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FSX Transparency Video-Tutorial

PlayedByDemon

PlayedByDemon

Messages
198
Country
germany
Hi all,

as I promissed I've created a video tutorial about how to make transparency work in FSX. I am not sure if this is the right spot to put it, so please bare with me, if its the wrong place. Since so many ppl have problems with tranperancy, I decided to give a tutorial. Maybe you find it usefull.

You can get the link on my website: http://www.edja.universe-3d.com

Comments & Critics welcome

chers,

Demon
 
Hi,

Nice initiative!

I am not sure if it is my PC, but here the last part of your video seems black.
 
very nice

works fine on my pc...prob need to view many times to absorb info..
very good..jim
 
Hi Arno,

maybe we can make it sicky so it won't get burried under all the other posts?!

Just a thought.

cheers,

Demon
 
Stuck for now. The best solution would be a wiki article or put the video in the downloads ( or both ).

Dick
 
I'll put it on the wiki. I already suggested that to demon
 
The only "issue" I have with the tutorial is this:

There is absolutely no "legal" way to buy any versions of Max except directly from Autodesk. There's no such thing as "Authorized Resellers" of Autodesk's products...

...none!

Worst of all, Autodesk will simply not sell depecrated software. Period.

Ask Bill "Lionheart" about it; he got burned... twice!
 
Hi,

What I meant with the black part is that the video is 24 minutes, but after 15 minutes the tutorial is over. The rest shows as black here.

Is the Max discussion relevant for the content of the tutorial? I mean I think people can follow the same approach in GMax or not?
 
I was commenting on the voice narrative where he mentions that one may buy Max online. Well, you can't except directly from Autodesk, and they don't sell depecrated versions...

...so, the comment is a bit misleading. ;)

But yes, the technique described is equally applicable to GMax, since there's zero difference in the actual FSX Material menu...

...the UVW Editor for GMax doesn't have the fancy "unfold" feature for cylindrical mapping of course.
 
Hi,

I will redo the tutorial and use GMAX to grant 100% applicable techniques. Sorry about the black part. Must have forgotten to set the correct timeline. I will upload the new tuto at the weekend.

Sorry about the confusion with buying 3dMax. I will remove that and avoid any commercials for products.

Cheers,

Demon
 
Demon said:
Sorry about the confusion with buying 3dMax. I will remove that and avoid any commercials for products.
Click to expand...

I was only concerned about that because it could have been mis-interpreted by "some" as either condoning - or at least turning a blind eye - to using an illegal and/or pirated version.

I've had quite a few people who've written to me asking about various websites that give the appearance of "legitimacy" and claim to be "Official Resellers" of just about every (expensive!) software available.

Some of them even offer a "30 day refund" option, knowing full well that by the time the 30 "trial period" for the software is up, so too is the "refund window of opportunity!"

Which of course means that the poor fellow who fell into their honey-trap now owns some very expensive coffee-table coasters... :yikes::censored::censored:
 
Hi,

If it is mainly the black part you are concerned about, I would personally edit the video to remove the last minutes. Redoing the whole video will cost you more time. But the choice is up to you :).

If you can provide me the video (preferably in FLV format), I am more than happy to put it on the Wiki as well.
 
New Tutorial Done With GMax...

Hi,

I've just uploaded the new video done with G-Max. Sometimes weird things happened and I got stuck a bit, but that won't bother too much. Hopefully. Well I also hope that I havent forgotten any important detail. I did not explain how to use all the other tools you need to compile and stuff...

If you miss anything, just let me know and I'll redo it again. At least something I can provide to this fine community after the community gave me so much so I could develope my own sceneries :) Thanks to all who ever helped me :)

cheers,

Demon
 
Thanks for the update of the tutorial.

If you want I can still put it on the Wiki as well, but then you would need to provide me the video files.
 
Many thanks Marcus, I really enjoyed your video tutorial, which is very useful indeed! :)

BTW, Greetings from the Neighbourhood...
I just ended my holidays spent in the wonderful "Schwarzwald".
 
Nice tutorial, many thanks.

The only part I got stuck on was the Opacity map, is this a normal texture with an Alpha channel?
 
Hi,

An opacity map is not needed for fs. It is used to show transparency in gmax itself. I don't bother to add them normally.
 
Hi Arno,

I am a bit confused now. The opacity map is not needed for FSX? How does FS "know" that a polygon has to be transparent? I found out, that if you use a BMP file as alpha gets you weird projection in FSX. As far as I know, the opacity map is needed to tell FSX where the transparent polys are :eek:. Maybe I am misstaken in that, but without I never managed to get any transparency. Maybe you can explain that a bit more in detail? I am curious about it. I dont want unnecessary stuff in my tutorial :)

Thanks a lot.

cheers,

Demon
 
me is confused as well, since Arno said that FS won't need an opacity map. Let's assume we need the opacitymap, than you need to think about the following 2 things:

1.: do you need white, clean windows?
2.: do you need colored, dirty windows with stickers on it etc.

If you just need white windows, than I would create a colormap with white and included in that an alpha map which indicates the transparency value. White=opaque and Black=transparent. Any greyish color is a mixture between both.

So to come back to your question: an opacity map is a normal colormap with an alpha which is essential for the transparency grade. As said before the color map is only to give a window a greenish or blueish tint. Depends on the colormap of course.

All relays on that the opacity map is needed. you could probably use the alpha in the colormap as well...now, when I think about it, that is probably what Arno meant. Instead of using the opacity put the alpha in the colormap and your done...need to check that...

OMG...I need to redo my video again...OHH NOOOOOOO :eek::(

Cheers,

Demon
 
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