Winmip2 Gauge Transparent Help - Photoshop

[Blaise]

Hello hello! I was hoping someone could help me out with a little updating I'm doing for myself to the MENCS19 gauges. I'm working in Photoshop CC and Winmip 2.16.6 btw.

Steps I'm doing:
1. Opening gauge.mip from original MENCS19 mod in Winmip
2. Export to .tga
3. Open tga in Photoshop and make my edits.
4. Merge layers and then create black and white alpha channel.
5. Save as .tga 32bit no compression
6. Open .tga in Winmip and convert to MIP (Type 11, Mapp 3, 40 Priority)

This works perfectly! Then I do the same for gauge_red.mip and works perfectly. But when I have both of the new mips files in the game I, they both have my new edits but I get no needle. FY I made no changes to the needle so it's still white in the center with orange arm.

Has anyone else had this problem or can you give some advice?

 

[Lastlap]

I don't use a black and white alpha channel, I use the original invis pink.

 

[Blaise]

So everything that is transparent is pink? What color is the rest on the alpha channel? Or do you even put that info in the alpha channel at all?

 

[Lastlap]

I don't use a TGA so no need for any alpha channels. Just a .bmp

Sub-Im. 11, Type 10, Mapp. 3

 

[Blaise]

I'm not sure what the heck I'm doing wrong here. Flattened BMP saved at 24bit. It's like Winmip isn't even seeing that I'm selecting an invis. color

 

[Lastlap]

Don't select the invis colour from the palette, use 'shift + left click' on the flat, that should select the colour for you.

 

[Blaise]

Yup! I just read that little tid bit from the manual. Damn the details! Thank you so much Lastlap. My eyeballs aren't so good so having these gauges a little less flashy is going to help the quick glance.

 

[Lastlap]

Glad you got it sorted. Best tip I can give when editing/replacing a file is just update the original converted file.

I would convert mip to bmp, save bmp as psp/psd to edit layers and then just copy merge the new and paste layer over the bmp and save. Then convert the bmp to mip using the same original settings.

I'm sure there might be a better or easier way, but I know that if the file original showed up in game, any changes should not matter as long as the saved settings are the same/correct.

With regards to the red gauges, only Tach, Water, Fuel psi & Oil psi show in game. Volts never change and Oil temp doesn't show a warning. Also, the dash only sees the needle from the gauge mip, that's why it's not on my red version.