Create Your Own Liveries for iFly 737 NG with the FSX Paint Kit
How to Use the iFly 737 FSX Paint Kit
If you are a fan of the iFly 737 NG for FSX, you might want to customize your own liveries for this amazing add-on. Whether you want to replicate a real-world airline, create a fictional one, or just express your creativity, you can do it with the iFly 737 FSX paint kit. In this article, we will show you how to download, install, use and test the paint kit, and how to create your own stunning liveries for the iFly 737 NG.
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Introduction
The iFly 737 NG is one of the most popular and realistic add-ons for FSX, featuring a complete simulation of the Boeing 737 Next Generation series. It includes all variants from the 600 to the 900ER, with different engine options, winglets, and cockpit configurations. It also comes with a wide range of liveries for different airlines and regions, but if you want more variety or customization, you can use the iFly 737 FSX paint kit.
The paint kit is a set of files that allow you to edit and create your own liveries for the iFly 737 NG. It contains PSD files for each variant and engine type, with separate layers for different parts of the aircraft, such as fuselage, wings, tail, engines, doors, windows, etc. It also contains a PDF file with instructions and guidelines on how to use the paint kit.
You can download the paint kit from the Flight1 File Library System, under the category "iFly 737NG FSX". The file name is "ifly_737NG_FSX_Paintkit.zip" and it is about 136 MB in size. You will need a software that can open and edit PSD files, such as Adobe Photoshop, GIMP, or Paint.NET.
How to Install the Paint Kit
Once you have downloaded the paint kit, you need to unzip it and copy the files to the correct folders. Here are the steps:
Unzip the file "ifly_737NG_FSX_Paintkit.zip" to a temporary folder.
Open the folder "ifly_737NG_FSX_Paintkit" and you will see several subfolders named after each variant and engine type, such as "B737-600 CFM56-7B20", "B737-700 CFM56-7B22", etc.
Open each subfolder and you will see two files: a PSD file and a PDF file. The PSD file is the paint kit file that you will edit with your software. The PDF file is a document that explains how to use the paint kit file.
Copy the PSD files that you want to use to another folder where you can easily access them. You can also rename them if you want.
Copy the PDF files to a folder where you can read them later.
Now that you have copied the paint kit files, you need to use the iFly livery manager to install custom liveries for your iFly 737 NG. The livery manager is a tool that allows you to easily add or remove liveries from your aircraft menu. You can find it in your FSX folder under "iFly\iFly 737 NG\Livery Manager". Here are the steps:
Run the livery manager as administrator.
Select the variant and engine type that matches your paint kit file from the drop-down menu.
Click on "Install" and browse to the folder where you have saved your custom livery DDS file (more on this later).
Select your DDS file and click on "Open".
Enter a name for your livery in the pop-up window and click on "OK".
Your livery will be added to the list of available liveries for that variant and engine type.
Repeat these steps for any other liveries that you want to install.
How to Paint Your Own Livery
Now that you have installed the paint kit files and the livery manager, you are ready to paint your own livery. This is where your creativity comes into play. You can use any software that can open and edit PSD files, but we will use Photoshop as an example. Here are some general steps:
Open your paint kit PSD file with Photoshop.
You will see several layers on the right side of the screen. Each layer represents a different part of the aircraft that you can edit. Some layers are grouped into folders for convenience.
Select a layer that you want to edit by clicking on it. You can also hide or show a layer by clicking on its eye icon.
Use various tools such as brushes, erasers, gradients, filters, etc., to modify or add colors and textures to your layer. You can also use masks, selections, transformations, etc., to adjust or reshape your layer.
You can also add new layers or delete existing ones if you want. You can also duplicate or merge layers if needed.
You can preview your changes by saving your PSD file as a DDS file (more on this later) and loading it in FSX.
Repeat these steps for any other layers that you want to edit until you are satisfied with your livery.
Here are some tips and guidelines on how to use some of the layers in the paint kit:
The layer named "FUSELAGE" is where you can add your main colors and logos for your livery. You can also edit or remove existing logos by hiding or deleting their corresponding layers.
The layer named "WINDOWS" is where you can change or remove the window frames and shades. You can also change their opacity or color if you want.
The layer named "DOORS" is where you can change or remove the door outlines and handles. You can also change their color or style if you want.
The layer named "WINGS" is where you can change or remove the winglets (if applicable) and their colors. You can also change or remove other details such as flaps, spoilers, lights, etc.
The layer named "ENGINES" is where you can change or remove the engine cowls and their colors. You can also change or remove other details such as fan blades, exhausts, etc.
The layer named "TAIL" is where you can change or remove the vertical stabilizer (tail fin) and its color. You can also change or remove other details such as rudder, lights, etc.
The layer named "REGISTRATION" is where you can add or change your registration number (tail number) for your aircraft. You can also change its font style, size, color, etc.
When you are done editing your livery in Photoshop (or other software), you need to save it as a DDS file so that FSX can read it. A DDS file is a compressed image format that preserves quality while reducing size. Here are some steps:
In Photoshop (or other software), go to File > Save As...
Select DDS (*.DDS) as your file format from the drop-down menu.
Name your file according to this format: "[Variant]_[Engine]_[Livery Name].dds". For example: "B737_800WL_CFM_Southwest.dds