Using ModelViewer to create new liveries

[TasDozer]

Using Saved Games liveries in ModelViewer

To avoid needing to save test iterations of liveries in Program Files and requiring admin permissions/confirmation every time you touch a file, you can modify the ModelViewer config.

Find and back up C:\Program Files\Eagle Dynamics\DCS World OpenBeta\Config\ModelViewer\autoexec.lua

Insert the following lines:

function scan_for_textures(path)
    local lower_case = path:lower()
    if lower_case:find("liveries") then
        mount_vfs_liveries_path(path)
        return
    end
    local is_texture_path = lower_case:find("texture") ~= nil
    local mounted_already = false
    for file in lfs.dir(path) do
        if not service_file(file) then
            local fn = path .. "/" .. file
            local attr = lfs.attributes(fn)
            if attr.mode == "directory" then
                scan_for_textures(fn)
            elseif is_texture_path then
                local ext = string.sub(file, -4)
                if ".zip" == ext then
                    mount_vfs_texture_path(fn)
                elseif
                    not mounted_already and (
                        ".dds" == ext
                        or ".bmp" == ext
                        or ".jpg" == ext
                        or ".png" == ext
                        or ".tga" == ext
                    )
                 then
                    mount_vfs_texture_path(path)
                    mounted_already = true
                end
            end
        end
    end
end

print("----------------------------------------------------------------")
print("scan for textures and liveries")
print("----------------------------------------------------------------")
scan_for_textures("C:/Users/YOUR USER NAME/Saved Games/DCS.openbeta/Liveries")
scan_for_textures("C:/Users/YOUR USER NAME/Saved Games/DCS.openbeta/Mods")
scan_for_textures("C:/Users/YOUR USER NAME/Saved Games/DCS.openbeta/Coremods")

-- original script continues:
print("----------------------------------------------------------------")
print("scan for environment cubes")...
...
...
...
mount_vfs_models_path       ("CoreMods/aircraft/FA-18C/animations/models")
mount_vfs_texture_path	    ("CoreMods/aircraft/FA-18C/animations/textures")

-- insert after the other mount_vfs calls:
mount_vfs_liveries_path     ("C:\\Users\\YOUR USER NAME\\Saved Games\\DCS.openbeta\\Liveries")
mount_vfs_models_path       ("C:\\Users\\YOUR USER NAME\\Saved Games\\DCS.openbeta\\Mods")
mount_vfs_textures_path     ("C:\\Users\\YOUR USER NAME\\Saved Games\\DCS.openbeta\\Mods")
mount_vfs_animations_path   ("C:\\Users\\YOUR USER NAME\\Saved Games\\DCS.openbeta\\Mods")

Make a copy of the modded autoexec.lua - it will be wiped when DCS updates.

Thanks to @Roughmaster for putting this into the DCS Livery Art Group discord

---

Using ModelViewer

• Launch ModelViewer from <DCS installation folder>/bin-mt/ModelViewer2.exe

• File > Load Model
• Open the .lods file for the aircraft, which will either be in:
  • <DCS install>/Bazar/World/Shapes, or
  • <DCS install>/CoreMods/aircraft/<AircraftName>/Shapes
• Open the liveries tool (Tools > Liveries Tool or Ctrl-L)
• Your Saved Games liveries should be visible - double-click to load a livery
• Tools > Reload Textures to apply any changes to the textures

---

Original post:

Hi folks,

Can someone tell me how I can use ModelViewer to streamline my livery creation process?

This is my current process:

1. create new livery folder in Saved Games/DCS/Liveries with description.lua, various .dds files spat out from the template
2. use Mission Editor to create a mission using the aircraft and the new livery
3. launch the mission and see how the livery looks
4. make tweaks in the template and export new .dds files
5. restart DCS, load the mission, and view the livery again

As I've cunningly installed DCS in the default Program Files location so I can't easily put .dds files into the core Liveries location.

I'm sure there is a better way but I cannot find any written guides on using ModelViewer - can anyone help me (and future readers of this thread) out?

Edited April 22, 2024 by TasDozer

[Raptorattacker]

I don't see why you can't put the liveries into the Core Liveries so you can view them without having to go into a Mission?
That's what I do and then drop the finished article into the Saved Games when it's finished... 

[TasDozer]

Yes, that's what I would do, in the mirror universe where I didn't install DCS in the Program Files directory and where I don't need to approve every file change with Windows UAC

[TasDozer]

I've updated the first post with how to use ModelViewer with the Saved Games folder

[Rudel_chw]

1 hour ago, TasDozer said:

I've updated the first post with how to use ModelViewer with the Saved Games folder

thank you … really useful 

[Sithos]

Thank you Mate - works Great !

[VZ_342]

I just opened the Model Viewer "2.0" and there's a message saying ST is "deprecated" and to use MT. I do use MT, how do I let the viewer know this?

[Cydrych]

3 hours ago, VZ_342 said:

I just opened the Model Viewer "2.0" and there's a message saying ST is "deprecated" and to use MT. I do use MT, how do I let the viewer know this?

Use the .exe in the bin-mt folder.

[Snacko]

This is great!   I'm just using it to browse through the skins in my Livery, and delete redundant and other skins to reduce the folder's size.