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Taxiway edge transparency problem

M

MistyBlue

Messages
49
Hi All, I have searched high and low for what I'm doing wrong but can't seem to figure it out.

I am in P3D and want to create a more realistic irregular edge to an apron and blend it into the underlying photo background. But I am ending up with a gray (or black) line beyond the edge of the texture that should be transparent (see attached image). It's like the alpha channel isn't being picked up.

I created the edge texture in Photoshop, added an alpha channel where white is the apron part and black represents the transparent area beyond the edge, converted to DXT3 (tried DXT5 as well) and verified the alpha in DXTBMP, then uploaded to my texture directory as a DDS. Am I missing a step in there somewhere?

Thanks for the help!

Capture3.PNG Capture.PNG Capture2.PNG
 
You need to set the material as transparent in your modeling software so that the model knows that it should take the alpha channel into account for transparency.
Which modeling program do you use?
 
So there should be the default transparent button somewhere in the material editor and that should do the trick.
 
In the Max material editor you can tick the opacity box of your material (in the Maps section), and add your Alpha, or in ModelConverterX use the Set Default Transparent button, probably the easiest way - as dave heoffgen suggested.
 
Thank you both. Well, extracting the alpha channel and applying it to the opacity map in 3DS makes it appear properly within 3DS, but it still ends up in the sim the same as before. Isn't the sim supposed to recognize the texture has an alpha channel and apply it automatically? Or are you saying the BGL itself has to specify which parts of the texture are transparent?
 
MistyBlue said:
Isn't the sim supposed to recognize the texture has an alpha channel and apply it automatically? Or are you saying the BGL itself has to specify which parts of the texture are transparent?
Click to expand...
Actually the sim is told by the FS material settings if it should use the texture's alpha channel to blend transparency or to blend reflection or if the alpha channel is ignored completely.
In the FSX/P3D material editor in the "framebuffer blend" section there should be two buttons. Clicking "set default transparent" should automatically do the necessary steps to get you a transparent material blended by the alpha channel.
 
And FYI in Max you should tick the Export FS10/P3D materials box when exporting, but I always use ModelConverterX for transparency. It's just less of a hassle, for me.
 
Thanks Spitz. Where is that setting in MAX? On the export dialog I only have an "Export ESP 1.0 Material" option which I always leave checked.
 
We're most probably talking of the same thing, I'm not sure which SDK I have in Max at the moment. I can't help you much further then, but at least it works now :)
 
Let us know when it looks right in the sim.
BTW how is it exported? Via the MCX ground poly wizard or just placement?
 
Thanks. Itt finally appears to be working in sim. Now I have to start tweaking the edge so it looks better, but that's the easy part.

I'm exporting the .X file from MAX and importing it using Ground Poly Wizard in MCX, then exporting from there to .BGL. Sound about right?
 
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