See through Objects

[Guest]

Hi allDoes anyone know how to make objects created in Gmax transparent when imported into fs2002.ThanksGreg

[arno 1]

There are two options here:1) You can make the material in GMax transprant, this means that whole polygons etc will all have the same level of transparancy.2) You can use a texture that has transprant parts. This way you can have different levels of transparancy for different parts of the texture.Arno

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[Guest]

Arno, I had this working fine, but I'm messing with the maps in the texture editor, and I've managed to undo my transparency. When it was working, I had not yet changed my texture files from fs2000 airport version, meaning they were extended bmps with transparency encoded using Martin's bmpext. At some point I converted the textures to dxt1, and I think that's when I lost transparency.What format do you use, dxt3? With an alpha channel for transparency? I assume doing this might work, although it would defeat reflectivity, cuz it uses an alpha channel image. I also assume the image may be detected as transparent because the name does NOT contain the _T suffix.So, is it right to include transparent alpha channel, converted to dxt3, or do you make a bmp out of your alpha channel, and assign it a map in the transparency tab in the texture editor? consider me a tad confused.Bob B

[Guest]

even if you use a texture with alpha, you must also make the material transparent.>There are two options here: >>1) You can make the material in GMax transprant, this means >that whole polygons etc will all have the same level of >transparancy. >>2) You can use a texture that has transprant parts. This way >you can have different levels of transparancy for different >parts of the texture. >>Arno >

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[arno 1]

Hi Bob,It is true that you can not use the alpha channel for both the transparancy and the reflection. That combination only works if you make the whole material transprant and use the alpha channel for the reflection. But I have found out that it doesn't depend on the name. So there is no need to use a _T or so. A _LM is also not needed in GMax for the night texture, you can use any name you want, as long as you give it up in the correct tab of the material editor.Then about you question of the lost transparancy. I don't know if the transprancy is converted correct when you go from a old extented bitmap to the DXT format. But here is what I do.First you can use the DXT 1 format if you only need a 1 bit alpha channel (so only full transparant or not). If you need more level of transparancy (for windows or so) you need to use the DXT 3 format.For transparant texture I prefer to use ImageTool and not DXTBMP, as I can not get my alpha channel there to work easy. I just add the aplha channel to my texture in my paint program, then I save it as a PSD or TGA file (these file formats also save the alpha channel) and these can be loaded into ImageTool. So I don't have to save the alpha channel in a seperate file or so.Arno

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[Guest]

Hi allso lets say to make a polygon transparent how do you do thatGreg

[Guest]

yep, last night I went back and created my textures again, this time with an alpha channel for transparency...and sure enough, with no input to GMAX at all, no use of the opacity screen in texture editor, the part demontrated the appropriate transparency in fs2002.Of course, doing selective transparency this way has a cost, its now not an option to include reflectivity in a model because I've already used the alpha channel.If anyone see's this differently, or has a preferred method for selective transparency within a texture, please let me know. I prefer using texturing for transparency rather than seperated parts at the transparent locations just because it keeps the mesh simple.Bob Bernstein

[arno 1]

Bob, I prefer the same method as you do. I think it works best and there are very little cases where you would need both transprancy and reflection I think, so it will not give to much problems.Arno

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[Guest JohnC]

I built a square block in GMAX, put a cylinder behind it, textured the block's front and back face with a texture with windows of a certain color which I changed to a transparency of 50 (w/BMP2000)shouldn't I be able to see the cylinder through the windows in GMAX, or would they appear opaque "until" I export the box into FS2002?I couldn't get the transparency to show up when I did exactly this, but I know if I make the whole texture transparent with the GMAX material editor, the texture does appear to be transparent.

[Guest]

John, I don't think GMAX has any ability to decode an alpha channel, I think that's done by the fs2002 engine.B

[arno 1]

You will not see the transparancy you added to the texture in GMax, you will only see that effect in FS.Arno

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[Guest JohnC]

Wow, that was fast...thanks, guys. It occurs to me, though, that GMAX material editor's opacity switch must use some other method to achieve transparency and display it because I have made some texturtes that way. Some people appear to use a single polygon for window glass and texture it with transparency generated by GMAX, and somehow, FS2002 handles it properly.I'm in over my head here, I know.

[arno 1]

Yes, it works both. But when you add the transparancy in the GMax material editor it will not be in the texture, but in the material definition in the BGLC code.I prefer to put the transparancy in the texture as you can then keep your object simple (less polygons, etc).Arno

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