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FSX Changing Alpha Test Values of 2002-style grounpolygons

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226
Country
germany
Hey there,

The problem I stumbled over is that I made grounpolygons with alpha channels for FSX using the FS2002 SDK that have a wrong alpha test level.
Meaning that when I look at the ground from a higher altitude, the groundpolygon I'm talking about doesn't vanish as it should do so the main groundpolygon (satellite image) becomes visible...it looks tiled and solid like the texture had no alpha channel.
I think by default the FS2002-style groundpolygons have an alpha test value of 4.
I need around 10 or something but when I try to change that, it seems like the grounpolygon information is beeing lost when compiling and turning into a normal model again.

BTW: Another way could be to compile the groundpolygon directly using MCX and the groundpolygon wizard but it seems to projects the layers onto the ground. It is important that the groundpolygon doesn't lose its altitude over the ground. Is that possible?
 

arno

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FSDevConf team
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32,859
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netherlands
Hi,

The alpha test value only applies to FSX, in the FS2002 techniques the alpha channel is just always used for transparency.
 
Messages
226
Country
germany
Alright, is there a way to edit the mipmaps of the alpha channel?
Would be worth a try to make the the last few mipmaps solid black.
 

arno

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FSDevConf team
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32,859
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Hi,

ImageTool allows you to extract and insert mipmaps, so that way you can edit individual ones.
 
Messages
226
Country
germany
Nice! This gives a lot more control over how things are beeing displayed!
I edited the alpha channel of the 64*64px mipmap so its solid black.

Now it would be cool to have a smoother passage for example to make the 64*64MM a bit darker, the 32*32MM a bit darker than the one before etc and the 16*16MM is solid black.

Is that possible? I couldn't figure out how to edit individual MipMaps.
What I can do so far is to resize the source texture to 64*64px (for example) and edit its alpha channel. Then load the source texture into ImageTool, select "Add MipMaps", adding the 64*64Texture. Result: Alpha Channel of the MipMaps down to 64*64px are the same as the source texture, everything less or equal the edited mipmap has the reworked alpha channel.
 
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2,286
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us-washington
Thunderbolt- When you have the time, could you post here or send me a step by step tutorial on this volumetric grass? The website where Shawn's tutorial is starts off ok but then gets into terms that I know nothing about.

I wrote to him.... no answer.

I do use FSDS but it should be workable with FSDS. I have PSP and DXTBMP. i took a copy of Shawn's ground dirt and the black and white (fig 4).

For grass I would assume there is some preparation to be done? Show me how to do the alpha channel- I have done so many in the past for transparancies and such, but I fear this might be different in some way.
jyarddog@potc.net

Not the wisest to post an e-mail addy herre but what the hey- family and all. :) Bob
 
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