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MSFS20 Attention All Good Painters - What MSFS Is Doing With Alpha Channels

JanMartinHamburg

JanMartinHamburg

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58
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germany
MSFS-And-Alpha-Channels-LD.jpg
It is possible to install FSX-format AI models (legacy MDL) in MSFS, like for example AIG / FAIB / TFS / UTT, using all the good paints that were created in millions of hours of free time by the painters. Most models however appear with more or less flickering of windows and or other lighted visible areas of the aircraft.

Actually I thought, it may be caused by different things, but it is very likely caused by Alpha channels of paint T and or L maps exclusively.

MSFS is a little bit sensitive in regards of alpha channels. White areas can uglify the best repaint, and alphas are not even working well in scenery objects.

I created a little sheet to illustrate the problem, which may affect all MSFS users taking paints from previous FS versions over to MSFS; not only TFS models are causing problems, also FAIBs.

Regarding installation of TFS B777's from the version for FSX package:
- the *_Light_Splash.dds from "Copy to main FSX Texture folder" was not copied and remained unused
- the Alpha.bmp from folder "Alpha" was not implemented and remained unused
- the TFS_B77*_L.dds (lightmap) from folder "lightmaps" was not implemented and remained unused

Regarding installation of the paints:
- installed as usually with separate model folder for each paint
- the TFS_B77*_L.dds (lightmap) files delivered with the paints are in use

So, please take a look to the illustration; I'm afraid, there is some work to do if we want to get the paints look good on AI aircraft in MSFS .. .. ..

And a small note for us all - including me - to keep in mind: Asobo may revoke support for legacy MDL file support partially or entirely at any point of time without prior notice. This already happened to my HSST model with the last so called sim update.
 
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