[3DSMAX] no transparency with alpha blending in viewport.

OccultMonk

I there a way to get full transparency for hair in the viewport in 3DSMAX? I only get Alpha clipped images when I try for example to create hair. I can't really see what end result I get when placing hair. So I have to Export many times to marmoset to see the end result. Is there no real Alpha support in the 3dsmax viewport?

OccultMonk

Can someone please give a tip? Is there a better solution?

thomasp

i don't think any 3D package natively supports the dithered alpha without sorting-order issues that marmoset has. at least in max versions using the old viewport you could apply an fx-shader that supports simple double-sided alpha test and see the hair halfway like what it looks like in engine. not sure if that still works in current versions though.

OccultMonk

It seems like there is better Alpha blending in the view port in this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_ZmuKt_yp8

OccultMonk

Does anyone know a better option for hair placement and viewport opacity? It seems that viewport opacity in 3dsmax must be better than only alpha testing. Are there other settings? this makes hair placement very difficult. 

spacefrog

Better alpha blending is perfectly possible - actually it's easier to set up than the alpha clipping shown in your screenshots.
Which Max version ? Or more concrete which viewport driver - Nitrous ?
What does you material and map settings look like  ? Is your material set to realistic mode ?
Whats the source of the hair textures:  a png with transparency, alpha channel in a tif, tga etc.. two seperated maps ?
Depth sorting can only be fixed using the stochastic transparency  mode, which introduces the grainy transparency until it's refined ( via progressive refinement setting ), but perfect transparency sorting is not the thing you are after as i understand you.

OccultMonk

spacefrog said:

Better alpha blending is perfectly possible - actually it's easier to set up than the alpha clipping shown in your screenshots.
Which Max version ? Or more concrete which viewport driver - Nitrous ?
What does you material and map settings look like  ? Is your material set to realistic mode ?
Whats the source of the hair textures:  a png with transparency, alpha channel in a tif, tga etc.. two seperated maps ?
Depth sorting can only be fixed using the stochastic transparency  mode, which introduces the grainy transparency until it's refined ( via progressive refinement setting ), but perfect transparency sorting is not the thing you are after as i understand you.

- 3dsmax 2016
- Viewport driver: Nitrous (Realistic) Transparency on.
- Hair textures alpha is a separate tga.
- Standard Material with Bitmap in Opacity slot. 
- Show shaded material in viewport is on (now).

I still have the same result.

Where can I find the stochastic transparency  mode?

spacefrog

Just tested this, and i can't get the smooth alpha blending in Max 2016 either. Max 2014 / 2015 and 2017 work  ( though Max 2017 showed some strange overall transparency when the material is set to realistic )
But the Max 2016 issue can easily be reproduced with a BW checker map in the opacity slot:
A checker field Is either completely transparent or fully opaque, even when the checker is at a grey level

@Stochastic transparency mode:
This is the one mode which produces the grainy progressive refining, transparency in Nitrous. In Max 2012 - 2016 this is enforced when using realistic viewport mode. In Max 2017 i think one can selectively set the viewport to either use transparency sorting or stochastic in the viewport menu ( not exactly 100% sure though )

OccultMonk

Thanks for testing it! I have filed a bug report for it.

spacefrog

A fellow Max user (Peter Blackearth) gave me the crucial hint to make Blended Alpha work in Max 2016:
You have to dial down the transparency spinner in the material from 100 to 99 to make the alpha blending kick in . Pretty obscure but works and i'm relieved ;-)

OccultMonk

Great thanks!