The usual translucency question

[decapod]

Both wheels disappear when behind the prop (FS9 version only, "true" FSX model is OK)
Being a 3D programmer I know the cause of this (Z buffer writing or wrong alpha sorting) but can it be turned off for the prop disc?

[Rick Piper]

Hi Paul

this is how i do it using FSDS3.51 (yours may differ)

Make sure the Prop material is named Prop_******
same for the texture

set the frame buffer blend to
source=SrcAlpha
dest=InvSrcAlpha

then it should work ok

Regards
Rick

[decapod]

Ta Rick,

I'm using 3D canvas, .X file export to MakeMDL.
I suspect the prop material may fix the problem, we have no control over frame buffer blending with the .X file

Since I posted I have had one more idea - The wheels appear at the end of the .X file export so they are probably drawn last. If I can change the drawing order it should also fix the problem.

[Rick Piper]

Hi Paul

Yes mate i would cut & paste the prop disc and that will place it at the end of the build list.

sorry not made FS9 stuff for 2 years now as i moved straight to FSX native as it's a very different in proccess when you use FSDS

Regards
Rick

[decapod]

Oddly I've gone the other way

I started with FSX, wrote the 3D canvas exporter, then found there was a demand for the FS9 version.
It only takes a few mins to "downgrade" the FSX model and export.

Hopefully everyone will be using FSX in a few years time ;-) ;-)

[Fodda]

That really is a good looking model there Paul. Nice to see your train sim talents being put to even better use mate.

[SkippyBing]

When I did the FS9 Ark, I named all the transparent materials Z_whatever which seemed to make the problem go away. I can only assume materials are drawn in alphabetical order!

[decapod]

Order is very important - lots of things for me to try out this evening

While I'm thinking of it, is there a reason I can't see a VC with this model?
(Currently nothing appears in the VC view)

In FSX you just declare a VC interior model and it works. With FS9 do I need to include a $XXX texture in the model to indicate a VC exists? I can't find anything in the config files.

[tgibson]

Hi,

One more thing to play with. Make the material for the blurred prop have less than 100% opacity. MakeMDL automatically compiles all the transparent objects at the end of the process. Even a little transparency should fix it.

Hope this helps,

[decapod]

Brilliant! - Thanks Tom, a tiny bit of tranlucency on the material fixed the problem and also fixed the ground shadow problem I was having with the blurred prop.