texturing - please help asap

[darren s]

Allthough I know how to add textures etc.
What I am now looking for is:
how can I make the textures show in HD within FS9?
for example I have a runway of 940Mx30M, so I made a plane with the same measurements.

So I will be hand drawing the textures based on real runway images the question.

how many panels per plane? what resolution of each panel should I use?

I have textured a runway as a test, but it appears blurry on FS asif it was a 100% photo slapped on the plane.

Everything is done, it is a little airport with just 4 main buildings; done. just have to texture the taxiways and runways, grass patches THEN the buildings.

If I get my help from here, release will be free to everyone at FSD if they wish to have this EGBG scenery.

Many Thanks
PS: Using GMax

 

[arno]

Hi,

It depends a bit how many pixels you want to use. For example you can choose to use 512 pixels for the 30 meter of the runway width. That gives you about 6 cm per pixel (which is OK, but not enough if you want to show really fine details).

If you are using 1024x1024 pixel textures, you would however still need 16 different textures to cover the entire length of the runway. That is quite a lot.

Maybe you can also use a basic asphalt texture, repeated over the runway. Then on another layer you can add the markings and other details.

Have you seen the great tutorial by Bill Womack on making a runway with GMax?

 

[darren s]

Hi,

It depends a bit how many pixels you want to use. For example you can choose to use 512 pixels for the 30 meter of the runway width. That gives you about 6 cm per pixel (which is OK, but not enough if you want to show really fine details).

If you are using 1024x1024 pixel textures, you would however still need 16 different textures to cover the entire length of the runway. That is quite a lot.

Maybe you can also use a basic asphalt texture, repeated over the runway. Then on another layer you can add the markings and other details.

Have you seen the great tutorial by Bill Womack on making a runway with GMax?

I will not settle for "ok" textures. I am looking for the fine quality that Aerosoft and FlyTampa use, I am making an "extreme" airport.

I have plenty of time to cover the runway in 1024x1024pix textures. So how many polygons would my plane need? how do i work this out?

Any good advice is very much appreciated as always and I will check for Bill's tutorial on "Making a runway with GMax"

 

[hcornea]

Yep reading Bill's tutorial is definitely the way to get the detail you want, without texture overload and performance problems.

Some bits of details are more improtant than others, and giving these more texture space, as well has having noise and detail layers is the way to go.

There are many approaches, but this will give the highest apparent resolution.

 

[darren s]

Yep reading Bill's tutorial is definitely the way to get the detail you want, without texture overload and performance problems.

Some bits of details are more improtant than others, and giving these more texture space, as well has having noise and detail layers is the way to go.

There are many approaches, but this will give the highest apparent resolution.

Can you give me direct link to his tutorial as I can't seem to find it.

Thanks

 

[hcornea]

http://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/showthread.php?t=14039&highlight=groundpoly+tutorial

 

[cdogg]

I will not settle for "ok" textures.... I am making an "extreme" airport.

That made me laugh a little..



Just to insert my two cents here.. I've looked through a lot of high end FS9/FSX scenery's to see
how they're made and get some ideas. From what I've seen FlyTampa generally uses a 512x1024px
ashpalt texture for their runways. Then they just repeat that texture as many times as needed.
Then using Bill's tutorial they layer cracks/lines/etc over top the original asphalt texture.
That's really the way to go.


Of course recently some posts' have shown up on these forums with users using extremely
high resolution textures which is probably why you're so concerned about it now. Just guessing here,
but I'm thinking they are using 2048x2048 asphalt texture sheets that they can repeat many times.
Obviously then they overlay what ever other details on top to enhance the asphalt texture below.
This may be at the cost of some FPS though. I personally think a little less detail in the asphalt may
be worth the extra performance.


Good luck!


-Chris-

 

[darren s]

Cant I just create a runway texture and draw all the cracks on to it and tyre marks and markings? Everyone keeps mentioning "plane layers" but then my wheels would be "sinking" in to the ground.

thanks

 

[darren s]

Rite, that tutorial helped alot how to get the sharp textures so thank you on that part, but I am using the FS2004 Gamepack for GMAX...and when I export, there is only a .MDL and a .XML file.

I know to configure the .XML file.

Alpha is what I am struggling with now, I have tried numerous times but no effect.
I make the alpha channel in Adobe PS CS5, I then use the rubber to rub out the black, leaving a bit of "scaggy" white on 2 edges (sides of runway). I then check it by activating all RBG channels along with alpha and then I see my texture with the red edges which is the alpha, I then save as .PSD, put it onto my runway in GMax, set the UVW Map to "Planar" and then set the dimensions width and height to the width of the runway I am working on.
I then export as scenery .MDL, I use DXTbmp to convert my PSD to .BMP. Quick note, on DXTBmp the "Alpha channel" is just white...so no alpha is picked up by dxtbmp.
To clarify, I carry on with the convert anyway, then I go into FS and see a nice sharp runway texture...with a solid straight line on the edges.

So i suspect I am doing something wrong in Photoshop, any help on this final part would be great,

Thanks

 

[n4gix]

Several points...

If you install the nVidia plugin, you can export .dds files directly from Photoshop. It's much, much faster and easier to use!

If you insist on using DXTBMP, be aware that (1) only the very latest version will correctly export .DDS files, and (2) even they aren't always saved properly (missing Alpha channel).

In both cases above, you must manually "flip vertically" prior to exporting.

