Net bridge, issue on semi transparend rendering

fidudjan

I try to model a net bridge over a lagooning zone (marsh), something like this pict1)
Until now I got a middle succes (at my level) using the wonderful skin plugin and a wire fence material. pict 2)
However the rendering with podium does not take into account the semi transparency of this material .
Any clue ? (or improvement suggestions)

Fred

tinanne

Three things....

Is the net a front face or back face? And is it grouped? I beleive, in Podium, you have to apply the texture to the actual face, not the group, and it should be a front face.
Scale your "net" texture smaller.
Cool project!

Gaieus

I don't know if Podium can interpret alpha transparency. In most rendering apps you use clipmasks for something like that (although the latest Kerkythea can use alpha masks but it needs to be manually checked - maybe it has always been there I'd just never noticed).

tinanne

i think it can... I did a pool rendering using Podium and the water was semi-transparent. Wouldn't that be the same thing?

fidudjan

Thanks for your advices.

I did a try to set the material on each individual face (skin does creates a component) but it did not change.
The only way I can get transparency with podium is to use a semi transparent material (transparency set within SU). Otherwise with material that have png transparency but that are not set transparent in SU, it seems that it does not work.
I guess that correspond to what Gaieus was telling (but I am not familiar with graphical formats)

Fred

Gaieus

A clipmap is a regular raster image (say jpg) that has only black and white "colours" in it. You apply it over the diffuse image (the "real" material) in rendwering engines. Anything that is white will be visible and what is black will be transparent.

Now since I don't use Podium, I don't know how (or whether) you can apply clipmasks. Hpefully Pete (solo) will chhime in - he's a master of Podium (I'll PM him).

solo

Frederick, I sent you a PM.

Gaieus

And now wi'll never know the solution?!

solo

LOL, for those that need to understand clip-maps here is a quick tutorial.
http://www.websitetoolbox.com/tool/post/supodiumforum/vpost?id=2442506

I PM'ed Frederick so that he could upload the model and not need tho share it on open forum.

Gaieus

Yeah, I've seen that (believe or not I often lurk around the Podium forums )
Thanks for linking it!

solo

Is this in line of what you require?

If yes I will send you the diffuse and clips.

fidudjan

Definitely it is !!!
Thanks a lot. I will now read the tutorial you did mention.

(but I am not really found of the 3D guy ! it is for shadow test I guess )