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Problem with window

C

c152

Messages
39
Country
finland
Hi!
I have a problem with a window texture. When I looks trought the glass I can´t see any gauges or textured parts.
What can be wrong?:confused:
 
Hello C152,


Make sure you have a texture applied to the object, such as a bitmap.

Make sure its set for being a transparency.

Can I ask what sim you are making this for? The FSX Materials are a bit more rigorous to set up. FS9 is pretty simple.

There are issues with FS9 where gauges cannot be seen through the glass. This is a bug. With Gmax this occurs often, very seldom does it 'not' occur. The work around is to have 'fake' gauges textures on the 'exterior' model, then real gauges on the VC model.

With FSDS, you would make the glass parts numbers back to the early area of the list, (low numbers). To do this, you would 'copy' the part(s), then delete the part(s), then 'paste' the parts back in. This way, they are back to the lower 'draw numbers' which will correct the issue.




Bill



Bill
 
lionheart said:
Hello C152,
Make sure you have a texture applied to the object, such as a bitmap.

Make sure its set for being a transparency.

Can I ask what sim you are making this for? The FSX Materials are a bit more rigorous to set up. FS9 is pretty simple.

There are issues with FS9 where gauges cannot be seen through the glass. This is a bug. With Gmax this occurs often, very seldom does it 'not' occur. The work around is to have 'fake' gauges textures on the 'exterior' model, then real gauges on the VC model.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the answer!
FS version is Fs9.
Yes, i have applied the texture to the object, but it isn´t only gauges that disappears, it is also textured parts and the prop.:(
 
c152 said:
Thanks for the answer!
FS version is Fs9.
Yes, i have applied the texture to the object, but it isn´t only gauges that disappears, it is also textured parts and the prop.:(
Click to expand...

Yep.. Sounds like the infamous transparency bug. I have found no ways around this. Creating fake gauges cures the problem with gauges, using them on the outside model only. But props also are a issue. (I forgot about that). Usually you can have one prop visible, but if you have two props visible, like overlayed prop discs, then one disappears.



Bill
 
Check the Zbias setting for your window's Material.
 
c152 said:
What is Zbias?
Click to expand...

For the FS2002 and FS2004 MakeMDL.exe compiler, partnames are critical, as you already know.

There are also several prefixes that you can add to an existing partname that have a special meaning to the sim. One example are the ZBIAS_ and the ZBIAS_XX_ prefixes.

The ZBIAS_ prefix will tell the sim that "this part should be drawn last." or whatever order you specify if you have two or more parts that need to be drawn in some particular order.

So, for example if you have a part named "cockpit_window" then adding the prefix like this:

ZBIAS_cockpit_window

to the part's name will force the sim to draw the part last!

It's truly amazing what one can learn by reading the MakeMDL SDK... :)
 
n4gix said:
So, for example if you have a part named "cockpit_window" then adding the prefix like this:
ZBIAS_cockpit_window
Click to expand...
But one part is the door, (named f_canopy) Does the door work if i change that name?
 
It should not cause a problem, but if it does...

...you can simply copy the "glass canopy" and Link it to the original part, then remove all the vertices (points) from the original part except for one so it will not be visible, but will keep the animation intact.
 
n4gix said:
So, for example if you have a part named "cockpit_window" then adding the prefix like this:

ZBIAS_cockpit_window
Click to expand...
Sorry, but that doesn´t help. :( The parts are still invisible. :( Is there any other solution for this?
 
Hey C152,

Basically make a invisible part and name that the tag name for animation purposes. Then attach the plexi part mesh to the invisible part via the Hierarchy.

Then add the Z-Bias name to the part.

The thing that I need to find out, is if the glass should be first or last in the build order for it to appear. In FSDS, you want it drawn first, but in Gmax, I dont know how that should be. (Might be backwards... )

Time to experiment... :D



Bill
 
So Bill,


How would you then name a part to be 3rd last to be drawn?

Lets say you have a semi-transparent sunvisor. How would you manage this?

ZBias_03_sunvisor << would that be the proper tag format?


I know.. off to read the SDK.. arrgh.
 
Last edited:
I should add.. This appears to be a huge program with my present model in FSX. I have floating placcards in the panel and in FSX, they flicker wildly. Wouldnt this cause them to become stable? Or would this be a seperate issue altogether?

I see also that there is 'Decal_ ' in the tag name sections. Perhaps non-transparent hovering parts are referred to as 'Decals'?

If it would pertain to the flickering hover-polygons, then I will have to be renaming a ton of parts, lol.. Better then having them flicker.


Bill
 
Ive been experimenting with this and its not working on my rig.

I tried renaming the visors to just 'zbias_0X', and then the plexi also, and the visors are still invisible through the plexi of the exterior model looking in.


Bill
 
I have tried to name one window "ZBIAS_window", the other window is only named "window". But i can´t see textured parts in any of them.:(
 
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