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FSXA Exported building doesn't show in FSX

SoloWing

SoloWing

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unitedstates
Been trying my hand at 3DS Max for the past few weeks, and have gotten comfortable enough to export my first few buildings, and the first 4 so far have been a great learning experience. I decided to go back and redo #1 with better textures, and have hit a snag.


This is what the model looks like in Max. So far, nothing special on the textures, just getting something thrown on to start testing alpha and specular maps with the PSD files. Everything's seemingly working until I export to FSX (.X file converted to MDL, and placed via XML), and then this happens:



The central portion of the building is missing, BUT, it's shadow is still there. I thought this was an issue with my alpha textures acting up, so I took them out of the Material Editor in MAX and deleted them (the alphas) from the scenery folders. I recompiled the building with their diffuse textures as the only covering, in an attempt to backtrack to the issue, and the result is the same. Something is preventing only that portion of the building from showing, and I have no clue as to what it could be. The issue first cropped up after I applied a specular map texture with an alpha channel intent on giving my windows reflections. I guess that was the catalyst, but removing those textures from the equation still leaves the problem intact.

Any help towards a solution would be appreciated. This has happened once to me in GMax, and the only way I solved the issue was by redesigning the building and applying new textures. I don't want to have to repeat hours of work. Many thanks in advance!
 
Hi,

I think it is an issue with the textures, which format did you use for them? It is best to use DDS textures in FSX and their size needs to be a power of two.

I am not sure what you mean with removing the alpha textures, in FSX the alpha channel is part of the diffuse texture, it is not a separate texture in your texture folder.
 
Hi Arno,

The textures are in DDS format, which confused me. Each part of the building is on a separate sheet, so perhaps the issue lies with the one sheet used to texture the center portion? I double checked, the textures are powers of two, sitting comfortably at 1024x1024.

And this is be being very unclear again. I did not assign separate alpha textures. I merely assumed the alpha associated with the diffuse was the culprit at first, and re-saved the texture without this alpha attached to it, in hopes it was an alpha problem.

I have since done up a few small buildings in the mean time and textured them with no problems. I just hate to re-do this model (even if I do have some ideas to improve it...). The timetable for this particular project we're working on will end about three weeks from now, and this is the last push we need to get this particular project done. If this cannot be solved in the next week and a half, guess I'll just have to bite the bullet?

Just wish someone knew of a possible wrong here and help make this a quick fix so I can move on and smack myself for being so blind.
 
When I have had invisible buildings with shadows, it has been the alpha channel...
 
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