Resolution Question (Not New Year's)

[Guest Tim Krajcar]

So, I'm working on a panel.I have my background bitmap. I made it 1600x1200 at the suggestion of another experienced panel designer, because of the level of detail it involves. That makes sense.. furthermore, I fly in 1600x1200 windowed almost all the time.So, I've measured out and designed all my gauges so that they will fit 1:1 onto this 1600x1200 bitmap, because I figure that'll give me the best quality.However, I realized that this isn't going to work out so well. For one, running windowed mode 1600x1200 really means that the screen is 1600xa little less than 1200, because of the Windows taskbar and FS menus. I would think this would be fine, but it doesn't seem to be. My BMPs seem to not resize well at all, particularly the text that I've made. See the attached JPG for an example. When I run in 1600x1200 full screen, everything looks very sharp.Furthermore, when I resize to 1024x768 fullscreen, quality goes even worse out the window!What's the best thing to do?Should I start over and do everything in 1024x768 size? Is there something wrong with how I'm making my text? If I selected anti-alias when I make my texts (I'm using Paint Shop Pro 8) would that be better? I initially had it unselected because it looks much clearer to my (untrained) eye.http://forums.avsim.net/user_files/57001.jpg

[Guest GLE1344]

you might wanna make the strip that you are using for airspeed a little bigger in resolution... see if that helps... Im assuming this is an XML gauge with .bmp's doing the strip correct? if so increase its resolution... not sure how that will help, but lets hope it does. The only way to have a gauge resize without many pixels lost is to make them vector gauges I think... Then they are using actual text instead of images....:-wave Tyler Johnsonhttp://home.comcast.net/~ijettyler/TJhalban2.jpghttp://hawaiian.virtualATP.org

[Guest Tim Krajcar]

Yes, it is an XML gauge. The problem with building the bitmaps in the larger resolution is that then when I go down to smaller, more common resolutions (like 1024x768) the bitmaps get very distorted indeed.I did have a bit of a breakthrough, though -- my numbers are not made with anti-aliasing turned on, whereas it seems most of the FS default bitmaps have their text made with this on.However, this has left me with a bit of a pickle.In the case here, my airspeed tape is overlaid on top of the artificial horizon, which necessarily moves. So, I can't seem to figure out how to anti-alias text on this background. When I make the text in Paint Shop Pro, the background of the tape is of course #000000, so it'll be transparent. PSP sees this and makes its anti-alias pixels grey, dark grey, etc (so that it 'fades' into the black).When I load this up in the sim, obviously it looks very poor, because these grey and dark grey pixels are displayed against the bright blue & orange of the horizon.Is there a way to do 'transparent antialiasing'? (hehe) Or am I plumb out of luck on this one?

[spokes2112 179]

ALAS !!!! There may be a way.. Not tested, just theory. I too have the same problem with text on a 0,0,0 backround.Over the weekend I was fooling with transperancy in XML gauges ( per previous posts here about x-perancy in XML ) and it can be done but,,, the bitmap size must be square in powers of 2. (2,4,8,16,32,64 etc..) 1. make square 2^ bitmap of text on 0,0,0 backround2. load as normal bitmap into DXTBmp http://fly.to/mwgfx/3. deselect "include mips" under prefs4. under alpha select "create alpha template"5. under alpha select "send to editor"6. in psp just select under colors, "negative image". in the alpha channel white is x-parent black is not, it will run through the grey as different levels of alpha.7. save image in psp ( not save as )8. in DXTBmp under alpha select "refresh alpha"9. in DXTBmp under file select "save extended image" in the save dialog box select as file type "extended 32 bit 888-8"10. load new extended image into imagetool.exe http://download.microsoft.com/download/Fli...ry_tutorial.exe11. under image/format ( not "make gauge" ) select 8-bit. should now have a 8-bit indexed bitmap w/alpha and 1 mip level.12. save13. in the xml file in the image tag : change to For gauges such as a gauge lens I know works, hopefully it will transform over to the text problem and solve it. Going to test tonight. Regards,RomanGREEN BAY PACKERS][/i :-ukliam :-beerchugFOOTBAL SEASON IS OVER FOR THIS CHEESEHEAD --- WHAT A HANGOVER x( :-( ;( :-erks :-mad :-hmmm :-fume :-grr :-bang :-hang :-hang :~P *:-* :-8 :-violin :-newburn :-vuur

[Guest Tim Krajcar]

Roman, Thanks for the tip. This sure is complex but if it solves my text problem I will be very grateful. The alternative is for me to make all of my moving tapes have solid color backgrounds and therefore compromise realism :)BTW, sorry about Dawkins ;)