Translucency on Terrain... Or objects

[Andrew]

So I've done some poking around (hopefully enough poking around, I don't like missing things ) and I haven't been able to find a tutorial or any mention of how you can apply a translucency effect to objects, much less a terrain. I know it can be done, as it's shown in a screen from Planetside's image gallery http://www.planetside.co.uk/gallery/v/tg2gallery/translucency_test_01.jpg.html, but I've got no idea how to do it myself.

Now, I've got a decent amount of knowledge with TG2, nothing amazing, but if told how I'm sure I can follow through.

If anyone'll know how to do it, I'm sure it's you guys.

-Andrew

[old_blaggard]

Actually, transparency hasn't been officially implemented yet.  It will definitely be available before the final release, though.

[RealUser]

This isn't translucency, it is sub surface scattering.

[Kevin F]

This isn't translucency, it is sub surface scattering.

Which is what, exactly?

Kevin

[bvcastilho]

Hi,

Sub surface scattering refers to the light scattering not on the material surface but in layers inside the material. This happens in nature for semi-translucent materials like jade, ice and skin(shine you hand closely with a flash light...). And that effect is what differentiate most some materials.

http://www.dedalo-3d.com/public/forum/index.php?a=topic&topic=1111837542.23

http://www.highend3d.com/maya/tutorials/rendering_lighting/shaders/135.html

Recently lot of research has been done on sub surface scattering to reproduce human skin realistically in 3D programs. And most of the 3D recent versions has this capability on materials definition.

http://graphics.ucsd.edu/~henrik/papers/bssrdf/

No sub-surface:

With sub-surf.:

"" Subsurface scattering
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subsurface_scattering

Subsurface scattering (or SSS) is a mechanism of light transport in which light penetrates the surface of a translucent object, is scattered by interacting with the material, and exits the surface at a different point. The light will generally penetrate the surface and be reflected a number of times at irregular angles inside the material, before passing back out of the material at an angle other than the angle it would reflect at had it reflected directly off the surface. Subsurface scattering is important in 3D computer graphics, being necessary for the realistic rendering of materials such as marble, skin, and milk.  ""


Cheers,
Bruno.

[moodflow]

When TG2 implements subsurface scattering, water transparency, soft shadows, (and a few bug fixes), it will be untouchable.   I can't wait!   

[Andrew]

Word.

Thanks for all the info guys!

[rcallicotte]

Agreed.

When TG2 implements subsurface scattering, water transparency, soft shadows, (and a few bug fixes), it will be untouchable.   I can't wait!