How to create Trees and Fences?

[Guest AMC612]

It's me again.By the way, I use imagetoll to convert to FS2002.:-rotor:-rotor:-rotorBest RegardsMauro CaruanaMt-foc@ivao.orgSENIOR FLIGHT CAPTAIN

[Guest AMC612]

Hi all,I would like to know a procedure or tutorial of how I can create trees or fence in GMAX. I managed to but when I export in FS2002 the transperent part excludes the building and object behind it.:-rotor:-rotor:-rotorBest RegardsMauro Caruana

[Guest gorchi]

Hi,just use DXT1 textures not DXT3 and it should work. BTW, this question was asked numerous times here :)Best regardsGoran BrumenFS Slovenija 2002 teamhttp://slovenia.avsim.net

[spotlope 0]

Here is my technique -- so far it's worked great. For a chain link fence, I make a sample fencepost as a simplified cylinder in Gmax, then make an array of however many I need for a particular fence run. I don't use a texture map on the post, because they're too small and simple and I don't want to spend the user's bandwidth on them -- I just give them a gunmetal gray color. Then I add a simple rectangular poly between the posts, make it about 90% opaque and add a DXT-1 texture of the chainlink itself with an alpha channel to punch out the negative space between the links. I prefix the fencing with a "ds_" to get a double-sided fence. Adding the 10% transparency to the fencing gives a look that I like better and seems to avoid the problem of objects whose refpoint is behind the fence not being drawn. Obviously, once the fencing poly looks the way you want it, you can just array it as well to fill in the run.

[Guest AMC612]

Hi,thanks for your feedback. The DXT-1 texture worked but when I tried to use the "ds_" prefix it did'nt work. Can you explain better the procedure of how I can do it. Thank you.:-rotor:-rotor:-rotorBest RegardsMauro CaruanaMt-foc@ivao.orgSENIOR FLIGHT CAPTAIN

[spotlope 0]

Sure. You make a poly in Gmax (a simple rectangle will do), then create your fencing texture graphic. When applying the mapping, create a new material called "ds_(whatever you want to call it)" and apply. The trick is to name your material starting with a "ds_" and not your object. In fact, a lot of interesting things can be done in FS by using the reserved prefixes for material names, like turning a poly into a light, for instance. The only drawback to using double-sided materials is that the backside of the material is just a pointer in memory to the frontside (or so it seems) so it will inherit the lighting of the other side. So if you made a large solid flat object and gave it a ds_ material it would glow on both sides when the sun hit the front and both sides would be shadowed when the front was in shadow. But for fencing that's mostly empty space, this isn't an issue.hope that helps,

[bob.bernstein 0]

Bill, I made a fence as you described here, but the mip maps on the texture made the appearance look bad further away. You don't have that problem? I found the best overall appearance was to simply make the "link" area be grey and only about 30% opaque. From most distances, you can't really see the chain links. Bob Bernstein