Need Help with Alpha

[elkwharton]

Hi Everyone,

I am new to railworks , ts-2013 to 2017 and am just starting to do some route development. I have pretty well mastered the route editor, but there are a couple of models that I need to recreate from my old msts days. I am currently using tsm modeler to do the objects as I am most familiar with it and gmax and gmax is to much trouble importing and exporting. I am saving the objects as a trainsim modeler project and importing them into 3d crafter. When I export to railworks iga file from crafter everything works fine if it is an opaque model. However models that have an alpha channel show correctly in 3d crafter and say they export ok. However in railworks my opaque models work but the ones with alpha even though they say the texture converted and everything exported to railworks from the blueprint editor come in with no texture. Can some one please help me figure out how to make apha textures work in railworks.

thanks
elkwharton

[jpetersjr]

Unfortunately for Railworks Gmax and such isn't compatible, you'll either need Blender, 3D Crafter Pro, or 3DS Max, these are the only programs that can build assets for TS 2017.

[elkwharton]

Hi,
I realize that you can't export from Gmax etc to railworks. I am using train sim modeler and 3d crafter to do make and export the models. In 3d crafter they look proper with the alpha. All models not containing alpha export to the iga and the textures are fine. It is only getting an alpha texture to work that is causing me problems. I have tried exporting the texture as an ace from photoshop, and also using a dds texture made in paint dot net. the blueprint enitor see either of these textures and converts them however they don't work in the program. if I use rwtools to edit the tgpcx or what ever that type file is (I am not in the program right now so I cant see the extension name) the texture works but does not have the alpha only a black box where it should be. Thanks for any ideas you may have.

Jeff

[buzz456]

Go find DXTBmp here in the library. With it you can open your file and create a alpha texture template which to can either use as is or modify it as you please attach it to your bmp and then save it as a dds. Hope that helps.

[RailWanderer]

Isn't it true that the alpha is part of the #1 texture slot texture, and you have to use the correct transparency shader. I was curious why you were using the .IGA format, are these animation files, I think .IGS is for stationary models. Just sayin, I work in 3Ds Max, but have worked with 3D crafter.

[Bananarama]

Isn't it true that the alpha is part of the #1 texture slot texture, and you have to use the correct transparency shader. I was curious why you were using the .IGA format, are these animation files, I think .IGS is for stationary models.

This.

[SAR704]

I actually use the exact same method for getting models in TS that you mentioned. I export to .IGS, and with textures with alpha channels, I generally open up Gimp and open the texture, then export it to TGA from there. RWace seems to be fussy about TGA files saved from Paint Shop Pro X5, so this method is generally necessary.

I do build most if not all models in TSM, despite it being a 16 year old program. I've been modeling since about 2005 or something, and didn't really like the idea of being forced to use another program for RS/TS. Depending on which version of 3DC you use, the model can appear differently. 3D Canvas 7.0.2 doesn't import models perfectly, but the parts are all there, and it takes up to 30 seconds to open the texture pane due to some animation glitch/issue. However, I have used it more than 3DC 8.2.8 due to the latter not loading for a while on my PC. I don't know why it does now, but 3DC 10 still doesn't load. Not sure why.

It is the alpha on diagonal faces that are a PITA in 3DC, but 3DC 8 should be able to load the ones pasted on in TSM.

I did try Gmax ages ago but TSM is much easier, and in a small way it has compatibililty with TS.

[elkwharton]

Hi guys,

Thanks for the responses. Ok first I used igs because this is nothing more than a 2 meter or so box made in train-sim modeler and then imported into 3d crafter. Things I have done with the texture include 1st I made a .tga alpha texture, which is a solid color with and alpha rectangle like a window in the middle of it. 2nd I have made a dds file with DXT1Bitmap Manipulator. (possible one problem which .dds to use, I am using dxt5 because it says something about interpolated apha, and a couple of files that I have opened in rwtools used this mode.) I also created an ace file using the photoshop plugin. In the blueprint editor I have tried both the dds and the ace file. The program does not complain about either and says that the object was exported ok. On one of my try's I got the correct color box with a black retangle where the alpha should have been and on another try I got no texture just the box with a blank texture. Still trying. I am attaching a screen shot with a brick colored box that I did as a test, and the box that I am trying to learn to do alpha with on the right. As you will notice the area where the alpha is is just black rectangles. The alpha works fine in 3d Crafter.

[SAR704]

With TSM, I just save textures in .tga format. I then .ace the textures with RWAce. If it has an alpha channel, I open up Gimp and reexport the texture from this program, which eliminates the error message(s) with RWAce.

I then place them in the source folder, and make sure that the model in 3DC is identical to the one in TSM. 3d Crafter 8.2.8 is more friendly towards TSM imports than 3DC 7.0.2 from my obs.

The alpha should display ideally with this procedure. I don't use .dds format or anything. I try to keep things simple, so to speak.

Terrain textures are a bit harder, but I noticed that all this time I was forgetting to add the alpha channel, and export the texture in the terrain texture blueprint instead of just exporting the .ace file alone.

[cnwfan]

Just curious, but what shader are you using in 3DC?