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FSDS2 Eqivalent to GMax "Self-Illumination"

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How is the technique for VC gauge backlighting accomplished in FSDS2? Obviously I've mastered the technique in GMax, but I don't have a clue about what the trick is in FSDS2.TIA for any assistance! :)BillAVSIM OmbudsmanFounder and Director,Creative Recycling of Aircraft Partshttp://catholic-hymns.com/frbill/FS2002/images/fartslogo.jpg

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If this is that trick that you showed us awhile back with your really cool VC picture, then, I'm not sure. I would have to go back and look at the specifics of what you were describing, but I seem to remember that I wdidn't think it would work in FSDS2, for some reason. Of course I never got around to trying it.There is a part name "panel_light", but it is only a reference part, and I don't think that this is exactly the effect you were using.- Martin

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Guest FelixFFDS

Can you point me to where your "trick" is? I'd try to duplicate it in FSDS2...

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>Can you point me to where your "trick" is? I'd try to>duplicate it in FSDS2...Felix, it's simply a matter of applying a "self-illumination bitmap" to the VC gauge planar surface. The bitmap is identical to an Alpha Channel light mask that you'd make for a DXT3 file, except that it's saved as an 8bit .bmpIn GMax, you have to flip the mask upside down and then flip horizontal to make it work (it's an FS thing!).So this is the heirarchy for each gauge planarvc_left_panel <= planar surface in .mdl file[TAB]$vc_left_panel.bmp <= diffuse "dummy texture" applied to part[TAB]vc_left_panel_L.bmp <= lightmap texture applied to the "self-illumination" channel in GMaxBob Hayes is putting the finishing touches up on the Premier I, but since he's used FSDS2, I don't have a clue how it needs to be done, or even IF it can be done...BillAVSIM OmbudsmanFounder and Director,Creative Recycling of Aircraft Partshttp://catholic-hymns.com/frbill/FS2002/images/fartslogo.jpg

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Guest FelixFFDS

I would venture it should be done the same way? - when assigning the texture to the vc_left_panel part, he would click on the lightmap (add "_L" and alpha channel...the $vc_left_panel gets entered into the panel.cfg without the ".bmp", right?Felix/FFDSPegasus Aviation Design

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>I would venture it should be done the same way? - when>assigning the texture to the vc_left_panel part, he would>click on the lightmap (add "_L" and alpha channel...>>the $vc_left_panel gets entered into the panel.cfg without the>".bmp", right?Well, not having the benefit of owning the program, I'll pass it along to him and see if it makes any sense to him! :)The "lightmap (add "L") sound about right, but this is not an alpha channel texture. It is a normal, 8 bit bitmap.Thanks for the kind assistance!BillAVSIM OmbudsmanFounder and Director,Creative Recycling of Aircraft Partshttp://catholic-hymns.com/frbill/FS2002/images/fartslogo.jpg

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Bill....I believe you can assign an alpha channel to an 8-bit bmp using imagetool.... DXTBMP doesn't seem to recognize them, and loads 8-bits as regular bitmaps.... But they are used--Chuck Dome uses them a lot on his work, and his work supports full reflections when the alpha channel is used in that capacity.I've had good success in my own work using dxtbmp to assist in creating the bmp, then reducing it to 8-bit using imagetool. This seems to save quite a bit in file size, and the dithering doesn't look too bad. I haven't played around with the panel lighting yet, however...-John

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>Bill....>>I believe you can assign an alpha channel to an 8-bit bmp>using imagetool.... DXTBMP doesn't seem to recognize them,>and loads 8-bits as regular bitmaps.... But they are>used--Chuck Dome uses them a lot on his work, and his work>supports full reflections when the alpha channel is used in>that capacity.Yes, you can do that, but it would defeat the purpose of the type of file I'm talking about. The lightmap used to provide the backlighted gauges in a VC is a simple, 8 bit file. Pure 0,0,0 except where you want a bit of light... there you use various shades of grey (all the way to pure white for glass gauges!) to provide subtle backlighting.BillAVSIM OmbudsmanFounder and Director,Creative Recycling of Aircraft Partshttp://catholic-hymns.com/frbill/FS2002/images/fartslogo.jpg

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