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Transparent

Messages
180
Country
us-california
How does one go about making transparent (well semi-transparent) textures for objects in gmax. For example, how can I make control tower windows transparent?

Thanks

David Biggar
david.biggar@gmail.com
 
Messages
103
Country
belgium
There are two solutions for that:

1) you can make a window texture and make the 'window part' semi-transparent through an alpha layer. How you have to do this, can also be found in this forum somewhere ;). When you use semi-transparency, you will have to export your texture as a DXT3 or a 32-bit texture in order for the alpha layer to work.

2) you can make a semi-transparent material in Gmax. You can do this by adjusting the 'Opacity' value in the Material Editor window. Then you can assign this semi-transparent material to your window object(s). When you export your model to FS, you will see that the window object will be semi-transparent.

Thomas
 
Messages
7
Country
hungary
Hi Guys,

Although I'm not new to gMax type softwares, until now I did not have to use "imported" textures, so here comes a simple question, but I'm stuck with that. (I'm using the FS9 Gamepack)

I made some textures to get familiarized with transparency. (The final product is intended to be an almost full-glass jetway) I followed the method in Arno's tutorial. So I had the textures with alpha channels with the right colors at the right spot. I made two versions for the test, DXT3 w alpha and bmp32 w alpha.

When I want to choose one of them from the 'File system', the preview box is shown, but only with the little picture icon inside, and not the texture.
If I try to use it, I suppose that the object "gets" the material, as its color changes. But either it does not display (while more simple materials does in the same viewport) or if it displays, there is no transparency at all. (I use UVW mapping, so I suppose it is not the problem)

I tried to make the object carrying it semi-transparent, or transparent, but the result is the same.

Obviously I don't do something very simlple, but I'd need help as I'm out of ideas.

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks,
Janos
 

arno

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Hi Janos,

Are you trying to load the DXT textures into GMax? That is not a good idea, as GMax can not read them. So in general I use the PSD file in GMax and the DXT versions goes into my FS texture folder.
 
Messages
7
Country
hungary
Thanks Arno,

Somehow this fact was ambiguous many places. I mean they skip the "what to use where" part. I'll try this way.

:wave: Janos
 
Messages
62
Country
us-hawaii
My personal opinion: better use Gmax material with opacity set around 75% instead bitmap texture with alpha channel.
Texture = more memory.
 
Messages
7
Country
hungary
irombeach said:
My personal opinion: better use Gmax material with opacity set around 75% instead bitmap texture with alpha channel.
Texture = more memory.

You are absolutely right. To tell the truth, I don't like "fake" 3d, imitated with the texture/shadows, etc. If I can, I use textures only where in real life it is also 2d thing, like a certain painting pattern on a wall.

Only I don't know by experience: what if this way your polygon count increases? I'd need to do so, to remain realistic (e.g. the steel elements between the large window panels carrying the whole structure - they are naturally not transparent. I wanted to put them on the model as texture, but with this method I have to model)

I mean what hurts more? Textures (with or without alpha) or more polygons?
 

arno

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If the only reason to make a texture is to add transparancy, then using the material setting is indeed better (although that can also give strange display troubles in MakeMDL now and then). But in general you don't want an entire polygon transparant, but only windows and things like that. In that case it is usually much more efficient to use a texture as that can keep your polygon count a lot lower.

And almost every object uses textures nowadays. Making them without any texture makes them look like Fs5 objects in general :).
 
Messages
13
For the best result, put some opacity on the polygon in gmax to make the window transparent, use the texture to add colour, details, dirt etc. on the glass and as a finishing touch a bit of alpha as reflection map (works in scenery too!).
 
Messages
7
Country
hungary
Thanks very much for all the suggestions! :) I think I'll try to do the scenery with a "healthy" mixture of modelling and textures, with bigger accents on models. So now going to work on that ... :stirthepo

Janos
 

arno

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jvarje said:
For the best result, put some opacity on the polygon in gmax to make the window transparent, use the texture to add colour, details, dirt etc. on the glass and as a finishing touch a bit of alpha as reflection map (works in scenery too!).

If I remember correct reflection no longer works in the Fs2004 gamepack. This is because the reflection texture is a subtype of the aircraft texture type. And in the new gamepack the bug that made scenery with the aircraft texture type has (fortunately) been fixed.
 

connomar

Resource contributor
Messages
263
Country
us-minnesota
I wanted to create a girder structure onto which there is a glass outer layer. Rather than add loads of polygons creating the complex structure, I just created a box and made it transparent. The result is a transparent box within another transparent box, and it doesn't work. Each box works individually, but together, nope.
 

tgibson

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11,327
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us-california
Are both parts within the same object? Making them separate objects often works for me.
 

arno

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That link is 15 years old, when fsdeveloper.com was still called scenerydesign.org. I'm afraid it won't be possible to figure out what it pointed to.
 
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