Hmm, yes, jfk EO-11110 , it is standard to check for the file etc. and I could have changed to that after the initial experiments .. ( It was necessary to have a screen at first so as to find out what on earth was going on with the strings. )
However, there is no problem with the way it is.
It is opened by a click on a file, and closed imediately after .. then you click another file. It does not have to deal with or survive an error. If the file is faulty, you simply get the usual blitz error .. which is all the info you are going to get anyway without a large amount of file analysing.
I just found it really satisfying that such simple code allowed very quick viewing from windows explorer . The thing could be built up, if someone wanted, into a comprehensive file modifier/viewer to their own taste, but then it would have to have error handling and much more.
About the 'transparency question' . Yes, one can use blitz commands in a program to show specified individual meshes and textures as one requires, it all seems to work correctly. The odd results only occur with models made with 3d modellers which include the settings in the file.. Well, supposedly include.
The modellers which I have been testing for compatibility with Blitz and Dark basic, most commonly use the term ' transparency' . It can be called opacity or translucence. One uses 'alpha' settings rather than transparency. But they all set this 'transparency' in the standard 0 - 1 range as does Blitz for alpha, and the effect is the same. One concludes it is a matter of convention in the naming.
And further testing has shown that it is not just blitz that handles 3ds transparency oddly. Some of the modellers themsleves do not display it upon reload .. AFTER saving the model.
Seems a fairly odd situation. Not easily solvable.
So I give up. For my own program efforts I can use X files, though they are quite large Ascii files on these modellers . Or else use 3ds models broken into groups , with specified settings for alpha (or whatever) applied by program. Then use and blitz parent/child to get the desired final appearance.
Thanks for responses in any case. cheers. David L.
However, there is no problem with the way it is.
It is opened by a click on a file, and closed imediately after .. then you click another file. It does not have to deal with or survive an error. If the file is faulty, you simply get the usual blitz error .. which is all the info you are going to get anyway without a large amount of file analysing.
I just found it really satisfying that such simple code allowed very quick viewing from windows explorer . The thing could be built up, if someone wanted, into a comprehensive file modifier/viewer to their own taste, but then it would have to have error handling and much more.
About the 'transparency question' . Yes, one can use blitz commands in a program to show specified individual meshes and textures as one requires, it all seems to work correctly. The odd results only occur with models made with 3d modellers which include the settings in the file.. Well, supposedly include.
The modellers which I have been testing for compatibility with Blitz and Dark basic, most commonly use the term ' transparency' . It can be called opacity or translucence. One uses 'alpha' settings rather than transparency. But they all set this 'transparency' in the standard 0 - 1 range as does Blitz for alpha, and the effect is the same. One concludes it is a matter of convention in the naming.
And further testing has shown that it is not just blitz that handles 3ds transparency oddly. Some of the modellers themsleves do not display it upon reload .. AFTER saving the model.
Seems a fairly odd situation. Not easily solvable.
So I give up. For my own program efforts I can use X files, though they are quite large Ascii files on these modellers . Or else use 3ds models broken into groups , with specified settings for alpha (or whatever) applied by program. Then use and blitz parent/child to get the desired final appearance.
Thanks for responses in any case. cheers. David L.