Help needed with IRIS freeware F-14A and -B

[Eoraptor1]

Yesterday I downloaded the now-freeware F-14A and -B from the IRIS page. As most of you probably already know, it's an FS9 model but I had no trouble installing it into FSX. The gauges all appear to work, and the visual model seems fine except for one thing: in the VC I can't see out of the windows. At first I thought I might be in the RIO's seat (like in the old Jane's F-15), but then I noticed the stick and relized that I was indeed in the pilot's chair.

I have a good deal of experience in converting FS9 models to CFS2, and manipulating the opacity of textures for that particular sim, but not so much in FSX, to which I am still a relative newcomer. Any help in solving this problem would be greatly appreciated. I may have ignored something very obvious, in which case a second pair of eyes would be a good thing.

JAMES

[falcon409]

That's normally a "glass" or "VC_glass" texture that just requires the alpha channel be made darker. I don't have that particular airplane, but if you look through the textures, see if something like that stands out. I use DXTbmp to do my texture conversions and you may already have that utility, if not, it's by Martin Wright and you can find it here:
http://www.fly.to/mwgfx/
There are some icons on that page and one of them is DXTbmp, click on that to go to the download.:salute:

[Eoraptor1]

That's normally a "glass" or "VC_glass" texture that just requires the alpha channel be made darker. I don't have that particular airplane, but if you look through the textures, see if something like that stands out. I use DXTbmp to do my texture conversions and you may already have that utility, if not, it's by Martin Wright and you can find it here:
http://www.fly.to/mwgfx/
There are some icons on that page and one of them is DXTbmp, click on that to go to the download.:salute:

Thanks for that tip, falcon. I figured it was an alpha texture somewhere, but I didn't know which one. I had to inspect each texture file with DXTbmp (which I've used many times in CFS2) before finding the culprit, which is named canopy_reflect.bmp. I blackened the alpha on that file, and problem solved. Later, when I have more time, I'll play with the opacity to get the semi-transparent reflective effect, but for now that simple fix made the a/c usable from the v/c.

JAMES

[falcon409]

Great, glad it worked for you!:salute:

[gtirob01]

Thanks for that tip, falcon. I figured it was an alpha texture somewhere, but I didn't know which one. I had to inspect each texture file with DXTbmp (which I've used many times in CFS2) before finding the culprit, which is named canopy_reflect.bmp. I blackened the alpha on that file, and problem solved. Later, when I have more time, I'll play with the opacity to get the semi-transparent reflective effect, but for now that simple fix made the a/c usable from the v/c.

JAMES

I too was wondering which file to modify, just have not been able to play with it. Thanks for pointing out the file to focus on. If you dont mind, can you please post here about how much you changed the opacity to get a good result? I've used DTXbmp before, but it has been a while. Thanks!

[falcon409]

I too was wondering which file to modify, just have not been able to play with it. Thanks for pointing out the file to focus on. If you dont mind, can you please post here about how much you changed the opacity to get a good result? I've used DTXbmp before, but it has been a while. Thanks!
To be sure, use solid black as an alpha, 0,0,0. Then you can back track after that using less and less solid black until you get the reflectiveness Eoraptor was talking about.:salute:

[gtirob01]

To be sure, use solid black as an alpha, 0,0,0. Then you can back track after that using less and less solid black until you get the reflectiveness Eoraptor was talking about.:salute:

Excellent, thank you!

[Eoraptor1]

Excellent, thank you!

Falcon got to you first with the answer. What I'll probably end up doing to get the reflected canopy look is just copy the alpha values from an a/c whose canopy look already works for me. At any rate, I'll post a picture when I think it looks decent.

JAMES