Donationware Dauntless in FSX

[falcon409]

Has anyone been successful in fixing the blacked out gun sight on the SBD-5 model?:salute:

[falcon409]

:bump: Anyone?

[roger-wilco-66]

It's been quite a while (3-4yrs), and since I own Vertigo's SBD I didn't use the DW Dauntless anymore, but I remember slightly that there was a glass texture that didn't have an alphachannel and wasn't DXT5. If my memory serves me right. I also seem to remember that it had a few solid colors with transparencies... but that could apply to other DW models, too.

HTH
Mark

[falcon409]

Thanks RW, the glass texture only affects the VC glass not the gunsight. As is the case with most of these small, insignificant items that happen to show up right in your field of view, it's probably the one item that's attached to the mdl file and so, non-accessible. Tried MDLMat and it won't read the mdl file, says it must be an older type mdl. Luckily I use TrackIR, so I just look around it when I need to see what's ahead. :salute:

[fliger747]

Glad to see someone flying these, they were realu a lot of fun to work with. I remember using Yanko's excellent midway carriers as targets developing the dive bomber aspect..

T

[roger-wilco-66]

Falcon, I had a look in the texture folder and found a file called gunsite_hellcat.bmp . It's a dxtbmp format and it's alpha layered, but it looks OK to me. But if a solid color with transparency is also in the tube I fear that nothing could be done, as you said, except find a material editor for FS9 which could alter the solid color definitions in the mdl file.
Is there a gunsight switch that toggles the gunsight on and off? Maybe it switches between the solid color and the gunsight texture, then at least the tube would be transparent when you switch the gunsight on.

Agree with Fliger, these DW aircraft are great.
I'd love to see the old Birdcage F4U-1 Corsair fly in FSX, maybe I'll try my hand on that one as soon as I'm finished with the Solomons.

Cheers,
Mark

[fliger747]

Baz donated areally excellent birdcage F4U which converted really well frm CFS2. I did a conversion FDE but never published it since BAZ was afraid it would compete with his Corsair pack sales at the time.

T

[roger-wilco-66]

A little OT, sorry. But I think the DW aircraft are generally fine models, even in these days.
Tom, do you mean the one that is part of the FDG Corsair pack for FS9?
That's the one I meant. I already installed that, but it needs a loving hand on the textures and the usual transparency issues regarding FS9/FSX.
I think the updated FDE would be great! You did a great job on the AF Corsair by the way, I love to fly that bird.

Cheers,
Mark

[falcon409]

Falcon, I had a look in the texture folder and found a file called gunsite_hellcat.bmp . It's a dxtbmp format and it's alpha layered, but it looks OK to me. But if a solid color with transparency is also in the tube I fear that nothing could be done, as you said, except find a material editor for FS9 which could alter the solid color definitions in the mdl file.
Is there a gunsight switch that toggles the gunsight on and off? Maybe it switches between the solid color and the gunsight texture, then at least the tube would be transparent when you switch the gunsight on.
Mark
Mark, the SBD-5 is the one I fly and the gunsight isn't a tube, but actually a rectangle that sits directly in the center of the fwd view similar to a HUD, so that solid black is quite prominent. I have never found any way to activate the gunsight so correcting the alpha on that texture has had no effect. No switch that I can find (there are quite a few that aren't animated in FSX).