Hi !

Several popular non-Poser model formats combine 'Diffuse' and 'Transparency' maps as PNG files: RGB + Alpha.

I use Irfan View to manually extract Alpha channel from such models' PNG textures, save as JPG and use as stand-alone 'transparency' maps.

Not a difficult task, but tedious if scene has many sets of eg plants & trees, each with their own texture to be put on a background 'flat'.

I've done some searches for batch extraction of Alphas. Seems there's no easy 'GoTo' solution.

And, sadly, facility is 'Too Special' to be added to Irfan View's versatile batch tools...

Is there a 'switch' / option in PPro_11.3 or P_12 (pending) for 'Transparency' to "Only use this texture's Alpha channel, do not use RGB..." ??

I am assuming you are referring to the Superfly setup?  In P12, use the PrincipledBsdf node and plug the .PNG format image with the Alpha channel into the Alpha Channel.

IIRC, this might be covered in the Poser Manual.

Thank you, Hborre. That's helped.

I cannot find BSDF in PPro_11.3, but I still do not know more than a fraction of the 'advanced' materials system...

FWIW, I found a much faster workflow within Irfan View for manually extracting and saving Alpha channels. Applying them to Poser test objects still requires negotiating a 'Grand Slalom of Gotchas'.

This 'bush' is one item from a 'Forest of Dead Trees' stage/scene MMD freebie posted by 'blackSoul1890' on DA. I ripped its PMX to OBJ+MTL. As the complete scene is too poly-heavy for convenience, I thought to mimic the model's extensive use of 'flats' for back-ground objects. Took some experimentation...

Using Poser primitive one-sided square scaled up, I applied the PNG (RGB+A) as-is to 'Diffuse' (100%) and 'Bump' (0.10). 'Highlight', 'Ambient' and 'Reflection' must be set to black to prevent untextured parts of the square 'ghosting' at certain angles. The Alpha channel file went to Transparency (100%).

Superfly test render ran okay. I replaced the bush and bushA pngs with grass1 and grass1A, and that worked, too.

I'll save out as OBJ+MTL, study MTL using 'Notepad', add appropriate 'Transparency' calls to original scene's MTL. As ~40+ such calls, it beats navigating 'Material' menus...

Unfortunately, the PrincipledBsdf was introduced in P12 and, as you noticed, is absent in P11.  Your approach is acceptable, that is the common way of utilizing a transparency map for both Firefly and Superfly.  In Cycles, you can simplify the node arrangement as below:

Your Alpha map is plugged into the Fac channel of the MixClosure with the TransparentBsdf node just under that and followed by your texture node.

Uh, okay.

I'm sure it will make a lot more sense when I get 'hands on'...

I'd planned to upgrade to P_12 + thumb-drive during recent offer, accumulated many R-points towards it. Unfortunately, I finally traced source of our kitchen's exasperating intermittent water leak: Severe vermin damage within wall. Though I replaced pipe that afternoon, leak has spawned enough 'consequential' costs to defer upgrade...

You may emote unprintably: I did...

I use Irfan View to manually extract Alpha channel from such models' PNG textures, save as JPG and use as stand-alone 'transparency' maps.

Thanks for that nugget. I had a method of extracting an alpha image which was co convoluted that I actively avoided it if I possibly could - now replaced by something much simpler.

While trying that out I also spotted a few other things I hadn't realised IrfanView could do. I use it every day, but hadn't really looked at the menus for a long time.

---

May your unprintable consequentials be sorted out in an unexpectedly trouble-free fashion.

'Grannies & Eggs' aside...

If you're grinding through a bunch of 'RGB+A' PNGs with Irfan View via, 'Image, Show Channel, Alpha, File, Save (original folder), suffix eg an 'A' to existing name, Enter...' you may use the '->' button near zoom's +/- to auto-load next file in 'sorted by type' folder...

Seems trivial, but can save a lot of time, especially when your focus kinda fades after the first dozen...

;-)

Maybe this can help: https://www.renderosity.com/forums/threads/2966768/batch-split-rgba-images-png-into-2-seperate-files

Slightly tangential, where / how does a DDS texture 'keep' its 'Alpha Channel' transparency info ?

And can Poser access it directly ??

