Update on paintkit for v.1.0.4?

[alx5]

Hello,

The v1.0.4. update has been pushed on Friday, three days ago now. During that time, iniBuilds own liveries were updated to work with the model changes even though it was the weekend. I am wondering what exactly holds the update to the paint kit back. The updated model was used for the iniManager liveries, so it was already made.

1.0.4 hit 3rd party livery creators quite hard, as our liveries didn't show up as intended, although they worked fine in previous A350 versions. Fixing the issues is out of control for most of us, as severe changes on part of the model names need to be made. Being a livery creator myself, I feel completely abandoned by iniBuilds. 

In my opinion, internal model changes of this kind shouldn't happen on a release version of an addon. This belongs in beta testing. The winglet update is a rather small change; this can't be the cause of this mess with the model.

 

Honestly, I am a bit disappointed now by the way this update was pushed without updating the paint kit in a reasonable time after the actual aircraft add-on.

 

Side note on the model stuff itself:

In MSFS2020, including actual models (gltf + bin + xml files), which merge with the base model, aren't even necessary unless creators add custom 3D meshes to the plane, e.g. the cabin.

Most developers like PMDG, Fenix, TFDi, and even iniBuilds with the A300 set up their base liveries/models to include every mesh/decal area needed to create liveries. E.g. the PMDG 777 liveries only need a model folder with a model.cfg referring to the base model. The A350 is different here. The wing registration decal area is only available in the models included with the paintkit, both iniBuilds House and the white livery doesn't seem to have it, that's why the whole model merging from custom-made livery with the base model is even necessary.

 

If iniBuilds could just include the wing reg decal to their own liveries coming with the A350 by default this would decrease maintenance for 3rd party livery creators on future model updates as well as decrease maintenance on the actual paint kit as including models to the livery isn't needed anymore. A simple model.cfg could get the correct model on every livery automatically even after larger model changes as in 1.0.4. 

The above-mentioned is mostly true for MSFS2024; if the default liveries come with every mesh/decal area needed (right now the wing registration decal area is missing there as well), creators could just copy the existing model from the included white livery to use with their own livery.