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FSXA txt file to fx file

got it. but I can't get the texture to show. bmp is in effects\texture and same name as in the fx file where it says texture=
 
Yes. Tried it a couple of times. One time all I got was a txt file. Unless there is another way when I go to SAVES as in my not padIf I type my new name AND with a .fx at the end (I think it is what I did) it does turn into an fx file.

A couple of times I tried this with one texture it looked fine in FSXEditor. Another time the texture (through FXEditor) looked l checkerboard. This seems tl tell me something is wrong with my texture in that instance.
 
jyarddog said:
Yes. Tried it a couple of times. One time all I got was a txt file. Unless there is another way when I go to SAVES as in my NotePad.

If I type my new name AND with a .Fx at the end (I think it is what I did) it does turn into an .Fx file.

A couple of times I tried this with one texture it looked fine in FSXEditor.

Another time the texture (through FXEditor) looked a checkerboard. This seems to tell me something is wrong with my texture in that instance.
Click to expand...

Hi Bob:

A few possibly related considerations excerpted from a discussion on a somewhat different application of Effects:

http://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/threads/fx-editor-vs-fxtool.431330/


CAVEAT: When using NotePad, one must set the 'Save as type' to "All Files (*.*)" in order for the *.Fx file extension to be used instead of the *.txt file extension utilized by NotePad as a default.


BTW: If adding any new Effect (*.Fx) files to FS, one must place them in:

[FSX install path]\Effects\

If new Effects have special mapped textures, those textures must be placed in:

[FSX install path]\Effects\Texture


CAVEAT: In order for the native FSX rendering engine to '(re-)discover / index / display' edited or newly added Effect (Fx files), FS must be restarted fully from the desktop.


As you may know, 'gray-and-white-checkered' objects typically have a texture which is:

* missing and/or in a location which cannot be 'found' by the FS utility or FS rendering engine

* in a paired local sub-folder whose 'Area layer" is not set 'active' in the FS Scenery Library

* in an incompatible file format for that particular FS object 'type'

* otherwise unable to be displayed by a FS utility in preview mode

* otherwise unable to be displayed by the FSX native 3D rendering engine at run time


Hope this helps sort things out a bit more ! :santahat:

GaryGB
 
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Figured out what you said about the same time you said about going to all files instead of leaving it as ansi. What you said here confirmed this. The other problem (and everything is in the proper path) is that sometimes the bmp doesn't show. ... black screen, or rectangle.
Other times everything looks great. Ergo- perhaps something wrong with my bmp or with the original bmp I got mine from? Another friend of mine had one of these effects going and looked fine, but then suddenly one day he saw a black rectangle. He can't figure out anything he might have done to make this go bad! Anyway. food for thought. Hope all is going well with you and Merry Christmas, Bob
 
jyarddog said:
Figured out what you said about the same time you said about going to all files instead of leaving it as ansi ASCII < text >. What you said here confirmed this.

The other problem (and everything is in the proper path) is that sometimes the bmp doesn't show. ... black screen, or rectangle.

Other times everything looks great. Ergo- perhaps something wrong with my bmp or with the original bmp I got mine from?

Another friend of mine had one of these effects going and looked fine, but then suddenly one day he saw a black rectangle. He can't figure out anything he might have done to make this go bad!

Anyway. food for thought.

Hope all is going well with you and Merry Christmas, Bob
Click to expand...

Indeed, the Windows NotePad, 'Save as type' of "All Files (*.*)" is required in order for the *.Fx file extension to be used instead of the *.txt file extension utilized by NotePad as a default, and results in a plain ASCII text output; note that this is not necessarily also true of Windows WordPad.



CAVEAT: If a 3rd party non FS SDK graphics utility is used to create / edit BMP files for use in FS, there may be specific internal attributes missing which are required by- and unique to- the FS rendering engine which must be present in the BMP texture file for it to be 'mapped' to a FS Effect (*.Fx) file.

http://www.fsdeveloper.com/wiki/index.php?title=Texture_formats_overview

http://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/threads/effects-textures-using-gimp-how-to-make-them-work.429104/

Generally speaking, 'most' textures mapped to FS Effects are DXT1 32-bit BMPs without Alpha (although use of an Alpha channel is optional) ; some are 16-bit ('type 565').

All should be in "Powers-of-Two" pixel dimension format, and IMHO, should also contain between 7 to 9 levels of MIPMAPs.


I would be certain to utilize FSX SDK ImageTool or the latest version of Martin Wright's DXTBMP ...for output of BMPs to be used with FS Effect (*.Fx) files.

http://www.mwgfx.co.uk/programs/dxtbmp.htm


NOTE: BMP Textures mapped to Effects must be vertically "flipped" after editing (due to the FSX DirectX pipeline to graphics card VRAM for rendering engine performance optimization).

FYI: FS Effect (*.Fx) mapped texture 'SW-to-NE' pixel coordinate numbering is a vertically "flipped" version of the 'UVW' mapping scheme of 'NW-to-SE' corners of an image that has not been vertically "flipped" ...otherwise typically used in the FS SDK methods for pixel coordinate numbering of imagery mapped to most other 'non-Fx' FS scenery objects.

https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc526969.aspx#MainDialog

http://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/threads/when-do-mipmaps-switch.434014/#post-710388


BTW: Be aware that the BMP file format used with FS Effects does have the option for use of a Alpha channel.

However, depending on the image used in a texture mapped to an Effect, the default setting of "No Alpha" in the tabular interface of the FSX SDK Special Effects Tool (aka "VisualFx.DLL") might best be used control the attributes for 'most' transparency needs, as it may be difficult to predict how the FSX rendering engine may otherwise treat parameter values in the Fx file (that might otherwise be regarded as displayable "Material" properties for a visible non-MDL 2D or 3D FS Effect 'object'), versus use of "Additive" color 'key' types of transparency / blending ...when an Alpha channel is also included inside a BMP file. ;)

http://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/threads/difference-between-fsx-and-fx-editor.191701/

http://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/threads/edit-fx-file-and-use-textures.201708/

http://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/threads/dimmable-night-lighting.429475/


Hope this helps a bit more ! :)

GaryGB
 
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Does help, but found one problem which is me... If I must confess... I had one bmp misspelled due to my clumsy , numb fingers of late. effect was looking for raf_walking.bmp when I had mistyped the bmp as raf_wallking. two LL's!!!!! That bmp now shows fine. did not have to flip or anything. works great. In other instances might have to do that.

Still wonder about this friend of mine who suddenly found his bmp as black. He must have accidently done something. Oh well. Bob
 
jyarddog said:
(I) still wonder about this friend of mine who suddenly found his bmp as black. He must have accidentally done something. Oh well.
Bob
Click to expand...

Possibly an all white Alpha channel, or mis-configured Additive color (key) parameters in the mapped texture file ? :scratchch

GaryGB
 
Or all black but no alpha. I sent him MY bmp which was the same. (mine still works) but he still turned out black outline of a plane hostess. Trans around her is good but SHE is black. Black lives matter? naaaaaah! ;)
 
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