Scenery transparency prob in Gmax

[Glitch]

I am having a problem with transparencys for a scenery aircraft. When I use DXTBMP to produce a light gray Alpha channel. The transparency shows thru all the way to the ground. The tranparent part is masking parts between it and the ground. I am using Gmax to produce the XML And MDL files for the compiler. The part only shows up as transparent when I save it as an extended 32 bit 888-8.

[Greg Ebnit EApilot]

HHHMMM! It could be several problems. Do you have an annimation attached to this model? Using CAT tool. Is the aircraft highly reflective like chrome bare metal? Could you post some pictures to help us see the problem?
Also in Gmax all you need to do is detach the polys for glass and give them their own part name then use the material library glass material. Select the polys for the windows and click apply matterial. Then you can adjust the look of the glass with the material editor by double clicking on the material in the entire or applied section of the material navigator.

EDIT-
Also you have to have has reflect map checked in  Makemdl. If you are unable to access Makemdl. you need to get Model commander so you can recompile the Xfile to get to the check boxes in the options tab.

[Glitch]

Yes the aircraft is animated, but I think I have gotten rid of the animations. It is a player usable, built by the aircraft designer of the group I build scenery for. I am just learning Gmax, and usually design my scenery in FSDS2 for the lower poly counts and conditional display options. My job is to try and work this gmax model into the scenery I am currently working on. The hull is reflective but not chrome and I think Ronnie used specular shine for most of the reflective effect. I will take some screenies and post them later in this evening. If I can remember how! As I said I am a neewbie to Gmax a coupla questions about your suggestions "detach the polys for glass and give them their own part name " I assume I should select(?) all the polys for the glass part, then rename the part Is there any particular name I should use or just any name?

[Glitch]

Here are the screen shots. I hope




The panels in the second shot are interior panel parts some parts show thru the dome some do not. As you can see in the first shot where the hull behind the dome does not show up.

[Greg Ebnit EApilot]

Any name will work. Makemdl. will just read their position and the material used. The Dash8 I'm working on has windows named outerwindows. The naming convention is not important for non specific Sim parts.

If you have parts that still have annimations this will cause a bug in FS when the BGL is drawn to draw the transparent polys last and out of their position. This is a known issue with Transparent polys and annimations. To get around this issue I just make a seperate mdl. file for the transparent polys and export them with 2002 Makemdl. and place them at the same coordinates

Also just to share a trick I've learned I put polys inside for Tinted VC windows. the trick is to change your position in Gmax to inside the part to make Gmax create polygons with the backface of the polygon facing outward instead of inward like the outer windows. This is done buy extruding a small amount of the original polys attached to part name window frame that way the inner outer do'nt cross or touch each other. Like double pained windows.
(outerwindows)(windowframe)

(innerwindows) showing half in half out of VC

[Greg Ebnit EApilot]

If I understand correctly what you need to do is put an ubstruction in the form of a poly between the panel and the dome. With the poly face that FS draws so that you can see it facing in the direction that is revealing the panel. I think your looking through the backside of another poly. What is the larger model? Maybe a inner dome with the backface in the opposite direction as above.

[Glitch]

Sorry I have'nt had time to try any of your suggestions. Had oral surgurey Friday and trying to recover. Hope to work on it soon.

[Greg Ebnit EApilot]

Youch!! You get your wisdoms pulled? I've been lucky.Have'nt had to do that yet.

[Glitch]

Nope I'm an old man of 48, this problem started 23 years ago when I found out why bikers wear square toe Dingo boots. More efficient than pointy toed for breaking multiple ribs and teeth with a single kick! My fault.

[Greg Ebnit EApilot]

Hey Glitch. Thats quite a story. Deffinetly gotta make sure of who or what for that matter your trying to pick up anywhere.
I thought that was a UFO when you posted the first shots.  Now I see its an extremely cool UFO. (I could tell by the panel and the dome also I'm a little bit psychcic.)

Sounds like its the annimation and transparent poly glitch that I was talking about in one of the earlier posts. As far as I know there is no way to model it to keep the transparent polys and annimations in the same BGL. This I learned from Arno over at Scenerydesign.org. He knows just about everything when it comes to FS.

This is what I did to get around the problem when putting skylights in a hanger that has opening doors. As long as you do'nt need the transparent polys to move it should work.
In your Gmax scene select the transparent polys. Then click on your file drop down and click save selected. Save the polys as a seperate scene.

Then in FS find the exact Lat. Lon. you want for your main BGL.(Example N29* 52.52 W56* 25.45) by using the map function. You can place your main BGL with XML code so you can goup it with many other models to save space and file size. (I use Arnos OBplacer XML) Only thing is you can not place it with an FSUIPC plugin as you will have to use FS2002 gamepack Makemdl. to compile your transparent polys. If I remeber right XML wont let you place the two BGLs in the same place although you could try that with the transparent polys.

Now that you have saved your polys as a seperate scene in their original position in the BGL you can export them with FS2002 Makemdl. as BGL and on the scenery tab enter the exact Lat. Lon. as above and then place them in your scenery folder. This should put them exactly where they should be in the other BGL in FS. They may need to be in a seperate Scenery folder like this (UFO Glass scenery) or they may work in the same folder as the UFO scenery.
The only thing that may cause you a problem is as you rotate around the transparent polys in FS they may seem to appear and disapear. I do'nt know if this is the Sim trying to show how the glass looks at different angles or if it is part of a glitch that actualy makes them appear and disapear.

Rotating around here. You can see that I triggered the annimation to show you what it looks like. the annimation is not what is making them appear not to be there in this shot though.


This should work.  But may not be satisfactory result in the end. This is the only way I know of to get around the problem. I have looked at many forums and posts and have not been able to find any other solutions. Let me know how things work out.
Good luck with your design.

[Glitch]

The ufo is the Jupiter2 from the original 1964 Lost in Space T.V. show. You can download the newest Mark Goddard flyable model for FS2004 at our website: WWW.Pendercrafts.com

[Greg Ebnit EApilot]

That is an excellent looking model. It does look like it has all the options and then some. I'll have to give it a flight some time. If you remeber let me know when your bgl is complete. I'd definetly like to place it in my FS9 scenery.

[Glitch]

My launchpad and first season crash site scenerys, are both avalible now at the Pendercrafts download page. And I think Ronnie included a version of the Goddard J2 that will spawn on the launch pad with the gear up. Neither of the first two scenerys are as detailed as the one I am working on now. For this second season scenery. I am working from color screen shots setting rocks, plants and equipment in place as per the shots. Also using  the sceenies to create my textures where I can. I have even created a mountian with a cave system to drive the chariot or fly the jetpack in. But I digress....

The transparency problem I have partially solved with your suggestion of creating a seperate .bgl just for the transparency parts. It can reside in the same folder with the other.bgl I am still having trouble with some of the interior (transparent) parts showing up thru the hatch. But I should be able to get with Ronnie tomorrow night on trilly and hopefully work it out. I will keep you posted.

Glitch

[Greg Ebnit EApilot]

That sounds like a realy cool package you guys have created. Good to hear that I was able to help some and that you are getting the models issues fixed.