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Alpha Decals?

krispy1001

krispy1001

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unitedstates
HI everyone!

I have a question that I have not been able to find any information on. What is a "alpha decal" in FSX. I have searched the FSX sdk document and I have found nothing. I have also searched the internet, but still nothing. Now I know what alpha decals are used for overall in game systems. They are a way to add another channel to your texture to enhance its resolution.

So I guess I have two questions.

1. Does FSX support Alpha Decals?
2. And if the first question is:True, then is there any information on how to use them in FSX?


Thanks, Kris :)
 
I have Heard about them somewhere, in Fsx SDK is referenced as "Tail number or N number", Tail numbers are used for ATC identification decals and in " texture names" is referenced as "Decal_nnumber designates the tail number used for ATC identification. This file does not have to exist; but it is necessary to have some diffuse map reference in order for the FlightSimX material to work properly". In Fsx material editor it is in "aircraft material params" section as N-Number texture. that's all I have found about "decal".
Though maybe you mean "Detail map" ?, it's in flight simulator extended params under "Other texture info". In this case the fact is that it's an unknown parameter. I haven't found anything.
Edit: I found a couple of post about the matter http://www.google.es/url?sa=t&rct=j...37613/&usg=AFQjCNEFNQOrtxDSbjCVgpnxVh09CphUNA
 
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I've tried doing this manually, it's kind of a pain but the results are pretty good if you're in a pinch or don't need to map an entire object at really high res. You just have to make a duplicate of the original object, extrude or move in front of existing mesh by about a millimeter, delete unneeded polys and map the section onto new coordinates. Then depending on how your materials are utilizing alpha channels, you may have to make a new transparency material.
 
Hi Ozzman1997!

Yes, that is a very good method for adding more detail without increasing your poly count. Yes, I have used that technique in Blender. Thank you very much for your reply!!!!

Thank you, Kris
 
I've not heard the term before.

But google gave me this:

http://docs.cryengine.com/display/SDKDOC2/Creating+Decal+Textures+and+Materials

I see no reason why you couldn't do this is FSX as Ozzman explains the process. Just duplicate your part, move it a bit away from the source part, delete any unnecessary polygons and map on a transparent texture using the alpha channel to blend it.

However, from what you have written you seem to be referring to a detail texture which adds extra detail to an existing texture. It does this by creating a repeating pattern. The most obvious example of this is the detail1.bmp texture found in FSX/Scenery/World/Texture. This provides the fine ground detail texture for all the ground scenery tiles in FSX.

In FSX you do this by adding a detail texture filename to the material properties, specify the number of times you want it to repeat across the whole texture. Then create your detail texture. It should be a repeating texture to avoid any obvious joins and white makes it brighter, 128 grey does nothing and black makes it darker.

I've used a bump map tiled across a standard texture to simulate the pattern on vinyl on a glareshield. In this case a simple 512x512 base texture can be used and a tiled 512x512 texture repeated provides the detail. You'd need a massive amount of textures to do this without tiling, even a 4096x4096 wouldn't provide this much detail.

007 Vinyl.jpg
 
some time ago I read that the decal was inteded for the identifcation of the airplane (his register number) diamically could chage his identification...or something so (...or I was going crazy), some old airplane had decals and you can hear people talking about how to get rid of them, but curiosly I have never found any other information about this, Fsx have nothing to acces this option not even a mention. curious indeed.
Wow¡ Anthony good exemple on how detail maps work. Right now I know what the detail maps are for. thanks
 
Tejal, are you are referring to the N-Number?

This is in the FSX SDK under New Aircraft Procedures in the index. This is how the default aircraft display the registration number on the aircraft based on what the user selects. I think in the aircraft.cfg there is an entry for the colour of the text but in my experience this doesn't work and the registration number will always appear black.

I've used the N number texture once and it is a bit of work to get the texture mapping exactly right.

Tail number or N number
Tail numbers are used for ATC identification decals.

  1. Assign the diffuse image by checking the Diffuse Color box and selecting an appropriate diffuse color map. This map does not have to exist, but entering one is simply necessary for the tool to work.
  2. Under Fresnel Ramp it is not necessary to assign a bitmap but still check the Reflection option box and the Specular option box.
  3. Under Bloom: check the Allow bloom box, move the slider for Specular Bloom Floor to 0.9 and move the slider for ambient light scale to 1.0.
  4. Under Framebuffer Blend: click on Set Default Transparent. Source Blend and Destination Blend are set to SrcAlph and InvSrcAlpha, respectively.
  5. Under Aircraft Material Params: check the Is N-Number texture box near the bottom. This will assign the appropriate ATC identification or tail number.
 
Yes the SDK documentation, what I do not understand very well (at all) is how all this work. I think the site where I read about explained it but I can't rembember well. I think it was an option to change the numbering of the airplane with ease, anyway I think I never will use this.
 
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Anthony31 said:
I've not heard the term before.

But google gave me this:

http://docs.cryengine.com/display/SDKDOC2/Creating+Decal+Textures+and+Materials

I see no reason why you couldn't do this is FSX as Ozzman explains the process. Just duplicate your part, move it a bit away from the source part, delete any unnecessary polygons and map on a transparent texture using the alpha channel to blend it.

However, from what you have written you seem to be referring to a detail texture which adds extra detail to an existing texture. It does this by creating a repeating pattern. The most obvious example of this is the detail1.bmp texture found in FSX/Scenery/World/Texture. This provides the fine ground detail texture for all the ground scenery tiles in FSX.

In FSX you do this by adding a detail texture filename to the material properties, specify the number of times you want it to repeat across the whole texture. Then create your detail texture. It should be a repeating texture to avoid any obvious joins and white makes it brighter, 128 grey does nothing and black makes it darker.

I've used a bump map tiled across a standard texture to simulate the pattern on vinyl on a glareshield. In this case a simple 512x512 base texture can be used and a tiled 512x512 texture repeated provides the detail. You'd need a massive amount of textures to do this without tiling, even a 4096x4096 wouldn't provide this much detail.

View attachment 30279
Click to expand...

Hi Anthony31!

Thank you very much for your reply. You have posted some very good information.

Thanks, Kris :-)
 
Hi Anthony31!

Thank you for the reply!

No! I was not referring to "Tail number or N number"but thank you very much for posting a reply!
 
This is what a meant, finally I found the answer by choice ¡

...When your in the Free Flight menu, click "Change..." under Current Aircraft. You'll be presented with the Select Aircraft menu. Highlight the aircraft you want to fly, then click on the "Details..." button. At the Aircraft Details menu, under ATC Information:, you find the "Tail number" field. This will change both the tail number displayed on the exterior and the instrument panel placard. ...providing the developer did not burn the image into the texture map.YYou can also change this in the aircraft.cfg file

this is the way to change tail number. I knew I have read something about this somewhere.
 
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