Planetside Software Forums

Support => Terragen Support => Topic started by: Balletdude on July 06, 2022, 01:12:26 PM

Title: opacity function not working
Post by: Balletdude on July 06, 2022, 01:12:26 PM
I'm sure I'm doing something wrong, I'm trying to use the opacity tab on the default shader on a cube.
I've attached an image texture, it shows up in the view port, but not when RTP is active. I try to render it and it shows the cube as solid.
If i attach something to the function tab, this time nothing happens at all, the cube is just shown as solid

Any ideas
Title: Re: opacity function not working
Post by: Kevin Kipper on July 06, 2022, 01:32:00 PM
Hi Balletdude,

Yes this is a known issue with an object's opacity and has been noted in the online documentation.  For rendering, it's either on or off, and the cutoff value is 0.5 I believe.

https://planetside.co.uk/wiki/index.php?title=Default_Shader_4.5#Opacity_Tab

Perhaps there's another way of approaching what you're trying to do?  Can you tell us more about what you're trying to accomplish?
Title: Re: opacity function not working
Post by: Balletdude on July 06, 2022, 01:40:54 PM
Quote from: Kevin Kipper on July 06, 2022, 01:32:00 PMHi Balletdude,

Yes this is a known issue with an object's opacity and has been noted in the online documentation.  For rendering, it's either on or off, and the cutoff value is 0.5 I believe.

https://planetside.co.uk/wiki/index.php?title=Default_Shader_4.5#Opacity_Tab

Perhaps there's another way of approaching what you're trying to do?  Can you tell us more about what you're trying to accomplish?

Nothing really. Just playing with nodes. Trying to learn more about them so I can apply it to other projects.

off topic,

I have sent you a file yesterday, with some more stuff with blue nodes



Title: Re: opacity function not working
Post by: WAS on July 07, 2022, 12:17:50 AM
If you want true transparency, you can try the glass trick. It can use a 0-1 range for masking transparency intensity from invisible to solid. But it doesn't work well with volume. And I think there is a version of TG where it stopped working due to an update Matt put in. Not sure which version that was.

Basically, plug a double-sided glass shader (with reflections set to 0) into the main input of a surface layer, then your colour/material into the child, then the masking image/shape/PF to the mask of the surface shader.
Title: Re: opacity function not working
Post by: Balletdude on July 07, 2022, 05:14:03 AM
Quote from: WAS on July 07, 2022, 12:17:50 AMIf you want true transparency, you can try the glass trick. It can use a 0-1 range for masking transparency intensity from invisible to solid. But it doesn't work well with volume. And I think there is a version of TG where it stopped working due to an update Matt put in. Not sure which version that was.

Basically, plug a double-sided glass shader (with reflections set to 0) into the main input of a surface layer, then your colour/material into the child, then the masking image/shape/PF to the mask of the surface shader.

Thanks. I was really just playing with the default shader to see what I could do with the opacity and translucency options. But thats good to know