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MSFS24 MCX No glTF Albedo Texture if Complex Shader ON

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GaryGB

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Hi Arno:

MCX 1.9.2026.0512 and MCX 1.9.2026.0612 with Complex Shader ON:

Do not display color Albedo texture Materials in 3D preview for MSFS 2020 and MSFS 2024 glTFs.

With Complex Shader ON, a very dark monotone 'color' displays instead.


MCX 1.9.2026.0512 and MCX 1.9.2026.0612 with Complex Shader OFF:

Do display color Albedo texture Materials in 3D preview for MSFS 2020 and MSFS 2024 glTFs.


Is this new behavior expected if viewing 3D models in glTF format within ModelLib BGLs compiled by MSFS 2020 / MSFS 2024 SDK ? :scratchch


Examples where I first noticed this:

John's CAM9 ModelLib for MSFS 2020 which is AFAIK, not KTX2 compressed DDS format exported from Blender:

https://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/t...h-doesnt-leak-light-inside.460955/post-940736

Upon close inspection, color Albedo texture Materials in 3D preview for MSFS 2020 and MSFS 2024 glTFs are not mapped correctly when the 3D models are exported as a Khronos 2.0 (generic) glTF.

When the 3D models are exported as a Khronos 2.0 (generic) glTF and imported to Sketchup 2017, the texture Materials appear to be mapped onto numerous Group / Component 'outer surfaces', rather than individual Faces, and as a result, that apparently disables Sketchup native Right-click Menu "Texture > Position" feature to access UV mapping.

However the original BGL seems to display correctly at run time in MSFS 2020.


Keinowaara's ModelLib for MSFS 2020 which is AFAIK, KTX2 compressed DDS format via a KTX2 compressor in / exported from Blender:

MSFS 2024 Tikkurila- Vantaa - Helsinki area add-on "Tikkurila Area, Finland":

https://flightsim.to/addon/103599/tikkurila-area-finland

https://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/t...-tiles-textures-in-blender.460965/post-940764:

Upon close inspection, color Albedo texture Materials in 3D preview for MSFS 2020 and MSFS 2024 glTFs are not mapped correctly, and the 3D models are distorted. although the BGL seems to display correctly at run time in MSFS 2024..



Thanks in advance for your clarification as to whether MCX 3D preview functionality has changed.

Also, would you please explain what we may not see in MCX 3D preview mode on MSFS glTF's ...if Complex Shader is "OFF". :-)

GaryGB
 
Last edited:
Hi,

Did you check if the model does maybe have vertex colors that are black?
 
I have not had occasion to read that MCX would display the 3D Preview in that way due to an imported object being configured with black vertex colors.

I would be glad to research that, and more specifically, I shall check the (2) ModelLibs cited above, and will report back here. :-)

GaryGB
 
Hi Arno:

I do not see documented in MCX 1.9.2026.0612 PDF User Manual, these MCX Material Editor PBR Material Properties:

"Vertex Color Albedo Multiply"

"Vertex Color Wind Weight"


Thus far in researching this, I have found very few threads / posts which address this specific topic.

How do you expect MCX end users to distinguish whether a MSFS glTF 3D model has "vertex colors that are black" ? :scratchch


Of the potentially related FSDEV threads I have found thus far, this one seems most pertinent to this inquiry:

https://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/threads/solved-black-dark-grey-pbr-textures.455850/


IIUC, MSFS authors may overlook a Blender configuration checkbox, so a 3D model inherits this attribute.


What MCX Option(s) may we set to eliminate this needless distraction if inspecting MSFS BGLs in 3D preview ?

I do see the potential benefit of having MCX Option(s) that enable this when we want to see such attributes.

But when scanning through a ModelLib and creating thumbnails etc. this IMHO is disruptive to intended MCX tasks.

I would be glad to report back with info on the above cited files in question regarding "vertex colors that are black ".

However I would appreciate your advisement first, on how best to determine that from ex: MCX Material Properties.


Thanks in advance for your advise on how best to interpret- and configure MCX to deal with- this type of display. :-)

GaryGB
 
Gary,

The easiest way to see what the vertex colors of a model part are is in the hierarchy editor. It can show all vertices attributes (position, normal, texture coordinates, weights and colors). That editor also has the tool to remove vertex colors if needed.

But I tried to look at the two modellibs you linked to, but I don't see an obvious problem with them yet. Both look quite normal to me when viewed in ModelConverterX with the complex shader.. But both are quite big sceneries with many objects in there, so it would help to provide more precise information which model has an issue.

I do see that the Helsinki scenery has an issue with the textures being vertically flipped when loaded. I thought I had fixed that issue for KTX texture before.

In which editor did you find the "Vertex Color Albedo Multiply" and "Vertex Color Wind Weight" options? They don't ring a bell for me.
 
arno said:
Gary,

The easiest way to see what the vertex colors of a model part are is in the hierarchy editor. It can show all vertices attributes (position, normal, texture coordinates, weights and colors). That editor also has the tool to remove vertex colors if needed.
Click to expand...

Thanks; I shall study this for future use on personl 3D models.

To inspect 3rd party 3D models I thought MCX may add a "Disable Vertex Colors in 3D Preview" icon on a toolbar ? :scratch

arno said:
But I tried to look at the two modellibs you linked to, but I don't see an obvious problem with them yet. Both look quite normal to me when viewed in ModelConverterX with the complex shader.. But both are quite big sceneries with many objects in there, so it would help to provide more precise information which model has an issue.
Click to expand...

Keinowaara: Object #1 in the cited ModeLib BGL


IIRC, John's CAM9 "SeaAir Waiting Room" is the object in question; ronh's worked example 3D model has this info:

Name: seair_waiting_room_test_01

GUID: 48d80ecc-a3e7-4399-98e5-ff1efb53a6ef


The *.Blend file version from ronh contains only that object, and probably has John's original GUID, so that could be a quick way to find the object in John's ModelLib.

Sorry, but I am presently away from my computer with both MCX V1.9.2026.0612 installed and John's file.

But I can post an object number for the object in question from John's ModelLib later.


arno said:
I do see that the Helsinki scenery has an issue with the textures being vertically flipped when loaded. I thought I had fixed that issue for KTX texture before.
Click to expand...

NOTE: Keinowaara may have not (yet) used MCX when making his objects in Blender, and IIRC, used an external utility to generate the KTX2 format texture Materials.


arno said:
In which editor did you find the "Vertex Color Albedo Multiply" and "Vertex Color Wind Weight" options? They don't ring a bell for me.
Click to expand...

MCX 1.9.2026.0612: IIUC, these are MCX Material Editor PBR Material Properties:



Thanks again for looking into this :-)

GaryGB
 
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