-13-03 · 584 postsDec 13, 2004 6:01 PM

RE: Best Reskin Program

I am a Paint user, though I use TGAtool to save from .BMP to .ACE files. Occasionaly I use Photoshop to paint stuff.

Michael
Virtual Morgan Run Shop, bringing the Ohio Central to MSTS
Best ReSkin Program – image 12
My Photos at RailPictures.net!

[ Home | MSTS Forum | MSTS FAQ | How To... | File Library ] Copyright © 2004 by Nels Anderson. All Rights Reserved.

Restored from the Train-Sim.Com archive, captured December 25, 2004. About this archive.

More from Discussion Forums

Trademark Ruling
MSTS Engine And Livery Skinning forum (Dec 2004): Hey all just in case you missed it in the MSTS Forum.http://www.train…
Conrail SD45's
MSTS Engine And Livery Skinning forum (Dec 2004): What do you guys think? Should I release it? I have a couple mapping …
Reading Fs
MSTS Engine And Livery Skinning forum (Dec 2004): These guys are in progress with a bunch of switchers (Alco S1, S2) in…
Where is wiscentral ! Is he still making repaints?
MSTS Engine And Livery Skinning forum (Dec 2004): Hello everyone, I am rather new to this website but not MSTS, ShawnD …
Details screen
MSTS Engine And Livery Skinning forum (Dec 2004): Can someone tell me how to make a loco.ace file to come up in the det…
BNSF Heritage And Patched Sd40`S
MSTS Engine And Livery Skinning forum (Dec 2004): I just finished repainting a set of BNSF SD40 in Heritage and Patched…

All Discussion Forums →