Problems with Alpha Mapping

[Milo]

I have been trying to simply make Hume Hairstyle 4A Black. Changing the map was easy enough, and i can make it change to black ingame and everything. Only problem is that all the bangs are blocks. I have tried using Alpha mapping, but it never shows up. I used this guide; http://cse.unl.edu/~ijones/ffxi/ , but it wont work, it simply looks like this:

[Yossar]

Re: Problems with Alpha Mapping

Could you provide more information on what exactley you did and such. The guide from Phabin's site should work, so you're making a mistake along the way. We can't really figure out what you did wrong with out more detail, though.

[Milo]

Re: Problems with Alpha Mapping

Ok:

1) Used the veiwer to convert face files from DAT to MQO. Save as "hair'
2) Open the hair.dds file with using GC3. Save as Alpha channel, Hair01
3) I open hair.bmp to edit the hair to be black using PhotoDraw. When i am finished i save it as hair.bmp in my Pics.
4) Next i open the new hair.bmp in GC3. Then I open Alpha channel hair01.bmp. Next I change the file type to DXT3 (the format menu).
5) Finnaly i open my veiwer, and covert the files back.

I have also tried to do it with other files like a scorpion harness, and it doesnt work.

Thanks for your help

[Milo]

Re: Problems with Alpha Mapping

Nevermind guys. I checked in game, and the alphamapping worked inagme, its just notshowing up in the veiwer. Thanks for your help though

[Lunaryn]

Re: Problems with Alpha Mapping

Ran into this too, though I am not yet signed up so I haven't been able to test results in game. It seems that if you use the S3 Encode Engine to get DXT3 as in Phabin's guide, the model viewer does not see the transparencies and shows up with solid colors. However, if you use the other option ('My Encode Engine') the model viewer will see the transparencies, though the entire image is slightly darker for some reason. I can't as yet comment on in-game differences.

I'm actually trying to come up with a replacement helm for the Iron Musketeer's Armet, since I've got a friend who'll be playing a Taru PLD, and the darn thing's ugly. We're hoping for something derived from a combination of the Eisenschaller and the Royal Knight's Bascinet, since those two both have nice features and the texture layout looks about the same... Actual model editing is probably beyond us for now but I'm trying to do some texture editing work on it...

P.S. Can anyone verify for me which model is the Gold Armet/Gilt Armet? A friend who is familiar with the game thinks it's the same model as Iron Musketeer's Armet, but isn't sure, and the model viewer list doesn't seem to mention...

[Monet]

Re: Problems with Alpha Mapping

I haven't ran into an Alpha Mapping poroblem, yet, but it seems like I do things the hard way.
1> After altering named.bmp, i make a named_0.bmp and alter that one to the "white=visible / black=invisible" standards like in Phabin's guide.
2> Open named.bmp in GC3.
3> Open As Alpha Channel named_0.bmp, which automatically overlays on the named.bmp to show transparency.
4> Convert to named.dds
5> Save as named.dds and import into viewer.
After doing all that, it shows up fine in my viewer as well as ingame.

[Lunaryn]

Re: Problems with Alpha Mapping

That's how I do it as well. The difference I noted comes in the actual step of converting it back to a dds after loading the two different bmps. Phabin's guide says to select Format -> S3TC Format(S3 Encode Engine) -> DXT3(4-bit alpha non-premult), but doing this causes the transparencies to be ignored by the model viewer, at least in my case. However. selecting Format -> S3TC Format(My Encode Engine) -> DXT3(4-bit alpha non-premult) seems to work in the model viewer.