Steve Hatfield

Thank you again, Arti! This really looks like adding realizm in a pro-active way, even with only a single screen. I think you know what I'm checking on next. ...not enough thanks possible, Steve

Arti, Then, does the TrackIR give the 'illusion' of the left, middle and right screens that I'm looking for? I know nothing about TrackIR, or how to set it up. I'm also 60; is it easy to adapt to? Nick, You're thinking of doing to the program what I want to achieve 'mechanically' with the three computers, above; (not as full of holes as one might think). We're both on the same programming thought (slightly different enabling). The addresses of the computers is in Chapter 6 or 8 of the X-Plane instructions.

Thank you, Arti, for responding. Where you say, "This array of monitors should form a flat plane, it's not intended for use as left, center, right window view,...". A flat plane is just a wide-angle forward view, achievable with one screen, and dialing-in a wide Field of View. This clarifies what Perry posted above my post. ...how discouraging... It seems, it should be simple for a programmer (or who??) to separate the left, forward, and right hat-switch views, ('glance left', 'forward', and 'glance right' views) and place them into separate ports. That's what I'm looking for. With three computers: the center one showing the normal forward view; the left computer locked on 'glance left'; and the right computer locked on 'glance right', would do it. ...just takes wall-to-wall money. Steve

To get my ATI Radeon 6770 working, I might need to connect a Matrox triple-head to one of the ports. ATI Cards only support 2 screens without the huge download to support 3 screens; then, only the forward view is on each screen. Now I see that I need an adapter of some kind out of a huge list. Nothing is definate or concise with ATI. I'd like to know which ATI card supports 3 monitors - Radeon 5770 and 6770 don't without the huge download, and still don't work to my satisfaction after. I want a 150 to 180 Field-of-view across the monitors. How do I achieve it? Steve

Then, there's the funny side to Kaphias's post if you listen to "Power Tools" by Ray Stevens. Steve

I agree with Kesomir; and, I'm going to stay with Paint.NET. There's nothing wrong with my system; what I don't understand about it, -- like a friend says, "Don't sweat the small stuff... It's all small stuff - no big stuff." I spent the last relaxing couple days enjoying SeaPencil, Verticopter and some other vtols and worked on the description text for the Curtis XP-2 Sky Hawk update; I'm planning more realizm features for it. (different .acf) XP-2 will be completed to the limit of my PlaneMaker knowledge; and, will be a plane to really look forward too. It's my baby of over 40 years -- I want it right and looking nice. It will be. My plan was and still is: I'll finish learning paint on XP-3, paint XP-1 and then finish up my XP-2 Sky Hawk, hopefully before Christmas -- or not. The sky's the limit!!, so to speak. ...looking forward to number 2. Steve

Hi Hampster, I know there are more people out there than just me with questions, who are looking for answers. Go ahead with your series as planned. After last night, I learned that, what I can't figure out, I don't need. I'm seriously considering not posting anymore, and deleting my previous posts in this thread, since I'm so computer-illiterate. I need to leave this alone for a few days. I'm sorry; I have no patience for the total absurdity I ran into last night. LORD, Now I want results, not patience! Some good came out of last night; I had to work off my p##s-off, and finished winterizing my house. Steve

OK, I went to Paint.NET tutorials and found what looked exactly like I needed -- I thought things went bad earlier today. I wasn't prepared for this!!! While the 14MB file is downloading they suggest to check out a few things like the Help Files - 404, Not Found. I get to the end of the download and come to: how do you make the paint brush and shapes thicker? mine's really thin Answer: -- Give a llama get a llama ----------------- Avril Lavigne Fan! ^^ & One Republic Fan! <3 ------------------ Free Hugs! n Free Cookies! ------------- i will poke u 2 death XD ima ninja! ^ This looks OK, I guess -- moving on; someone has my very question: "I don't understand how to use this. I tried to start the tutorial and can't seem to get past the first page. Suggestions/" Snow-Chen's answer took me to a Deviant Art AD. Nice. Then there's a Guide for offline use link; so I tried it. "Downloadable Version... view it here without a download" ...did you get that? It went right back to the Strange page. HAS THIS BUNCH GONE TOTALLY F#@%**)#G NUTS?!! It isn't Me, or my system! I wouldn't believe this if I didn't see it! Steve

