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Colors Are Not Correct When Applying 24 Bit BMP Textures

K

kmanning

Messages
946
I'm following a tutorial "Building in Gmax" from Godzone Virtual Flight by Zen Cart. In applying textures, I'm using the bmp format for textures, and was recommended by the tutorial. When I select my bitmap in the Select Image File window, I notice, even in the preview, that the colors in that texture is wrong. Here's what it looks like:


Texture.jpg



This is NOT the actual or real color of this building. Here's what it should look like in the image below:


Texture 2.jpg


Why is it that every time I apply a bmp file type texture, either the colors are wrong, or if I apply a 32 bit bmp, I get the "this bmp file is not supported" message? If I apply a tiff file type texture, I don't have that problem. But the point is that it should not be doing this when I apply a bmp texture, even if they're 32 bit. The textures for Flight Simulator are 32 bit, not 24. So if developers are producing 32 bit textures for FS, apparently, they're using 32 bit formats when texturing. I wondered if the problem could be because the file is a 24 bit rather than 32. So, I converted the file to a 32 bit. When I apply the 32 bit bmp texture, that's when I get the warning that this bmp file is unsupported. So, either there is more than one type of bmp or there's a setting in either Gmax or Gimp that I need to look into. I don't understand why Gmax cannot support a 32 bit image when they're used in FS. So it doesn't make sense to me. I'm using a 24 bit file and wondered if that could be the reason for the wrong color.

Ken.
 
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Bit depth, as a technical measurement, describes the number of color values per channel - Red, Green, and Blue. When a camera shoots 8-bit, it is recording 2^8 unique colors per channel, which adds up to 256 total. 256 shades of green, 256 shades of blue, and 256 shades of red, all mixed up together to form an image.

The difference between the two images is beyond the consequence of bit depth reduction. The colored areas have been inverted, which is to be replaced with the chromatic opposite, while the black or white areas remain unchanged. Ultimately, the two images are not alternative bit depth representations of the same image, they are chromatically edited versions of the same image. The implication is that either the source files, or the tutorial is incorrect, or that you have not correctly followed the tutorial.
 
It looks to me like your 24 bit BMP file is not in the correct format for GMAX to read it. Perhaps you could attach one zipped image you are having trouble with? (make it a small one).

GMAX does NOT support 32 bit BMP files. GMAX was not developed for FS, it was adapted for it's use and you must accept its limitations. I create two versions of my BMP file - a 32 bit version I use in FS and a 24 bit version that is used in GMAX.
 
tgibson said:
It looks to me like your 24 bit BMP file is not in the correct format for GMAX to read it. Perhaps you could attach one zipped image you are having trouble with? (make it a small one).
Click to expand...

It's probably not. In the tutorial, he shows an image of the texture sheet but he says to save that image and convert it to bmp for use in Gmax. Here's the website:

Building in GMAX - texturing : Zen Cart!, The Art of E-commerce

Zen Cart! : Building in GMAX - texturing - FSX/P3D Scenery ecommerce, open source, shop, online shopping, store
windowlight.co.nz

As far as I know, I converted the image correctly, and I converted it in Gimp. I opened the image in Gimp and exported it as a bmp. Rick mentioned that the source file my not be correct but I have had problems with other bmp colors as well. I've attached the zip file below.


tgibson said:
GMAX does NOT support 32 bit BMP files. GMAX was not developed for FS, it was adapted for it's use and you must accept its limitations. I create two versions of my BMP file - a 32 bit version I use in FS and a 24 bit version that is used in GMAX.
Click to expand...

So, this means I need to remember to convert any 32 bit bmp file before importing it into Gmax. But when you export the textures for use in FS, are you saying that you have to convert them back to 32 bit bmps?

Ken.
 

Attachments

  • Texture.zip
    292.5 KB · Views: 106
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Hi Gary,

He did not explain how to convert it, so what I did is that I saved that image that's in the tutorial, opened it in Gimp and exported it as a BMP. I read the caveats and the only thing I didn't do was to check the box, "Do not write color space information." The "Run Length Encoded" was grayed out and could not access it, but it was not checked anyway, so no problem there. And I did select the 24 bit R8, G8, B8. In Gimp, I selected the Windows BMP image. So, I need to check - "Do not write color space information."


GaryGB said:
NOTE: SDK ImageTool is the "Gold Standard" for all texture images to be used in FS; MCX uses that utility for conversions.

See: http://windowlight.co.nz/store/index.php?main_page=page&id=23&chapter=1
Click to expand...

Yes, I read over that and found that. This is a pretty good tutorial.


While we're on this subject regarding Photoshop and Gimp, I've been looking over their plans, which they have 3 or 4 different plans. I don't know if you use Photoshop but I was wondering if the $9.95 plan would do everything I need it to do for my projects, including blend masks, ground texturing, satellite images, and all the things I need it to do for my projects.

Ken.
 
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Hi,

Yes, your BMP is in an odd format - it includes color space information. I opened in GIMP, loaded your image, Used Export, chose BMP (Windows BMP Image), in Compatibility Options I checked Do Not Write Color Space Information, and Exported it. It displays fine in GMAX. Make sure to press the Reload button in the GMAX material's box (Maps section) to get the updated image.

Hope this helps,
 
Thanks Tom and Gary,

That's exactly what it was. I didn't bring it up but I've wondered if that could have been the problem.

Ken.
 
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