Invisible character

[Streinger 0]

I'm trying to create an invisible character, and have some problems. My plan was to take an alfa-channel rsb (I used a reticule for that purpose), open up alfa-channel and pain it all black (so to be transparent in game), then copy/paste it onto character's texture.

It works perfectly on character's body (entirely invisible), but for some reason the head appears in black (reticule's RGB colour), as if the alfa-channel doesn't exist at all.

I tried to use different source texture, same thing...what might be causing it?

[Sixpence 0]

I think you have to work on the head.rsb. Its the Standard head for the charactres.

[Streinger 0]

Can you be a bit more speciffic there, mate? I used the head(s) textures assigned to that speciffic character and made them alfa-channeled. Are you saying I need to create new head textures and assign them to the character via actor file?

[DOG-ZEBRA 0]

if its an RSE .chr the head of the model will always be assigned to head.rsb, then the .atr file will redirect which image file to use in game. i think sixpence was suggesting maybe you need to mod the "head.rsb" file opposed to your "my_invisible_head.rsb" file.

[XE_Joker 0]

use the skinner to set the head to your new head instead of the default head. make it like heada.rsb or something along those lines.

[Streinger 0]

Ok, here's what I did; I used old_woman refugee character (or whatever it's called), and made a new body and head textures out of completely alfa-channeled reticule rsb. Like i said, it worked perfectly on the body, its' completely invisible, but the head appeares in it's new, re-textured form (black, like reticule rsb), it's like it completely ignores the alfa channel and won't become invisible.

I even tried to re-name the new head textures, and make the new actor file, directing the character to use those new textures/faces, but same thing happened.

This is confusing...it's obvious that the new textures are applied to the head, but for what reason it acts like there's no alfa-channel in them?

[DOG-ZEBRA 0]

here you go dude:

invisible character

everything is included, 3 different LOD .chr files, a Head and Body file, and a sample actor file.

it seems if the .chr has the Head.rsb file assigned it will not show up invisible. so i directly assigned the invisible_head file to the head geometry. it works like a charm, although the character will never blink, but hey who needs to see an invisible blink?

remember if you rename the files, make sure you re-assign the head geometry to directly to the newly renamed file.

good luck

Edited January 14, 2005 by DOG-ZEBRA

[Stalker 0]

Thanks DZ!

Do you mind when I take it too? ( I have some good ideas for cinematics )

[Streinger 0]

Thanks, mate It was getting painfully clear to me that my aproach won't work, and I'll have to put aside more important characters I was making for the mod, and make my invisible character in 3DSMax myself...you just saved me some work.

The point of making the invisible character was just so we can stage one intro animation, where we wanted certain soldiers to shoot at certain direction, without any (visible) target standing there...

Although that invisible sucker turned out to be such a pain that I'm thinking of scripting him making love to Wonder Woman on top of the Justice League building, just as horny Superman flies over....

[DOG-ZEBRA 0]