...continuing; The good news is, I have another perfect windscreen on my plane. From here, the good news goes bad. I can get the Gradient tool to give me a gradient across the work-surface, or I can get the windscreen 'defined' (maybe) and not be able to get to the Gradient tool. Either way, I can't get the gradient to the plane's windscreen. I also can't get the copy and paste to work to copy the left side windscreen to the right side; I have to free-hand everything, and compare with the edges of the 4 things on the work-surface, instead of with the "Rulers". In the Dan Klaue tutorial, He switched back and forth between GIMP and PlaneMaker to check his progress. Somehow it was a simple one, or two-click process -- not so for me. I've watched that tutorial till my eyes bugged out. I just can't follow where everything is -- not to mention the differences between Paint.NET and GIMP. It's enough different that I really think it isn't doing me any good. When I want to do the stripes, I don't want to have to free-hand the (top) side; but, I'll do it if necessary for want of a more finished appearance. Another look at the directions (again, and again, and again......) can't answer how to define for copy and paste, or how to make the gradient tool function completely. I'm sure it's me, because this is known to work. I'm finding out, a lot of things are assumed that the user knows how to do all these simple functions by being born with these skills -- I wasn't. Oh well; simple paint's better than no paint. Steve

Thank you Kesomir; GOT IT!! Everything is clearly within this window, and can be 'maximized/minimized/closed; The screen says: 'Untitled (98%) -- Paint.NET v3.5.9 Upper heading has 3 rows that extend about half way across. Tools below that in the upper left --- --- History in the upper right - "Waiting for:'New Images'" Colors in the lower left --- --- Layers in the lower right Lower line says: ? Paintbrush: Left click to draw with primary color, right click to draw with secondary color --- --- farther right (symbol)800x600; continuing right, (symbol) 396, 604' ...looks like a Paint.NET Curtis XP-3 Sport is todays (probably tomorrow too), practice session. WOO-HOO; I'm like a child with a new toy -- Lizard on a new rock!! Thanks again, Steve

Hi Kesomir, I haven't done anything with Windows Paint since the first day I was serious and did my first Windscreen and fuselage color; the next days have been with the download from getpaint.net . It purports itself to be GIMP 2.6 - the same download as from gimp.com . I wish they still had the download that Leen recommended. I've never used a 'Paint program until a few days ago when Hampsters' Tutorial came out. Another thing I want to do is the light at the top, to darker gradient around the fuselage lower side like Dan Klaue did in his Tutorial #10 on the ERJ-140 with GIMP. That's why I haven't given up on what's purported to be GIMP 2.6 . Ultimate Flyer's post just above shows that I might not need to rotate the gradient tool - just define where I want to start the gradient with a horizontal line. Maybe I can check Dan's tutorial #10 again and get the answer this time. My problem is that I'm SOOO computer illiterate that I can't follow where everything's going on the screen. That's for tomorrow. Tonight before turning in, I think I'll Google the Adobe Fireworks that Ultimate mentioned - at least get it bookmarked and reconoiter it. A couple hours flying new planes, and repairing one of them, took some of the frustration out of the day. Wow! I've spent about three hours just repairing the Exocet Amphib - time flies when you're having fun. Edit Add: Adobe Fireworks is $150.00 to $400.00; out of my league.

