Transparent Objects

[Fluffy_the_ic]

Okay, how do you make an object transparent? I'm working on a hologram projecter thing and, ya know, I don't thik it would work all too well without a hologram. I have looked in the thut thread, but it wasn't in there, and I'm getting frustrated with XSI, cuz I can't find anything that says transparency. Thanks ahead of time.

[AceMastermind]

You need to use Edit Flags to enable transparency which will make your polygons transparent ingame, it also requires whatever texture you use on those polygons to have an alpha channel which is what drives the transparency. Black is completely transparent and white is completely visible.



You'll need to select the polygons that you want to enable transparency, then go:
File>Pandemic Tools>Edit Flags
and select one of the following by moving the Transparency slider(highlighted above):

• 0 = No transparency (default)
  1 = Single sided transparency (backface culled)
  2 = Double sided transparency (never culled)

You could also give it Hard Edged Transparency which eliminates the "transparency interference" you get when two objects with transparency are viewed in front of each other ingame. (thanks Mav for info)

• Hard Edged Transparency ticked only
  1 = Single sided Transparency slider with Hard Edged Transparency ticked
  2 = Double sided Transparency slider with Hard Edged Transparency ticked

If you're trying to enable transparency on an existing msh without using XSI then have a look HERE, this method should also be used if you've exported with MshEx, BConstructor or SWBFViewer and remember that your texture also needs to have an alpha channel or else nothing will be transparent. The alpha channel in the image is what drives the transparency while the Edit Flag values enable it in the msh file.

[Fluffy_the_ic]

Edit Flags?

[AceMastermind]

Yep, it's one of the 3 Pandemic Tools scripts, which you can see after you install the Pandemic xsiaddon into XSI, it will be located here:
File>Pandemic Tools>Edit Flags

If you're trying to enable transparency on an existing msh without using XSI then have a look HERE, this method should also be used if you've exported with MshEx, BConstructor or SWBFViewer.

[Fluffy_the_ic]

Two things:
1: What's an alpha channel?
and 2: IT says export mesh with the tool, will XSI crash if I choose it, or will it say something like "This is not compatible with this version of XSI"?

EDIT: Also, is it possible to make an object invisible?

EDIT 2: Okay got the answer to #2. Tried to export, crashed.