Blood Ground + some problem /w alpha

[FireFury]

Ok, I'm trying to modify the textures on blood gultch to make it look crazy. I dont even know if I'm trying for a theme. Anyway, heres my problem.

I'm editing the dirt of the level. I think its called "Blood Ground." I go to import the image and heres what happens. The only file setting that works is DXT3. That gets the picture in fine, except for one thing. The parts where the grass should show through are white. I think I'm doing something wronge here as far as saving the transparent part of the image.

Here are some pics...

Before I save it...


what im saving with...


After I save it... (I re-open the image)


In the game...


How do I make it so that when I save the image, the transparent part of the image isn't turned white? What im trying to do is save alpha channel, but when I try I hit another problem... Go figure...

Here are the two errors I get when i try and save the image. (a .dds DXT3) These both happen as I save.



How would I save the alpha channel? If I cant save an alpha channel, how would I make the transparent areas of the map so the grass will show through?

Thanks

[x13igDudex12]

arent u supposed to merge the alpha layers....or just edit it in MS paint with something like DXTBmp

[hitmanbob]

well the halo enigine reads the alpha in a dxt3 dds file as grass, so having not alpha layer means no grass

[x13igDudex12]

yea.....in custom maps you save the alpha channel so the halo engine knows what part pf the ground is one texture and what the other is. So you have to save the alpha layer befor you edit the ground...then merge...then edit....then save...try that

[FireFury]

so wait, what im supposted to do is save the mask as a .dds file, then save the raster layer over top of that?

im so fustrated... I've searched for 2 days but haven't found the aswere. Every tut about skinning uses the banshee as an example, none of the ones I've found edit images w/ alpha in them...

This DXTbmp program u mentioned earler looks fairly easy to use, but I dont know how to save the alpha w/ the image, once again...

sry if I seem like a complete noob, but it would be great if some1 could make or link too a tutorial involving this.

Also, i've seen kirks tutorial, but he saves the file as a .tif, not a .dds

[FireFury]

can anybody plz tell me where a tutorial is that shows you how save an alpha map in the .dds file? By the way, i searched for 2 days on forums and the internet (almost 6-8 hours), so don't think I haven't tried.

Thanks in advance to anyone who helps or at least trys.

[theguy2042000]

it shows black becuse the halo engine makes anything thats not filled in black

[FireFury]

So then how is it that BG makes it so the dirt and grass textures show through the "Blood Ground" texture?

[theguy2042000]

it has a percentage of opacity

[FireFury]

Can you point me to a tutorial that would explane how to make the opacity in a .dds to me? Anyone? Thanks to those who help.

[Sonictag]

Using the system of vertex paint, a 0,0,0 colour (black) will make the second sub material show. Maybe it uses the same concept?

[FireFury]

I'll try that. Thanks for replying.

[theguy2042000]

its like when you make a ce map you chose what second texture you want and it show on top of the base map

[FireFury]

I tried the vertex paint and it doesn't work... Dang, now to try something else...

Also, whenever I merge the mask to the raster layer the mask just turns white. Know what im doing wronge?

[Sonictag]

That is because in most circumstances, black means go transparent, so it is just deleting any black for you.