transparent windows

[elche 5]

Hi...This is my first 3D model ever(besides 3D studios chess tutorial). I'm modeling a Piper Seneca and can't seem to make the windows transparent. Could anyone please give me some pointers or tutorials that can help me out ?Also i would like to know how to see the insides of the cockpit and give the pillars some depth.http://forums.avsim.net/user_files/60657.jpgThanks for your help :)

[Guest jetBlue_83]

Hey! To make the windows transparent, assign a material to them. In the material options, there is a setting for OPACITY. adjust it to your liking. To give the pillars depth, before you detach those windows, extrude them inwards a bit. Then detach the windows and you'll have your depth.I'm not sure what you mean by "seeing the inside of the cockpit". Are you talking about a virtual cockpit? Like the ones you see when flying along in FS and changing to Virtual Cockpit view? If so, then first do a search for "Virtual Cockpit" on the forums. It's not an area that I have ventured into yet:)That model looks very nice by the way!

[elche 5]

Thanx for your help JetBlue_83!! i managed to get the windows to be transparent but i couldn't quite get the extrude to work for me. :(Whenever i extrude the pillars inwards i'm left with a whole where the pillar is. Do i have to extrude twice on the pillar ?? or copy the pillar ?? Too confusing for me!! :) So MUCH to learn so little time!!What i meant by seeing the inside of the cockpit is being able to pan around in MSFS and see the interior, the door panel, (the pillars)... a think it has something to do with flipping poly's?? i don't really know.Here is what i got so far...http://forums.avsim.net/user_files/60713.jpgThanx for your help JetBlue_83

[Guest jetBlue_83]

OK, I understand you know! Make a clone of the fuselage. Then, select the clone and choose the polygon button on the modifier panel. Then select all the polygons, and hit "flip". It's towards the bottom of the modify panel; just scroll down a bit. **I am not sure, but from my experience, the flip command was only available when I had converted to an "Editable MESH"** Then, with the cloned fuselage still selected, select the ploygons for the pillars and then "Extrude". :)For the Virtual Cockpit, check out the tutorial section at freeflightdesign.com:http://www.freeflightdesign.com/tutorials.html

[Guest PhLem]

You can flip the polies also in edit poly mode. I use it a lot, so I know.Take care,Udo.:-wave

[n4gix 4,947]

>>You can flip the polies also in edit poly mode. I use it a>lot, so I know.Where do you find that? I cannot see any "Flip" button on the rollout for "Editable Poly."I've always had to convert to editable mesh, flip polys then reconvert to editable poly!

[Guest Milton]

The one important thing when extruding the cloned fuse inwards is to select the Extrude Local option. This gives a much better result on a large object with many angles.

[Guest PhLem]

>>You can flip the polies also in edit poly mode. I use it a>lot, so I know.>Where do you find that? I cannot see any "Flip" button on the rollout for "Editable Poly.">I've always had to convert to editable mesh, flip polys then >reconvert to editable poly!You can find it under surface properties, flip normals.Udo.http://forums.avsim.net/user_files/60855.jpg

[n4gix 4,947]

>>Where do you find that? I cannot see any "Flip" button on the>rollout for "Editable Poly.">>>I've always had to convert to editable mesh, flip polys then>>reconvert to editable poly!>>>>You can find it under surface properties, flip normals.Thanks. I see that it only works on the entire object or at the "Element" level. That's not terribly useful if you only need to flip one particular poly on an object...OTOH, if you forget to "Flip Normals" at the "Surface" modifier level, and after you've converted the object to Editable Polygon, then that is an easy way to correct that "mistake."Thanks for showing me (us) something new! :)

[elche 5]

Wow!! thanx for your replies, i can finally finish my model.Thanx everyone!!

[n4gix 4,947]

>Wow!! thanx for your replies, i can finally finish my model.>>Thanx everyone!!You are most welcome! I cannot wait to see the finished model! That has to be one of the smoothest looking fuselages I've seen in a long time... :)