Can I (a Driver) make loco windows transparent?

[AnalogOldguy]

Hello !

I found myself the other day, enjoying a particular route more than I ever had. Then I noticed that I was driving a locomotive with almost perfectly transparent windows.

Now I know that this is not realistic, but I think this is perhaps what I enjoy! Perhaps I am a "Kodachrome" kind of person! "Give me the nice bright colors, give me the greens of summers" (or however that darned song goes) .....

I faintly remember reading something on these forums about putting "0,0" in some config file that could make loco windows, (or maybe it was rolling stock windows) transparent.

Could someone enlighten me a little more on this? Many thanks.

Bob P.

 

[gfisher]

The glass transparency is controlled by the alpha texture or alpha channel that goes with the glass texture. It is a grey shaded image. If you make it darker the glass will be more transparent, if you make it lighter the glass will less transparent. It will usually be a tga file that is called something like glass_a, or glass_alpha, or alpha, or window_alpha, or something like that. If the tga texture for the glass is a 32bit texture, then the alpha is contained in an alpha channel within the image. Any good photoeditor like Photoshop can access it in order to modify it.

 

[sterrett]

Velly intelesting..................

I had noticed that some locos/rolling stock with interior views have more opacity in the glass than others - now I am sort of understanding!

Presumably, if you find a "glass.tga" file you like, ore you modify one to your tastes, you can copy it and use it to replace the "glass.tga" files in other locomotives/stock?

 

[AnalogOldguy]

The glass transparency is controlled by the alpha texture or alpha channel that goes with the glass texture. It is a grey shaded image. If you make it darker the glass will be more transparent, if you make it lighter the glass will less transparent. It will usually be a tga file that is called something like glass_a, or glass_alpha, or alpha, or window_alpha, or something like that. If the tga texture for the glass is a 32bit texture, then the alpha is contained in an alpha channel within the image. Any good photoeditor like Photoshop can access it in order to modify it.

I do not have a image editing program as powerful as Photoshop. The closest I have is Ulead PhotoImpact 6 and I don't believe it can do such things.. I looked through the help file and the manual. The only transparency mentioned was for GIFs.

Do you think a free editor like Gimp might be able to do this one thing? I know that Paint.net will not run on my computer. I don't know the names of other Photoshop-type editors that might be able to do this. Blender? I think I have that somewhere, but I believe it required something else I don't have!

Robert P.

 

[Mikej]

Do you think a free editor like Gimp might be able to do this one thing?
Robert P.

I use Paint.net but a quick Google search using the keywords Gimp, Edit and Alpha shows Gimp is able to do it for you.
Mike

 

[AnalogOldguy]

OK Mikej,

I am going to try downloading the Gimp depending on how big it is, (I am on dial-up)! Otherwise I'll take a CD-RW to the public library and download it there.

I was searching Google last night about "Gimp, Edit Alpha, tga" and I got some matches about Targa and transparency and levels...

This might take me a few days, maybe the weekend, providing that the Gimp does not require the newest Java or whatever else I don't have ...

I will report back here (hopefully) by Monday or so. I was wishing that a change in some configuration file would do it! I know I read something about "0,0" here. but cannot find it in my searches.

Thank you fellows! Bob P.

Bad news on this, Gimp requires Windows XP SP2, which I do not have... Maybe I can get a used older Photoshop at Ebay or at a flea market (I have seen them occasionally)..

 

[AnalogOldguy]

I have found a link to this "zero" thing

Hello again, I believe I have found a link to this "0" opacity idea I had seen.

If anyone would like to take a look at this.. here should be the link....

http://forums.auran.com/trainz/showthread.php?t=58398

 

[Mick_Berg]

I do not have a image editing program as powerful as Photoshop. The closest I have is Ulead PhotoImpact 6 and I don't believe it can do such things.. I looked through the help file and the manual. The only transparency mentioned was for GIFs.

Do you think a free editor like Gimp might be able to do this one thing? I know that Paint.net will not run on my computer. I don't know the names of other Photoshop-type editors that might be able to do this. Blender? I think I have that somewhere, but I believe it required something else I don't have!

Robert P.

If you can run Trainz on your computer, surely it is powerful enough to run Paint.net. There must be some small problem that is causing Paint.net not to run.

I'm just pointing this out because I use Paint.net and I think it is great, there's never been anything it couldn't do in terms of content creation for Trainz. It is free, open-source, and there are loads of plugins.

There is a trick you can do, that is, to push your camera view through the front of the cab. Then you will not see the windows transparency or lack of. Of course this isn't much use if you are in cab mode, but I use DCC and I often do this for locos with "dirty" windows!

Mick Berg.

 

[AnalogOldguy]

If you can run Trainz on your computer, surely it is powerful enough to run Paint.net. There must be some small problem that is causing Paint.net not to run.

Hello Mick,

I was thinking that Paint.net would not run on my computer because the latest version requires Windows XP (SP2 or later) and .NET Framework 3.5 SP1, neither of which I have.

The bright idea occurred to me today to go look for old versions, version 2.1 even runs on Windows 98!

I don't know what features would be missing, but perhaps my machine can run it! There is still an additional program that must be downloaded also.

Thanks for the suggestion about zooming out of the window, that's something I will try! Bob P. I hope I will get all my transparent loco windows some day!!!

