• Maxon Cinema 4D

  Materials textures Transition-alpha map transparency reflection

  Posted by Randal Radabaugh on November 29, 2010 at 10:57 am

  Stumped again.
  Having difficulty understanding the layer-hierarchy materials

  an alpha map in transparency channel.Wish to change the alpha image
  –transition– from one to another during animation.

  IF this were vegas,AE no problem. I have tried many things from keyframing mix strength,mix textures,overlaying in object mgr,
  keying the channel on/off and others,but no matter what one material will over ride the other, or it does not work.

  Setup. I have a light within an object. with selection tag on polys for transparency.Same polys have been split/duplicated and have an added alpha image in transparency so the light emits thru the transparency while it is spinning. I am trying to transition the alpha map in the Split/duplicated polys.

  just a reflection and transp channel in material.
  As in turn the opacity of it from 100-0 over say 100 frames,
  and the second identical material with a different alpha map turn the opacity from 0-100 over 100 frames. So it appears to change from one shape to another.

  would I add the the alpha image in another channeL and then mix it?
  would that work? or would I somehow change transition within the same material in the same channel?

  again, it is a just a reflection, and transparency.
  no color.no image no texture cept the alpha map.

  Again, my many thanks to COW for patience and understanding of some of us greenies.am sure it is quite simple, but it eludes me lol
  Mixing 2 clips in Vegas is not preferred- this is an animated object within a large scene and moving about.

  Randal Radabaugh replied 15 years, 5 months ago 3 Members · 4 Replies
• 4 Replies

• 

  Adam Trachtenberg

  November 29, 2010 at 2:26 pm

  Add a layer shader to your transparency channel and load your bitmaps into the layer shader. Then right-click on the word “Layers……” in the shader’s properties and select “show subchannels” from the menu. That gives you keyframable gui elements for layer transparency. KF the top layer from 0 to 1 and the bottom layer from 1 to 0 to create a cross fade.
• 

  Scyld

  November 29, 2010 at 7:36 pm

  hi, this is exactly what i’ve been looking for… could i ask you to you break this first part (how to layer the imported textures) down so i can follow it step by step? please excuse my ignorance, i’m having problems getting the layers to stack up.. they keep replacing each other. version 11.5
• 

  Adam Trachtenberg

  November 29, 2010 at 8:49 pm

  Sure, it’s very simple once you get the hang of it:

  1. add layer shader;
  2. click on layer shader button (Texture > Layer) to get to it’s properties;
  3. click the “Image…” button to add a bitmap;
  4. click the “Image…” button again to add another bitmap layer;
  5. repeat for as many bitmap layers as you want to add.
• 

  Randal Radabaugh

  November 29, 2010 at 9:31 pm

  @ Sean

  well, to add to it, if you open a material- go to texture, then add a layer. click on the new layer and this will get you to your layer-shaders for layering. then you can add-screen-multiply the added
  images,layers or shaders.

  I am also trying to get the hang of layering/materials in C4.

  Thanks I will try and do that Adam.

Reply to this Discussion! Login or Sign Up