UDK - Material - Depth Trans for Single Mesh

Ace-Angel

Hey to all,

I was wondering if there is a way to use the a Depth node for a cheap way of faking Translucency on a single mesh?

Basically, I have a character with a spike IN his hand, and would like the area around/near the hand to be transparent.

Currently, I'm using a texture, but I was wondering if there is another option which is abit more real-time.

Gestalt

You could get translucency around intersecting if that's what you mean, but I'm not sure exactly how cheap it would be. Any specific reason not to use a channel of a texture? If you are worried about wasting texture space you could always assign a low mask clip value and use a value of black in masked areas, then you could pretty much use the texture/channel for other things as well.

Ace-Angel

I'm trying to find a dynamic solution, due to certain effects. Like said character moving the spike along their body, etc.

I guess I should model the item separately and use a Depth node to keep things simple?

System

use vertex colors on the hand then lerp with a scalar param which you can change in kismet in real time


if i understand correctly.. lol

Ace-Angel

Hmm, that is possible, although I wasn't aware you could move vertex colors, mind telling me how?

BTW, just to clear any points, the spike will move from the hand to the shoulder of the character, the spike is 'magical' so the places where it's in contact with the monster will be 'transparent', but at the same time, the spike is 'under' the skin, so you kinda have this weird skin like effect going on.

I might be complicating the effect more then needed, but if anyone has good ideas on how I could achieve this in a way that is convincing to the eye, that would awesome.