Carrara handles transparency different that it's predecessor. If an object is going to be transparent it CAN'T have a color in the color channel. (Yes I've had to retool any RD 5.5 image pulled into Carrara too) Adjust colors in the Highlight and Shininess channel. The best way to see how to set them up is to look at the stock shaders the the Carrara browser. Using transparency maps in a complex multichannel is now a gotta do. However, by using a complex multichannel with multiple transparecny maps you can now create some really rich and cool shaders that were impossible to make in RD. Mark