There's been a great deal of discussion regarding TGA files, I couldn't find an answer so apologies if this has already been done to death.... The problem is why, when I export my model to MSTS, are bmp textures converted to ace textures no problem but tga textures are not? I end up coverting them via Route-Riter MakeAce so it's not really a show-stopper, I just wondered if anybody knows how to fix it.

Thanks

Paul

Normally they are converted (if you use the wizard). I can't remember for certain but I think there may be a MSTS patch that is required.

Is anyone else having this problem?

Richard

I frequently do my texturing with TGA files and haven't seen this problem. 3DC is always able to convert them to ACE's automatically. Could it be that the TGA files are 'compressed'? I think the conversion utility requires them to be 'uncompressed' TGA files.

Wayne

I've just checked Paint Shop Pro (6), the tga file save was set to compressed, I changed this to uncompressed but I still can't export tga files using the MSTS Wizard, but I can convert using Makeace. Weird, but there you go.

The mystery continues.

I think 3DC uses makeace for the conversion. Is makeace in the usual spot in the MSTS UTILS directory. Have you moved the MSTS directory since the initial install? If so, did you updated the registry entry after you moved it.

Are your tga files square and of the correct size - ie 32x32, 64x64 etc

Does 3DC report any errors, or does it just quietly fail to do the conversion?

PS. I tried removing my makeace from my UTILS directory. 3DC didn't report any errors, but also did not convert the TGA file.

Let us know what you find.


Wayne

Ok, well I did a search and makeace.exe is located in 2 directories:

C:\Program Files\Route_Riter\TempFiles
C:\Program Files\Microsoft Games\Train Simulator\UTILS

Both are identical file sizes and dates. I guess when I use Route Riter to convert the TGA to ACE it must use the former makeace file. The TGA files are the correct format AFAIK, and as said above the wizard has no probs with bmp to ace files - only tga files. The only difference I can think of, is that when I use makeace via route riter, a small dos window opens and closes very quickly - I don't see this when using the wizard.

Paul

Hi Paul,

Route-Riter just copies the makeace.exe from your MSTS Utils folder, so it will always be the same one.

The reason you get a DOS box appear when RR runs is that it opens a DOS shell to be able to run Makeace.exe from within RR.

Make sure your .tga files are uncompressed 24 bit in the PSP save options, otherwise you will get odd effects.

Mike.

Well, now that you mention it...

My 1024x1024 textures always fail... but that's probably MakeAce's fault, so I resort to manually converting them with TGATOOL2... once you know that's what you need to do... it gets easy.