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alpha does not show

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us-washington
I made a nice little picture with alpha. Used dxtbmp saved as dxt1 with the alpha, didn't work so redid this and saved to dxt5 with alpha. Still shows up as a black box in FSX.

found this as a jpg, saved as bmp, resized to 128x128, and saved as 16 bit then did the above process. Any ideas? Bob
 
no material, just a thin box with an alpha'd dxt5 bmp of a hook as you would find hanging from a crane.

Used FSDS 3 done other alpha'd items in FSDS 3 which show up fine in FS9 and FSX.

Messed up the first try, forgot to color all visible with white. Started from sctrach.

Got rid of all other previous bmps with that file name. (FSDS) likes to park a copy of bmps used in a folder. Still just getting solid black thin box. I know I'm missing something very simple. Can't figure out what. Bob
 
Hi Bob
You have to let FSDS know you are using a trans texture to do this you go into the “Part Properties” box and select “Material” in here just make a new material and call it ‘Trans” you don’t have to set any colour just the name, then put your texture on the object.

Have a look at this tutorial it may help
http://www.abacuspub.com/adam/blog/?p=43

Farfy:D
 
Thanx- I've read this before and didn't think I'd have to do it this way but it does work. I'll name my part 'trans' without the |'|thanx again for the reminder. I've had alpha's work before but always seemed to have trouble now and then. This may solve it. I'll give it a whirl. Bob
 
I think I'm missing a simple step here.

followoing the tutorial on Adam's blog I go to edit - properties hit materials --type in trans and hit ok. set material box is now checked. Save project again.

I continue with my alpha bmp. Later when placing I still just see a black box, not my texture.

Back into FSDS 3 I go to edit - properties and notice the "set material" box is not checked!!!! I redo all this. BEfore I leave FSDS I go to edit Props again and see set material again is not checked! Is there something wrong with my FSDS program? Bob
 
Hi Bob when you go back to the “Part Properties” a second time you will see the “Set Material” box is no longer checked But you should see the name you put in, in this case “Trans” in the box just below. You only need to set this once.
I am not 100% sure I understand what you are making but what I would do to make a hook for a crane, is make a black texture any size you like, 256 X 256 24 bit 16 million colour, would work for me I would then make the hook a new colour a rusty steel or something. (I would have this texture in my FSDS working texture folder)
I would then copy this texture to my game texture folder, from here I will open it with BMTbmp (Martin Wright), select “create alpha channel (black)” say “ok” because my back round was black I don’t need to adjust the alpha channel so I just save this as “Extended Bitmap” DXT5 and this is all I do the black will be transparent.
I hope this helps

Farfy:D
 
I have the same problem with alpha texture in FSDS V3.5.1

I did what you said in the post and it is still black,in a Gmax post they say for this to work you got to use FSDS xTweak.

I have the xTeak but do not know what to do with it,just want to make a tower with the red grid on it.See Pic

Thanks
 
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Hi Frits
You do not need to use FSDS xTweaks to use a transparent texture. I would think you missed one of the steps, could you tell us the steps you made so we can try to help you out? A little more info please.
Farfy:D
 
What i did is made a texture 512 by 512 black then i painted my grid on it,then i took the texture to BMTbmp and select “create alpha channel (black) and saved it as DXT5.

I then made n blok in FSDS and in the Part Properties i tiped in Trans and then selected the texture with out _LM OR ALPHA did i miss something there.I then loaded the scenery file and texture like i always do into FSX,and its black like in the pic.

In your post it sound so simple.

Thanks
 
Hi Frits,
I think you made the texture correctly, but perhaps you made a mistake in the “Part Property” box.

You go to “Part Property” then click where it says “Material”

This opens the “Materiel List” box in here click where it says “Add”,

This opens the “Material Editor” box, then where it says “Material Name”

You type ‘Trans” then click “ok”, this will add the name trans to your list,

Click on it and then click “OK”, then click “OK” again at the bottom of the “Part Property” box.

Now applier your texture to the object compile and install. Make sure the texture you made with the DXT5 is in the correct folder for your scenery.

Farfy:D
 
Hallo Farfy

I did it over and it works now but its not working the way i want,there is now cloudes in front of the tower - see pic
I think its a SP2 problem.

