Help untinting (lightening) cockpit glass, please!

[DavidK]

Hi all,

Well, I got my hands on DXTBmp and, in an effort to achieve something along the lines of the second windscreen below, have tried lightening the file (and/or its alpha channel) I believe is responsible for the darker/bluish-tinted windscreen immediately below -- but nothing seems to happen.




So, could some kind soul/s enlighten (sorry) me as to what to do, please?
(Have tried searching Web for how-tos etc, but no joy...)

Yours neophyte-ly,
David

[DaveG]

It may be set like that in the model material itself, in which case the isn't much you can do about it.

Having said that, there is a prog which can tweak mdl materials, but I've not used it myself.

[Airspeed]

Hi David,
I'm a sucker for a challenge. If it's a freeware aircraft, I'll give it a go. So if you can let me know what aircraft you are dealing with, I'll download it and try.

[Garry Russell]

That as far as I know is built into the model

It was done with a tint to match the real aircraft

[DaveB]

I think it is too Garry. I remember Rick asking what we thought about the tint and he made it lighter just to shut me up I'd have prefered it lighter still but a compromise is a compromise VC glass is one of my major bugbears with FSX. We're pretty much forced into using a VC by the nature of the sim and many modellers tend to go OTT. I'm making my way around the UK in FSX at the mo using as many different models as I can and some of the glass I've seen is plain horrible.. even on some expensive payware models (aka the AS Catalina for one). The glass is shown as if the aircraft has been sat in a dusty hangar for 40 years The Alpha Venom/Vampire are the same. It's bad enough having to use VC's but when you can't see out, it's even more of a wind up

Soap box stowed.. for now

ATB
DaveB

[Garry Russell]

I remember he had trouble getting it right

But machine will vary and if someone is using a non standard envmap ther they will not get the right result, whether or not Rick has a standard map I can't say

I had trouble with the Freughter some bods reporting the metal was too shiny and the props too transparent and it turns out they were using 'enhanced' envmaps which affected the way the sim read alphas.

Basically though to go back to this

Remove the glass texture

If the glass is still showing the tint, just put the texture back as it is and forget it, it's in the model and you can't change it.

There is a programme as DG mentions but you shouldn't start mucking about with the model in any way as that breaches the terms and conditions.

[DavidK]

Hi again all,

Thanks for all your feedback! Before anything else, I should report that Rob Richardson, the model's creator, has contacted me again since I started this thread, so a "from the horse's mouth" solution may be forthcoming.

If it's a freeware aircraft, I'll give it a go. So if you can let me know what aircraft you are dealing with, I'll download it and try.

And yes, apologies for my forgetting to mention which model -- it's Rob Richardson's Twin Pioneer for FSX. It's available here, Airspeed, if you (or anyone else) fancies a look -- thanks for the offer! (But, yes, I guess messing with mdl files or the like is verboten without Rob R's permission.)

The comparison view (second picture) is indeed from our own Rick Piper's HS780 Andover model.

I'm making my way around the UK in FSX at the mo using as many different models as I can and some of the glass I've seen is plain horrible..

This may interest you, Dave -- or anyone else -- as another way to tour some of the UK (well, some of England/Wales at present) and there's the Mike Stone FS2004 Twin Pioneer model (perhaps with panel by Lars Fors) to use if you wish!

David

[Garry Russell]

I'm making my way around the UK in FSX at the mo using as many different models as I can

Dave I can offer you three different types of Britannia and four CL-44s

[DaveB]

I've lost the plot a little. The screenies are of the 748 which is Rick Pipers. You certainly know how to throw us off the scent David

Tks for the link. I'll take a look this afternoon

Garry.. thanks for the offer of those aircraft as a choice for my little runabout Unfortunately, I'm going where the fancy takes me which includes farm strips and I'm thrilled to say, none of the above would get in or out in one piece

EDIT: Some nice routes there David. I think I have Mike's TwinPin somewhere though I have to admit, I've not tried it in FSX. I only use FSX SDK models in sim.. if it's not FSX, I use FS9. That's the beauty of the situation (though not for this little poodle around which is strictly FSX)

ATB
DaveB

[Garry Russell]

Just as I thought

Couldn't resist

BTW I thought it was about Ricks 748 too