Make A**/TGATool woes

a new name for that program....Here's the story - Its a cabview thing, but it kind of fits in here since its a repaint of sorts:I'm happily "makeing aces" and such over the past couple days, doing up my Reading things. In the plans WAS a GP40/GP39 cabview based on the MSTS/Kujunk/TA SD40 cabview.So now I'm adjusting this and that trying to get it right and I go to export it back to MSTS and no matter what I do, no alpha channel. Not only that, but I try to do the MakeAcewin to do the 1024x768 textures and it comes out all stretched in MSTS (with no alpha channel).Odd thing it the alpha is there in TGATool, but not after I export it.I am sure I am doing something simple incorrectly, but I'll be danged if I can figger it out.Any idea? Anyone?GH

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RE: Make A**/TGATool woes, GaryH2, May-07-03, 11:05 PM, (1) RE: Make A**/TGATool woes, cyberjim2, May-08-03, 00:24 AM, (2) RE: Make A**/TGATool woes, IcyFire, May-08-03, 00:32 AM, (3) RE: Make A**/TGATool woes, cyberjim2, May-08-03, 00:57 AM, (4) RE: Make A**/TGATool woes, wdq4587, May-08-03, 07:31 AM, (5) RE: Make A**/TGATool woes, cyberjim2, May-08-03, 01:19 PM, (6) RE: Make A**/TGATool woes, baldwin, May-08-03, 04:18 PM, (7) RE: Make A**/TGATool woes, GaryH2, May-08-03, 06:49 PM, (8) RE: Make A**/TGATool woes, cyberjim2, May-08-03, 10:26 PM, (9) RE: Make A**/TGATool woes, IcyFire, May-08-03, 10:43 PM, (10) RE: Make A**/TGATool woes, cyberjim2, May-09-03, 02:02 AM, (11) RE: Make A**/TGATool woes, IcyFire, May-09-03, 02:05 AM, (12) RE: Make A**/TGATool woes, wdq4587, May-09-03, 07:09 AM, (13) RE: Make A**/TGATool woes, MartinW, May-10-03, 02:48 PM, (14)

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All solved and back on track! (so to speak).Hopefully, the cabview will be acceptable.GH

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I would like to know what you did to resolve your problem??
I had a similar problem last weekend with 1024x1024 textures and couldn't figure it out. So I converted my 1024x1024 back to 512x512 and used the regular makeace in TGATool to create my ace files. I never could figure out how to get a 1024x1024 with alpha into an ace using TGATool without losing the alpha, I posted here on the forum, got some replies, but no definitive answer and had to figure out a workaround on my own. Jim

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LAST EDITED ON May-08-03 AT 00:32 AM (EDT)

Makeacewin, click make background for cab or whatever, clamp to 1024 for both dimensions, I Hardly ever use regular makeace, makeacewin is far more efficient, and I just got done dealing extensively with 1024 texture with the O&W F3'sEDIT: der.. I can spell

Shawn shawnssk@yahoo.com
Screen Shot Forum Mod
TKW & YLW Repainter

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Been there, Done that, lost alpha on ace conversion by TGATool.
I need a TGATool for Dummies for converting 1024x1024 with alpha back into an ace file without losing the alpha on the export. Jim

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TGATool call makeace.exe to convert TGA file to ACE file.
So nothing better than direct using MakeAceWin.I guess you already lost alpha channel before convert. You need save TGA format in 32 bit mode for take with alpha channel.

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Nope, Alpha is in alpha window when I export to ace. I can't use a tga file because any tga loaded into tgatool ends up a jumbled mess at the bottom of the main window. I saw a thread asbout this posted by CPR_Malice a while back but didn't read much into it as I use bitmaps for all my work and tga's loaded into tgatool on my rig end up un-viewable jumbled up mess at the bottom of the main window every time.
So, since I can't find a simple step by step by step process for converting 1024x1024 bitmaps with a newly created alpha from the create alpha template and reloaded back to tgatool, I'll just have to do all mine in 512x512 using regular makeace.Does Barnes and Noble carry a book called "TGATool and Makeace for Dummies"!! HAHA!! Jim

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Jim
The original version of makeace could not handle 1024, but the updated version can. Also the latest version of TGATool has a choice window for selecting the version of makeace you are using.The version of makeace I have is dated 03/09/2001 and is 180kb in size. It is known as updated makeace to tgatool. If you have the updated version there should also be makeacewin and two sets of release notes in the folder.mervyn@madasafish.com

