DECAL_questions again

[Gnome]

Sorry to ask again folks but has ANYONE done this successfully and can tell me how, numpties-guide please.

I have got DECAL_NNUMBER to work perfectly.  What I need to know is how to get other decals to work.

Is there anything special about the part I'm trying to map the texture on?  I'm using a simple plane like I did with DECAL_NNUMBER.

Is there anything I need to know about the texture map itself?  I'm using colour 0,0,0, for the background and hoping that just the foreground colours will show up but I get a black rectangle instead.  (DXT.3)

It's driving me nuts!

Another problem is the decal simply making a transparent hole in my model in FS.  Model is already textured with a shiny metal surface, is this similar to the problem you get with reflective canopies...?


Thanks.


Kev

[FSEdge]

Hi Kev,

So what's it going to be this time, Gmax or fsds?  ::)

I should be able to walk you through it using a multi material and need I say it...ok I will...Gmax.  ;)

FSEdge

[Gnome]

:-)
I use GMAX to finish off my models.
So, yes please, lead me through it.


Kev

[FSEdge]

Hi Kev,

I haven't forgotten you. I am putting a video together and will be done soon. I'll post a link to it in a short while.

FSEdge

[Gnome]

Thanks, looking forward to it.  :-)


Kev

[FSEdge]

Hi Kev,

I hope this helps. When you first load the video be patient. It will load up to 50% before it starts running and there might be buffering issues. If the sound moves ahead of the video just back the video up a little. It should run nicely on the second run through. The duration is approx. 15 minutes. If you have questions feel free to email me.

Decal Video

FSEdge

[Gnome]

Er, how long does this thing take to load?  I'm on dialup in the UK, paying through the nose!  15 minutes so far and nothing showing up....


Kev

[FSEdge]

You better forget it then. The file is roughly 58 Meg.

If you want I can upload it and let you down load it for later review. Sorry, but that is as small as I could compress it. If I archive it I can probably get the size down to 40 or 45 Meg.

Let me know what you want.

FSEdge

[Gnome]

Eek!  That would take something like all day...

Er, can't you just post some instructions?

I've got DECAL_NNUMBER to work OK but I'd like to add some lettering on top of the fuselage (it is supposed to represent a hatch) and a name on each side of the nose.

Fuselage texture is already polished metal and my efforts so far are just making ractangular see-through patches.  :-/


Kev

[FSEdge]

Adding text to other locations on the fuselage can't be done by way of DECAL_NNUMBER. The texture name has a special meaning in FS and is only controllable through the aircraft menu. You will need to approach the text from another angle.

FSEdge

[Gnome]

I know.  I'm not trying to use DECAL_NNUMBER.

There is also a DECAL_WHATEVER... for logos etc.
Some of the default FS2002 and FS9 aircraft use them.

The FS2002 Dash 8 and the FS9 Jenny, for a start.

Examining the source for these aircraft has not helped me at all though.  :-(


Kev

[FSEdge]

WOW,

I totally misread your first post. Somehow I just read DECAL_NNUMBER. Sorry about that.

I poked around in the Jenny a bit and also looked into the texture being used. From what I can tell at first glance, the texture has an alpha channel and it's compressed to DXT1. I'll play with a few test objects and see if I can produce the same results as the Jenny.

[Gnome]

Cheers Edge, if anyone can figure it out you can.  :-)

I tried DXT1 and got a black rectangle.  DXT3 gives me a transparent rectangle making a hole in the model.

My model textures are DXT3 to give a nice polished metal effect and I wonderd if the hole was a similar effect to the one you get when you use a reflective canopy and glssy textures on say, a prop or helicopter rotor, one intersects the other and you get zilch...

I look forward to your results and will hold off uploading my wonderplane until then.  :-)


Kev

[FSEdge]

Hi Kev,

Well I think I figured out the DECAL_ texture.
Here is what I did:

1.Created a polygon in the area I wanted the decal to be and placed it just to the outside of the model.

2.Mapped and added Standard Material to the new polygon.

3.Created a texture in PSP with an alpha channel and saved it as DECAL_.tga and also DECAL_.bmp (to be used in Gmax for placement on the polygon).

4.Opened Imagetool and loaded DECAL_.tga.

5.Changed the DECAL_.tga format from 32 bit to DXT1 and then exported to FS aircraft \texture folder in my aircraft container.  

6.Exported the Gmax model to FS.

That

[Gnome]

Er, y'know when I said "numpties guide..."?


> 1.Created a polygon in the area I wanted the decal to be and placed it just to the outside of the model.

I managed that bit.

> 2.Mapped and added Standard Material to the new polygon.

I don't quite understand that bit.

> 3.Created a texture in PSP with an alpha channel and saved it as DECAL_.tga and also DECAL_.bmp (to be used in Gmax for placement on the polygon).

Colours?  I'm guessing black for the parts I want invisible, i.e. where I want my original texture to show through.

Why both formats?

> 4.Opened Imagetool and loaded DECAL_.tga.  

Dunno what Imagetool is but I used DXTBmp to do the same.  I don't know what colours should be used for the alpha channel but I'm guessing black again...

> 5.Changed the DECAL_.tga format from 32 bit to DXT1 and then exported to FS aircraft \texture folder in my aircraft container.    

Did that.

> 6.Exported the Gmax model to FS.  

...and got a hole where the texture should be.  :-(

> That