Learn which software you need to repaint aircraft liveries, from paint kits and layered editors to DDS tools, alpha channels and package builders.
For a general flight simulator aircraft repaint, you need an aircraft-specific paint kit, a layer-capable image editor, and a texture exporter or converter that supports the simulator’s BMP, DDS or PNG format. You may also need a text editor and the simulator’s SDK or package builder to install and test the livery.
Which repainting programs are essential?
The minimum toolkit consists of a layered raster editor and whatever conversion or packaging tool the aircraft requires.
- Layer-capable image editor: Adobe Photoshop, Affinity Photo, GIMP and Krita are typical choices. The editor must preserve layers, transparency and the paint kit’s original dimensions.
- Texture exporter or converter: This creates the BMP, DDS or PNG files read by the simulator. Some editors support DDS directly; older formats often benefit from a dedicated conversion tool.
- Plain-text editor: This is used for aircraft configuration entries, package manifests and other metadata. Never use a word processor, because it can add formatting characters.
- Simulator packaging tools: Some Microsoft Flight Simulator projects use an SDK or package builder. A pre-built livery template may already provide the required structure, so the full SDK is not always necessary.
A paint kit is not software, but it is just as important. It contains the aircraft’s UV layout, panel lines, rivets, shading and masks. Always obtain a kit made for the exact model and variant; a kit for another developer’s version of the same aircraft will rarely align. Our complete aircraft-livery repaint workflow explains how these components fit together.
What software does each flight simulator need?
The right software depends mainly on the aircraft’s texture format and packaging system, not merely the simulator’s name.
| Simulator family | Common livery files | Practical toolkit |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 and 2024 | DDS textures plus package metadata | Layered editor, compatible DDS exporter and the packaging method specified by the aircraft template |
| FSX and Prepar3D | DDS, with BMP used by some aircraft | Layered editor plus a DDS-capable exporter or texture converter |
| FS2004 | BMP and compressed DXT formats | Layered editor plus a utility that preserves simulator-specific compression and alpha channels |
| X-Plane | Usually PNG, with DDS used by some aircraft | Layered editor; add a DDS exporter only when the original livery uses DDS |
For FS2004, FSX and many Prepar3D aircraft, the DXTBmp texture conversion utility is useful because it transfers textures between the simulator format and a normal paint program while keeping the alpha channel accessible. It complements an image editor rather than replacing one.
How should I choose an image editor?
Choose the editor that opens the supplied paint kit without flattening layers or discarding masks, text and blending effects.
A PSD paint kit may technically open in several programs, but complex layer effects and fonts do not always transfer perfectly. Check the panel lines, shading and registration marks before painting. Keep a layered master file in the editor’s native format, then export a separate flattened copy for conversion to DDS, BMP or PNG.
A vector editor is optional but helpful for recreating logos and registration lettering cleanly. Export those elements at the paint kit’s full resolution and place them into the layered raster file; vector software does not replace the final texture editor.
Do I need Blender or other 3D software?
You do not need Blender or another modelling program for a conventional repaint made from a proper paint kit.
Three-dimensional software becomes useful when the developer supplies a 3D painting project, when you need to preview artwork across UV seams, or when no usable paint kit exists. It still does not replace the required DDS exporter, configuration files or package structure. A modern MSFS livery packaging example shows how paint kits, DDS export and package testing work together for complex aircraft.
Why does an exported repaint appear black or invisible?
Black, transparent, excessively shiny or missing textures usually indicate an export setting, alpha-channel or file-structure problem rather than bad artwork.
- Black or invisible surfaces: Check that the exporter used a texture format and compression mode accepted by that aircraft. Inspect the alpha channel as well.
- Unexpected transparency or reflections: In older simulators, the alpha channel may control transparency or reflectivity depending on the aircraft material. Do not replace it with a solid channel without checking the original.
- Incorrect metallic or rough appearance: Modern physically based rendering can store several material properties in different colour channels of a companion texture. Leave these files untouched unless the paint kit documents their channel layout.
- Blurry markings: Preserve the original pixel dimensions and review the mipmap settings. Repeatedly editing an already compressed DDS file also degrades detail.
- Livery absent from the aircraft menu: Verify the folder structure, configuration entry, package metadata and exact aircraft variant. One misspelt texture filename can prevent the repaint from loading correctly.
- Mirrored or split logos: This comes from the model’s UV mapping. Use the paint kit guides or a 3D preview; changing export software will not correct the mapping.
Work on a copied livery folder rather than overwriting the aircraft’s original textures. That gives you a known-good reference for filenames, dimensions, alpha channels and export settings whenever a test repaint fails.