I need help. I know it's possible to combine the alpha file with the texture file and import them together using Build dxt, but I don't know exactly how to do it. I have photoshop, so can any photoshop users give me a clue on how to do this. :confused: Thankyou for any help.

Just bumping so hopefully someone will answer!

In your material definition set stdMatAlphaTestEnabled equal to 1.
Then create a transparent png file, and do a build DXT using DXT3 or DXT5. Search the forums for DXT3 to see the posts on which one to use based on what your texture is like.

Thanks for the reply, but I'm still confused. :confused: What exactly do I do with the transparent png file? Also, what about the texture file where does that come in to play. I'm sorry about all the questions. If you could explain it to me like I am 3 years old maybe then I could understand.

I try, hope this makes sense SimPE will combine the textures for you, but you need to do a few things first.

This first step depends on if the entire object is transparent or just a portion of it, and if you have separate Texture and Material Definitions for each of those parts.

Open the Material Definition for the part you want to be transparent - choose the Plug-in view and the Content tab > Properties, and check the file name, here you must decide if that part is all clear or only portions of it,

Scroll down the list to find "stdMatAlphaBlendMode", click on it, on the right, it will appear in the Property Box. If the part listed in the Filename is to be all transparent, you must type in "blend", (no quote marks) in the Value box. When you do it will change in the left column.

Scroll down again to find "stdMatAlphaTestEnabled", click on it and set Value to "0" (no quote marks)

Hit the Commit button.

Just a little different if the object part has solid and clear areas in one texture --

Again, open the Material Definition for the part you want to be both transparent and clear.

In the "stdMatAlphaBlendMode", you need the value as "none", (no quote marks)
And in the "stdMatAlphaTestEnabled", the value is set to "1", (no quote marks)

Hit the Commit button.

Now go to your Texture, right click on the texture itself and choose Export (save it where you can find it), then right click on the texture again and choose Export Alpha Channel.

Go to your paint program and open up the images you just exported.
Edit your main texture however you like, and for the Alpha, (it will be all white), if the object is all transparent, depending on how clear you want it, fill it in with any shade of grey to black. The darker the alpha, the more transparent it will be. If the one texture has solid and clear parts, I find it easiest to just paste a copy of the image onto the Alpha, it helps to find just where the image need to be blacked or greyed out (for the transparent part)and any part that is solid is painted over in white (white does not become transparent when the images are imported)

Save the images.

Go back to SimPE -

On the left side in the Format box use the dropdown menu to choose DXT3Format

Right click on the image and choose Build DXT (you will need Nvidia DDS Utilities installed)

In the box that opens, find and select the main image you just edited. Select DXT3Format, you can leave the other boxes as they are. Click Build and the image will import for all sizes.

Now right click on the image again, choose "Import Alpha Channel", browse to the alpha you edited and import it, right click again and choose "Update All Sizes". You should now be able to see the transparent parts of the image as little grey and white squares.

Click the Commit button and save your work.


Hope I didn't forget anything, good luck :D

Thankyou! I will try it and see how it goes. The reason I really wanted to know how to do this is to preserve the image quality. I changed the alpha on some tulips and they looked really bad in game. Hopefully this will solve my problem. Oh and thanks for explaining it to me like I'm three years old!