This is getting frustrating again. Still cannot figure out how to get night lighting on my models in FS9, despite the excellent guidance I have been getting. I really don't get the "unlock ambient" deal at all. Seems to me that that can only be done when you are initially placing your textures on the model. I tried to go back in and open my existing modeled and textured terminal to use the unlock key, but when I do that it places the original texture, unmapped, back onto the model. I went to my local library and read through the GMAX Bible I got on loan from through another library, but it is considered a reference book and cannot be removed from the library, so copious noted, but no progress. Everything in the Bible seems to indicate that I can "lock" the day and night texture maps together, versus unlock as described here, yet when I try to do either I can manipulate one or the other, but not both.

 

I also tried to recompile the original model, this time with [option]HasNightMap=1 in the makemdl.cfg. Got multiple error codes, gave up and turned on the Xbox and played Assassin Creed.

 

Once I figure all this out I'm gonna write a book about nothing but GMAX and FS9...LOL

 

Randy

It does sound like you have read all the tutorials, which may be more of a hindrance here -- as you've discovered, different FS versions use different techniques, which are not always interchangeable.

This particularly applies to light maps --- here's a summary:

FS2002 -- looked for a texture with the same name as the 'day' texture, but with '_lm' appended to the filename;

FS2004 -- used the GMAX 'ambient' slot;

FSX -- uses the GMAX 'self-illumination' slot.

 

So since you are using the FS2004 gamepack, you just need to figure out the ambient slot. You can edit the material settings as much as you like without affecting the mapping, but it sounds like you are having trouble with this. Here's a quick look at this:

 

By default, the Diffuse (day) and Ambient (night) slots are locked together. To set a light map, you need to unlock them, and keep them unlocked! If you unlock them, set them both, then lock them again, then you'll reset them back to the same day texture, so don't do this. You can't edit the Ambient texture until they are unlocked.

 

You won't need to re-apply the changed texture -- you could just start GMAX, load you completed model, make a change to your material, and re-export without having to change anything else. But even if you did create a new material (not required, and not recommended) your mapping won't change at all.

 

(All this also assumes that your light map texture has everything in the same place as the day texture!)

start GMAX

 

I have finally gotten (I think...) the fsxGamepack export in Gmax to work, like this .......with no errors

 

but when I bring it into modelexporterX, I only see the shape of my object, with no textures....

 

Same goes for Arno's Gmax Church Example.....same steps....

 

 

below is the report from Arno's ModelConverterX

 

 

All appears to show is the texture file won't load....not found?...wrong format?...corrupted?....

 

So...I wonder what I missed in the FSX-Gmax export, and save after assigning the guid and friendly name.

 

Id be happy to include the models but apparently that's not allowed here...

 

Chas

Toprob,

 

Thank you for your reply. As noted I am creating for FS9/FS2004. I think I understand what you are saying and think it is the same as what Jim and Michael have explained, just in different words. Maybe if I explain what I do the definitive process can be explained.

 

First I create my texture in a file type (Windows/OS BMP) that can be read by GMAX using GIMP2.6 version and name it ABC.BMP. Then I copy that texture, edit it with GIMP to darken it and add "light" to specific areas and rename that BMP to ABC_LM.BMP and save it as a Windows/OS BMP. These two texture files I place in the MAP folder of GMAX.

 

I create my object in GMAX and although I don't really understand the difference between editing it as a mesh or editing it as a poly I typically use "edit as a mesh". Once I have the object edited to my satisfaction I open the Material Editor and set the parameters for my texture. I select "new" material, standard, and set the "Specular" at Black just as Arno described in his Church tutorial. Then I open the "MAPS" Option and left click on the word"None" to the right of the "Diffuse" entry. I have never placed a checkmark in the tick box to the left of "Diffuse" and yet my textures seem to map just fine. Should I be checking that box?

 

Once clicking on "None" I select "Bitmap" in the box that opens and browse to my textures in "GMAX/MAP" and open the original ABC.BMP I created as my textures. I could just as easily open ABC_LM.BMP and use that texture to apply but I never have except when I was experimenting as described in the previous post. Is this the point, using the "daytime" BMP that I should unlock and set the "Ambient" values? The GMAX Bible, as much as I have read...gotta buy it so I can have it open as I create... and none of the tutorials really explain this part well. I assume I set the values just as I did for specular using the slider, but what values?

 

Also, is this the only place I concern myself with Ambient, because this section (BLINN Basic Parameters) lists Ambient, Diffuse, and Specular and the MAPS section (Where I clicked on None and opened my bitmap texture also has an Ambient, Diffuse, and Specular option, although Diffuse is the only line I have ever used?

