Windows with panes

[datasmithfc]

Can someone explain to me a good, prim-conserving method of creating windows that have individual panes of glass in them, like one would see in an old leaded glass window (as in a Thomas Kinkade style cottage?

 

I stuck this question here in Technical because I do not see Building and Texturing as an available option in the dropdown list.

My guess is that the wood framing around each pane would have to be non-transparent, while each pane itself would be transparent.

Thanks for any info on this...

[Yingzi Xue]

Are you using SL prims?  Converting SL prims to mesh via Mesh Studio?  Making them in Blender or other 3D modeling software?

Unless they're floor to ceiling, physics shape won't matter.  You can reduce prim count in SL prim windows by linking the window prims together, then setting all but the root to CONVEX HULL or NONE using the Features tab drop-down and look at the change in land impact/prims.  Note that the root prim cannot be NONE, it has to have a physics shape.  You can also link the windows to the build allowing you to make all of your window prims NONE or CONVEX HULL, whichever gives you more prim savings.

Another method is Mesh Studio, use it to convert your prims to mesh.  Set faces individual colors to separate them from each other.  Set inner faces to SL's default transparent texture (I have a script that automates this process; IM me in-world for a copy).  The inner faces that are transparent will be negated, maximizing prim savings.

Third method, just create the windows in Blender, the description of which is beyond  the scope of this forum; plenty of tutorials on YouTube.

[Rolig Loon]

Unless you're making mesh windows as Yingzi suggests -- your nicest option, by far, but a bit of work -- the "classical" way to do it is to spend a few minutes in Photoshop and make a simple 32-bit texture that has near transparency in the alpha channel where you want the glass panes to be and is otherwise opaque.  Here's a VERY low-grade (2 minute) example. If you set the glass areas to about 60 to 70% gray in the alpha channel so that only the streakiness on the glass shows, they'll look fairly convincing.  If I were doing this for real, I'd spend time making decent textures, but that's the general idea.

 Here's what it looks like in SL.  Not the nicest texture, but it works.... 

[Jenni Darkwatch]

If you go mesh, it's trivial. If you want prims-only, I'd use two prims: One hollow box for the frame, one hollow box for the glass. Use an alpha texture (with or without normal/spec) in alpha masking mode for details like lead and such on the outside of the "glass" box, use a separate alpha with normal+spec for the glass inside. Should come out as 1LI after linking.

The reason for the two alphas is alpha glitching. You can at least reduce the most obvious glitching by using an alpha masked texture for everything that's not solid. Depending on your source texture you can use the same texture for both alphas.

If you do read up on materials you can get fairly realistic glass these days too.

[Chic Aeon]

I am guessing you are new and yes, you are on the right track.

Assuming you don't know Blender (which would be the best choice if you want highest quality (IMHO), you can make the window you like out of prims then export it as a DAE file with a third party viewer. (Right Click on the object and choose "Save As" and DAE).  You can then import the dae file as mesh. There will be a charge but it should be just $11. You don't actually even need to have Blender to do this. (Blender folks please don't cringe ).

 

Firestorm will let you do this as well as some other third party viewers. You would only need to save the FRAME as mesh. The glass could be a prim set to convex hull and linked to the mesh later (this makes what is called a linkset -- you can unlink the pieces).

The mesh would be all one piece of course. To import it efficiently you would use a simple cube DAE as the physics model. So you would need to make one of those and save it too.

 

The guys on the mesh board can help you if you get stuck. AND you would be learning some nice new skills along the way

 

So you now have MANY choices to make your window. It just depends what will work out best for you.