FSX: Help with creating tyre skid marks and other detail

[Model10]

With 3dsmax I'm creating an airport from scratch, WW2 Airbase. So far I have a tiled asphalt texture in place for the runways. How would I go about adding oil spills, tyre marks etc? I have read various suggestions here on the forum, but a more detailed explanation or tutorial would help me a lot.
Thanks

[arno]

Hi,

I am assuming that you are using the Fs2002 gamepack for the ground polygons (with the tweak to make them real ground polygons). If that is the case, you can just create additional polygons with your oil, skid marks, etc. The textures used on these polygons are then transparant so that the runway will show below it. And in the ground polygon tweaks you give these polygons a higher layer (so you export them as a different BGL file).

[Model10]

Hi
Yes, I am creating real ground polys using the Fs2002 gamepack, and I have used the correct layering technique. I'm having problems with the transparancy, getting the alpha to work. How do you control the opacity of the texture. Would this be set in Max?
Cheers

Here is a test to show my problem. I get a white edging around the mask

[arno]

Hi,

You don't have to set anything in Max for the transparancy. You can just map the texture there like any other texture.

For this kind of markings I think using the DXT1 format with a 1 bit alpha channel should be enough, but if you want more levels of transparancy, you would have to use the DXT3 format.

At the border of transparant texture you can sometimes get a little blurry effect, so therefore it is probably a good idea to use similar colors near the borders. In that case it looks better.

[Model10]

Thanks again Arno for replying.
I'll work with your suggestions and see how I get on.
Cheers

[arno]

Here is a small picture where I used the same technique to place some mud on a grass runway. As you can see it blends quite well in the end.

[Model10]

Hi Arno
Thanks for the example.
I am still having problems with the "halo" effect around my masks.
Could you outline your proceedure for creating the alpha channel and applying it to the poly? so I can check if I am doing anything different.
I am using photoshop to create the alpha channel and imagetool for creating the dds files.
Cheers

[arno]

Hi,

I have described how I make my alpha channels in this article on the Wiki. Are you using DXT1 or DXT3 for your textures?

For the ground polygons I do nothing special, except the tweaks needed to make them proper gorund polygons.

PS. One note, that screenshot was not taking in FsX, but in Fs2004. So I would have to test that old scenery in FsX to see if it is a FsX specific problem.

[Model10]

Hi
I did look at the Wiki article before, and have tried DXT1 DXT3 and DXT5, the latter for smoother gradations. So it appears I have been following the correct proceedures. I wonder if this artifact is only occuring in FSX. I have never designed anything for FS2004, So I can't compare. Maybe the new SDK will help explain things. I'll keep working at it.
Thanks again

[Jessy]

Hi,

I have the same problem in FS2004. I wanted to make a darker area in the middle of the runway (not the skidmarks but engine exhaust and dirt on the middle of teh runway) so that the centerline was beneath it so it would look realistic. 1 problem, I used an alpha chennel to make the edges look like vanishing but I also had this withe edge arround them, no difference if I use DXT1 or DXT3 and this is for FS2004.

[Model10]

Hi
After a lot of trial and error, I think I have solved my problem of the "Halo" artifact.
Here's my test in FSX with DXT5 textures. No white edging as I had before.


In photoshop I made sure I had a seperate black layer. Before I had a white layer.


Hope the images are self explanitory and that they help others with this problem.
Cheers