Learn to open and edit FS2004 aircraft texture BMP files with DXTbmp, preserve alpha channels, choose the right format and fix black textures.
Use DXTbmp as the bridge between FS2004 and a normal image editor. Open the aircraft’s extended BMP in DXTbmp, export the colour image, edit it without changing its dimensions, reload it, preserve the original alpha channel, then save in the same FS2004-compatible format and filename after making a backup.
Which FS2004 texture folder should I edit?
The texture folder named by the aircraft’s selected [fltsim.x] entry is the one to edit. In aircraft.cfg, an entry such as texture=BA points to texture.BA inside that aircraft’s folder; an empty texture= value normally points to the plain texture folder.
Back up the complete folder before changing anything. If you are creating a new livery, copy the folder and give it a unique suffix rather than overwriting the original. Our guide to placing a new texture folder and matching aircraft.cfg entry covers that configuration step.
The BMP may look fragmented or contain repeated, mirrored parts. That is normal: the model’s UV mapping decides where each painted area appears. For paint kits, layer organisation and identifying aircraft parts, use our complete FS2004 repaint workflow.
A safe DXTbmp editing workflow
The safest method is to let DXTbmp decode and rebuild the simulator-specific BMP while a normal graphics editor handles the painting. DXTbmp itself is mainly a conversion and alpha-channel tool; our explanation of how DXTbmp handles simulator BMPs and alpha channels covers its core controls in more detail.
- Make a backup. Copy the original BMP or, preferably, the complete texture folder to a safe location.
- Open the BMP in DXTbmp. Ordinary editors may reject FS2004 extended bitmaps even though their extension is
.bmp. Record the format reported by DXTbmp so you can use it again when saving. - Inspect the alpha pane. If an alpha channel is present, leave it loaded in DXTbmp unless you deliberately intend to alter reflection or transparency.
- Export or send the colour image to your editor. Work in a lossless format and keep the exact pixel dimensions. Do not crop, rotate or resize the canvas.
- Edit the RGB image. Avoid painting across panel lines or mapped edges unless the change is intentional. Keep a layered master separately because the final FS2004 BMP will not preserve layers.
- Reload the edited colour image into DXTbmp. Import a replacement greyscale alpha image only if you meant to change it; otherwise retain the original alpha already loaded.
- Save as an extended bitmap. Use the original filename and, by default, the original DXT or 32-bit format. Keep mipmap handling consistent with the source texture.
- Reload the aircraft in FS2004. If the old texture remains visible, select another aircraft and return to it, or restart FS9 so the texture is read again.
How do I preserve the FS2004 alpha channel?
Preserve the original alpha channel unless you understand how that particular model uses it. In FS2004 aircraft materials, alpha may control reflectivity, transparency or another material effect defined by the model; replacing it with solid black or white can make the aircraft look mirror-like, dull, dark or invisible.
DXTbmp displays the alpha separately as a greyscale image. Editing only the colour image and then reloading it normally leaves that alpha intact. If the alpha must be changed, export it separately, edit it as greyscale without resizing it, and import it before saving.
Which BMP format should I use for FS2004 textures?
Save in the original texture format unless there is a clear reason to change it. That preserves the model’s expected alpha behaviour and avoids an unnecessary increase in texture memory.
| Format | Choose it when | Main trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| DXT1 | The texture is opaque or uses only simple on/off alpha | Smallest files, but stronger compression and no smooth graduated alpha |
| DXT3 | The original uses a graduated alpha channel | Larger than DXT1 and may show compression artefacts |
| 32-bit 888-8 | You need maximum colour and alpha quality for testing or a final texture | Much larger memory footprint, which matters in FS2004 with large texture sets |
Keep the original dimensions, which will normally be power-of-two values such as a square or rectangular combination. Include mipmaps when the source texture used them; missing mipmaps commonly cause distant textures to shimmer, while poor mipmaps can make markings bleed into surrounding areas.
Why is the edited texture black, missing or unchanged?
Most failed FS2004 texture edits come from a lost alpha channel, the wrong folder or filename, an unsuitable save format, or a texture that FS9 has not reloaded.
- Black, invisible or excessively reflective aircraft: restore the original alpha channel and save in the original extended-BMP format.
- Plain grey or untextured areas: confirm that the BMP has its exact original filename and is in the folder selected by the relevant
texture=line. - No visible change: check that you edited the active livery rather than a similarly named folder, then reload the aircraft or restart FS9.
- A filename ending in
.bmp.bmp: enable file-extension display in Windows and remove the accidental second extension. - Misaligned panels or markings: restore the original canvas dimensions and position. The model’s UV map cannot adjust to a cropped or resized image.
- Blocky colours or damaged lettering: keep a lossless master and compress only the final texture. Use DXT3 when smooth alpha is required, or 32-bit when the extra quality justifies the larger file.
- Shimmering at a distance: rebuild the final texture with suitable mipmaps rather than sharpening the main image repeatedly.