How to upgrade the propellers in FS9 aircraft for FSX-SP2

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From Stoopy at avsim.com in this thread, the following instructions should allow you to upgrade the propellers on FS9 aircraft that have bad propeller textures under FSX-SP2:

- Download and install Martin Wright's DXTBMP program

https://www.mnwright.btinternet.co.uk/programs/dxtbmp.htm

This will also need mwgfx.dll to function so download and install that too:

https://www.mnwright.btinternet.co.uk/graphix.htm#dlls

Then after these are installed, launch DXTBMP and configure it for an Alpha editor:

- Start DXTBMP and assign an Alpha editor to it, like MSPaint (don't need anything fancy for this). You do this by going to the Prefs menu and choosing "Select Editor", then navigate to MSPaint which is in your C:\WINDOWS\system32 folder and select it....or maybe the menu selection "Reset editor to MSPaint" will do that for you. I haven't done that part in a long time and I don't remember.

Anyhow once that's done here's what you do:

- BACKUP the stinky prop texture files first.
- Open the stinky prop texture file(s) in DXTBMP
- Modify the Alpha layer by going to the Alpha menu and selecting "Send Alpha to Editor"
- MS Paint should open up. Maximize it, double-click on any color in the pallette (I use the second color, the grey), the color selector will show up, go to "Custom Colors" and drag the slider on the right all the way down to a value of 20 (not zero).
- Hit OK and return to MSPaint. CHoose the dark grey color you made, and use the fill bucket to fill the white Alpha area with the dark grey.
- Hit "Save" (not "Save As"), then Exit MSPaint.
- You'll return to DXTBMP. From the Alpha menu, select "Refresh Alpha"
- The Alpha window in the upper-right corner will change from white to the dark grey - that's the transparency value (the darker, the more transparent).
- From the File menu, select "Save as" -> "Extended Bitmap", then in the selection rollout choose "DXT3". Save using the original filename.

- Repeat for the other prop texture and save. You should be good to go with nice, mostly-transparent prop discs.

Here are the results, feel free to post a screenshot or some feedback on how it works for you. The transparency level I use is acording to my own taste, yours may vary. Pure black (value 0) is completey invisible, white is completely opaque (as you've already seen) and 20 is just a tad visible. Season to taste.

https://forums.avsim.net/user_files/182535.zip

One thing that this cannot fix, or even make worse, is how clouds and/or autogen display behind or though the prop disc(s). Short story is, that's an artifact of FS9 vs FSX modeling and texture assignments, and display techniques, and it simply will be what it will be until an FSX-specific version of that aircraft is created.

 Any and all commentary should be directed to the thread on avsim. I hope this helps people with this problem.