New Image map shader settings in v3.1.02.0

[jo]

Hi everyone,

I thought I should draw people's attention to a new setting in the Image map shader in v3.1.02.0. This setting is called "Use alpha/transparency for direct blending". The purpose of this is to make it easier to blend an image with an alpha channel, or one which has transparency generated using a key colour, with the underlying surface layers. Previously this was a bit of a hassle. For example if you had an image with an alpha channel that you wanted to blend you would need to create another image map shader using the same image to generate a mask for the first shader.

This is all explained further, with some example images, in the Image map shader documentation:

http://www.planetside.co.uk/wiki/index.php?title=Image_Map_Shader_-_Effects_Tab

The Geog image map shader also has the same setting.

I just wanted to make sure people were aware of this so they don't keep doing things the old way.

Regards,

Jo

[bobbystahr]

Cool addition. Is there a way to get this to work in a Parts shader with for instance, a Stained Glass window where the Came needs to be fully opaque but the Coloured Glass areas would benefit from a Grayscale Alpha image controlling their density. Been trying everything including I think it was Martin's Bug Wing Solution from a while back, but can't get it working. I can zip up the project and send it if you want to see it...

[jo]

Hi Bobby,

Yes, I think it should work. I've attached an image using an image map shader and a water shader (for the "glass", obviously). The image map shader uses the same image in the docs, where the red areas are transparent in the alpha channel and the green are opaque. So this might work for you if you have a stained glass image with an alpha channel for transparency. I would have thought you could achieve the same thing using an image without an alpha channel masked with a greyscale image for transparency though.

Regards,

Jo

[bobbystahr]

I'll pack up my project and post it here...it's got me flummoxed I'd say
EDIT
here y go...hope you can 'shed some light' on my project

[bobbystahr]

in the project the window has glass that was originally a came map but was trying to get the blend alpha thing working on it as a background for the new cube/main stained glass which started this project as a mapping test.

[jo]

Hi Bobby,

I have to say I'm not too sure what's going on with your project at the moment. I should say I don't do a lot of diagnosing problems with node setups in other people's projects.

I have been doing some tests though. The method of masking one image map shader using another kind of works, but not really. In the stained glass example the came will still be transparent. However using an image with an alpha channel and the new stuff in the image map shader gives much better results, with opaque parts like the came staying opaque.

Regards,

Jo

[bobbystahr]

well I'll keep banging away at it...I have some other ideas I want to test for multi coloured windows that will hopefully transmit coloured light. will even post the failures but it'll be a day or 2 as a number of maps must be made.

[russe166]

Hi Jo!

Cool new function!

Is this also possible with imported objects?

Michael