Today, I did some editing on the Curtis XP-3 Sport Windscreen in Gimp. (removed the 'panel' pixellating) Yesterday I didn't have the Gradient feature. Today I did; but, I couldn't rotate it so the gradient would go the correct way (no rotate feature, although it's in the instructions. Yesterday I rotated the plane in the work field, playing with it.). Yesterday I had to go back and forth between the General Aviation folder to check my progress and back to the X-Plane root directory to work the Gimp process. Today that wasn't a problem; It worked as good as Windows Paint did for me earlier. The function-screen on the right didn't power up today either. That was the first thing to malfunction on the second use after I downloaded this from gimp.com . Notice,I didn't refer to Gimp as wimpy-gimp today; Unreliable or unstable gimp is more descriptive while trying to remain open-minded about it. (frustrating) Tomorrow's another day. Steve

I figured what the answer would be, so I did a GIMP version of my Curtis XP-3 Sport -- Well, I got the wimpy-gimp again. Some issues are: 1) With Windows Paint, I didn't have to move the plane file back and forth from the X-Plane root directory to the General Aviation folder, to check it. 2) Wimpy-gimp doesn't have a functioning gradient feature. 3) Changing pencil colors with Windows Paint is a 2-click process; with gimp, it's a 3-click process. 4) I don't know how I changed the colors of the prop and landing gears to turquoise. There are a couple other things I can't recall, offhand - minor things I suppose; they'll re-call themselves with continued gimp use. The Turquoise, light Blue and White Gimp version IS looking as good as the Windows Paint version; The light Blue came in when I picked the color of the lines for my fill color for the fuselage. That's when the Red changed to Turquoise. I'm going to pursue the Windows Paint version, along with the w-gimp version; THEN I'll decide which program to use for XP-1 and 2, later. I'm going to try and keep an open mind about this w-gimp program; but, as it sits, it doesn't come close to the program Windows Paint is! And w-gimp isn't the program that I read about in www.getpaint.com . It's the same one as from www.gimp.com . Steve Oh well, it's being chalked-up as practice. ..looking forward to the next steps!!

Thank you Leen de Jager, and Kesomir for taking an interest in my progress! I was referred by my sister to www.getpaint.net and found that it was GIMP. THIS Gimp actually has documentation and didn't look like the wimpy "gimp" that I had previously (from gimp.com); so, I downloaded it. I don't know if I can change horses in the middle of a stream (Windows paint to GIMP) or not. Starting over will put down several hours of work; The windshield WAS time-consuming to get right - I got it! Like Hampster says, practice, practice, practice; so, It depends on your feedback whether to start over, or not. (I think I know what the answer is.) And going around the fuselage, removing the light blue lines was a pain where I sit. Come to think of it, I should have used light Blue to color my fuse so I didn't need to do all that pixel-changing. Oh well, chalk that one up to experience. Light Blue wings and tail will go good with a pale yellow fuse; or, take two seconds and change the fuselage color, too. ...nattering on.... I'm thinking (that's dangerous) of adding some thin accent stripes, like we would find on a factory Piper or Cessna when we get to that stage in development, so it won't look so 'plain'. (no pun intended, really). Steve

I'm caught up with the class! (At 60, that's a good feeling!!) Windows Paint doesn't have the gradient ability, and some other niceties; but, If Jacques Brault can/could use Windows Paint successfully, at least I can slop some paint around with it. I can understand where you stress 'getting the Windscreen correct'. I spent almost 4 hours just on lining up the cowl, and the forward-lower line, getting it right. There's a 'seam' running down the middle of the fuselage that I don't think we've addressed yet; so, It's just fine until we do. I used black for the windscreen and a couple shades of gray picellating for a panel cap representation. Somewhere I came up with the idea to chose a fuselage color, so Pale Yellow it is, after another 2 hours cleaning the light blue construction lines left by PlaneMaker. Curtis XP-3 Sport is looking good, if I do say so myself. Steve

A "Beginner" painting tutorial might be a tad 'advanced' for me; but, I'll muddle through even if I need to free-hand something. As long as there's "delete" and "undo", I'm good. I wonder if a screen that I can input things with a stylus would work, instead of a mouse. I can't think of what to call it. It would be more like my humble 'Artist' days. And, maybe it would work better for fine details. (might be cheaper than Photoshop) ..or maybe think of that for later. Purchasing Photoshop is not doable now. Steve