Alpha maps ?

[Snubs]

Can anyone explain how to use these ? I read a little about them and they have got my attention and would like to know more.

[agentxi]

alpha maps, I'm assuming you're referring to 3d. Alpha's are basically transparency's in the form of a greyscale image. pure black is usually "not see through" and white is 100% see through and everything grey in between is well, different levels of transparency's. (if this is wrong ...then do the exact opposite )

in 3d people use these maps in the "transparency" channel of the shader to mimic things like windows, glasses and water. or pretty much anything else you want to be see through, or completely hide.

in video games, or "low poly" work, alpha maps are used to help create the illusion of complex modeling. For instance in a video game, you would not model every wire in a chain link fence. Instead you would have a single polygonal plane (or a few more depending on it's shape) then you would apply a transparency in the "silhouette" of the chain link fence. (does this make any sense? if not lemme know and I'll explain better.)

Anyways, I hope this helps you out.

-agentxi-

[Snubs]

Yea I understand what your saying . Do you do this kind of stuff I mean texture in 3D and all?

[tamlin]

Moved to 3D Modelling forum (because I didn't know what alpha maps were until now...)

[agentxi]

yeah, i dabble, i have a thread with an old street WIP i'm working on right now...

i use maya mostly, but 3ds max if i have to

maya's my fav so i tend to stick with it.

[unleash]

well, the textures are mostly made in photoshop, right agentxi?

So you would make a model in lets say maya, export the wireframes(UV-mapping) to a picture, and use that picture as a reference in photoshop to create your aplha, bump, displacement, color and so on maps!!

Hope this helps a bit, if you want to make you're own textures you should search down the 3D-forum part because there is a thread somewhere with some answers in it

and offcourse if you need help ask agentxi!!( ) and if he doesn't know, well you could ask me but I doubt I know more about 3D than agentxi!!