Png file question

artoir

Okay, I want to place a png file in a scene, but when I try it converts it back to a jpg and isn't transparent. What I have been trying to do is add a png photo to a plane, but it seems to convert it back to a jpg when I apply it. How do I get around this, if possible? I've searched for any answers to this in the forum but can't find any. I would also like to create some freebies to share, but they have to be png. Thanks so much!

Steven-V

Are you trying to get part of the plane to be opaque and part to be transparent?

If so, I would use an Opacity map. Take your PNG into an image editor like Gimp or Photoshop, and turn the opaque parts of it white and the transparent parts black. Save it as a black-and-white image file (png or whatever you want). Then go into DAZ and in the surfaces editor, on the opacity parameter, click on the little down arrow and open and load your new black-and-white file. This will make the white parts visible and the black parts invisible.

artoir

steven.viscido said:

Are you trying to get part of the plane to be opaque and part to be transparent?

If so, I would use an Opacity map. Take your PNG into an image editor like Gimp or Photoshop, and turn the opaque parts of it white and the transparent parts black. Save it as a black-and-white image file (png or whatever you want). Then go into DAZ and in the surfaces editor, on the opacity parameter, click on the little down arrow and open and load your new black-and-white file. This will make the white parts visible and the black parts invisible.

Okay thank you, I'll try that!

artoir

Okay, it works! thanks! Next question, the image is now black and white (black invisible) how do I get color in the part that's still visible (the white)? Say for instance I want to use a flat png image of a rose bush or campfire flames, how do I retain their color(s)? Thanks

Steven-V

Put the rose bush png image in the Diffuse parameter (the same way you did the opacity one) and the black and white PNG in the Opacity parameter.,

Make sure you set the diffuse color to WHITE. This will show the png at its full color level. If you leave it grey than it will be dimmer.

You may also, depending on how your lighting is working, want to set the ambient level to 100% and the color to white. This will let the plane light up and will make it visible in renders. If you are going to LIGHT the object (say with a Distant Light) then you don't need to do that. You will need to play around with this setting depending on the lighting (you may need say 20% ambient or something, if the light is not coming straight at it).

Eustace Scrubb

You can also do a workaround using the PNG itself, so long as you're not tiling it: apply it just like any other image in the DIffuse Color position, then open the Shader Mixer and import the material from the scene. If you haven't adjusted any other variables yet, you'll see three nodes: Surface, DAZ Default, and your Image, linked in that order. Connect the Image Alpha output as shown below to the DAZ Default node's Opacity input and apply it to your mesh. This will let you use the PNG's own transparency (the Alpha channel) in the material with only one map applied (on your Surfaces tab, the Opacity dial will disappear). Unfortunately, this won't work if you want to tile the image because of a bug in Shader Mixer whereby the Alpha Channel does not tile.

artoir

Thanks guys, I have some playing around to do!