basically i found some nice explosion 'sprites' on the internet under a google search and was hoping to use them in my mod (they are free). i have a few questions about them before i get them into my mod.
Firstly, do i have to set a layer of transparency on them? or does BZII choose black automatically?
Secondly, if i DO have to set transparency, why is it that when i do this in GIMP it looks absolutely fine, then i stick it into the game or open it in XNview and it turns into a really ugly looking texture, with a different hue and almost looks posterised.
Thirdly... if im correct, "srcalpha invalpha modulatealpha" is used when the texture is not viewable is that right (or looks like just a white square)? and "one one modulate" for when the texture is an image you can look at?
FINALLY, my explosion ground effects dont seem to want to work. ive included a sample from one of my explosions and im interested to know why the draw_planar effect isnt drawing a coloured/black/whatever scorch mark on the ground.
[Flood1]
simulateBase = "sim_smoke"
lifetime = 0.3
renderBase = "draw_emit"
emitName = "xcgenxpl.flood1e"
emitDelay = 0.1
emitDelayVar = 0
emitVelocity = "0 0 0"
emitVariance = "0 0 0"
[Flood1e]
simulateBase = "sim_smoke"
lifeTime = 1.5
renderBase = "draw_planar"
textureName = "ring.tga"
textureBlend = "one one modulate"
startColor = "255 255 255 250"
finishColor = "250 250 250 0"
startRadius = 2.0
finishRadius = 23.0
animateTime = 1.5
ive also tried doing this the following way, not with an emitter:
[ring]
simulateBase = "sim_null"
lifeTime = 3.0
renderBase = "draw_planar"
textureName = "grndchar.tga"
textureBlend = "srcalpha invsrcalpha modulatealpha"
startColor = "250 250 250 255"
finishColor = "250 250 250 0"
startRadius = 32.0
finishRadius = 8.0
animateTime = 3.0
my light effect isnt working in the explosion class either. anyone fix that?
[Light]
simulateBase = "sim_null"
lifeTime = 1.7
renderBase = "draw_light"
startColor = "248 192 20000"
finishColor = "255 180 100 0"
startRadius = 140.0
finishRadius = 100.0
animateTime = 1.7
attenuateConstant = 1.0
attenuateLinear = 2.0
attenuateQuadratic = 1.0
thanks fellows!
"one one modulate" uses typically greyscale files as the texture -- the brighter the part of the texture the more opaque it appears when rendered in-game, the darker, the more transparent. I havent tried using a 32-bit image (one with an alpha/trasparancy channel) in a one one modulate, but I dont imagine that it would turn out well.
"srcalpha invalpha modulatealpha" uses 32-bit images (ones with transparancy), and will retain the colors that the texture uses. If you use a normal image that doesnt have build in transparancy or transparancy support, then the render will appear as a completely opaque block.
ah okay, well im saving my textures as 24bit .TGA's in photoshop so should be okay.
can anyone sort out those things?
also im using photoshop 7.0. how can i create some flamaes and things? i want textures like the sprites in ZEMOD
This is the first result of the google search "photoshop flames"
http://www.rnel.net/search/photoshop/flame-tutorials-1
PNG has wonderful transparency support, and the BZ2 DXT converter works well with them.
(http://www.overminddl1.com/image_scripts/image_sig.php?type=ODL1signitures&image/sig.gif)
Generated by OvermindDL1's Signature Auto-Add Script (http://overminddl1.com) via GreaseMonkey (http://greasemonkey.mozdev.org/)
Soon along the lines here I am going to release a smoke texture pack, probably along with the release of SRV, so you can also use them when they do come out.
cool :D
i always use this: ononemodulate for anything i want to use color, that does NOT have a transperancy. this basically is for any texture that u dont want to have any black, as it autoassigns black to transparent.
scralpha blablabla one is used for anything u want to have black in it, and can use alpha channels.
If u need more help, give me the files, i'll make them work.