Help with textures

[Schmalspur]

Hi guys I'm new to the forum, I'm currently creating a narrow gauge locomotive for Kuju Rail Simulator. My old software was MSTS I have since changed to 3D Canvas with the dawn of KRS. I'm getting the hang of creating the parts and using the software thanks to the many great tutorials that are out there.

So far I have this,



I like to texture the parts as I go, this is where I'm having issues. I have followed through a couple of tutorials, I am using a 2056x2056 texture saved as a .TGA file. When I load this in 3DC it fails to adorn the primitive preview, the preview stays in the colour that is currently selected. Whenever I use the apply material operation it just applies the selected colour. My question is how do I get the texture loaded to be what is applied? I'm guessing it's me missing something simple.

Regards, Jack

[decapod]

The texture should probably be 2048x2048, not 2056

Also, can you load the material as a 1024x1024 texture?

Also the TGA file should not be saved in a compressed format e.g. 2048x2048 should be around 16Mb!

[Schmalspur]

I saved it as .bmp and a .png at 1024x1024 but it still just displays the currently selected colour in the preview box, I can't work out what I'm doing wrong.

Thanks, Jack

[wmalder]

I know this sounds too simple and you've probably thought of it already but there is a textures library that you can open then you have to load your 1024x1024 or 2048x2048 textures into the library in order to use them. Otherwise all you'll see is the colour that you've chosen. Of course if you can get a screen grab of what you're trying to do it could be easier to figure out.

[decapod]

Another thought - it is the second material tab (primary texture tooltip) you're using to add the texture into? (by clicking on the blank square)
When you select the texture, can you see a thumbnail of it?

I tend to not use the material libraries, just load the texture as required.

(TGA, PNG and DDS files are assumed to provide a translucency map automatically)

[Schmalspur]

I can see a thumbnail of it, when I click the thumbnail it opens the browse box to look for another texture. I select the texture and it pauses while it loads. But the preview box maintains it's previous colour.

Here's the view I have,



Thanks, Jack

[wmalder]

I'm not sure if this is the answer but if you look to the right of the sphere there is a line of buttons. Below the last button is one with a red square. If you click on that you will get a larger view of your texture as chosen from the library. (BTW you can make your own libraries for each project if you choose) What you will see is the texture surrounded by a red square. If you click and drag on the texture you can resize the square to choose the portion of the texture that you want mapped on your object. Your first attempt probably will be off a bit so then you can adjust the area by entering numbers between 0 and 1 for the left edge, upper edge, height and width until you're satisfied with the result.
There is another way of doing this by unwrapping your model but I haven't worked out how that works just yet and I've been more of less happy with my way of mapping as explained above. I'd love someone to give a tutorial about unwrapping - the discussion at the Amabilis website gives me a sort of idea but for some reason I can't quite figure it out for a train model.
Anyway, I hope this is of some help.

[Schmalspur]

Could it be the texture I've made are not saved with a transparency layer? I have tried saving as a .png, a .bmp and a .tga. I have tried cropping the texture and the colour in the preview box changes colour almost as if the texture has been layed over the top but semi-transparent. I have followed various tutorials and I get stuck at this same point.

Thanks, Jack

[Schmalspur]

Just for the hell of it I tried a random jpeg that was on my desktop, now that worked fine. So I saved my texture file as a jpeg, and it still doesn't work. I then thought maybe it's the way the graphics program (GIMP) saves it. So I save it using Paint instead. Still it fails to work. I then try a random bmp, now that works. So why is it any texture file I create won't load, regardless it seems of file format or size but any other random pictures will. I swear this program is conspiring against me!

Thanks for any help, Jack

[dkightley]

Why not take a step back and have a look at my telephone box tutorial. It has transparent textures, and guides you through using them...

Building a Telephone Box in 3DCanvas [914710 bytes] - Telephone Box.pdf File ID: 13791 Date: 15 Jan 2006 - 1743 Downloads

[Schmalspur]

That was one of the tutorials I was following, that along with part 4a of the youtube hosted locomotive tutorial. Thank you for the tutorial as it has come in handy getting to grips with the program.

It seems 3DC will import some textures but not others, file type and size don't seem to be a factor nor the program used to save them. I'm trying to work out why the files I have created can't be imported by the program.

Thanks, Jack

[wmalder]

Perhaps you can attach one of the offending files. Or if you have an account at something like Photobucket post it there with a link.

[dkightley]

That will be a good idea...as from the screenshot you've posted, it looks as if your texture has loads of white around the outside, with a small block of texture. For a loco, I'd look at a texture file say 512x512 (or 1024x1024 if there's any fine detail) and fill as much of the available space with the texture. Take a look at texture files from existing MSTS models and you'll get the drift...

[Schmalspur]

At the moment I'm just using a temp set of textures and there is a lot of white but I crop the white out. I plan to make the main textures with photos I took of the real thing, but I have to get those off my old hard drive.

I resized the .bmp I was using from 2048 to 512. It now works, I'm guessing the file size of the 2048 (12mb) is just too much for it to handle or maybe my computer to handle?

Is there a texture file size limit? I'm making this for KRS I was hoping that it would accept a detailed 2048 texture?

Thanks, Jack