Nova2000 comes with an extensive set of bitmaps. The bitmaps are Windows BMP files with 256 colors and most have a size of 256x256 pixels. These sets of bitmaps or NOVA bitmaps should be installed into your main FS2K\TEXTURE folder or into your working TEXTURE folder.
Nova2000 uses only BMP bitmaps. BMP pictures converted to textures are no longer needed or supported.
Bitmaps color palette and size specifications:
- You must use a maximum color palette of 256 colors.
- The width and height of the bitmap must be a multiple of 2 to the power of 2 as in the following examples:
- Symmetric Bitmaps sizes:
- 2x2 pixels
- 4x4 pixels
- 8x8 pixels
- 16x16 pixels
- 32x32 pixels
- 64x64 pixels
- 128x128 pixels
- 256x256 pixels
- 512x512 pixels
- 1024x1024 pixels
- Other combinations are also possible like
- 512x32 pixels, or
- 1024x16 pixels or
- 256x512 pixels and more.
- A Bitmap of 16x37 will not work and you will get a black object in your scenery.
Bitmap Transparency conventions:
- You might need to use the transparency option in your objects for special effects such as making windows in a control tower.
- The standard color used for transparencies is the black color or RGB(0,0,0).
- There are also some utilities to create an extended bitmap type, like BMP2000 from Martin Wright, that can include a transparency layer in the bitmap itself. This transparency layer should also use the RGB(0,0,0) black for this purpose.
- The transparencies can have up to 16 degrees of transparency from 100% full transparent to 100% opaque.
This is the panel where you can select your transparencies and color as applicable.
You can choose your colors from a variety of sources either by changing the 3 Red, Green, Blue spinners, or clicking the appropriate box in the right table, or clicking over the rainbow picture.
The bottom spinner controls the transparency degree from 100% to 0 or, if you like, from full transparent to full opaque.
A full 100 transparent option doesn't use any color of course.
If you want your transparency to light up at night click on the 'Lit at night' box.
The example shows the selected color with a 20% of transparency, almost opaque as you can see, and the transparency will be lit up at night.
- Bitmap names can be up to 255 characters long.
- Special characters such as a blank space or a dash are not allowed due to Nova's internal macro instructions.
- FS2K introduces the use of different textures for day and night effects as well as for seasonal effects such as with trees.
- This means that you will normally make at least 2 bitmaps for each object - one for daylight and the second for nightlight. The following conventions must be followed to make those bitmaps work properly in FS2K:
- Let's assume your primary or day bitmap name will be named HOUSE.bmp
- All NIGHT bitmaps must have the _lm characters added at the end to the bitmap name so, in our case, it will be HOUSE_LM.BMP
- If your bitmap is a tree and you want to have a different tree for each season then your bitmap file names would be -
- OAK.BMP will be visible only in Summer
- OAK_FA.BMP will be visible only in Autumn
- OAK_WI.BMP will be visible only in Winter
- OAK_SP.BMP will be visible only in Spring