Transparency in objects

[MattNW]

I just started working with Easy Object Designer. My first project is to put some custom people in a scenery since people are mostly 2D. I got the texture on the polygon and put it in FS2002 using FSSC it shows up nicely (the person is 20ft tall but it shows . I'll work on scale later  ;D). Now I'm trying to get the background transparent so the person only shows, without a black rectangle. EOD says to use BMP2000 to set tranparencies with FS2000 or higher but BMP2000 doesn't come with any help files or instructions.

I remember that FS2002 interprets black R=0 G=0 B=0 as transparent but apparently that only holds for panels and fuselages because I'm still getting a black rectangle instead of just the person. I tried setting black as transparent in BMP2000 but apparently I didn't get it done right.

Any advice?

[Hagar]

I was working with transparencies in BMP2000 only this morning.
Load the texture & click the Transparency button.
Select the colour(s) you wish to make transparent (in this case your background colour) & define the transparency. 0 is fully transparent.
If the transparent parts are True Black click the "Set Color 0 Transparent" button.
Click "Save Palette" before clicking "Exit".
Back on the main screen click "Create Image Set" before saving out in Extended BMP Format.

Hope this helps.

[RollerBall]

I've found the better way to do transparency in FS2002 is to use an extended bmp with alpha channel. The other advantage is that once you've got the hang of it you can apply it to any object you choose and make nice things like towers with (semi) transparent glass and stuff. Also from my recent thread the bmps are smaller and more efficient.

Using EOD the extended bmp of choice - believe me, I've spent hours experimenting on this - is the 16 bit 555-1. You don't have to bother about palettes and pesky 8 bit bmps - you can use 24 bit straight from your favourite paint prog (eg PaintShop Pro).

In your case it's dead easy. Take your person object texture bmp - I give it an 'N' subscript so I know it's a normal bmp eg personN.bmp. Load it into your paint prog (let's say PaintShop Pro). Use you magic wand to select just your black background, copy this and paste it into a new bmp of the same size with a white background. You'll have a 'reverse' silhouette. This will be your alpha channel - black = fully transparent. Save the new bmp - I give it an A subscript so I know it's an alpha channel eg personA.bmp.

Fire up DXTBmp (NOT BMP2000!) and load personN.bmp as a normal bmp. Import alpha channel - personA.bmp and save the resulting bmp as an extended 16 bit 555-1, name is just person.bmp. Job done. Just use it in the normal way in EOD.

The other thing you should do in EOD is treat people like trees - look in options, use soft shading and select 'always turn to aircraft'. That way they'll look as though they have thickness - except vertically from the top, and the only time you see that view is when you're crashing at high speed!

Good luck!

Roger

PS - Oh I didn't mention the reason why this method is preferred. See my recent posting in the Avsim MS scenery forum. Under certain circumstances the simple 'black = transparent' approach as well as some other extended bmps with alpha will give you problems - notably when your object over laps visually with another object you black will become semi-transparent - ie you'll see the black texture around your person in the overlap zone as semi transparent grey. It happened to me with my trees which is how I found out what the solution is!

[MattNW]

I was working with transparencies in BMP2000 only this morning.  
Load the texture & click the Transparency button.  
Select the colour(s) you wish to make transparent (in this case your background colour) & define the transparency. 0 is fully transparent.  
If the transparent parts are True Black click the "Set Color 0 Transparent" button.
Click "Save Palette" before clicking "Exit".  
Back on the main screen click "Create Image Set" before saving out in Extended BMP Format.

Hope this helps.

Bingo! That worked. Now I gotta find pictures of different people. Gonna populate the place. Also got a little surprise for the neighbor's kids who are always bugging me for a "ride" if FS2002.  ;D



RollerBall

Gonna give that a try. I think it will eliminate the black halo around my people plus I'm intending to work on buildings sometime soon for which I'll need windows. I found the settings for always facing the plane and the shading.

[RollerBall]

I think it will eliminate the black halo around my people plus I'm intending to work on buildings sometime soon for which I'll need windows. I found the settings for always facing the plane and the shading.

I'm sure the black halo will disappear. The conclusion on the other forum was I think that FS2002 doesn't like the old-style bmps - it was designed to use the newer ones.

Glad you found the settings. 'Facing the aircraft' means that the tree (or person) always shows the same face to the pilot but don't be too critical. Except when you're experimenting and you keep looking at the object (and probably panning all round it!) you normally only see the image for a few moments at a time - and then the added 'depth' is pretty effective.

BTW

This is the problem I was talking about



The football pitches are textures placed over a ground polygon. The trees are actually made like your people and are 444-4 extended bmps but I got exactly the same problem when I tried the simple 'black is transparent' method. The problem is where the tree (transparent) textures visually overlap with the football pitch textures. Was totally eliminated with 555-1 bmps.

[MattNW]

Been experimenting with both methods. I like the Alpha Channel one for people. I've yet to try it on buildings. For now I'm spending all my time on people because I got myself in trouble with my little surprise.  ;D

I had a picture of one of the neighbor's kid who comes over for tutoring and put him in FS2002. Now all the kids I tutor are wanting in. Now my quiet little homebase airport has become the Air & Space Youth Academy (They came up with the name ).

Ever hear of Imminent Domain?

[RollerBall]

Now all the kids I tutor are wanting in. Now my quiet little homebase airport has become the Air & Space Youth Academy (They came up with the name ).

Ever hear of Imminent Domain?

That'll larn yah!  From the best of intentions.....

[MattNW]

Oh well, they'll have to work for it though. If it's gonna be an academy then I'll have to work FS2002 into the lesson plans. Let's see, Geography definately. Math also and maybe touch on some Cartography background.

Ever try to calculate a wind correction angle with a calculator and paper (not a flight calculator)?

Yep this is going to be fun. (evil--> ).