Fully Reflective Metal Textures

[edzmen]

Im thinking about re-texturing Anglo-Virtual Aviation's RAF F4 Phantom in all metal textures just like the ones used on DSB Design's 56 Squadron, 'Firebirds' FS2002 Eurofighter Typhoon.

When i've looked at the Eurofighter textures in DXTBMP the whole of the fuselage area textures are in white - which shows up as transparency in the transparency viewing window on the right.

There is a separate texture file called 'metal texture' or something -but its in a dark grey.

How have they managed to get the metal texture through the transparency, how would i go about replicating it on the Phantom?

Hope someone knows what i'm going on about!  ;)

Cheers!
Ed

[paulb]

Hi Ed

The first thing you need to know is will the mdl accept reflective textures?  If not then you will probably end up with transparent textures not reflective.

The reflection effect is added in DXTBMP. There are some good tutorials around (sorry but I cant remember where).

Anyway, basically you need to go into DXTBMP and load your texture as a normal texture. Then select load Alpha into editor (you need to set this up first). I use PSP as my editor. Then load the texture file in your editor. Copy the texture file and paste it exactly into trans (ie your Alpha in the editor). Now negative trans. Now lighten trans using brightness and contrast. How much you lighten it will impact on your reflective effect. Its just trial and error until you get an effect that you like. Now in trans anything white will be non reflective, anything black will be fully reflective and shades of grey are inbetween. So basically you now just need to paint white anything in the texture that you dont want to be reflective.

OK now close your editor saving trans. Back in DXT select refresh trans. This brings the file you have just worked on up in the top right hand corner. Now select no mipmaps. Now save as extended image in DXT3 with alpha. Job done!

Cheers Paul

[Travis]

The way I've always done it:

Paint the texture however you want it.

Save it as a regular BMP (no DXT, no nothin).

Repaint it in grayscale.  Black (0,0,0) will be mirror-like reflection, and white (255,255,255) will be no reflection at all, which is also called matte.  I tend to use 128,128,128 for bare metal; 192,192,192 for very reflective paint; 225,225,225 for barely reflective paint.

Save that file as "alpha_channel" and then open DXTBmp.  Open the texture file.  Now click on "Alpha" and then "Import Alpha".  Find that file named "alpha_channel" and then click Apply.

Click File, then Save As.  Change the file type to "DXT3" and save as the SAME NAME of the original file.

It should work in FS, now.

[Mr.Ray_Ban]

@enderbaron
do you repaint the whole thing competely new for your alpha channel or do you just delete all colour information?

And how will i know if the mdl- file accept what i

[edzmen]

Hello again.

Thanks for your advice all!!

I tried doing what you said with the textures in DXTBMP but when i came to load the plane in FS2002 the area of texture i had set to be reflective was just totaly transparent and see-though - rather than 'shiny metal' like i'd hoped.

As you pointed out - i presume this is because of the setting in the Model file of the aircraft not allowing reflective textures?
Is there anything i can edit in the Model file to make it run reflective textures or is it non-changable?

Thanks for all your help!
Ed

[Felix/FFDS]

As you pointed out - i presume this is because of the setting in the Model file of the aircraft not allowing reflective textures?
Is there anything i can edit in the Model file to make it run reflective textures or is it non-changable?

Thanks for all your help!
Ed

If the model file (MDL) itself is NOT coded to accept reflective textures, then you cannot change that except by going back into the source file and recoding the part/model for it.

[edzmen]

How would i go about doing that?

Could i just open the MDL file in Notepad and add the right code?

If so, what's the code that i'll need to insert?

Thanks!
Ed

[Felix/FFDS]

How would i go about doing that?

Could i just open the MDL file in Notepad and add the right code?

If so, what's the code that i'll need to insert?

Thanks!
Ed

It's not that easy.  You'll need the modelling program's source file (*.gmax or *.fsc ... or whatever was used to make it), open it in the modelling program and do the change there.  MDL files are compiled, so you can't open them in Notepad.

[paulb]

Hi Ed

Realistically, as Felix has already said, if the mdl does not cater for reflective textures, then there is not much that you can do about it.

I suggest that you find a new mdl to work on

Best regards Paul