Strange graphics in xplane - unexplained blotchiness

[Nicola_M]

Hi Guys

I'm hoping someone might know what's going on. I've created a livery using Photoshop 7, as per usual. All seemed to go well, and the livery worked fine in Planemaker. However, when I loaded it up in xplane to take the screenshots, the main Rescue graphic has gone all blotchy and I don't know why. It was created from scratch in Photoshop.

I've got all of the rendering settings in xplane turned down or to off in places.

Oddly, the blotchiness goes if I change the Layer for the body colour to white, but if I have black ANYWHERE on the body, the blotchiness returns. I've tried putting two layers of the Rescue graphic over each other in the hope that the blotchiness wouldn't come through, but it doesn't work.

Is this a graphics card issue or an xplane issue? (xplane 9.70)

Don't know how to get round this, I've tried everything but it's got me stumped. Anyone got any ideas?

Here's how it shows in Photoshop 7


And how it looks in Planemaker


And finally, the abortion as it appears in xplane 9.70

 

[RealScenery]

Hi Nicola,

 

Been a big admirer of your liveries for a long time. Have you created a full-black livery before? Just curious what the differences might be. One thing you might try, if you suspect it's the black giving you problems, is to not use the full RGB black value of 0 0 0, but try 1,1,1 (extremely dark gray - still visibly black) and see if it helps.There are times when using full values in a color model cause rendering issues, although it can be hard to diagnose these types of errors.

 

Good luck!

Edited January 30, 2013 by RealScenery

[Nicola_M]

Thanks RS. Yes, I've done just one all-black livery so far, and that came out okay (although there weren't many large red graphics in that one).

 

I'll give your idea a go and see if that cures it.

[Nicola_M]

Uh, not sure where I'm meant to be looking. Couldn't find anything in PS7 to adjust RGB other than Channel Mixer, which wouldn't actually let me change any of the settings:

 

 

So I selected the black layer and went Image/Adjustments/Replace Color and selected a dark grey. However, the problem is the same.

[RealScenery]

Try removing your other colored layers one at a time until you find the offending layer, then try adjusting the color slightly of the offender. It could be another color, like red, that is creating a problem for your video card. Have you tried this in other versions of X-Plane (10_32bit 10_64bit, 9)? Could be an X-Plane issue as well. How about your other black livery. Does it appear fine in the same version of X-Plane as your blotchy one?

 

Just some more ideas to try...

 

Good luck!

[Nicola_M]

Thanks RS.  I've tried everything.

 

So far the black layer is underneath the red graphic, they're on separate layers. I've tried removing the black which would be under the graphic itself, so there'd be no reason for any bleedthrough,  no luck.

Tried removing all layers, even to just having the black layer and the red graphic layer, no luck.

Tried removing the red graphic and putting a large red text word in place, and that seemed okay.

The red graphic is fine on a white or light grey background. It's just this black layer which is causing the problem, but as that's the colour of the livery I can't select a different colour even though that would solve it.

 

The problem seems to be this red graphic combined with the black layer beneath it.

Edited January 30, 2013 by Nicola_M

[Nicola_M]

Just discovered one thing, if I remove everything and just have the black body colour, and then add the red graphic without the gold edging, then it's reasonably okay. A bit jagged around the edges, but no blotchiness. As soon as I add the gold edging, the blotchiness returns. Gold edging on its own is fine. It seems like a combination of the black backing, red graphic and gold edging, all of which are needed for this livery.

 

I don't know if this is an xplane problem or if I've come up with a design which is either too taxing for xplane, or too taxing for my graphics card.

(Rendering Options states loaded textures come to 176.35mb, which my 256mb card should be able to cope with).

Edited January 30, 2013 by Nicola_M

[RealScenery]

Great! How wide is the gold edging? If it's only a pixel or two, try widening your line work slightly. Could be the video drivers are working unsuccessfully to render extremely thin line work.

Edited January 30, 2013 by RealScenery

[Nicola_M]

Okay, I can solve that by filling in the gold edging, as its layer sits underneath the red and above the black. By filling it in should help. Will give that a go and report back in a few mins.

[Nicola_M]

No that didn't do it. It's not as blotchy as it was, but still not perfect. And the edging is barely visible, also the red seems to have taken on an orange shade.

 

[Nicola_M]

Ah, as soon as I go Image/Adjustments/Replace Colour and make that orange into a red, the blotchiness comes back.

[RealScenery]

How about removing the gold completely, or trying another similar color, like yellow-brown. It's a simulator. Due to limitations of computer hardware/software, you may have to "get close" but it won't be an exact match with the real livery. Maybe you could have some others with the BK try it and see if they get similar results as you?

Edited January 30, 2013 by RealScenery

[Nicola_M]

Yeah, I'm discovering any other colour works okay, just as long as it's not black, red or gold (below).  This one's got me beat. I think I'll just have to accept that this livery's got to go in the bin. Shame, as there were two variants of it, plus a new interior to go with them. Oh well, thanks anyway.

 

[RealScenery]

Is that green 100% green (RGB 0 255 0) or some mix of RGB values? This goes back to my original post. If you haven't already, you might try a red that's not 100% pure, like RGB 250 0 0, or 255 1 1, or some other reddish hue until you come up with a mix that works.

Edited January 30, 2013 by RealScenery

[Nicola_M]

Yes, but read my post above (#4) - I don't know where to look to change RGB, and Channel Mixer won't let me change its settings.

No idea what percentage that green is. Again, wouldn't know where to look to check.

The only way I can select "near" red values is to do it via Image/Adjustments/Replace Colour but if I select anything resembling red then the blotchiness returns.

But there's no real point having incorrect colours just so xplane can run it, at the expense of accuracy. That's when it stops being a livery, and starts being a creation.

 

I just can't believe a simple black backing with some red and gold causes xp to fall over. My D-HBUR livery was much more intensive on it (surely) than that.

 

Can't say this makes me feel exactly enthusiastic about making anything more for xplane.

Edited January 30, 2013 by Nicola_M

[Nicola_M]

As a result of this, I have quit making liveries. There's just no point, if xplane won't run it.

[Mike Hotel]

Ah, come on, just a bump in the road.

 

Had the same problem checking liveries in XP10 lately. Began swearing, switched on HDR for a quick flight - and the the livery lost its edges. Huh, it was a beta... Isnt XP a constant beta?

 

I never tried to convert the .png files to .dds to check the pre-compressed stuff. Could be that your 256MB VRAM is on overload and detail gets lost a the livery.

 

Please have anyone with a VRAM monster check the livery to backup your new title being ex-whatever. Seems to be a new trend around here lately...

 

Cheers,

Mike

 

PS: I run a 256MB VRAM Mac at home. And yes, it sucks. Feel better

[Nicola_M]

Thanks Mike, but no this isn't a bump. I use xp9.70 so it's not a beta, and with absolutely no scenery/trees/roads etc etc installed my 256 card was happily not under load at 176mb, so I can't blame the card.

Whatever the cause, I can't resolve it and I'm damned if xplane is going to dictate what liveries I can and can't do, for me to find out only when I've spent long hours of work.

 

No, this experience has irreparably eroded my enthusiasm for creating anything further for xplane.

[JazAero]

Is anti-aliasing turned on in Photoshop? This often causes the border with two colors to to create blotchy patterns when the program alters the RGB values of the intermittent pixels. Just a thought