I hope that people have not missed the link I found to the original discussion about the Boolean tag 'opacity' (in reference to loco interior windows) 0 and 1 and all that jazz, which I was referring to initially in my question! So I'll include the link again...

http://forums.auran.com/trainz/showthread.php?t=58398

 

[itareus]

Check out "-freeintcam" in Google. You can roam outside the cab and be glass free!

 

[Mick_Berg]

Hello Mick,

I was thinking that Paint.net would not run on my computer because the latest version requires Windows XP (SP2 or later) and .NET Framework 3.5 SP1, neither of which I have.

The bright idea occurred to me today to go look for old versions, version 2.1 even runs on Windows 98!

I don't know what features would be missing, but perhaps my machine can run it! There is still an additional program that must be downloaded also.

Thanks for the suggestion about zooming out of the window, that's something I will try! Bob P. I hope I will get all my transparent loco windows some day!!!

I hope that people have not missed the link I found to the original discussion about the Boolean tag 'opacity' (in reference to loco interior windows) 0 and 1 and all that jazz, which I was referring to initially in my question! So I'll include the link again...

http://forums.auran.com/trainz/showthread.php?t=58398

I'm very surprised to learn that Trainz runs in Windows 98..........

Mick.

 

[AnalogOldguy]

Check out "-freeintcam" in Google. You can roam outside the cab and be glass free!

Hello,

Well, I did the first simplest thing...looked up "-freeintcam" and put that text into my 2004 trainzoptions.txt file !

Nice. I can zoom around the cab and out the window. The zoom does help! (but some opaqueness from the windows does remain).

I tired putting the loco with the clear windows (BR Class 60 Transrail Phototextured) right next to an old, but charming (Class 124 DMC Transpennine) (which I would use a lot more if I could clear up its' foggy windows) !!!

The beautiful layout I like to see is Heartbeat Revisited! Not the "2" version, which is whacky and set up for A.I. traffic, and will run you off the tracks!

Side by side, in the Cab view, beautiful colors from the Class 60...Dirty windows from the 124. Zooming makes very minimal difference. So that's one thing I tried !!

See you later! Bob P.

(by the way Mick, I was saying that Paint 2.1 runs in Windows 98. I actually run Trainz on my original XP Pro with .NET Framework 2. something)

 

[itareus]

...I like to see is Heartbeat Revisited!...

Hi Bob,

I used to live in a village called Thornton-le-Dale http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=th...&ei=UOe-TrGtBMHf8QOo_Pm8BA&sqi=2&ved=0CGEQsAQ about 12 miles from Goathland where the TV series "Heartbeat" was filmed and I've stayed in the Mallyan Spout hotel http://www.mallyanspout.co.uk/ where the cast used to "live" whilst filming.

I never got to meet Gina ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzHcVmRzxX0 ) the barmaid from the "Aidensfield Arms" pub - but as consolation I did get, what we call in Yorkshire, "a lock in" at the real pub which is just as seen on the TV!

The Cl 124s were good units for their time but never saw regular service near Heartbeat territory! I wonder if you used -freeintcam (or adjusted the camera positions) on a steam loco if that would do the job you want?

Cheers

Chris

 

[AnalogOldguy]

The Cl 124s were good units for their time but never saw regular service near Heartbeat territory! I wonder if you used -freeintcam (or adjusted the camera positions) on a steam loco if that would do the job you want?

Cheers,
Chris

Hello again Chris and others! Very nice pictures of buildings from the old days. (I didn't get to see the Youtube video due to my dial-up)! Very interesting, Heartbeat was the name of a TV program! I thought it was in reference to the route being the "Heartbeat" of England, or some such thing...

I'm not sure if I am actually using the freeintcam correctly at all.

Also, I have gone into various folders and tried to find those zeros which could possibly control windows transparency. I am not understanding what the "container" they mentioned is!

I guess that my next step is to download an old version of Paint.net and try adjusting the alpha texture or alpha channels as Gfisher mentioned. Well, they say it's good to try and learn new things every day in life !!

Hang in there! Bob P.

 

[AnalogOldguy]

Well, I am still working on this ...

Hello again, (To anyone who is still following this thread).

After downloading three versions, I have finally found a version of Paint.net that works on my computer. (Version 2.6)

I still wish to make some of my loco windows clear! My first choice is a Class_124_DMC locomotive with real "dirty" windows. (Kuid2:84609:50065:1)

I can go into its' folder in Trainz 2004, and see all the window.tga, window.bmp, window-window.txt and so on. I can open them in Paint.net and Notepad.

All I can see for opacity is in the "Layers" window. (what I see the most is "Background Opacity 255" for example). And this can be adjusted. I do not know if 255 is the most transparent, or if 0 is for most transparent!

I also see a "yellow.tga" and "yellow.texture.txt" and am wondering if this is related in any way to the "yellowish" look in the windows.

Maybe I can start off with this. (this is in a file called "window-window.texture.txt")

Primary=window.tga
Alpha=window.bmp
Tile=st

Any helpful hints from people here would be greatly appreciated. Bob P.

 

[AnalogOldguy]

I shall continue onward ...

I shall continue onward, though apparently alone in this vast universe .. And I will conquer this project! For, in the words of my Commander, Peter Quincy Taggart, (in Galaxy Quest),

I will "Never give up, Never surrender!"

Bob P. :hehe: