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PropBlurr Texture help

wardorichie

wardorichie

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us-colorado
I have a .bmp of a blurred prop disk, that I have copied out of the Diamond 42 model, image folder from fsx.
I apply this as my diffuse texture in 3ds max, using flightsimx material editor.

In 3ds max, the diffuse map is awsome, with alpha channel.
I then export to .x then use xtomdl.

I then copy this into my model folder. Open simulator, and my propdisk is BLACK.
I have tried all variations in configuring....opened up image in Photoshop and ImageTool, saving out at 32 bit, 28 bit, saving in different formats. Nothing...black.

Yes, I have followed instructions from SDK for correct material recepit in 3dsmax......I must be missing something.


Thank you so very much FSD world!!

Rich
 
wardorichie said:
I have a .bmp of a blurred prop disk, that I have copied out of the Diamond 42 model, image folder from fsx.
I apply this as my diffuse texture in 3ds max, using flightsimx material editor.

In 3ds max, the diffuse map is awsome, with alpha channel.
I then export to .x then use xtomdl.

I then copy this into my model folder. Open simulator, and my propdisk is BLACK.
I have tried all variations in configuring....opened up image in Photoshop and ImageTool, saving out at 32 bit, 28 bit, saving in different formats. Nothing...black.

Yes, I have followed instructions from SDK for correct material recepit in 3dsmax......I must be missing something.


Thank you so very much FSD world!!

Rich
Click to expand...

I have no idea about aircraft development other than model creation, but I know a little about textures. FSX scenery uses .dds format. Do the prop effects use the same format? I am thinking so as I have looked and see a prop_modelmake.dds file in each prop based aircraft folder.
 
Shouldn't this thread be in "Aircraft Design\Graphics" rather than in Coffehouse\general chat?

As kevintampas says, it's likely to be a bitmap format issue, and as always there are a couple of (read: hundreds of) pitfalls lurking in the undergrowth.

In the following I will break the process down to the bare essentials. Once you know what has to be done it will be fairly easy to implement shortcuts (such as using 32 bit or psd or Targa files).

First, as I suggested before (other thread) it is a good idea to analyze how it was done for the default DC-3. If you can't find the PD Max source elsewhere you can d/l a copy here:

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/51024107/Douglas_DC3_SDK.zip

In Max, hide everything but the complete(!) prop0 assembly including dependents. Space the components apart and study them carefully.

Get the DC-3 prop texture from the DC-3 texture folder, it's called Prop_DC3.dds (have included that as well in the d/l).

Get a program called DxtBmp by Martin Wright and install it.

Load Prop_DC3.dds into DxtBmp and make a note of its features - I assume it will tell you that it's DXT5 DDS with MIPs on (ImageTool will tell you, too). We'll take it apart and then re-assemble it to see what's what.

Now, from DxtBmp save just the diffuse 24bit RGB component, call it Prop_DC3.bmp.

Also in DxtBmp save the (8bit grayscale) alpha channel, call it DC3_Prop_a.bmp. Verify it's not white.

Use a paint program to flip both vertically and save. Use these (flipped) versions for all further editing and in Max (but not in Sim).

In Max, put Prop_DC3.bmp in the diffuse slot of the material applied to prop0_slow and prop0_blurred.

Check the uvw mapping used for _slow and _blurred. Also, in UVW editor, check against Prop_DC3_a.bmp -- the alpha bitmap usually shows the shape of the prop blade(s) more clearly.

Now try to re-assemble the dds going the reverse route in DxtBmp - load the Prop_DC3.bmp, flip it, add the alpha file, flip that (DxtBmp allows you to flip both at the same time), save the whole thing as DXT5 dds with MIPs, and you should come up with the identical Prop_DC3.dds as before (check file size).

And as you can see in Sim the DC3 prop looks OKish, with room for improvement.

(Read up on MIPs. The default planes usually have them but many developers decide not to use them for aircraft models.)

Once you are aware of these basics, it will be easy for you to tweak existing props or do your own.
 
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To start, I apologize for posting in wrong forum, I certainly want to respect the appropriate protocal used.

So, thank you very much for your detailed advise and instructions.
I have extracted the DC3.max.
The only material map included in this was Prop_DC3.bmp, it was not a .dds. The instructions are a bit rocky to follow, yet, I am certain, with this and all other suggestions out there in this world.....well.......regardless, I will figure this out, my drive to win, always is solid. Right now, Im very confused why this is not working, I am certain I have covered all the right ways to generate this alpha channel and compiling it into a .dds.
I have attempted to use, native prop blur textures, from fsx and prepar3d....nothing.......my .mdl comes in as black as it gets.

I will persist on this journey....thank you so much for everyones suggestions.

R
 
Er .... re-checked the linked zip and it has Prop_DC3.dds in it alright, not .bmp.

I notice that it is DDS 32 bit though, not dxt5 as I thought. That does not make it a .bmp, if that's what you are driving at. And it makes little difference for the analysis-by-synthesis approach sketched above.

I haven't come across "Black" in FSX (P3D I don't have) for a long time now. What is it usually indicative of? My guess would be either a faulty texture or not finding an assigned texture, often it is just a typo in a file name (no offence). Or could it be a DXT10 issue? Is that even an option in P3D?

All I know is if you do it by the book it does work. Except in cases where the book is wrong :))

The easiest thing now is to attach/post the problem texture here for inspection. Of course you could also try it on a working plane included in P3D.
 
Load the object in MCX and in the material editor " set default transaparent" this always will arrange the material for you. it seem to me the material have not been applied correctly.
 
Tejal Bernardo said:
Load the object in MCX and in the material editor " set default transaparent" this always will arrange the material for you. it seem to me the material have not been applied correctly.
Click to expand...

Dang...! I didnt know that MCX could edit materials.. Very cool.
 
Guys ... OP already manages to export from Max directly. We should not advise him to use an external material editor -- we must get him to get the Max materials right and be able to create SDK-compliant dds textures, that's the long and the short of it.
 
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Okay, this issue can be closed...thank you so much for everyone's input.

I knew it was going to be a very simple fix!

I was not saving my new .dds file in the textures directory. I was thinking that the texture was embedded in the .mdl. DOGH! :confused:

I was following every step perfectly, however, I missed exactly where the .dds had to be saved out to.

So, hopefully my headaches will help someone get to the end faster than it took me.
 
OK! As I said there are a hundred pitfallls in this. And btw, certain textures -- the so-called Dollar-textures that you need for the VC sections -- are saved in the mdl and do not go in the texture folder. But that's a different story.
 
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