How to Install Addon Repaints/Textures in FSX |
Key: Tip Warning File Path Example |
This tutorial will walk you through the steps of installing addon textures, or repaints. I'm going to be using the United Express textures for the default CRJ-700 on this page, which you can get here. Windows 7 is used in this tutorial.
It is helpful to have hidden files and folders, along with file extensions shown. To do this, go to folder options, click on the view tab, and then check off the two boxes titled: "show hidden files, folders, and drives" and uncheck "hide extensions for known file types". Still don't get it, click here for more help.
Important: FSX will be installed to C:\Program Files (x86) if the operating system is a 64 bit version of Windows Vista or 7.
Step 1: Download and extract the addon texture file. Most of the addon textures that you will download are contained in a zip or rar file. You can either right click the .zip file and press extract all, running through the extraction wizard, or use a program such as winrar, winzip, or 7-zip to extract it. All do the same thing. If the file is a .exe or .msi, then you can just run the installer and it should automatically be installed for you.
Step 2: Now lets take a look inside the extracted folder, and see what's inside. We have a Texture.ual folder, some text files, and a couple images. There are two important parts that we need in order to install this texture and make it run in the game. The first part is a texture.* folder, which contains the textures files used when that aircraft variant is used in FSX. The second part is the section of code that needs to be put into the aircraft.cfg.
Most addons will have readme's, which should tell you what to do, and in this case, it tells us that the code to put into the aicraft.cfg is in the "FltSim_Info.txt" file in this example. Upon opening that file up, we get the following:
title=Bombardier CRJ 700 UAL NC
sim=Bombardier_CRJ_700
model=
panel=
sound=
texture=ual
kb_checklists=BombardierCRJ700_check
kb_reference=BombardierCRJ700_ref
atc_id=N765SK
atc_airline="UNITED"
atc_flight_number="6609"
atc_parking_types=GATE,RAMP
ui_manufacturer="Bombardier"
ui_type="CRJ700"
ui_variation="United Express NC (SkyWest)"
ui_typerole="Regional Jet"
ui_createdby="Microsoft Corporation"
description="The CRJ (Canadair Regional Jet) family of aircraft was derived from the Canadair Challenger business jet, which began its operational life as the LearStar 600. The Bombardier Canadair CRJ700, which entered service in 2001, is a stretched version of the CRJ100/200 regional jet, with increased seating capacity from 50 to 70. With increased length and upgraded landing gear, the CRJ700 features a longer wing span and leading edge slats. Like other members of the CRJ family, the CRJ700 features an electronic flight instrument system (EFIS) avionics suite and "glass cockpit" instrumentation."
Step 3: Now lets navigate to the CRJ-700 aircraft folder. Locations for aircraft and helicopters is shown below.
Aircraft: C:\Program Files\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X\SimObjects\Airplanes
Helicopters: C:\Program Files\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X\SimObjects\Rotorcraft
(Any addon helicopters should be put in the airplanes folder)
The aircraft.cfg file should be inside the aircraft folder that you're installing the texture for. Open it with notepad. As what is in the blue box above, every [fltsim.xx] entry is one variant, or texture of an aircraft. Scroll down until you see the last texture entry, and then copy and paste the [fltsim.xx] entry (the whole thing, not just that one line) that came with the addon texture. Pay close attention to the x's in the fltsim entry. If you look at the other entries, the numebr sequence starts at 0, then 1, and so on. You need to make sure that the number in the addon texture entry is one after the one above it. If the last one was [fltsim.7], then the new addon one would be [fltsim.8]. Pretty self explainatory right?
The last entry should be right above the [General] section.
Step 4: If you havn't done this already, copy and paste the texture.* folder from the extracted file and paste it in the folder for which ever aircraft you're installing it to.
The Texture.ual folder should be pasted into: C:\Program Files\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X\SimObjects\Airplanes\Bombardier_CRJ_700\
Remember, C:\Program Files (x86) if the operating system is a 64 bit version of Windows Vista or 7.
After opening FSX, and going to the select aicraft menu, you should see the new texture appear. Make sure you have the "Show all variations" boxed checked at the bottom to see the texture.
Last Updated 5/17/2012