• Which the release of FS2020 we see an explosition of activity on the forun and of course we are very happy to see this. But having all questions about FS2020 in one forum becomes a bit messy. So therefore we would like to ask you all to use the following guidelines when posting your questions:

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Night Texture Help

Aspireman said:
http://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/threads/night-texture-help.441091/

I can design the night texture, but get lost on how to activate it. Does it need to be written in the INF file? Here's what I have.https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B_n-6uMgEm0AeHlCaE1tVTBFeDQ?usp=sharing
Click to expand...

You have the file name 'suffixes' configured properly for use by SBuilderX when semi-automatically processing the project.

[EDITED]

However, the preceding file names themselves (in front of the suffixes) must be changed to match the file name of the compile session name, which must include a prefix of "Photo" to ensure that "SBuilderX will automatically integrate the blend and/or water mask in the custom ground" as stated in the Luis Feliz-Tirado tutorial "Make Photo-real Ground Textures in FSX" ...as cited again below. :scratchch


After a quick review of the tutorials by Luis Feliz-Tirado at PTSIM forum:

http://www.ptsim.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=3435&sid=149d43d81037e5d3f796c9eca2a170dc


...and in his downloadable package at AVSIM file library:

https://library.avsim.net/esearch.php?CatID=fsxsd&DLID=140539


...it is clear that he had already provided worked examples for source file naming in his documentation:

[Make_Photo-real_Ground_Textures_in_FSX install path]/Make_photo-real_ground_textures_in_FS_X.html#Making_custom_textures


"To add blend masks or water masks to your custom ground, you can create them using the original image as a basis, and then save them with the same name, but using a suffix to indicate this. The files should be saved as TIF images, for example:

original image - L17X132735X132743Y90177Y90183.BMP

blend mask - L17X132735X132743Y90177Y90183_B.TIF
water mask - L17X132735X132743Y90177Y90183_W.TIF

Make sure that those files are in the SBuilderX\Tools\Work folder even if the original image is in another folder, and SBuilderX will automatically integrate the blend and/or water mask in the custom ground."


BTW: According to Luis Feliz-Tirado's tutorial "Make Photo-real Ground Textures in FSX":

"SBuilderX will automatically integrate the blend and/or water mask in the custom ground"


Thus, the Water Mask and Blend Mask will automatically be found / used during BGL compilation, even if not listed in SBuilderX' {Seasons} dialog entries or the INF file.


CAVEAT: AFAIK, this will only work if the Water Mask and Blend masks are included as Alpha Channels within the DAY image source file, when that DAY (Summer Season) image is a TIFF (*.TIF) or Targa (*.TGA) texture image file format.


NOTE: The file name prefix must also be consistent among all source files for both masks and Seasonal / Night Variants, as seen in this example INF file within that same tutorial:

[Make Photo-real Ground Textures in FSX install path]/Make_photo-real_ground_textures_in_FS_X.html#multi-source_inf_file


So, be certain to populate file paths for those Seasonal and/or Night textures in the SBuilderX "Seasons" dialog on the {Seasons} tab.

SBuilderX Menu > Help > {Search Tab} query string: Seasons


NOTE: Since SDK Resample will still require all pertinent parameters and values to be specified in the INF file, the above info means that if you provide all the Seasonal info within the Seasonal dialog box, and make certain you have all the required imagery files including the Land-Water Mask and Blend Mask with the proper file name prefixes and suffixes located within the:

[SBuilderX install path]\Tools\Work sub-folder


...SBuilderX should then be able to generate the INF file itself, so that the end user need not do so manually, and can proceed via the SBuilderX GUI with compiling a BGL via SDK Resample. :wizard:


Additionally, IMHO, rather than using a 'higher-Bit-ness' version of a Water Mask or a Blend mask, or using 'only' a Blend Mask instead of having both a Water Mask and a Blend mask, it is best to keep such 'masks' separated into (2) distinct functions via (2) separate mask files, each defined via "Channel" parameter values within a SDK Resample "multi-source" INF: :alert:


Water Mask: 8-Bit gray-scale using only Black (RGB 0,0,0) and White (RGB 255,255,255) only

BlendMask: 8-Bit gray-scale from Black (RGB 0,0,0) to White (RGB 255,255,255) {=256 'colors'}


IMHO, Land-Water vs. Blend Masks should be maintained as separate files.

