Auto Running Numbers

Part 4

Setting up the mesh. You need to make a square plane for each digit so if you have a 6 digit running number you need 24 planes. I start with one, make it just a little bit bigger than the number on the skin texture, make 5 copy, and then add the 6 textures(digit_1.tga to digit_6.tga). The UVmap is done by the "from view" option. This should look like the photo in the last post. Note that there is a gap between the squares. After you get a set of 6 made you can copy, move, and size for the other side and the ends.

If you need less than 6 digits, you can move them to a new layer. You will always need digit_6 so remove digits from the left to the right, that is digit_1 then digit_2 then digit_3 and so on.

The size of the "digit_n" should be the same as the "alphanumber_n.tga" texture, I use 16x16, 8x8 is to small and 32x32 is only good for large numbers.

Using two or more fonts.

This is done by copying and editing names and textures.

First the "digit_n.tga" is renamed to "digit_na.tga" and a new copy is named "digit_nb.tga" where n is 1 to 6 only. for three fonts you would make 6 more with "digit_nc.tga". You also have to make/edit the .texture.txt files.

In use put all the "a's" as one font and all the "b's" as the other.

Note that the color of the texture is the same for "a" and "b" only the name changes. This is in the Wiki and the old CCG's.

Last is how to change the number font and color. This is the textures in the folder "car_alpha_numbers".  The names are just like the "digit" names, just that "alphanumber" is used for "digit" and you must always have 10 that is "alphanumber_n.tga" where n is 0 to 9.

Color change is done by opening the "alphanumber_n.tga" in Photoshop or what ever you use and change the color but not to a solid one or you get an error from CMP. The ones I use have more than one RGB number. In Photoshop you can use a Variation tool that will change the color from say white to green and remember the RGB change so you can open the next one an apply the same change, saves a lot of time as you have to do this 10 times.

Font change is a bit harder as it is in the alpha channel so you need to know how to edit that in your pant program. If you know how you just change the font. You can some times edit just one number some times if all the other numbers are right. I do this with Arial as the "1" has a serif witch is not right most of the time and simple to fix. Keep track of the size and what the number is, in some of my first ones I had two "4"s and no "5".

Over all look at what others have done.