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I can't get any sense out of what you're saying.  You're saying that setting transparency does not have any effect in one sentence, and then right after that you're saying it becomes semi-transparent.  You're showing pics of how the preview looks but you're talking about how the render looks.  Maybe you'll have better luck with Smith Micro tech support, I don't think I'm able to help you.

That's exactly right!  I can't get any sense out of what's happening either because it changes every time.  I don't think you're able to help me either, but thank you for responding.