Hi all, so I'm trying to make a sign for my mod, which basically works like grafitti, that is, it's just painted words that I can slap whereever I want. I'm using Gimp for my texturing, and it appears that Gimp automatically generates an Alpha channel, which is pretty neat.

However, when I import the texture into the GECK, it shows up with this big black rectangle where the alpha should be.

Can somebody give me some pointers on how to fix this?

Make sure you're changing the normal too for one.

It certainly looks like I have!

I'm more familiar with photoshop than gimp, so it's probably something small I'm overlooking.

Does the mesh youre applying your texture to have a NiAlpha property? This is needed for the mesh to know what parts of the texture show and what done, also remember that in the textures alpha layer white is what shows and black turns invisible. Also, the texture needs to have the alpha wich changes this not the normal map.

I don't know what you are doing. you haven't explained the entirety of the set up, what mesh, what if happening in the mesh, the textures involved, ect method of creation, or just post files, so we don't have to speculate.

Alpha has nothing to do with the normal map.

I think if i understand the application, try 4333, 4844, or 4845 flag setting in the NiAlphaProperty. and just slap 150 in the threshold. You'll probably find a decent flag out of those 3.

Ah, this could be the problem.

I was using the Enclave poster (since it was around the right size and nice and flat), and applying my texture to it via a texture set.
I had no idea I needed to do anything else.

So I guess I'd have to make a whole new mesh to use my texture, then?

No, you dont need to make a new mesh, you can just add the NiAlphaProperty to the enclave mesh using NifScope. Or if you would like, just download the enclave posters i just added a alpha property to

http://www.4shared.com/file/5sNOqjGo/EnclavePostersWithAlphaPropert.html

Thanks! Worked like a charm.

glad to hear it worked, happy modding!