If you use Imagetool (SDK converter), it will automatically "flip vertically" for you.

 

[darren s]

Several points...

If you install the nVidia plugin, you can export .dds files directly from Photoshop. It's much, much faster and easier to use!

If you insist on using DXTBMP, be aware that (1) only the very latest version will correctly export .DDS files, and (2) even they aren't always saved properly (missing Alpha channel).

In both cases above, you must manually "flip vertically" prior to exporting.

If you use Imagetool (SDK converter), it will automatically "flip vertically" for you.

Brilliant, best bit of info I have recieved, I will go search for the NVidia plugin for PS....any chance doing a qucik video tutorial?

 

[n4gix]

Brilliant, best bit of info I have recieved, I will go search for the NVidia plugin for PS....any chance doing a qucik video tutorial?

http://developer.nvidia.com/object/photoshop_dds_plugins.html

 

[arno]

Hi,

Cant I just create a runway texture and draw all the cracks on to it and tyre marks and markings? Everyone keeps mentioning "plane layers" but then my wheels would be "sinking" in to the ground.

All ground polygons are on the ground (else they would not be ground polygons, would they? ). So there is no problem with wheels sinking into the ground, as long as you tweak the code correctly.

The basic idea is to have one layer with the asphalt texture and on another layer you make additional polygons with the details like tyre marks or markings. The tutorial of Bill covers this well.

 

[darren s]

Hi,



All ground polygons are on the ground (else they would not be ground polygons, would they? ). So there is no problem with wheels sinking into the ground, as long as you tweak the code correctly.

The basic idea is to have one layer with the asphalt texture and on another layer you make additional polygons with the details like tyre marks or markings. The tutorial of Bill covers this well.

But on bills tutorial, I have not seen a clear explanation, I make the alpha channel, select all channels visible, then save as .PSD. I then put it to GMax and resize the UVW Map, on FS, if it shows anything, it is just a jaggerdy greyish edge, no fading.... this god damn alpha channel!.

Also on DXTBmp, even if i open a .PSD with DXTBmp, the "Alpha Channel" square is just white!

 

[cdogg]

But on bills tutorial, I have not seen a clear explanation, I make the alpha channel, select all channels visible, then save as .PSD. I then put it to GMax and resize the UVW Map, on FS, if it shows anything, it is just a jaggerdy greyish edge, no fading.... this god damn alpha channel!.

Also on DXTBmp, even if i open a .PSD with DXTBmp, the "Alpha Channel" square is just white!

Maybe I missed this somewhere, but is this for FSX? If so, this is how I use alpha textures.

Save the texture as a .PSD (so you can keep all of your original layers in-tact).
Import that .PSD as your material in GMAX/3DS/etc. Then I use image-tool to
convert from .PSD to DXT5 .DDS. The nice thing about using the .PSD files
is that in Photoshop you can go to your "Channels" and add/edit the alpha
channel very easily, and whenever your save the .PSD it saves the alpha with it.

I think that's the whole process I use... I've had fairly good success with it so far.



-Chris-

 

[hcornea]

As suggested above DXTBmp won't read the alpha channel from psd textures.

Use FSX's imagetool, which will read these layers, and save as dds.

For graded alpha DXT5 (multibit) is best .. for simple transparency DXT1 is smaller and load quicker.

 

[darren s]

I'm using FS9/FS2004 with GMax and the FS2004 gamepack plug-in

 

[darren s]

Just to show my texturing technique, I have 2 Images.

This is the small white hangar, these textures where drawn completely by hand, but over an aerial photo.

Next is the control tower, everything on this will be modelled, so far I have only done the front - no stairs, tower etc just the front, showing the modelled porch, drain pipes etc. Again, the texturing looks quite awesome, but please note that I use hoto images to model over as rough reference, then I make my own texture over them, so...mind the cars

Thank you for viewing

PS: I am using FS9, GMax with the FS2004 gamepack plugin so the help you are giving me isnt sorting my problem with alpha, can someone send me a link to download the prog that people keep mentioning "Image-Tool" or any other?

 

[n4gix]

PS: I am using FS9, GMax with the FS2004 gamepack plugin so the help you are giving me isnt sorting my problem with alpha, can someone send me a link to download the prog that people keep mentioning "Image-Tool" or any other?

Full Stop!
Somewhere along the line I forgot that you'd stated FS9 and we got off on a tangent...

So...

Save a copy of your .psd file as a Targa (.tga) 32bit file.
Load the .tga file in DXTBMP.exe and Export as DXT3 extended .bmp file.
Use this file in FS9.

Imagetool.exe comes in the FS9 SDK.

 

[darren s]

Full Stop!
Somewhere along the line I forgot that you'd stated FS9 and we got off on a tangent...

So...

Save a copy of your .psd file as a Targa (.tga) 32bit file.
Load the .tga file in DXTBMP.exe and Export as DXT3 extended .bmp file.
Use this file in FS9.

Imagetool.exe comes in the FS9 SDK.

Brilliant, thanks! I managed to suss the alpha channel out manually, all I did was was scale my runway textures and saved as .PSD, I then made a new doc in PS with the same dimensions as my runway texture, I then just painted on scaggy black edges, I saved this as .BMP. I then went to DXTBmp, loaded my main runway texture, then loaded the texture file with the black scaggy edges as alpha...works great

But thanks for noting me a quicker way! and thank you to everyone for the help here, I will make announcements in the announcment topic.

Cheers EVERYONE!!
Regards