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Ok, here is what worked for me in my case:
Cabview TGA was 1024x768 (or something like that - not square)Using MAKEACEwin (LOL! Make MS win is more like it... I digress).
When everything was all squooshed, I was checking the both at the bottom to "clamp" output width AND HEIGHT. I was also checking the "trasparency is 1 bit mask" or whatever the top box is.So after much gnashing of teeth, I tried it only as a TGA file (not checking any transparency boxes) and only clamping hte width to 1024 adn *presto*! It worked! Alpha and all!I would try using MakeACEwin rather than TGAtool for 1024 textures.
Save the file from TGATool as a TGA file and use that in Makeacewin.GH

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OK Gary and everyone, I am not being clear enough I guess. I cannot export a 1024x1024 ace using makeacewin. I have tried every combination of transparency, Zlib and DXT compression and clamping and not clamping the parameters. No matter what I chose, I lose the alpha on the export. The 1024x1024 color bitmap is in the main color window and the 1024x1024 black and white alpha is in the alpha window, TGATool is set to updated makeace and when I export, I lose the alpha everytime.
TGATool exports the color bitmap to ace just fine. I keep losing the alpha though. So, since I can't figure this out--I repaint my 1024x1024 bitmap, open Irdanview and resize to 512x512, save, open TGATool, load ace, send alpha to PSP, resize it to 512x512 in PSP, re-load my repainted bitmap into TGATool, create alpha channel in TGATool, re-load alpha from PSP with TGATool and export using regular or updated makeace with ccompression enabled, and it exports into game fine with alpha intact--not missing like makeacewin does.OK-I brought this up in another thread--Is makeacewin tied to the 1.2 update somehow?? All I have on my machine is update version 1.1 I'm really kinda lost here and figure I must be missing some part of code or something not allowing the alpha to export with the bitmap into an ace file. Or maybe my machine is not up to specs in being able to handle exporting 1024x1024 ace files.
Anyway, Thanks for your help--I'll keep trying to figure this out. Jim

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Load up TGAtools to confirm the ace ( thats the only thing i use it for anymore, and extracting the tga's)
Did we get Alpha? Yep! Did we get 1024? Yep! did we get 32 bit? Yep!
If you did these steps and it still dont work Jim, It's gotta be the way your saving the TGA thats doing it, Thats the only logical explanation I can see

Shawn shawnssk@yahoo.com
Screen Shot Forum Mod
TKW & YLW Repainter

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Shawn, read post #9 in this thread again. I said that I don't use TGA's--I use Bitmaps and bitmaps have no alpha channel as you know.
I haven't ever repainted or modified a file in TGA format because MS Paint can not open a tga--it doesn't know what a tga is. I know PSP can open a tga, but some fine detail painting I do in MSpaint can't be done in PSP I give up--I've tried for 3 hours tonight trying to get a 1024x1024 color bitmap with a 1024x1024 black and white alpha bitmap exported into the sim using makeacewin with Zlib, create cab backgrounds checked and clamping both parameters to 1024x1024 and it loses the alpha on export every damn time. OK Shawn, I followed your directions listed in the pics. I tried using makeacewin leaving tgatool closed with same result--no alpha channel when viewed in tgatool. To hell with makeacewin. I'll just stock with what I know works--512x512!! Jim

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Sorry to hear that Jim, Well whatever works for ya man

Shawn shawnssk@yahoo.com
Screen Shot Forum Mod
TKW & YLW Repainter

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If you split alpha channel from background. It's difficult to combine them again. It need some tricky.And about MakeAceWin, I guess it can not use 2 files convert to 1 .ace file. It seems TGATools can use 2 bitmap convert to 1 .ace file by calling makeace.exe. But I don't know exactly how it works. And in my test, updated makeace.exe seems still have difficult on 1024 convert. So that's why I use MakeAceWin.The best way is you make the TGA file by PSP from these 2 bitmap files. For 512 and no alpha or trans textures, I always suggest using TView. By same author of TGATools and give better quality on DXT1 compress.
http://www.mnwright.btinternet.co.uk/

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There are differences between makeace and makacewin when used for large or non-square images with alpha. MakeAce.exe forces a -trans type 1 bit alpha on these images while MakeAceWin.exe will allow the creation of a full alpha.Thus the route for converting large (>512) images with Alpha to ace while retaining the full alpha channel would be to save as Targa from TgaTool2 and then use MakeAceWin for the final conversion. TgaTool2 uses 2 seperate bitmaps to store, display and edit the image and alpha. However when exporting an Ace file these 2 are combined into a temporary Targa for passing to MakeAce. Makeace itself will only work with single Targa or Bmp files.

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