Usage

Configuration

After installing the latest release, open MSFS Livery Tools. If you haven't installed Microsoft's texconv tool yet, install it and click at the "settings" menu or the cog button and choose the path to texconv.exe:

You should also select your MSFS 2020 package folder (or any other folder you want to search for packages). If you mark "Scan all folders under package path", the application will scan for packages outside the "Official" and "Community" folders. When you change those settings, reload packages by clicking on the proper entry at the "Edit" menu. The depth of the package search may be limited (default to 3 subdirectories; -1 means unlimited).

The "compress new or modified textures on build" may be changed to meet your needs (most probably, just leave it selected).

New project

First of all, select whether you want to join model and texture folders in your project structure – it should meet your work needs and won't affect the final package structure. When you create a new project, you're asked to choose a folder in which it will be located. A livery.ini file and a project structure will be created.

Project tab

After that, you're presented with a blank project. You should change "title", "airplane folder" and "creator". All those fields, except "origin", have default values or are copied from the original airplane package. You can select the original plane folder at the "Project" tab, but it is better to choose it at the next tab. "Airplane folder" defines where your files will stay inside your package's SimObjects\Airplanes folder – it must have a unique value. It is also advisable to set "display name" as a short name to be exhibited at the livery selection window at the simulator.

Aircraft tab

At the "Aircraft" tab, you should choose the "base container", i.e. the folder containing the original livery. It lives inside the original package under SimObjects\Airplanes subfolders:

Here you may also set a folder suffix to identify files specific to your livery, an optional tail number (registration) an which folders to include in your livery. "Texture" should always be selected, unless you don't want new textures on your livery.

Registration number tab

Under the "Registration number" tab, you find the options to modify the format of the external registration marks, namely font and stroke colors, and stroke size.

If you want to change the format of the external registration number, you should choose the "Panel" folder at the "Aircraft" tab (that tab is named after the aircraft.cfg file):

Texture flags tab

This tab allows you to edit or create texture descriptors (".dds.json" files) and flags files (".flags") to tell Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 how to understand your livery textures.

From the descriptor part, the first two options should usually remain selected, since you're always going to use a compressed texture with MIP maps on the packaged livery. "Normal map" and "Composite texture", as can be inferred from the option names, tells if the file refers to a normal map or composite texture. "No gamma correction" informs that the simulator should not touch the intensity curves. "High quality" (seldom seen at ".dds.json" files) tells the simulator to keep this texture at a higher resolution during render.

The ".flags" file is described by Microsoft here (with considerations regarding game performance) and it is worth reading.

Tools menu

Create texture UV map

This tool creates a texture map (also known as "UV map" or "paintkit") for a texture file – which must have the same name as the original texture file or converted PNG. Once you click this item, you'll be asked to select the destination folder for the map image files, the texture that should be mapped and the aircraft glTF model file. It will generate a set of PNG images, one for each mesh of the model, which you may use to help your painting job.

As in the above image, the generated maps may be used as layers in an image editor to orient your painting.

Actions

The only mandatory action is "Pack livery": it's your final step building your package. Everything else is optional and most are intended for fine-tuning your project. They are all executed during packaging, according to the project configuration.

Texture actions

Extract textures

This action extracts textures referenced in a glTF file, which should be your reference livery. The model lives under SimObjects\Airplanes\<base container>\model<suffix> folder at the original package:

This will also copy all *.flags and *.dds.json files from the corresponding texture folder, alongside converting DDS textures into PNG files:

If the reference model is located inside your MSFS package folder, this tool will also extract textures, descriptors ("json") and flags from the fallback folders defined at texture.cfg.

Convert DDS file

This action lets you select one or more DDS files to converto to PNG and copy the respective .flags file to your project texture folder.

Compress textures

This converts PNG files from your texture or model folder (depending on the "join model and textures" option) into DDS files, ready for packaging. This is also done when packing the livery if the corresponding setting is selected (at the application-wide settings window).

Create texture descriptors

Creates JSON files for each DDS texture in your working folder. It does not overwrite existing descriptors.

Create texture.cfg

Creates texture.cfg file, usually for fine-tuning the texture inheritance hierarchy.

Thumbnail actions

Add placeholder thumbnail

Adds a placeholder thumbnail.jpg to your texture folder. You should later change it for an image taken with the "aircraft capture tool" at the simulator developer's menu.

Resize thumbnail

Creates a thumbnail-small.jpg at your texture folder by resizing the thumbnail.jpg to the appropriate size. It also converts thumbnail.png from capture tool into JPEG and then resizes it.

Aircraft action

"Write aircraft.cfg" writes the corresponding file to your project folder, based on the original package's aircraft.cfg.

Panel actions

Create blank panel.cfg

Writes a panel\panel.cfg file in your project folder with the following content:

[VARIATION]
override_base_container = 0

Copy original panel.cfg

Copies the original panel.cfg file, adding the same content as "Create blank panel.cfg".

Set registration colors

Inserts or changes information on external registration marks according to the project configuration. This is not done by "Copy original panel.cfg"

Manifest action

"Create manifest.json" creates a manifest.json file at your project folder mixing your project configuration and the original project manifest.

Package actions

Pack livery

This is the main action. It asks for you to choose a packaging folder and builds a complete package according to your project settings.

Update layout.json

Updates layout.json at your package folder (asks where it lives).

Instalation and thumbnails

Now that your package has been built, copy it to the Community folder of your Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 installation and open the sim. Your livery is already available! Activate the developer tools in the configurations and enter the hangar. There you can see the new livery. After selecting it, you may go to the developer menu and create an image of your livery with Tools > Aircraft Capture Tool. You may resize it with the "resize thumbnail" action and either copy the thumbnail-small.jpg file or repack your livery.