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FSX Wrong shadows

robystar

robystar

Messages
5,214
Hi,

I am not sure if I have to put this question here or in the Google Sketchup subforum.
But anyway, here goes:
I made a quaywall with GSU and converted it into a library object with MCX, (hence putting my question here) and I find the shadows on the textured faces off, i.e. a horizontal surface is shadowed although it should be lit, a vertical surface does OK.
Read about bump textures not being applied and reversing normals but I do not know what it really means. I did have a bump texture but deleting it does not solve the problem.
Can somebody please explain what reversing normals means and in case that is the problem, how to change that in either GSU or MCX.
Tks.

Roby
 
This can also happen if the object has been rotated when placed into FS. In rare cases it can retain the original shading pattern, which is now wrong. The other way I've seen it happen is if you copy and paste polygons in GMAX and flip them - they retain the shading from the original copy.

Hope this helps,
 
Tks, Tom,

Well, I had to rotate it 12º to place it correctly in the scenery but that can hardly explain things.
 
Hi,

Do you maybe have a picture of the problem?

Also did you check in ModelConverterX if the normals are pointing in the directions that you would expect?
 
Hi Arno,

Here is a picture of what it looks like in MCX (quite normal) and another one of how it looks in FSX.
The horizontal top part of the wall should not be shadowed nor should the front part of the wall be lit (the other side should and is dark).
Can send you the mdl?
Oh, And how can I see whether the normals are pointing in the right directions?
 
Last edited:
Hi,

Does the shading vary a lot when you change the time of day? I feel it might just be the way FS does its shading (sometimes a bit too dark).

About the normals, I meant checking the direction of them in ModelConverterX by showing them in the preview. But I see in your screenshot that you have them on already and those of the top polygon seem to be pointing upwards as you would expect.
 
Hi Armo.

Yes, the shadows vary but they are still always off.
The lit side is dark and the side that should be shadowed is lit. It is completely the reverse of what it should be.
 
Can you send me the MDL so that I can take a look?
 
Hi,

I am quite sure your problem is that the bump map you used is not a correct bump map. Have a look at this article on the Wiki for the process of creating a bump map for FSX. The step of saving in the FSX format (by switching some channels) can be done in ModelConverterX using the texture converter functionality.
 
arno said:
Hi,

I am quite sure your problem is that the bump map you used is not a correct bump map. Have a look at this article on the Wiki for the process of creating a bump map for FSX. The step of saving in the FSX format (by switching some channels) can be done in ModelConverterX using the texture converter functionality.
Click to expand...

In reading the article, Arno... If I understand correctly...

All that we do is make a Height Map (or Grayscale) of the texture in question and then run it through the Texture Convertor in MCX? Thats it? or do we proceed to Create a Normal Map using are Photo Editor plugin? Just trying to Comfirm?
 
Pyscen said:
In reading the article, Arno... If I understand correctly...

All that we do is make a Height Map (or Grayscale) of the texture in question and then run it through the Texture Convertor in MCX? Thats it? or do we proceed to Create a Normal Map using are Photo Editor plugin? Just trying to Comfirm?
Click to expand...

You will need to convert the grayscale height map to a normal map using the nVidia plugin.

What MCX will do for you is shuffle the channels around for you...
 
n4gix said:
You will need to convert the grayscale height map to a normal map using the nVidia plugin.

What MCX will do for you is shuffle the channels around for you...
Click to expand...

Ok Gotcha! garyscale + nVidia plugin + then MCX... Thanks!
 
Yes Bill is right. Of course you can use other normalmap plugins as well (eg the one of gimp).
 
Hi,

When looking at your texture I doubt that even the normal map plugin was used. The texture just looked like a gray scale image, while after using the plugin that is usually not the case.
 
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