Windows

[Heavy Chevy]

Good day folks. Does anyone know the best way to make semi clear windows or windows that look tinted but can still be seen through? I am trying o get textures to be semi transparent but have had no luck thus far. I could just creeate a model with open holes for windows but I would like to have windows that look more real and still allow one to see inside.

Thanks in advance for the tips. I have tried to use Gimp to make them semi clear like you would a cab number but have had no luck so far.

[artimrj]

You have to edit the alpha channel of the texture. They are only black and white and all shaded of grey in between. The blacker the more see through it is, the whiter, the more solid it is.

[PapaXpress]

Take a look at how MadMike and I did the dome for the strobe light:
http://railworksamerica.com/FileLibrary ... UP_UPY-588

Hopefully that will help you.

[Heavy Chevy]

Cool, thanks guys I will give that a shot. Do you need to do anything with the texture color or just the alpha layer?

[Kali]

Yes, if you want tinted windows make the colour a dark ( faint ) blue otherwise they kinda look like someone's sandblasted them.

[Heavy Chevy]

In doing it this way can you still see through them? I tried to mess with the alpha but it just changed the overall color of the window texture, I still could not see through it. I am trying for something like what dirty cab windows look like.

[LordMannu]

Maybe you are using the wrong shader. Take a look at this
http://the-art-of-rws.blogspot.com/2009 ... assfx.html
I hope it helps

[Heavy Chevy]

Thanks Lord, that seems to be what I am after. Now to figure out how to use this. Can this only be added in the Asset editor?

[PapaXpress]

No. To use a filter you need to build it into the model. If the model already has the filter set, then all you need to do is correct the texture.

For example in the GEO you will see this:

Code: Select all

      <cHcEffectMaterialDx d:id="53576472">
         <ShaderName d:type="cDeltaString">TrainGlass.fx</ShaderName>
         <TextureByName>
            <e d:type="cDeltaString">textures\[00]dmv_strobe02_glass</e>
         </TextureByName>
         <Name d:type="cDeltaString">material1</Name>
         <CollisionSurface d:type="cDeltaString">METAL</CollisionSurface>

[Heavy Chevy]

OK, good stuff. Sorry to sound like a goof that does not know anything but I don't see this in the GEO for the texture that I want to change when I look at it in RW tools. Do I need to do something to the texture before I apply it to the model in 3DC?

Thanks again guys.

[Heavy Chevy]

Maybe you are using the wrong shader. Take a look at this
http://the-art-of-rws.blogspot.com/2009 ... assfx.html
I hope it helps

Where do I find the material editor shown in this link? I take it that I need to modify a given texture from within this in order to get the semi transparent look to the glass.

[LordMannu]

That is the 3D max Material Editor. I don´t know how to do that in 3DC.

[PapaXpress]

If you are using 3DC you should look over SMMDigital's tutorial. I does have a step where he talks about adding a filter.
viewtopic.php?p=38349#p38349

[Heavy Chevy]

OK I got the model to look transparent in 3DC. A setting of 30 in the material info box gives me the look that I am after. However when I export it is still non see through. Where do I find the info to apply the train glass.fx shader or do I just adjust the texture in paint shop so that it is also only 30 percent? Do I need more plugins for 3DC other than just the Trainworks package?

Thanks again a bunch guys.

[PapaXpress]

Nothing else is needed. You just add 'TrainGlass.fx' to the 'Rail Sim' slot. In SMMDigital's tutorial he shows this, but he uses a different filter (see steps31 and 35):
http://www.smmdigital.net/makingsignal.html

Unfortunately he did not snap a screen shot of the properties tab when he applied it. He is working from the point of view that you already know how to add the filter to the material properties for the component. If you are still having trouble I will try to get you a screen shot tonight.