Transparency versus Reflectivity issue in FS9

[Firebar]

With the model Leopard I'm working away at I'm having an issue with the textures of the nacelles. I have set in the model the flile Nacelle_t as the diffuse and specular texture, the SDK tells me that this should set the alpha layer as the reflectivity. However in the model in flightsim the Alpha layer comes up as the transparency, the bare metal parts of my nacelle are transparent! Has anyone come across this before or know of the issue?

Cheers
M

[N2056]

I don't have any of the FS9 SDKs installed right now, but I am pretty sure that the _T suffix designated transparency, which is what you are seeing. I'd suggest trying it without the _T one time and see what you get.

[OBIO]

I'm not a modeler, but in talking with those who are....the _T at the end of the texture file name will NOT give you reflective texturing...you must set that in the material editor (don't ask me how to do that, like I said I am NOT a modeler). Unless the material properties are set for reflective texturing, the alpha channel will always give you transparency instead of reflection.

Generally, texture files with the _T in the name are the normal texture files and those with the _L in the name are the night textures. This naming structure is sort of built into FSDS. Files with or without the _T can be reflective if the material property is set correctly.

OBIO

[Milton Shupe]

For FS2004:

If by reflectivity you mean specularity (sun glare), then yes, it is set in the model for each material and will be displayed regardless of the texture suffix.

If you use an _T texture name, then the alpha must be white to avoid transparency. (Pure black is 100% transparent; pure white is 100% opaque.)

If you do not use the _T, and the alpha is white, then you get a flat (non-glossy) surface and no transparency, with specularity if specified in the model.
The darker the alpha gets, the more shiney and chrome-like it will get, and with specularity if specified in the model.

If you wish to have degrees of glossiness, you must use the _T name and use the _L texture to control the transparency and night time lighting.
This allows you to apply darker _T alpha areas to your paint scheme for glossiness while avoiding transparency.
You can use the _L to give you light effects at night.
The _L is simply an additive amount of light to the "lightness" already in the _T texture (applied only when aircraft lights are on).

These rules are part of Makemdl, the compiler, not gmax or FSDS.

So, to sum up:

1. If you want specular lighting, set the Specularity Level in material properties in the design program; Works regardless of texture suffix;
2. If you want chrome, use a standard named texture without the _T is best. (Works with _T and _L but goes gray at night);
3. If you want transparency, use _T and the alpha darkness will determine the degree of transparency;
4. If you want glossiness, or shiney surfaces, use the _T and _L. The _T alpha sets glossiness level, the _L eliminates the transparency and gives you night lighting effects.
5. The _L texture can also be used to add cabin, cockpit, gauge backlighting, nacelle, wing, or fuselage lighting effects at night when nav lights (black alpha in _L) are turned on, or with landing lights (white alpha in _L texture).

Hope this helps.

[Firebar]

Cheers guys, that's fixed the problem. Thanks for the full explanation. What I was going off is:

Any texture with an _T
suffix is used as the undamaged exterior texture sheet. Any texture
with an _D suffix is used as the damaged exterior texture sheet.

The reflection map texture is the alpha channel
in the _T texture sheet. Load the _T in the specular color channel
of the material to get reflection information. The strength of the
reflection map is determined through the colors of the map in the
alpha channel. Black represents full reflection and white represents
no reflection.
This is cut and pasted from the gmaxAircraftCreation.doc file

[Milton Shupe]

Cheers guys, that's fixed the problem. Thanks for the full explanation. What I was going off is:

Any texture with an _T
suffix is used as the undamaged exterior texture sheet. Any texture
with an _D suffix is used as the damaged exterior texture sheet.

The reflection map texture is the alpha channel
in the _T texture sheet. Load the _T in the specular color channel
of the material to get reflection information. The strength of the
reflection map is determined through the colors of the map in the
alpha channel. Black represents full reflection and white represents
no reflection.


This is cut and pasted from the gmaxAircraftCreation.doc file

Generally true, except that in gmax and makemdl, for FS2004, only the diffuse and self-illumination channels are used. Others are ignored by FS2004 makemdl.
You can set opacity and specular through other gmax controls for FS2004, but not through the material channels.

Different story for FSX.