Water Masks should define Hydro areas with pure Black (RGB 0,0,0) and Land as pure White (RGB 255,255,255).

Water Masks should be saved as 8-Bit gray-scale ' Black & White only TIFF files; any transparency will be lost.


Blend Masks should IMHO define default Land Class with pure Black (RGB 0,0,0) and transition into custom Land class (ex: photo-real aerial imagery) over the desired distance on ground via a gradient of progressively lighter gray-scale values and become pure White (RGB 255,255,255) in areas that one wishes to be fully visible in the custom area.

Blend Masks should be saved as 8-Bit 'gray-scale' TIFF files; any transparency will be rendered via a 256-step gradient.

Blend Masks can be "dithered" via ex: Floyd-Sternberg dithering methods to reduce "banding" in 8-Bit gray-scale gradients


Please convert Blend Mask files from 24-Bit color BMPs to 8-Bit gray-scale '256-colors', and please also convert Land-Water Masks to 8-Bit gray-scale B-&-W only TIFF files ...as described in the context of the above quoted original discussions within this thread. ;)


NOTE: Windows BMP files may only have (1) additional channel, typically as a Alpha channel only, and thus cannot be used for (2) Masks.


Assuming you are still using GIMP, perhaps these documentation links may serve as a reminder of available options:

https://docs.gimp.org/en/gimp-tutorial-quickie-change-mode.html

https://docs.gimp.org/en/gimp-image-convert-indexed.html


Additional optional criteria are included below for readers using other graphics applications for the above conversions. :pushpin:


Blend Mask 8-Bit gray-scale '256-colors' TIFF should, IMHO, be configured as:

* NO compression, whether FAX - CCITT 3, Huffman Encoding, LZW, PackBits etc.

* RGB NOT CMYK

* NO ICC sRGB Color Space Profile Embedded

* Optimized NOT Custom Palette


Water Mask 8-Bit gray-scale B-&-W only TIFF files should, IMHO, be configured as:

Blend Mask 8-Bit gray-scale '256-colors' TIFF should, IMHO, be configured as:

* NO compression, whether FAX - CCITT 3, Huffman Encoding, LZW, PackBits etc.

* RGB NOT CMYK

* NO ICC sRGB Color Space Profile Embedded

* Optimized NOT Custom Palette

IMHO, do NOT use 24-Bit color BMPs for Masks. :duck:


BTW: A "Photo*.BMP" 1-piece background 'map' output by SBuilderX, however, should be a 24-Bit color non-RLE Windows BMP.

[END_EDIT]

GaryGB
 
Last edited:
Aspireman said:
http://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/threads/night-texture-help.441091/#post-781651

Added some more pictures. The second to the last one, I still would like to know where I can get those Houses? ADE has a couple of Euro houses, but hardly any US houses.

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B_n-6uMgEm0AZ2dwQVNITVRXNlE?usp=sharing
Click to expand...


Explore this thumbnail gallery of all default FSX scenery library objects ...all of which can be placed via ADE and Instant Scenery. :pushpin:

http://lc0277.gratisim.fr/sceneobjects/


Be certain to click the Blue "Next Page" link in the top right corner to see all linked pages for that category (in that default BGL file). ;)

GaryGB
 
So I have to put my Blend, Water and Original maps in the Work folder of SBX? I have all the other projects in there, I guess I'll have to clean it out.
 
Chris:

You do not necessarily need that folder empty aside from your current active project.

But to be on the safe side, you can add a copy of your other projects and their related files into ZIP archives, then delete the originals.

The need to do that depends on whether you have used unique names or have duplicate names for any files in different projects.

In particular, keep a close watch on SBuilderX re-using the "Photo01" file name. ;-)

GaryGB
 
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