Texturing rules

[Erez]

Since I can't see what am I doing wrong, I'd like to know in short and to the point. What does a BMP file that I want to use as texture needs to be? (format, size, anything)
Thanks

[Hagar]

Erez. Most textures come in the usual standard sizes. 256 x 256, 512 x 512, or 1024 x 1024. They must be in a format FS can read. This is either 8 bit or 32 bit standard BMP or one of the special FS 16 bit Extended formats. The FS2002 default main textures are in DXT3 with Alpha 16 bit Extended format. DXTBmp is the ideal utility for working with textures.
The file names of textures should not include spaces. wingleft.bmp or wing_left.bmp will display.
wing left.bmp will not.

[Erez]

Thanks Hagar, but I guess that's not the problem because I did all you said
Furthermore, I toke the sample texture from here-
http://airspace.uhk.cz/mlk/msfs/tutoria ... ng_01.html
-and nothing happend on the Lavi. But when I tried it out on the sample model it showed out fine.......
Maybe it's something with the model......
Could it be?
Damn I'm hopeless....... I started 3 topics on this furom but none helped..........
Without texturing all the work on the model worth nothing.....
If you want to know, I actually start enjoying all this designing thing, since my model became, after a lot of effort, to something I can be proud at................ but it won't become a FS model if I can't put paint on him.................

[Hagar]

Hi Erez. Sorry, I never did figure out Gmax so can't be much help. Rather than take a wild guess I'll leave this to the experts. From what you're saying, it's something you missed on your particular model. I'm sure it will be easy enough to fix. Most of these problems usually are so don't give up now.

I usually figure out this sort of thing on a simple test piece like a tube or cylinder. Understanding the basics makes it so much easier for more complex projects.

[Felix/FFDS]

Where are you not seeing it - in gmax or in FS2002?

If I understand the process correctly, your DXT3 texture is not seen in gmax, but it should be seen in FS2002.

You map your textures in gmax, using a tga, tiff, whatever, but it must be converted to a bmp to be displayed in FS2002.

I may be wrong, though.

[Erez]

Thanks again Hagar
Felix, it is not seen at Gmax, but it's BMP, right size and format.
Here is what I did:
1. created new scene
2.added cylinder
3.added him UVW map
4.opened the Gmax material navigator
5.draged my texture (the Lavi paint scheme, white with a blue strip and the Lavi logo) on the cylinder, and it worked.
than I saved it, closed Gmax, and opened my Lavi file.
I Xrefed the same cylinder to the Lavi scene, added him UVW Map, draged the same file to the same object, just the different scene, and notihng happened again.............
Now is this weird or what? Any expert opinion?

[Hagar]

Erez. Which format is your Lavi texture in? If it's an FS Extended texture format like DXT3, Gmax will not be able to read it. You need to create 2 different textures, one for Gmax & the other for the Texture folder in your aircraft. These would use exactly the same file names but be saved in their appropriate formats.

I have no idea which image formats are compatible with Gmax. If it will read 8 bit standard BMP images I would use this format for working textures. 8 bit BMPs are also compatible with FS2002 which would make things so much easier. When all the textures are assigned correctly you can replace them with the proper textures in whichever format you wish.

[Erez]

It's an 8 bit BMP and it's working in other scenes, as I wrote.

[Oz]

Hey Erez, try this: http://airspace.uhk.cz/mlk/msfs/tutorials/gmax/

G'luck

[Erez]

Thanks Oz, I know that tutorial...... that's the one which I learned how to texture from, but it doesn't work in my model...............
Please keep trying to help me.... if I can't solve this, I'm afraid that I must stop with my Lavi project......

[Hagar]

Erez. Please don't be so dramatic. LOL
This is only a small setback compared with what you will experience in this hobby. Many times over the past 4 years I've been almost in tears with frustration at my incompetence & lack of knowledge.

What you need to figure out is the difference between your Lavi model & the tube which you textured successfully. We've covered all the other options so the problem must lie somewhere in that model. Does it need configuring in some way to display textures? There has to be something you've overlooked.  ::)

[Erez]

LOL..... Ok ok....
to tell you the truth, I really don't know if I want to be a designer, but I do know that I want to fly a Lavi in Fs2002/4.
There are some other simple jet fighters that I want, but not as bad as the Lavi, and since it's coming along nicely, I just can't leave it now. it is called in Hebrew the "al-hazor" (looks like Arabic because of the Al, but it's actually another word for no except "lo"), the no-return, point.
The hell with all, I want FSDS2  !,but I can't get it in all of Israel..........
BTW, I'm begin to think that the problem is with the scene itself, and not the parts in it.....

[Erez]

Hallelujah! I did it!
I Xrefed all the parts to a new file and it worked!

[Oz]

good job erez! see, theres a solution to everything  

[Hagar]

Well done............! See, I told you it would be something simple. Stick with it.