EG - In Daz Studio if I load a PNG image (Via L.I.E) on top of my skin texture, it preserves transparency, almost like a photoshop layer, no masking or alpha layer required. In Poser, it turns that transparent area into solid white and I have to make masks (or use an alpha) in order to get transparency back. In some cases the alpha messes up the edging on some detailed images with soft edges and is not as accurate as a png (or other format) with true transparency. So can 2014 do transparent images or is it still the same?

No change in PP2014 unfortunately. There are a few things I'd like to see added next time round, and this would be one of them.

bagginsbill posted a node setup to extract a mask by comparing two maps from within the materials room, so might be worth doing a search under his user name with the term 'difference detector' in case that's any use.

Crap, that sucks...I hate using masks for skin overlays. It limits what I want to do. I'll look at BB's node setup again. I think I have it bookmarked somewhere. It just makes preset application scripts a pain in the ass if you want to do interchangable and multi-layered overlays with variable strengths.

Your current system works well in Poser- I am using your "Vascularity" product quite a lot without any problems. It overlays/blends veins over the skin texture very nicely!

Looks great in fact! Note the slight tracery of blue veins on the temple-and the artery on the neck- (using a little displacement map).

Eric

Cool thanks. It's just a bit limiting and extra work thats all. Anyways, I have to keep the same method if a product is to be used in previous versions of Poser:) And that is a fantastic render by the way..I saw it over at RDNA in the other thread. You got the SSS levels perfect:)

Thanks!

Quote - Cool thanks. It's just a bit limiting and extra work thats all. Anyways, I have to keep the same method if a product is to be used in previous versions of Poser:) And that is a fantastic render by the way..I saw it over at RDNA in the other thread. You got the SSS levels perfect:)

I sent in a feature enhancement request for png support. I would have thought it was supported by now.

Maybe we should have a poll to let people vote for png transparency support. It shouldn't be too hard to do. I want it.

I believe they are actually looking into it after I requested the feature enhancement.

The problem with it is probably how poser currently handles transparency maps, using gray scale.

I'm not sure how they would do that with a png, or a png with partial transparency.

If I hear anything about it further, I'll pass on what I learn.