Continuing Fence Discussion......(See Pic)

[Guest]

Hi GuysI was interested in Bob's suggestion to fencing and it seems that alot of people do tend to use a polygon with a DXT1 with Alpha to represent a fence, Am I right?Bob, are the Bars created in Gmax/FSDS and the Block a Polygon?The picture below is a type of common Agri fence which I would like to replicate, taking into consideration frame rates and all other things, I would appreciate any advice on creating this!!I could spend hours on editing images, as long as I know its the right direction to go!!!RegardsDave

[Guest]

Hi Dave, for my fence at Bowerman, I used a cylinder in GMAX and constructed the frame, and I used the "array" feature to replicate the side vertical cylinders, and the "boxes" that fill in the wire area. So, I only had to make the box and end cylinders once, then array places the number you wish. The boxes were given a grey material with 40% opacity. I'll put a screenshot of the material details. NOt sure how u'll do ur fence cuz there is no top bar to give it substance, but you do have a bigger area of transparency than a chain link, perhaps an alpha channel texture will work for you're need.

[Guest]

Hi BobThanks for your reply, unfortunately I am not Gmax friendly, but I guess it will have to happenI have worked on a texture (see below), which started life as a 1600x1200 pic, but when reduced to 256x256, I am losing alot of detail and the transparency is becoming blurred.The second image is the DXT1(Aplha) in FS2002, but I am unsure what is causing the white around the grass, the fence also looks a bit flat. The code below is wwhat I used to create the fence in FS2002.

Points( 0       -5     0     0       ; 0       -5    10     0       ; 1        5    10     0       ; 2        5     0     0       ; 3)TexPoly(   a           0   0    0     ;0        1   0    255   ;1        2   255  255   ;2        3   255  0     ;3[code/]Another matter of confusion for me is what combination of numbers to use for 256x256, 512x512 textures when using the Point() command to create the polygon for carrying the texture.I definately think I need more help, Help, Help!!!Dave

[arno 1]

Hi Dave,>The second image is the DXT1(Aplha) in FS2002, but I am >unsure what is causing the white around the grass, the fence >also looks a bit flat. The code below is wwhat I used to >create the fence in FS2002. Did you use a white color that you made transparant? In that case with resizing or the use of lower mipmaps it can be that the green and white blends a bit and that gives such effects.>Another matter of confusion for me is what combination of >numbers to use for 256x256, 512x512 textures when using the >Point() command to create the polygon for carrying the >texture. I assume you mean in the TexPoly command? The texture size in SCASM is always 256x256, even if you use a texture that is 128x128 or 512x512 or what ever (even if you use 128x512). So you should calculate what the correct value is if the image size would be 256x256.Maybe the new FP commands are better, then it is just 0.0 to 1.0, where 1.0 is the edge of the texture.Arno

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Member Netherlands 2000 Scenery Team[link:home.wanadoo.nl/arno.gerretsen]Arno's FlightSim World for scenery design hints, tips and other tricks...

[Guest]

Hi ArnoThanks for your suggestionsI saved the image as a Tga file with a mask saved to the aplha channel and loaded this into DXTbmp to create a DXT1 with alpha.Could it be the reduction in size, affecting the gaps inbetween the transparency and the colour pixels, Because the chain links were created from 3mm vector lines horizontally and 2mm vertically, which were definately lost in the handling process, or the reduction. I think.My reference to numbers was in connection with the Point() command in order to represent the texture with out distorting it, I find the Texpoly() command easy to assign the texture to.I have good resolution on the original image, its just getting it into FS2002. could Gmax help here, "Chain link Fence wise"I am getting desperate, I do what ever it takes to get what I need, as long as it produces the end result.Idiot guides needed here I think!!!Thanks againDave

[arno 1]

>I have good resolution on the original image, its just >getting it into FS2002. could Gmax help here, "Chain link >Fence wise" No, I guess it is all in the texture. If you then place it with GMax or with SCASM shouldn't make a difference.Arno

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Member Netherlands 2000 Scenery Team[link:home.wanadoo.nl/arno.gerretsen]Arno's FlightSim World for scenery design hints, tips and other tricks...

[Guest bones]

Just a guess but could the white around the grass be caused by some Anti Aliasing in your paint program?boneshttp://fsaviation.net

[Guest jsvw2001]

In creating the alpha mask, fill this layer with a solid color that will blend with the grass well. If not, you will find that the edge of the grassy area will end up blended with white, causing an unsightly border. I also found that a background of black works well.Johan

[Guest hefy_jefy]

Hi,I have exactly the same problem with a ground texture polygon. I often use an aerial photo to make a background for some small airfield, (max size seems to be 1024x1024)but instead of making it square I "trim" it around some natural feature (like a road or fence). Then make everything outside the road or fence transparent (black) convert to a DXT3 file, then place and scale in Groundmaker TextPoly(). But, however careful I am about not using antialiasing, feathering etc in PSP the result always gives one pixel at the very edge that is somewhere between 0 (black) and next color in the image. Could this be some kind of "built in" feathering in the DXT format? I use DXTBmp to make the DXT3 image.Geoff

[arno 1]

Are you sure you are looking to the highest mip? From a distance you look at the 512x512 or 256x256 variant and those have been resized of course during there creation. So it is very well possible that the color are a bit meshed at the edge then.Arno

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Member Netherlands 2000 Scenery Team[link:home.wanadoo.nl/arno.gerretsen]Arno's FlightSim World for scenery design hints, tips and other tricks...

[Guest]

Hi Guysthanks for all your thoughtsI think Johann may have been close to the mark, I added a background(Green) and as the pic shows the image is improved and the white is more or less iradicated. I think as Arno say's, the reduction must be affecting the quality of the image. The 1600x1200 image was to large, I think, but it was a digi-Photo, may be the images can be reduced sucessfully from this size, but transparency not.The screenshot(both) are 256x256, set at midday and I think that the reason the chainlink doesn't come thought is because they were created with Line Vectors with Anti alaising, I think Rust colour would be better for the chainlink.I used these points to create the fence, am I learning that the points() enables scaling of the image regardless of image size

Points( 0	   -3	 0	 0	  ; 0	   -3	 3	 0	  ; 1		3	 3	 0	  ; 2		3	 0	 0	  ; 3)

I tried to create this image in DXTBmp as a DXT1(A) from a TGA file and I couldn't. Should I be using 256x192 as the top part of the 256x256 is empty, does DXTBmp support these newer 32x32 multiples and is there an advantage frame rate wise to using these newer sizesDefinately more experimenting requiredI think I am getting there, with everybody's helpThanks AllDave