Getting Started
Welcome to Trading Paints! Here are some helpful hints for getting started.
What is Trading Paints?
Trading Paints is a resource for drivers to submit their custom paint designs for other racers to download for use in the iRacing simulation. iRacing drivers can use Trading Paints to upload cars, browse for downloads, or searching our database of paint schemes. League and team owners can create and manage car file lists to share a grouping of car files they save.
What isn't Trading Paints?
Trading Paints is not designed for drivers to download driver's submitted paint schemes for their own use; car files on Trading Paints are considered property of the original painter or driver. Paint schemes downloaded from Trading Paints should not be re-uploaded under another driver's name without express permission from the original painter or driver. "Stolen" paint schemes will be removed at the request of the original painter.
Helpful Hints for Uploading Your Paint Scheme
- Be sure to save TGA files with RLE compression enabled to reduce file size. RLE compression is a lossless format, meaning compressing your TGA file will not reduce its quality, only the file size.
- Car files must be exactly 1024x1024 pixels to display correctly in iRacing. The official templates released by iRacing are in 1024x1024 format.
- In your painting program, be sure to hide layers that are marked to be turned off in your template before saving. The pieces that are marked to be turned off will be "stamped over" in the sim, and may result in unfavorable results if these layers are kept on.
- Since iRacing automatically assigns numbers and stamps them on cars, car numbers should not be placed on custom paint designs. Customization of number styles muts be done through the iRacing paint shop.
- Be sure to utilize iRacing's in-sim paint area to ensure drivers who have not downloaded your custom paint scheme can view an alternative version of your car properly.
Placing Paint Schemes in the iRacing Sim
Upon downloading a paint scheme, the car's TGA file should be placed in your My Documents\iRacing\paint\cars\{vehicle}\ folder.