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Home ? Importing Assets ? totally stumped by transparent textures help?

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02/02/2012 16:11:10

DyllyMuvizu mogulExperimental user
Dylly
Posts: 555 		I'm having some problems with a prop I've made. I want to make part of it transparent or semi transparent (the wings). I've followed all the tutorials I can find...but either the model shows opaque in Muvizu or I get a nice transparency on the bit I want but then other sections of the model become transparent. Anyone know what I'm doing wrong?

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02/02/2012 16:37:20

mystoMuvizu mogulExperimental user
mysto
Posts: 471 		I'm not an expert on the subject but it would seem to me that there would be a way to do what you are wanting. Look at the helicopter model in Muvizu. The cockpit bubble is transparent while the rest of the model is opaque. Maybe one of the devs can chime in here with some advice?
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03/02/2012 01:34:59

DyllyMuvizu mogulExperimental user
Dylly
Posts: 555 		Hang on to your hats...I've had a Wright Brothers experience...whilst fiddling about trying to get the textures to work on the bee/wasp, I discovered how to make a 'multi-sub/object material' which has given me the ability to put several texture maps onto a single model. Although I've still not worked out how to get the bits I want transparent and everything else opaque. I moved on to trying to het the shot of my insect flying...discovered that I couldn't direct a grouped objects movement...discovered that I'm not deft enough to direct two objects to move in unison...HOWEVER

I did work out how to make a model and project wing movement onto a transparent section that is part of the model, by using a 'multi-sub-object' material and Jamie's transparent avi technique. So in effect it's like attaching a backdrop, with a transparent avi on it, onto a model (only better fitting) and being able to direct the objects movement.

Now I still have problems with the transparency of the objects but... propellers animated onto the front of an aeroplane model, rotors on a helicopter...moving wheels on a car....it's making my brain click over a bit...!

Here's a very short clip of it all working, with the settings I've used below that.





For some reason the insects legs seem to be using the same colour as the wings plane...and I do need to spend a bit of time animating the wings properly...but does it have possibilities?
edited by Dylly on 03/02/2012
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03/02/2012 04:48:14

mystoMuvizu mogulExperimental user
mysto
Posts: 471 		Since I've started using Muvizu my main focus has been to take what the program is currently capable of doing and try to create the best animations I can with the program all by itself. I guess I'm just a simple animator but I'm quite happy being that. I'll always try to create the best videos I can with Muvizu.

You and a few other Muvizuer's are taking Muvizu to whole new levels and IMHO I think it's great. It's the creative efforts and hard work and research of the Muvizu staff and people like you that are going to make Muvizu something even more special then it is right now.

Keep up the great work Dylly.
edited by mysto on 03/02/2012
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03/02/2012 09:28:03

DreekoMuvizu mogulExperimental user
Dreeko
Posts: 1257 		Dylly wrote:
So in effect it's like attaching a backdrop, with a transparent avi on it, onto a model


Yeh, I had a similar idea a while back about applying avi's but on to characters...

If we were to import one of the character textures templates into a video editing package (vegas, after effects etc.) and ensure that the video output dimensions remained the same as the template, we could create animated character textures by cropping and resizing small animations (a beating heart, animated tron style outfit etc) and placing them in the appropriate place on the body.

Yip, there is a fair amount of potential for animated textures. I have created a few that I'm still waiting to use for the right project eg a rain dripping down a wall and a rain bouncing on the ground texture.

There is definitely still so much that can still be created for Muvizu.

Sky's the limit

Cheers
D
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04/02/2012 21:28:25

ziggy72Muvizu mogulExperimental user
ziggy72
Posts: 1988 		Dylly you're a genius, but I have a coupla questions...

How do you make a 'multi sub/object material', and in what program?

I read elsewhere (on another of your posts, can't remember which one) that you could create a transparent texture using alpha channels on TGA files and what have you - I tried it, step by step, and it didn't work for me at all. See, really all I'd like to know is this - I have a (.ASE) wineglass, all one texture, and I want to make it semi-opaque - can it be done in Muvizu? And windows, God how I'd love to have windows with some glass in them. I've often wondered why there are transparent patio doors and helicopter canopies (like Mysto pointed out) and yet no windows.

Anyway, I await your wisdom, Master Yoda
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04/02/2012 21:44:57

DyllyMuvizu mogulExperimental user
Dylly
Posts: 555 		Multi-sub object material 3ds Max is from, young Jedi...ahem however there is a free lite version available from Turbo Squid, just register....but whether it can handle complex materials is a bit beyond me.

Jamie was the one that showed me some tutorials on transparency, and I’ve still not fully cracked it myself but to get your wine glass transparent into muvizu

I would use gimp or photoshop to play with the texture. In Photoshop just move the opacity slider of the layer so that the layer is semi transparent and save the document as a single layered document in either .png or .tga format. When you import into Muvizu import, click don’t use id, set alpha to transparent and leave as single sided. Now when I do this, I end up with a semi-transparent object. In Gimp remember to add alpha to the layer you want to be transparent and merge down each layer, don’t flatten image as this removes the alpha channel, until you have a single transparent layer, and then import into Muvizu.

I think I’ve sorted out the problems I was having with opaque bits of a model being transparent...I did say think...well I think it has something to do with the background colour of the original image map...still experimenting...!

Hope this helps if not mail me a link to the prop and I will try and get it into Muvizu semi opaque or transparent...see through?

Tim
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05/02/2012 14:55:40

ziggy72Muvizu mogulExperimental user
ziggy72
Posts: 1988 		Aha! Got it - my problem was not using Single Sided, which seems to mess up the transparent effect. Thank you again, Dylly, although I now have to find a better wine glass (the one I was using has some bad artefacting (is that a word?) but other .ASE files I tried looked excellent).

I don't have 3D Max, and I've seen you mention you can get if from TurboSquid before - I joined up a few weeks ago, but I don't see where on the site the lite version is. Any pointers would be appreciated
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05/02/2012 16:02:27

DyllyMuvizu mogulExperimental user
Dylly
Posts: 555 		here we go .... http://www.turbosquid.com/gmax
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05/02/2012 17:18:43

ziggy72Muvizu mogulExperimental user
ziggy72
Posts: 1988 		Thanks, got that - might've helped if TurboSquid has actually made any effort to tell you what 'GMax' actually was... still, it's free, can't complain
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