I will build the grid towers grid for grid it works how i want it and looks amazing - see pic

If there is a solution to fix the problem please let me know.

Thanks you
 
Last edited:
Hi Frits
There is a fix for the draw though problem. I read this over in the (freeflightdesign.com) fourm. You can read the whole thread here

http://www.aerodynamika.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?num=1223381932

But basically you make your object like you already have then export it as an “X” file and edit the “X” file in note pad, adding the red code from this threads then drop the “X” file into the XToMDL.exe to manually compile your object this will make your MDL file, then install this and it should work. Here is the code by “anthony31” (Thanks anthony31 sure help me)

Material trans_antsfence_bmp_trans_AntsFence_bmp {
0.8; 0.8; 0.8; 1.0;;
0.0;
0.0; 0.0; 0.0;;
0.0; 0.0; 0.0;;
TextureFilename {
"trans_AntsFence.dds";
}
DiffuseTextureFilename {
"trans_AntsFence.dds";
}
FS10Material {
0.8; 0.8; 0.8; 1.0;;
0.0; 0.0; 0.0;;
0.0;
1.000000; 1.000000; // Detail and bump scales
0.190000; // Scale environment level factor
0; // Use global environment
0; // Do not blend env by inv diffuse alpha
0; // Do not blend env by specular map alpha
0; 1; 1; // Fresnel - diffuse = NO, Specular = YES, Env = YES
0; 0; 0.000000; // Precipitation - Use = NO, Offset = NO
64.000000; // Specular Map Power Scale
"SrcAlpha"; "InvSrcAlpha"; // Src/Dest blend
EmissiveData {
"Additive"; // Emissive Mode
}
DiffuseTextureFilename {
"trans_AntsFence.dds";
}
AlphaData {
1; // ZtestAlpha
0.0; // AlphaTestValue
"Greater"; // AlphaTestFunction
0; // FinalAlphaWrite
255.0; // FinalAlphaWriteValue
}
EnhancedParameters {
0; // Assume vertical normal
1; // Z-Write alpha
0; // No Z-Write
0; // Volume shadow
0; // No shadow
0; // Prelit vertices
}
SpecularBloomFloor {
0.000000;
}

} // FS10Material
}

Material trans_antsfence_bmp {
0.8; 0.8; 0.8; 1.0;;
0.0;
0.0; 0.0; 0.0;;
0.0; 0.0; 0.0;;
FS10Material {
0.8; 0.8; 0.8; 1.0;;
0.0; 0.0; 0.0;;
0.0;
1.000000; 1.000000; // Detail and bump scales
0.190000; // Scale environment level factor
0; // Use global environment
0; // Do not blend env by inv diffuse alpha
0; // Do not blend env by specular map alpha
0; 1; 1; // Fresnel - diffuse = NO, Specular = YES, Env = YES
0; 0; 0.000000; // Precipitation - Use = NO, Offset = NO
64.000000; // Specular Map Power Scale
"SrcAlpha"; "InvSrcAlpha"; // Src/Dest blend
EmissiveData {
"Additive"; // Emissive Mode
}
} // FS10Material
}



Farfy:D
 
New problem

Hallo Farfy

Now there is a new problem,i load the bgl and place it with instant scenery all ok - see pic 1

Now i go out of FSX,wen i load FSX again the cloude thing is back - see pic 2

I put the txt part at the bottem of the Xfile,is that right.
Do you know what i must do,it works right,when you go back the cloudes are back.

Thanks Frits
 
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Hi Frits

First I am not sure how you made the BGL, if you edit the “X” file and drop it into the XToMDL.EXE you will get a MDL file.

I then use Arno’s Library Creator to make a library BGL and I then use ADE to install objects, and this works very well, the clouds and trees stay where they belong. I just made a simple object made the tweak and loaded, then reloaded the game it is fine.

I am unfamiliar with Instant Scenery so I can’t help with it.


I can think of no reason for it to work on first load but not second time, that is very odd.


The code that is red must be inserted as shown in that other post (not at the bottom but in the same place as showed)

If you would like you can e-mail me the “X” file from FSDS and your tweaked version of the “X” file,(Change the name on tweaked version)
Along with the texture and I will be happy to have a peak at it.

farfy2@gmail.com


Farfy:D
 
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