Hi all.

If i want to use environment fog in a scene where Im using opacity map, i never get the object 100% transparent. Anybody got a great idea how to solve this?

Imagine character with opacity map in the hair, under water. How would you create this?

My problem is the fact that the opacity is not fully transparent. see attached files.

-thanks !

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16106_jEhHCCtqFCDgSPqDHgl5.zip

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you want to create some water? and make it move like the sea? i think the fog is a bit to thick. if the transparency is set to a 100% then lower it use the active shade so you can see the Opacity change try and use the spector level and turn that up

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the problem is not to make this move like water, but to have the opacity map 100% transparent. Now, even though the map is pure black and white and the opacity is set to 100%, its not usable.

any ideas?

this is an example tutorial.

first reset max and create a plane in the front view and then behind make 3 cylinders in the top view make them big but not to big hit the W to move them so the are hidden behid the plane. Use the ach rotate the one with the yellow circle around it if you hold down the first arc rotate you will find to more choose the one with the yellow circle arond it arch rotate the the plane is facing you in the p.view.with the left and right cournts alined.

second step select the plane and apply your material slider down to the maps rollout hit the + plus sign open it or you can use the opcity map box and do it that way hit the bitmap button add that photo you have in your scene now hit the render button or the F9 key you should be a able to see the cyinders behind the plane under the tiling i would set it 4.0 by 4.0 in the U and V. go up-to parent. time to bump up the specutlar to about 59% and Render go back down to the maps and drag the specutlar map to the specutlar color. And do the same for the specutlar level and re-render it again.

Time to add transparency add it to the material editor and apply it to your scene in material editor you see a checkered box when you hold the mouse over it. the box will say “background” three down press the background buiton. In the slot you’ll get different colors for the background you can see the amound of transparency when you knock it down to about 56%.

Anytime that your using the transparency mapping you should alway consider weather or not you can see not just into the front and over to tthe back part as well. IF indeed you can you need to be turning on the 2 sided option check (tick) that now in the material editor you can see the front and back -side another example is a great one a drinking glass you can see through the center of the glass. then around the edges

if you click extended paramitors here you can control your transparency but this is to deep at the moment

Time to add the fog your looks a bit washed out go to rendering environments and add the fog uncheck (untick) fog background knock the far down to about 57.6 and take the near up-to about 36.6%. Change to layered take the desity down to about 37

Computer engineer, 3ds max freelancer
3ds max used currantly using max 9 (7, 8)
poser using 8 (5,6,7)
windows xp sp2
512 memory
40 and 80 gb hard drives
sis mirage 3 VGA Card
Asus motherboard

I’m not sure about Fog, but I know with glows you need to check the Exponential box in the Effect to get it to work with Transparency.

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As Tim said “you can add a glow from the the Rendering menu > Effects > Environment and Effects dialog > Effects panel > Add > Add Effect dialog > Lens Effects > Choose Glow, and click the (>) arrow button” or you can add a glow from the Video post!

Computer engineer, 3ds max freelancer
3ds max used currantly using max 9 (7, 8)
poser using 8 (5,6,7)
windows xp sp2
512 memory
40 and 80 gb hard drives
sis mirage 3 VGA Card
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I did not say anything. Chris was just using that as a parallel type of situation.

I played with your file two nights ago and could not get anything much better. A Raytrace material seemed to be going in a good direction, but the transparent areas had no fog and therefore rendered darker.

Environment effects and opacity do not play nice together.

Just had another go at it. You did not mention which version of Max you have. I tested on 2009.
Use mental ray as the renderer.
Use an Arch & Design material.
Put your map in the Cutout slot. Adjust the Blur setting on the map’s Coordinates rollout, to remove the “black” edge.

Tim Wilbers [FA]

College of Arts and Sciences
Department of Visual Arts
University of Dayton
http://www.udayton.edu/
3ds Max: 7.5, 8, 9, 2008, 2009, 2010

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Tim
You did on another thread don’t you remember

Computer engineer, 3ds max freelancer
3ds max used currantly using max 9 (7, 8)
poser using 8 (5,6,7)
windows xp sp2
512 memory
40 and 80 gb hard drives
sis mirage 3 VGA Card
Asus motherboard