Ace

[thecabmaker]

Hello !
Sorry about the stupid question (may be). How do you make ace-files for the MSTS ?

kind regards, Markus

[charland]

Download Route-Riter, it has a program called Ace-It. When you run a TGA file through Ace-It you choose either 1 bit or 8 bit transparency, 1 bit for looking through "clear" glass, or 8 bit for looking through glass with dirt or frosting.

Paul :-)

[thecabmaker]

Hello Paul !
Thank you for your Tip. But where can I find Ace-It in RR and how can I choose 1 or 8bit transparency ?



If I use "make uncompressed ace" or the programm Ace-It directly I get no transperency. original file:



Lever: Ace-file



If I use TGATool2A directly I get only an error-message:



Do you ´ve any ideas how I can solve this transparency-problem ?

best regards, Markus

[thecabmaker]

Hello Paul!
I found the problem. Yesterday (please don´t laugh) ace-it didn´t accept the tga-file (error message). Today ace-it likes the same files (????) -> Transparency is ok.

best regards,
Markus

[charland]

Hi Markus,

Yesterday I made an ace file and realized I forgot the TGA Tool2 step when I replied a few days ago! Here's how I made my ace file...

I drew my parts for my bridge lattice in Corel and exported it as a TGA file to Abacus to be used in TS Modeler.

I used the TGA on the parts in my drawing. When the drawing is used to create a train sim object it will not be a transparency.

I open the lattice TGA in TGA Tool2, select "Create Alpha Channel" in the upper right. Then select "Create Alpha Template" right below it. Save this.

Open AceIT. Open the TGA file for the lattice as the input file, copy the file name. Select either 1 or 8 bit transparency, depending on what effect you want, the hit the Output File... button and change the name to the same name of the file (they add the first four characters to the name). Then hit the AceIt button.

Normally I open the Output File.. button and move the ace to my desktop. You have to replace the one in the Textures folder after you create the train sim model, so if there is stil work you need to do on the model you'll still have the ace and it will not be replaced every time you change the model and generate another version of it.

Hope this helps,

Paul :-)