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FSX Adding alpha channels to multiple images with ImageMagick?

Alpha2Echo

Alpha2Echo

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55
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germany
Hello guys,

I am currently working on a photoreal ground scenery with loads of image tiles. So of course, sooner or later I had to get to the point where I have to add blend masks to them. A whole lot of work:confused:. So I was looking for a tool to help me and I found ImageMagick on the net:wizard:. I think that is what I need.
Meanwhile, I am at least able to convert all my images to another format, that's really useful but now I would like to go a step further: Add blend masks. Unfortunately, I am not really a pc-specialist and do not have enough time to read all the manuals provided as they are for real professionals. And I thought that I shouldn't be the first one who is going this way. So finally my question is:
how can I add individual alpha-channels to my tiles? The tiles are ready, and the alphas are stored as images with same name as the original tiles but with a "_Alpha" suffix.
Any help would be really appreciated!

Best,

Arne
 
Hi,

I've never used ImageMagick :rolleyes: So I don't think i'll be able to guide you in the right way to use that software :eek:
If you want my advice, I usually use DXTBMP.exe soft to add alpha channels, and then export directly to .DDS DXT5. Or maybe you need Adobe Photoshop and its NvIdIa plugins in order Photoshop be able to export to textures of .DDS format with any compression you want with generating Mipmaps !;)

Think first, and then choose one method of the above, so that I do for you a step-by-step guide to add your alpha channels to your Tiles!

with Regards, :wave:
Dayou.
 
Hi Dayou,

thank you very much for your reply! In fact Converting the textures to DXT5 DDS files is not the problem, I am using Imagetool to do so since it comes with an own list of batch commands. My problem is to condense file pairs to one single file each automatically instead.
Anyway- Meanwhile a friend told me that there is a method to simplify the condensation process in Adobe Photoshop. One can use "Action" to teach Photoshop the order of working steps to generate the condensed file including saving and closing. There is the possibility to link the process to a "F"-Key on the keyboard, so you can load pair-by-pair and then just press one key to make the work for you.

Regards,

Arne
 
Hi,

Alpha channels?
Usually, a blend mask is a black and white 8 bit gray scale TIFF file that will be resampled into a bgl by adding it to the .inf file as a blendmask channel.
For instance like this:
[Source4]
Type = TIFF
Layer = None
SourceDir = C:\FSEarthTiles\work\ESGG
SourceFile = ESGG140617blend.tif
Lon = 12.2606992721558 ;for top left and bottom right is: 12.3072195053101
Lat = 57.6803094148636 ;for top left and bottom right is: 57.6444911956787
NumOfCellsPerLine = 6504 ;Pixel is not used in FSX
NumOfLines = 6677 ;Pixel is not used in FSX
CellXdimensionDeg = 7.15255737304688E-06
CellYdimensionDeg = 5.36441802978516E-06
PixelIsPoint = 0
SamplingMethod = Point
Channel_Blendmask = 4.0
The .tif file does not include an alpha channel at all.
 
Hey Roby,

yeah right. Sorry for the confusion ;-) I'm used to mix it up. Maybe because Photoshop is calling it Alpha when you generate a greyscale channel which I later use either to save it seperately as a blend mask or included it in a *.psd for convertig it to *.dds with imagetool. Well the point is that I do not plan to use the condensed material in resample but in imagetool because I am working the old fashioned way to create Hi-Res Ground tiles.
 
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