Repaint Problem with Dreamfleet Template!!!

[varjassy]

Hey there... I hope I can get some answers here....
I am using Photoshop and DXT.Bmp for editing...
I'm having trouble with the dreamfleet repaint template for the piper Dakota.
Repainting the aircraft is not the problem, it's what to do after that. I have painted other aircraft and never had this problem before. One of 2 things happen when loading into Dream Manager's create new aircraft...1. textures show up black or 2. It crashes when you push create aircraft. If I use someone else textures it works fine, just not the ones I have made so the I am doing something wrong in the saving process.

Here is my process in simplified detail.
-After painting the template in PS, I flatten and save as 32bit BMP file.
-I open the file in DXT.Bmp and export the alpha to PS and then resave the alpha with the same name as the original file with _a after it just like the other paints for this aircraft have.
- Now this is where I get lost...Do you save the file you opened in DXT.Bmp as DXT3 or extended 32 bit 888-8?
-Now when I put these in the Dream Manager paints folder and add them with Dream Managers create new aircraft it shows up black as long as the _a file is NOT there... If the _a file is in the same folder if crashes Dream Manager....

If I am doing something wrong please end my misery....

[n4gix]

The Alpha channel should be placed in the Alpha channel in your Photoshop .psd file!

Save As your Photoshop .psd file as a 32bit Targa (which will keep the Alpha channel IN the Alpha channel.

Load the 32bit Targa file into DXTBMP and Export As either DXT3 or 32bit 888-8 format. Do NOT use the _a extension as FS doesn't know anything about that file!!!

Some folks use the _a extension file to keep a copy of the texture's Alpha channel handy when they hand assemble the bitmap for the sim's consumption. The only reason being either that their paint program doesn't support internal Alpha channel, or they don't know the proper way to use it...

[varjassy]

Well I think I did what you said... I opened the PSD file is PS but where do you place the alpha file in the sequencing order within the layers...I had to change the alpha to RBG mode so I could drop and drag onto the opened aircraft psd file.

I first saved from PS the painted PSD file as a 32 bit Targa, then opened it in DXTBmp and saved as a DXT3 and a extended 32 bit 888-8. Dream manager still "crashed" when creating the aircraft using either file.

This is so frustrating....I am so confused!