Ok, I need some help here folks. I've read the manual at least twice and still wind up going "Huh?" when I read the section on transparency. About the only thing I do know is that in Vue, the white part is transparent and the black is solid, right? It's the reverse of Poser. What I can't seem to figure out is how to use a map to make an object solid in specific areas and transparent in other areas. What I'm trying to do is use a map I made of a table scarf to make a plane look like a piece of lace. What happens is that I get a solid plane with a black design on it or I get a plane with no pattern on it at all. How do I get holes where I need them? Kate

I get the same problem with the Poser Peacock, I get solid wings that look funny. I'm in the dark also, so I guess the fix to your problem would be the fix to mine also. Sorry, I'm no help, but feel your pain.

Okay, here's how you do it (a little bit hidden, it is): 1. Under the transparency tab, set transparency to 100% 2. Under effects, click "Variable Transparency", you will get a transparency production function box. 3. Right click the function preview and choose "Edit Function" 4. Under "kind of layer", choose "Mapped Values" 5. Now click the picture button to load your map. And there you have it. You can then fool around with all the mapping options -Karl Martin

Thanks Karl! That did the trick. Now why didn't they just SAY that in the manual? :) If I had known it was that easy... Kate (working on converting it so y'all can use it in VUE too)

Kate, the manual explains it with the road sign (page 205) and I explain it in my tutorial for beginners (how to use a picture....). :-)Guitta

you know what is really funny is that you don't reverse the colors on the trans maps for everything(Allies hair,codemans jellyfish on BBay) those you keep as in Poser just change the trans. filter(double click on the filters)(Maybe that is the same as reversing the colors, it didn't seem to work that way though,at least with me) Marge

heya; to use the poser trans maps without having to invert them and save a new version.... next to the function sphere picture are two graphs (diagonal grey and white in the boxes, there). edit the... i forget what it's called, but im pretty sure it's the top one, so the diagonal goes in the other direction. this creates an 'invert' graph (its handy to save that one, too), that switches the order of the colours.

Hey Bloodsong, If you right click on that and choose "load filter" the invert is there...under "Other", I believe. That has been a big help for me. Gail

Thanks y'all. I've got it working now and it turned out gorgeous. I'll upload it for you later today. Kate