Help for a Newbie please!

[dandare]

Hi

Please excuse what will probably seem a really stupid set of questions but I am pretty new to the flight simming world and am having trouble getting started with some of the repaints (?) available here. I am trying to install the 707 package to FS9 and add the Dan Air Tango Golf 1973 era paint job. So far as I can see I've followed the instructions, I've copied the base pack to the aircraft folder in the Flight sim dir, I've copied the repaint to the texture file for the relevant plane (the basic 707 rather than the short/freight one) and copied the text to the base cfg file. However when I open Flight Sim there is no listing for the aircraft. I'm really stuck as to where I'm going wrong, something incredibly obvious I'm sure but what?

Any help much appreciated!

[kenwig0556]

Well, first off there are NO stupid questions. There ARE tons of excellent, detailed install instructions and troubleshooting threads in the forum, so please make sure you've availed yourself to those.

That said, it sounds like you've just got a file in the wrong place. (Downloading and installing third party aircraft can seem a bit nonsensical at first; but, if you hang in there you'll quickly get the hang of it.)

So, lets check out the basics:

1. If you haven't done so, go to your folders and examine how one of your default planes (one of the airplanes that came with FS9) is set up. I mean, open up the folders and take a look to see what kind of files/icons are where. EVERY plane you install must follow this paradigm.

2. When you install an HJG plane you will need to do the following:

a. Download a "base pack" (making sure to keep note of which variation you download so that your panel, sounds, paints all match up.) Put the entire folder in your SimObjects/Aircraft (or Airplanes, in FSX) folder. Go into your 707 folder and delete the "panel" and "sound" folders. These will be replaced below.

b. Download the appropriate "Core Files" for your 707, found under "Downloads" at the bottom of the page: "Panels and Core Files" > "Boeing". In the core files you will find "Gauges" and "Sound" folders. Go carefully here...Put the CONTENTS of the "Gauges" folder (not the folder itself) in your FS9/Gauges folder (not the 707 folder or 707/panel folder. Similarly, put the CONTENTS of the "Sound" folder in your FS9/Sound folder, not anywhere in the 707 folder tree.

c. Download the appropriate panel for your plane and put the folder in your 707 folder. Go into the aircraft config. (the file called "aircraft") with notepad and name the "panel=" section to match the name of your panel folder. For example, if your panel folder that you just downloaded is called, "panel.b707-120", your aircraft config HAS TO SAY, "panel=b707-120".

d. Download the sounds (the link is again at the bottom of the Download page) for your Boeing 707 and put THAT sound folder (INTACT, not the contents this time) in your 707 folder.

e. Download your paint (texture) and put the texture folder (INTACT) in your 707 folder. Cut 'n paste the section headed by [fltsim.0] in the accompanying instructions to your aircraft config and make sure your aircraft config reads, "texture=XXX" with XXX being whatever your texture folder says, as in "texture.XXX"

Run these traps and let us know how it goes. There are some FS9 specific stuff that you might need help with, but this is the right place to start.

[aerofoto - HJG Admin]

Thanks for that Ken !

"DANDARE" .... I presume you're trying to install the following B707-320 aircraft texture ....

1973 - G-AZTG - 707-321
Textures by Tony Madge
Last Updated: 27 Oct 2006

simviation.com/hjg/aircraft/boeing/b707-320/707-320_dan-air_1973_g-aztg.jpg
[/img]

"IF SO" .... then please ensure that you are using the "B707-320" aircraft base pack (not that for the -320B (early), -320B ADVC, or -320C versions .... it's vital that the correct aircraft textures and FLTSIM.XX/ADD TO AIRCRAFT data is applied to the correct base packs or they won't work) .... file name as follows ....

Boeing 707-320

HJG Boeing 707-320 v7

Just copy & paste the ADD TO AIRCRAFT data (which accompanies your DAN AIR texture of choice) to the AIRCRAFT.CFG file accompanying the B707-320 aircraft base pack .... and save that edit. Then assuming this particular DAN AIR texture is your first addition to this B707-320 aircraft basepack don't forget to edit the current FLTSIM.XX data to read as follows ....

FLTSIM.0

This CFG entry should then be adjusted, in numerical sequence, for each subsequent B707-320 texture you might in future like to add .... and as follows ....

FLTSIM.1

FLTSIM.2

FLTSIM.3

9 times our of 10 .... when installed aircraft liveries fail to appear within the MSFS aircraft selection menu it's because this particular CFG data line has not been correctly edited.

Hope this helps additionally !

Mark C
AKL/NZ

[dandare]

Hi

Thanks so much for the extensive and patient reply. Your traps did the trick and I'm now happily buzzing around in a Dan Air 707!