I deleted the previous post because the graphic example didn't show up. I'm trying to attach it again.

Check the tiling settings for the color and transparency texture maps.  Try changing the tiling to 'mirror'.

Depends on which version of Vue you are using.

Version 4.x used to do this a lot with transparency mapped objects when there was volumetric lighting. From my own experimentation, this is resolved in version 6 (at least in Vue 6 Esprit).

What version of Vue are you using, and what type of lighting is hitting the objects?

I'm using Vue 6 Infinite. Spectral with global ambience.

I set tiling to mirror for allplanes. the transparency is 100%. I even tried to make the transparency 0%, but that was worse, obviously. The change doesn't make a difference. There are still boxes around the image.

Is the mapping set to object parametric? This would normally fix it.

I found a probably related problem with image-driven textural heightfields, problem which showed as spurious contours on "top" and "right" sides of the heightfield.

The solution was (for heightfields) to modify scaling of the imaeg to 1.01, 1.01 (in other words, shovel the... dirt (pun intended) outside the heightfield.

I think that in this pack you have image driven material nodes so you might try the same hack.

Bye!!!

It could be the atmosphere too, so maybe try the default atmosphere and see if the edge is still there...

In render options (Trace transparency Edit) enhance the Max trace level from 5 to ~10. That should help.

Mazak

Thanks everyone. I found the problem. It sort of had to do with the atmosphere as Peggy suggested. It wasn't the atmosphere directly, but a huge metacloud that was over the image to make it dark and fuzzy. When I removed the metacloud, everything was fine. I had tried another alpha plane, one I created, and it, too, had the box around it when the metacloud was present.

I wonder why the metacloud caused the problem with the alpha planes. Any ideas?

Not a clue as to why it happened, but it may be a good idea to open a trouble ticket and let e-on know about this.

I think it has to do with the same kind of problem that there is with volumetric materials...... how sometimes you see the underlying geometry when they intersect or are in front of one another.  I've been getting the same thing when placing alphas in front of one another...you can see the outline of the nearest one......that should not be happening.  Imo, it also shouldn't matter what atmosphere you use. I think transparency should be consistant across the board.

There's another annoyance with transparencies as well......that line that sometimes appears at the top of the alpha plane no matter how transparent and devoid of highlights it is.

I had meant to send a ticket in but got lost along the way...thanks for reminding me.  When I get home I'll make some quick renders and send it off. E-on was really quick at responding and fixing the 'no imbedding of alpha info' in my last tech ticket.

M