 

The rest is really not an issue I think, because after assigning the textures to the polys, saving and exporting I have a beautiful model to compile and textures ABC.BMP and ABC_LM.BMP) to convert to FS format BMPs (DXT1, no alpha), but I have successfully done that and can do it almost blindfolded now...if all I ever want is a nice daytime object with no night lighting. It's the actual Step 1...do this, step two...do this, step three...do this process using the "Ambient" parameter/option that has me stumped.

 

Any help you or anyone can toss out would be appreciated.

 

In the meantime I truly appreciate all everyone has done to help. I would not be as far as I am without it.

 

Randy

 

but when I bring it into modelexporterX, I only see the shape of my object, with no textures, and only one plane, unable to rotate the object....

 

 

 

 

So...I wonder what I missed in the FSX-Gmax export, and save after assigning the guid and friendly name.

 

Id be happy to include the models but apparently that's not allowed here...

 

Chas

 

You are viewing your model in ModelConverterX from the 'back' view. Select 'free rotate' from the camera view mode. (The little camera pic.)

ModelConverterX needs the correct FSX scenery folder layout -- the bgl in the appropriate 'scenery' folder, and the DDS texture in the corresponding 'texture' folder.

Toprob,

 

...I create my object in GMAX and although I don't really understand the difference between editing it as a mesh or editing it as a poly I typically use "edit as a mesh". Once I have the object edited to my satisfaction I open the Material Editor and set the parameters for my texture. I select "new" material, standard, and set the "Specular" at Black just as Arno described in his Church tutorial. Then I open the "MAPS" Option and left click on the word"None" to the right of the "Diffuse" entry. I have never placed a checkmark in the tick box to the left of "Diffuse" and yet my textures seem to map just fine. Should I be checking that box?

A couple of points -- Arno's tutorial is for FSX only, so most of the material properties apply to FSX only. You can safely set the textures from the Blinn Basic Parameters, as only the Diffuse and Ambient are useful in FS2004. This is just a subset of the Maps rollout, and you can use either method, though.

 

Once clicking on "None" I select "Bitmap" in the box that opens and browse to my textures in "GMAX/MAP" and open the original ABC.BMP I created as my textures. I could just as easily open ABC_LM.BMP and use that texture to apply but I never have except when I was experimenting as described in the previous post. Is this the point, using the "daytime" BMP that I should unlock and set the "Ambient" values? The GMAX Bible, as much as I have read...gotta buy it so I can have it open as I create... and none of the tutorials really explain this part well. I assume I set the values just as I did for specular using the slider, but what values?

You should unlock the ambient/diffuse lock first. You can do this after you set the Diffuse texture if you want, but toggling it after you set the Ambient slot will undo your separate ambient (night) setting.

Once you set the Diffuse texture (you are doing it correctly, by the look of it), the Material Editor will switch to the Diffuse slot parameters, so you'll need to click on the 'go to parent' button to return to the Blinn Basic Parameters to set the Ambient slot for the night texture.

Once you've done this, the BBP will show a capital M beside both the Ambient and Diffuse slots.

hesynergy, just make a texture folder as a subfolder of whichever folder you've exported the .mdls to and drop a copy of your textures in there, that should eliminate the "Failed to load texture" error while you process your .mdls through MCX. I usually place a copy in my scenery's active texture folder and another copy in my "exported models\texture" folder any time I update a texture sheet.

 

Randy, you really should have a look at "gmaxSceneryTutorial.doc" located in your gmax\gamepacks\fs2004\docs folder, particularly pages 18-22, I believe it's more specific to FS2004 than any of the other tutorials you've been reading.

 

Jim

hesynergy, just make a texture folder as a subfolder of whichever folder you've exported the .mdls to and drop a copy of your textures in there

 

Wowee....what speedy response....I had forgotten how good you guys were!!!....Thanks!

 

unable to rotate the object....

...ya caught me before I found the switch and corrected the post...damyerfast!...grin...thanks

You guys are amazing. I thank you for that gentle nudge, Jim. I had looked at that tutorial so much I began to skim over it as I went back and completely missed those crucial pages.

 

U76 Terminal New and Improved:

 

 

U76...at night!

 

 

Haven't played with the coke machine yet so it's not lit up. Had to get up early this morning after reading your posts last night just to try and add lights to the terminal. Now I gotta get ready for work.

 

Thanks

 

Randy