Alpha problem

[unclegreg]

I've recently downloaded ALPHA_Vickers_Wellington_III.zip over at SimOuthouse and have found that the bitmaps used in the bomb aim and gun turrets aren't transparent. I've tried everything I can think of in DXTbmp to make them transparent but nothing works. The bitmaps are 256 color and I've saved them as the same. Even weirder, when I return to DXTbmp and load the offending bitmap in that I've already created a black alpha for, it has reverted back to a white alpha. What in blue blazes is happening here? Thanx in advance.

 

unclegreg

[il88pp]

If you load an image, add a black alpha, and then save. But then re-opening you see a white alpha...

You may not have saved the alpha.

"No alpha" looks the same as a white alpha, so even though you think it shows a white alpha, it may not have an alpha at all.

 

I had the same thing once. I think saving as DXT3 instead of DXT1 as I was doing helped.

[unclegreg]

Thanx for your reply.

I brought up the bitmap in DXTbmp, sent the alpha to the editor-Paint- and made the alpha black. I saved it in Paint, closed Paint and reloaded the alpha in DXTbmp. Now it's black. I've tried saving it as a 256 color bitmap and DXT 1. When I close DXTbmp and open it again the 256 color bitmap loses it's alpha( it's white) and the DXT 1 alpha AND bitmap are jet black. I just tried this procedure saving it as a DXT3 and after restarting DXTbmp it has a black alpha, but there is no change in FSX, it's still opaque.

I have found a solution, I downloaded wellington_wwII_bomber.zip from this site and problem solved. They are both the ALPHASIM model, just handled by different folk.

If anyone can solve this alpha mystery, I for one would like to know the procedure.

 

unclegreg