Hard Light Productions Forums

Modding, Mission Design, and Coding => The Modding Workshop => Topic started by: Unknown Target on March 04, 2005, 06:59:29 pm

Title: Getting Alpha maps to work.
Post by: Unknown Target on March 04, 2005, 06:59:29 pm

Ok, this has been pissing me off for God knows how long. I simply can NOT get this to work.

Ok, I want to use a TGA for my ship's canopy (I want a more grey tone for the canopy, not just plain transparant). First of all: Is this possible? Second: Can I do it?
Thanks all :)

Title: Getting Alpha maps to work.
Post by: Omniscaper on March 04, 2005, 07:03:26 pm

Make the main layer, what ever color you want it to be. And in the alpha layer, isolate the spot that needs the transparancy via selection, and make it dark grey. The darker the shade... the more transparant.

Title: Getting Alpha maps to work.
Post by: Unknown Target on March 05, 2005, 01:16:16 am

Did that, it doesn't seem to want to work. I save it with an alpha channel, but hwne I open it up, it doesn't have it.

Title: Getting Alpha maps to work.
Post by: Omniscaper on March 05, 2005, 01:17:37 am

32 bit save?

Title: Getting Alpha maps to work.
Post by: Unknown Target on March 05, 2005, 01:26:03 am

Yep.

Title: Getting Alpha maps to work.
Post by: Omniscaper on March 05, 2005, 01:27:52 am

Mind if I take a look?

Title: Getting Alpha maps to work.
Post by: Unknown Target on March 05, 2005, 01:29:08 am

It's just a simple 50X50 TGA image, shaded with 205, 205, 205 color, for the alpha and the RGB channels.

Also, whenI try to save as TARGA< it should be noted that PS doesn't have an option to include alpha's (it's grayed out). I'm using PS7.

Title: Getting Alpha maps to work.
Post by: Omniscaper on March 05, 2005, 01:30:46 am

PS7 has a bug with TGA that requires a fix from adobe's site.
http://www.adobe.com/support/downloads/detail.jsp?ftpID=1544

Title: Getting Alpha maps to work.
Post by: Unknown Target on March 05, 2005, 01:41:33 am

That did it. She's a beaut, thanks :)

(Lighting's off because of smoothing glitches in the conversion):

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v56/UnknownTarget/Blahcopy.jpg)

Title: Getting Alpha maps to work.
Post by: Omniscaper on March 05, 2005, 01:42:41 am

No prob

Title: Getting Alpha maps to work.
Post by: Roanoke on March 05, 2005, 04:51:26 am

looke great 'cept for that nasty blue and white blemsh on the side.....

Title: Getting Alpha maps to work.
Post by: Unknown Target on March 05, 2005, 09:28:51 am

That's a US fighter emblam :p

Title: Getting Alpha maps to work.
Post by: Omniscaper on March 05, 2005, 09:47:20 am

Anti-Americanism... its a new fad.

Title: Getting Alpha maps to work.
Post by: Nuke on March 05, 2005, 10:38:48 am

tga for some reason doesnt support conversion from a photoshop alpha chanel. however it will save transperancy from a layer mask. to convert an alpha chanel to a layer mask, just go to select -> load selection. select the alpha chanel and click ok. then go to select ->save selection and save it as a layer mask, then save to tga and it should have an alpha chanel.

if you used dds you can just have a normal alpha chanel and just save to a dxt3 or dxt5.

Title: Getting Alpha maps to work.
Post by: Unknown Target on March 05, 2005, 02:40:08 pm

Because I don't want to start a whole new thread, what do you all think of this cockpit?

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v56/UnknownTarget/cockpitshot.jpg)

Title: Getting Alpha maps to work.
Post by: Omniscaper on March 05, 2005, 02:44:34 pm

Is it meant for internal or external viewing? If internal... needs more uberizing in texture and mesh complexity

Title: Getting Alpha maps to work.
Post by: Unknown Target on March 05, 2005, 02:46:32 pm

It's meant for both...don't know how to do LODs :(

Title: Getting Alpha maps to work.
Post by: Omniscaper on March 05, 2005, 03:34:20 pm

LOD's are easy, what 3d proggy r u using?

Title: Getting Alpha maps to work.
Post by: Unknown Target on March 05, 2005, 08:53:43 pm

Milkshape 3D. I save it as a LWO (Lightwave object), convert it to cob using 3D Exploration, open it in Truespace to orientate it, then save it and convert it using COB2FS2 (which is what gets rid of the smoothing, unfortunately).

Title: Getting Alpha maps to work.
Post by: redsniper on March 05, 2005, 10:10:22 pm

why don't you use PCS for the cob converting?

Title: Getting Alpha maps to work.
Post by: Unknown Target on March 05, 2005, 10:26:58 pm

PCS doesn't like any of my models - ever.

Title: Getting Alpha maps to work.
Post by: Deepblue on March 05, 2005, 10:47:12 pm

Quote

Originally posted by Omniscaper
PS7 has a bug with TGA that requires a fix from adobe's site.
http://www.adobe.com/support/downloads/detail.jsp?ftpID=1544

Aha!! Now I can give the Viper the alpha environmental maps it needs!!!

Title: Getting Alpha maps to work.
Post by: Roanoke on March 06, 2005, 03:24:06 pm

Quote

Originally posted by Unknown Target
That's a US fighter emblam :p

joke, dude. :D

Quote

Originally posted by Omniscaper
Anti-Americanism... its a new fad.

hmm, wonder why that is.....?

Title: Getting Alpha maps to work.
Post by: Omniscaper on March 06, 2005, 04:08:23 pm

Jealousy :)

Title: Getting Alpha maps to work.
Post by: Roanoke on March 07, 2005, 11:45:59 am

that'll be it.