[markus_GE]

Looks like an alpha channel issue. That is to say, the alpha channel probably isn´t set to 100% translucent near the edges of these squares. Should be an easy fix with TGATool2 and e.g. Paint.Net. Just open in TGATool2, find the "Edit Alpha Channel option (in one of the drop downs, can´t recall, which) and make solid white with some fade effect around where the edges approximately are. Save and re-export to ACE.

Cheers, Markus

[charland]

Hi Gerry,

The original texture was 256 x 256, the smoke file in the sim's folder was 512 X 512 so I just resampled to that size. I just had a look at both the texture and alpha at 400% and couldn't see any difference around the edge of either that would cause a square. Maybe it's just me but I can't see a square in the smoke on the second Santa Fe shot or the solid black shot.

Is anyone else seeing this here or at home?

Do you see this Markus? The alpha is the same one that came with the sim that everyone has been using for years, shouldn't be that. Is it something to do with the texture being stretched to 1024? I can run this through AceIt again and see what happens.

Paul :-)

[charland]

OK, generated a new file from a tga, ran it through TGATool2, then AceIt, give this a try.

 dieselsmoke.zip (121.22K)
Number of downloads: 215

Looked the same to me but I had strawberries for supper and my be looking through a chemical haze!

Paul :-)

Hmmm, big difference in the size of the files.

[markus_GE]

I´m not seeing anything other than nearly black currently, having been working for graduation for near 15 hours already and nearly tipping out of my socks :sign_rockon:

No really, I´ve not tried it, I just said what it looks like, having had this issue with the casue described myself on a custom texture an eternity ago.

Cheers, Markus

[charland]

OK Markus,

I'll wait to see if Gerry can still see what he saw. Hard to fix something you're not seeing yourself!

Paul :-)

[markus_GE]

As I said, it looks like an identical issue I had a while back, with a texture created in a similiar way (Just, I scaled the base texture down, you scaled it up).

Anyway, if I can find some time tomorrow (maybe three posts less on ET, and I´ll have the time B) ) I´ll try it myself. Now, aways with those socks mentioned and back into my hole :sign_rockon:

Cheers, Markus

[R H Steele]

Here's a couple more shots. The red lines outline the straight edges of the squares. If you used the MSTS default than that is the problem,. It is composed of identifiable squares within which are the smoke particles, The squares emit from the exhaust vent and revolve to create the illusion of exhaust. (at least that is how it appears to me) Slowly revolving squares of smoke are very unrealistic. It is just a characteristic of that particular ace file. It also maybe that certain graphic cards or specific settings accentuate the square of the textures. When looking at the raw ace file in tgatool the alpha channel presents the square pattern quite noticeably. Since, I do not completely understand how ace files work I cannot say how this influences the texture presentation in the simulator. Perhaps the "smoke squares" are the result of something else.

It is curious because some people see the squares quite readily and others do not. IT could be a difference in graphics? I really don't know. Looking at the jpgs, it is not as noticeable as in OR or viewing the png file. Of course some people see little guys with beards drinking beer and guarding pots of gold and others do not, difference in pickling of the interior parts I suppose. :crazy: :):lol2: It also could be the strawberries, locally grown??

The larger, non-default that I've been using for quite a while does not appear to have any identifiable shapes other that clouds of varying smoke particles. I think this is a reworking of the 3DTrains_DSmoke_v1.0 file, cannot really recall where I found it.

I also uploaded a png (bottom screenshot, usually don't, too big) look for the straight edges, those are the edges of the squares, overlapping. When I click to enlarge it, appears full size, the straight edges of the squares are quite noticeable, just how it looks in OR on my monitor.
Didn't Shakespeare pen a play about this?

Attached thumbnail(s)

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[charland]

Morning Gerry,

I see what you mean with these shots, but that's to do with the MSTS alpha and not the texture. The way the alpha works is the clearer the the alpha the more smoke you see and as it gradually turns black, you should see less to none. The MSTS alpha is divided into 4 by 4 making each square 128 by 128 pixels in side. My guess it the squares may go from nearly clear in the center to a small black boarder around the outside but the program is set to only use somewhere around 124 by 124 of that, causing the "puff" of smoke to be clipped slightly before it hits the solid black portion of the alpha.

I'm not seeing it in the BL-2 shots, for one, my eyes aren't as good as they use to be, but I think you Santa Fe unit's have the exhaust settings a little larger and therefore any flaws in the alpha can be seen a little easier.

Paul :-)

[R H Steele]

charland, on 25 June 2014 - 03:29 AM, said:

Morning Gerry,

I see what you mean with these shots, but that's to do with the MSTS alpha and not the texture. The way the alpha works is the clearer the the alpha the more smoke you see and as it gradually turns black, you should see less to none. The MSTS alpha is divided into 4 by 4 making each square 128 by 128 pixels in side. My guess it the squares may go from nearly clear in the center to a small black boarder around the outside but the program is set to only use somewhere around 124 by 124 of that, causing the "puff" of smoke to be clipped slightly before it hits the solid black portion of the alpha.

I'm not seeing it in the BL-2 shots, for one, my eyes aren't as good as they use to be, but I think you Santa Fe unit's have the exhaust settings a little larger and therefore any flaws in the alpha can be seen a little easier.

Paul :-)

Yep those square outlines are sometimes hard to see. Thanks for confirming that it is a function of the alpha portion of the file. I think I'll tinker around with it and see what happens.