[HELP] KSP alpha transparency

[CoffeeSE]

Hi, I noticed that in Unity, for the KSP/Alpha texture options, there is one called "translucent". Does anyone know how this one works exactly? I tried it with a alpha map and this is the result in game:

Only the glass panel parts are the places with alpha transparency, and every where else has 255, 255, 255 in the alpha map. Does anyone know what other parts of the texture is also translucent, and how I can fix this so that only the glass parts are? Thanks!

***EDIT: Sorry, I mean the alpha channel, I forgot what it was called...

Edited February 24, 2014 by CoffeeSE

[Alskari]

I cannot assure you that this is the best way, but usually I have two different game objects. Separate the frame from the glass. Set the frame to diffuse, and the glass to translucent. You can get it to work as a single object, but I consistently have issues.

[xEvilReeperx]

Hi, I noticed that in Unity, for the KSP/Alpha texture options, there is one called "translucent". Does anyone know how this one works exactly? I tried it with a alpha map and this is the result in game:

Only the glass panel parts are the places with alpha transparency, and every where else has 255, 255, 255 in the alpha map. Does anyone know what other parts of the texture is also translucent, and how I can fix this so that only the glass parts are? Thanks!

You don't use an alpha map with this shader. It uses the alpha channel of the main texture to do the blending

[frizzank]

Also if your not having any subtle variation in your alpha map (just black and white) use the cutout shader. It is cheaper and will work better. For crisper lines, click on your texture in unity and in the property box change it from compressed to true color. Your file size will be larger but for something that is real close to the camera it is justified.

[DMagic]

Did you set the alpha channel right when you imported the texture to Unity? It sounds like your texture has an alpha channel, so you want to set "alpha is transparent", it looks like you might have it set to "alpha from greyscale".

The translucent shader allows for varying degrees of transparency based on the alpha level, the cutoff sets everything above a certain alpha level as completely clear. Either way, you need to tell Unity the correct source of the alpha channel.

[CoffeeSE]

I cannot assure you that this is the best way, but usually I have two different game objects. Separate the frame from the glass. Set the frame to diffuse, and the glass to translucent. You can get it to work as a single object, but I consistently have issues.

Thank you! I did not know I could do that...

[Camacha]

How exactly do you do that in Unity?

[CaptainKipard]

How exactly do you do that in Unity?

Why are you being so reticent?

[Camacha]

Why are you being so reticent?

I was referring to the last post, about having two different game objects. Though I fixed it myself by having two meshes/objects within a single GameObject. The only downside I see so far is that it also means having two textures, as I do not know how to get them to share the same texture.

[CaptainKipard]

I was referring to the last post, about having two different game objects. Though I fixed it myself by having two meshes/objects within a single GameObject. The only downside I see so far is that it also means having two textures, as I do not know how to get them to share the same texture.

What's wrong with using the same texture?

[Camacha]

What's wrong with using the same texture?

Nothing, outside that I do not have a clue how to do that Right now I make two models in a CAD program, pipe them to Blender to unwrap, export the UV/textures as PNG, paint them in Photoshop and combine everything in Unity. Probably not the best workflow, but the best I could come up with right now. The CAD program is an odd choice, I am sure, but I am fairly well versed in it and it seems to work out for now.

The outer ring and the middle box are one part, and the connecting bit with the black 'holes' in between is another. Though not in this pic, this allowed me to separately set the alpha of the second part. In hindsight I do not really need that. Right now I am picking through your texture tutorial and realizing that I know nothing about manipulating textures in Blender or ambient occlusion.

Do not mind the sloppily painted textures, I am just testing.

Edited January 3, 2015 by Camacha

[CaptainKipard]

Actually if you want to use alpha on a small section of the part, then it's best to divide the part into separate objects with separate materials. This can potentially let you save memory by only having the alpha channel on the small texture which needs it. Same principle applies for emissive parts.

[Camacha]

Actually if you want to use alpha on a small section of the part, then it's best to divide the part into separate objects with separate materials. This can potentially let you save memory by only having the alpha channel on the small texture which needs it. Same principle applies for emissive parts.

So that would mean the part ends up with two textures in the GameData folder? One large for diffuse and one small with the extra alpha/emissive channel? Just to make sure I understand correctly

[CaptainKipard]

Yes. Only if the area that needs to be emissive or transparent is small on the model. If it's larger than half the area, say, then you might as well use a single texture for everything.

[DrunkenKerbalnaut]

Yes, necro, but this is directly relative:

How should one go about doing a mesh texture, then? Like grating or chain link fence. That sort of thing.

Were I to have a seperate object for each "hole" in the grate, I would end up with quite a few objects. 

If just the grated sections of the Part were a separate object, and set to translucent, would that achieve the effect? Will the translucent show texture on both sides, or will there need to be another object to show that as well?

EDIT: this kinda worked, but I did have to do two planes to show texture on top and bottom. Also, the unlit shader for the frame seems to have been over-ridden by the specular on the grating? 

Edited December 6, 2016 by DrunkenKerbalnaut

[SpannerMonkey(smce)]

3 hours ago, DrunkenKerbalnaut said:

Yes, necro, but this is directly relative:

How should one go about doing a mesh texture, then? Like grating or chain link fence. That sort of thing.

Were I to have a seperate object for each "hole" in the grate, I would end up with quite a few objects. 

If just the grated sections of the Part were a separate object, and set to translucent, would that achieve the effect? Will the translucent show texture on both sides, or will there need to be another object to show that as well?

EDIT: this kinda worked, but I did have to do two planes to show texture on top and bottom. Also, the unlit shader for the frame seems to have been over-ridden by the specular on the grating? 

Alpha cutoff bumped is what you need, or just alpha cutoff but the bump makes it look better, check out the heli nets in SM Marine  or this below the basket from the Kerbling Orbiter that i did for HL Airships