.png textures not recognized by AC3D

[Almdudler]

working on X-Plane Objects with AC3D is causing issues with showing the object if it is textured in the .png format.

.png is the main texturing format in X-plane. It is used for airplane components while .dds is used for scenery. Opening a cockpit model.obj which is textured with .pngs results in a black ac3d window with polygons showing weird disco colour lights, associated with being unable to show the actual surfaces.

The only way being able to use AC3D for x-plane works is to add a lot of convertion works in the background, creating .dds files out of .pngs and back when done, and never forget to disable the .dds before you launch x-plane again.

[Andy]

Png is the main format that people use for textures in AC3D.


Have you tried other png images? Do they work?


Could be an issue with the png file. Perhaps load into a an image program an save out again.


If you still have trouble, you can send me a copy and I'll take a look.

[Almdudler]

Originally Posted by Andy

Png is the main format that people use for textures in AC3D.


Have you tried other png images? Do they work?


Could be an issue with the png file. Perhaps load into a an image program an save out again.


If you still have trouble, you can send me a copy and I'll take a look.

applies to all .png's, and they seem okay.
to be sure, what exactly do you want me to send you for examination?
thanks.



https://up.picr.de/40357460zu.png

[Andy]

Yep - something is definitely not right there.


Please email me the file - see PM.

[Andy]

I haven't received a file though email.


You are using AC3D 8.0 and I suspect that your PNG file would work on the latest AC3D 8.6 since a lot of work was done on file format support for the 64 bit AC3D 8.3 release http://www.inivis.com/ac3d83.html

[Almdudler]

should be gone now, using gmail instead of pm.

[Andy]

Thanks, the image works fine in the most recent AC3D.



The PNG may be using an alternate method for storing alpha, or some other format update. The PNG importer was enhanced in AC3D 8.3.

[Almdudler]

AC3D can not handle .png textures, i understand.

thanks.

[Andy]

Sorry - you are not understanding. This is a summary:

• Your PNG file has new features not supported in your 2016 AC3D 8.0
• The latest AC3D 8.6 supports these newer PNG files.

If you want to use that PNG with AC3D 8, you will need to convert the PNG to an older PNG format.

I have converted it for you here:
www.inivis.com/external/marco2.png

If you are determined to not upgrade AC3D, you will need to do this yourself for all PNG files you use.

[Almdudler]

wasn't aware .png's had version updates later than 2003 (ISO/IEC 15948:2004 certificated version),
it represents a universal format used worldwide, especially on the net.

It works anyhwere else, for some reason it doesn't in AC3D.

i found out that creating .png's in Corel seems the source of the problem. Some sort of file definition must lead into a variant of png that makes it impossible
for AC3D to show it on the 3d-model.

Part of the solution (for me) is to re-open the finished .png in other paint programs, like paint.net (freeware) and save it again, let paint.net do automatic
recognition of file format settings. From now on, the textures do show in AC3D.

Another issue is that parts of the model would not show textures when running x-plane, despite everything looks fine in AC3D.
I havn't found a solution for this specific issue yet.