Porting models to OBJ+MTL for Poser, I've resorted to individually converting bundled DDS files to PNG (RGB+Alpha) using free Irfan View's option to select back-ground colour, then extracting the Alpha channel from that...

Works, but real-clunky...

I see the problem with that plumbing. It was rendered with back facing polygons hidden.

DDS is a container format (think zip file) so what's inside can vary. Your conversion method is probably as good as it gets. Paint Shop Pro has batch functions that would allow you to convert them in bunches. Might be worth checking out.

"... with back-facing polygons hidden."

ROFL !! Thank you, that got me right on the 'Funny Bone' !!

Seriously, I finished re-assembling sink-unit late on New Year's Eve. There's a wall-bolted cutting-board with hole, hinge and latch, which retained most of a 500ml can of beige foaming sealant. Remarkably little 'crawling crud' escaped from vast, leak-eroded void. To provide access, unit's back-board and back-frame had become a jigsaw which needed sundry brackets, threaded inserts and Allen-drive bolts. Mercifully, wary planning and pre-positioned inserts meant everything went back together like a table-trick...

I've to change several more kitchen units' 110º door hinges for friendlier 170º versions, replace several units' rusted feet, push cooker etc back against wall, replace and level dish-washer's and end-unit's removable work-tops, mop round, tidy up and heave a vast sigh of relief...

Then the gardening begins...

;-(

I use this as a quick fix for one image to produce diffuse, spec and trans, and it will work in Poser 11.Play with the Math Function value_2  to adjust the transparency.

Infinity10, that's so neat !!

FWIW, despite several distractions, I figured how to hack an OBJ's MTL to include calls to DIY  transparency maps. This prompted by wrangling a freebie which had ~315 sub-objects concatenated in its OBJ. Major problem was some quirk of the OBJ format made model invisible within Poser. Solved by opening / re-saving from ($$) 3DOC.

Lesser problem was that many of those sub-objects called one of my three transparency maps.

After making a 'safety' copy, I edited the MTL using Notepad. To each eg...

newmtl Model001_Material001

Ns 8

Ka 0 0 0

Kd 1 1 1

Ks 0 0 0

map_Kd 000002248A4649B8.png

I added eg

d 0

map_d 000002248A4649B8Alpha.jpg

Certainly beat using Material room, as UI struggles beyond first page, so ~ 40 materials. And side-steps issue that file-name fields are short.....

This is 'Weathertop', a DA freebie ported from PSP to OBJ+MTL by Quake332 using 'NinjaRipper'.

Now, where did I save those pterodactyls ??

Poser 11 should  generate the Alpha maps automatically if your import file is set up correctly with the Alpha cannels . In most cases it should work.

for a Environment that might be complex with allot of alpha maps you normally would import it as Fbx or Obj , to enable poser to generate these Alpha maps in the texture folder you just need to save a Collada version of your model in the 3D program you are using, make sure the alpha and trans are on before saving. Now import that collada file into Poser, you will now see that all the Alpha jpg maps have been generated ( Extracted from the Png ) in the folder you imported the model. you now can trash that colloda version ( In case it is just a Prop > Static , if a Articulated Figure Keep Collada ) now load your Obj version and apply the needed Alpha maps to its corresponding material zones. this is the most efficient way generating clean alpha maps out of the Png files! 

This a was a working function in Poser 11.1 not sure if it is still working in Poser 11.3 or 12

Adding:

Make sure you export the Collada Including the UV Textures else it will not work

Thank you, Cascade777.

I'll rummage through my collection of 3D apps, see what can both grok that 'unusual' OBJ format and export Poser-compatible Collada files.

FWIW, I've just helped a friend who does not have access to registered ($$) 3DOC, which exports MTL with only diffuse texture calls retained, so exported via classic PropViewer 3D with no texture calls.

I sent him the MTLLIB call to edit into PV's OBJ --Wordpad is your friend-- plus my 'transparency-enabled' MTL and three transparency masks. He had the original download with OBJ+MTL and PNGs, so I was not 're-distributing'. IIRC, the transplant works well...

If imported at ~15% original scale, needs ~20 ft Y offset, looks good. One 'gotcha' is material #315, which splashes white onto face of a rock. This may be to allow addition of an inscription or graffiti, but I zoomed Material room until I got a clean click-select, made it invisible, revealing rock behind...