Alphas-how to import?

#1

Hi all, just a quick quesion about alphas and how do you get them into animator? Do they have to be integral with the RGB? I’m working with the DVG toolkit on a pc. It runs much better than my old Mac version, which is incouraging. Aparently I can cross grade to 6.5 for £264 inc a new dongle and shipping… I suppose the DVG toolkit is now the only way to access the old modeller? I notice some of the functionality has been removed from the rounding feature. So far haven’t had a crash.

Q. How does the new raytracer shape up in speed terms. Can you restrict RT to certain groups?
Q. What’s new in lights? RT shadows are obviously razor sharp, but are there any distant lights with soft edges other than the old parallel light?

Martin K

#2

I usually use EI image files with an embedded alpha when I need an alpha channel. The material editor has a toggle where you can set up whether you want to use it as a mask etc.

#3

You can create alpha channels in photoshop for working with textures inside of EI. I do a lot of architectural stuff and they have proven very usefull with displacement maps on roof tiles. Gives you that real tile on the roof look as apposed to a flat lifeless polygon.

Buggsy :applause:

#4

The raytracer is fast as hell and produces gorgeous images, you can use a “soft edge” with the RT shadow, its a render hit, but not too bad with carefull settings.

New lights, we have the “illuminator” which is designed to emulate global illumination, and there is also “real” GI with which you can create “real” area lights :thumbsup:

Reuben

#5

Martin-

I STRONGLY recommend the latest version of EI. 6.5’s GI tools are on par with any other software out there–only a LOT faster. As I’ve said elsewhere, I was ready to move to another app for 3D work, but 6.5 has, in my opinion, totally resurrected EI.

As far as I know, in EIAS the alpha has to be included in the texture to which it’s applied.

GM

#6

Thanks for all the replies guys, it all sounds very good. When I get 6.5, I hope to post my progess with it.

Martin K.

#7

Hey Martin, just going to mop up your remaining question about ray-tracing…

Camera is a hybrid render engine, that means it only ray-traces objects you tell it to, so yes, you can restrict ray-tracing to certain groups.

Ian

#8

Thanks for all the replies guys!

Martin K.

#9

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