[Graesholt]

So I want to optimize the default sniper scope (which is to say that I would like to repaint it in High Definition, so I don’t have to look at the blocky pixilation every time I snipe.

I already have an understanding of how to edit the .IMG and .TXD files and where the scope picture is located.

My question is;
What does the scope picture itself have to contain? I’m pretty sure it has to contain both a texture and then a file detailing transparency. How do I pull that off (Does that have something to do with these .TGA files, about which I can find no info).
Or am I completely wrong?
I don’t know.

Anyway, if there’s already a mod out there with a High Resolution scope in the style of the default version that would be fine too.
So far I’ve only found mods that change the scope to high resolution, but drops the default style.
That’s not what I’m looking for.

Happy for any help and answers

[toddlar]

If the original .TXD has the "alpha transparency" label underneath it, just ensure you save your edited image as a.png with transparency enabled when exporting. You only need the one image file.

[Graesholt]

Okay, I think I understood what you meant, but alas, I'm faced with a new problem.
It seems that TXD Workshop is unable to edit Alpha Channels for some reason, and herefore I cannot carry out the deed.
I tried installing G-TXD, but no matter how many programs and fixed I threw at it, it was unable to run (crashed on startup).
So new question: What program could anyone recommend to edit alpha textures within TXD files?
Someone somewhere said that Photoshop could be used, but I don’t have that at the moment.

Thank you

[toddlar]

my god, how about you upload the txd to mediafire and the scope image to an image site and ill do it for you

[Graesholt]

I am sorry if I have somehow offended you with my ignorance. This was never my intention.
Generous as your offer is, I would appreciate it more if you could simply recommend a program for me, with which I could edit the files myself.
That way I would be able to try a few things if it does not look right the first time around.

Thank you.

P.S.
Please try accept that as opposed to many others on this site, I have only been into working with the games files for about five days.
Please accept that I’m not a professional quite yet.

[ZAZ]

QUOTE (Graesholt @ Sunday, Aug 5 2012, 11:39)

I am sorry if I have somehow offended you with my ignorance. This was never my intention. Generous as your offer is, I would appreciate it more if you could simply recommend a program for me, with which I could edit the files myself. That way I would be able to try a few things if it does not look right the first time around. Thank you. P.S. Please try accept that as opposed to many others on this site, I have only been into working with the games files for about five days. Please accept that I’m not a professional quite yet.

textures:
*.tga and *.png are famous picture file formats which can have alpha channel
the textures without alpha are mostly *.bmp
use Adobe Photoshop to edit/create *.tga

txd:
export sniper.txd with IMG Tool
open, edit or create a txd file with TXD Workshop
the ultimate version for SA was 4.0b
i'm surprised that there are added new versions of 2012

open your txd file and select the texture you wanna change
then export the new texture
click on properties and make shure that they are correct
then save the file and close it

open again the file and look if everything is still ok

problems:
textures can be broken for some reasons
for example if you change a texture whithout alpha to one with alpha
after reopening the alpha channel is blind
solution: take another txd file which already have an alpha texture and change it
it needs then to make the properties equal and also the other textures

big textures can be broken for some reasons
click on properties and disable "dxt compressed"

try again and again to modify the txd file and if it's ok after reopening, then import it into gta3.img

use the good old IMG Tool to change files of gta3.img
delete first the existing sniper.txd then import the new one

IMPORTANT: run "Rebuild Archiv" after changing something inside of IMG

[Graesholt]

Thank you ZAZ, for your very helpful reply.

Upon realizing (and after accepting) that it was the only way, I downloaded the trial version of Photoshop, which was more than adequate for the task at hand.

I am still not completely done with the project, though I am already seeing a vast improvement on the sniper Scope.
I still need to tweak a few objects and play a little around with the transparency of them, but I will soon be ready to upload a mod which changes nothing but the resolution of the sniper scope from 128x128 pixels to 512x512, without altering its appearance (That is to say, its general shape. When you change the resolution, the appearance is of course altered with it (but for the better)).

Thank you for your help

P.s.:
I will post a download link here when I get the file uploaded, simply for good measure.

[Graesholt]

Here is the link, I'm just waiting for the file to be approved:

http://www.gtagarage.com/mods/show.php?id=21425

Thanks to everyone who helped in the making