CompuServe Messages

>>detailed label map… You may have to render at a much higher resolution to get enough detail, at the expense of greater memory usage, of course. Remember to render to a compressed file to save disk space (I like compressed TGA), 24-bit, with alpha on. (A GIF will not work, since it contains no alpha data and therefore the edges cannot be anti-aliased.) Small hint: for any image, use "View File Alpha" (from the Options menu in the materials editor) to verify that the image contains proper alpha data. If your labels are all small, flat, widely spaced, and you need extreme closeups, you may very well be better off with using the 2D text objects directly, as Alan the Master first suggested, rather than trying to make texture maps. If you are running up against memory limitations, remember the timeless advice of using low resolution stand-ins for long shots, switching to hi-res objects or maps as you get very close. Takes a lot more planning & juggling, however… >>it doesn't work, bitmap doesn't show up… I have two machines here (this 486 for CIS, and a P5 for 3DS) and I went thru each step on the second machine to verify something wasn't lost in my poor memory. It's for projects like this I wish we all lived in the same city. 30 minutes together in front of a monitor could save hours of false starts – but then, you wouldn't get to have all the fun you're having exploring! Half the fun is getting there, unless you're already late. <g> JKJ