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I've had a chance to look at both Volker's GMAX loco tutorial for MSTS and Phil Campbell's GMAX loco tutorial for TRAINZ. Both approach texturing in similar, but often different ways. Volker works directly with an .ace file and uses both UVW mapping and UVW unwrap. Phil works with the .bmp and .tga files and relies only on UVW unwrap. I do my modeling in MSTS but found Volker's tutorial lacking in transparency texturing. So here's my problem: How do I map transparency for MSTS? Can I work directly with the .ace file? Or do I need to work with .bmp and .tga like for TRAINZ? I like Volker's tutorial as an intro to GMAX, but like Phil's tutorial for more complex construction. So are the techniques compatible between the two tutorials? I believe I'll follow the TRAINZ tutorial for building, but don't know what I should do for texturing. Any GMAX MSTS modelers have ideas on texturing??? I appreciate any help I can get.Dave Dandy
Using the MSTS gmax gamepack you do the texturing with the ACE files only. Since the alpha channel is emedded in the texture file transparency is applied through designation of material attributes in the MSTS gamepack gmax material editor somewhat the same way that TSM does it. Oddly enough (to me anyway)it doesn't use the same material naming that's described in the Kuju Tech docs even though Kuju most likely produced the gamepackcbut there is an extensive readme with the gamepack that spells it all out.Stew
Thanks Stew. By the way, I'm tring to make the move (but not breakaway) from TSM to GMAX to take advantage of some of the more complex modeling available through GMAX. I appreciate your help. Thanks again.Dave