I've been using Twilight V1 for ages and I export Alpha Masks all the time with great results. Since upgrading to Twilight V2 the alpha masks just dont work as well. They leave halos around the same objects which worked fine in V1. I've looked at all the workarounds in the forums and nothing short of spending more time in Photoshop can fix it.
* This is not the quality of the png files used - these are HQ purchased images and work with Alphas in Twilight V1.
* Upping the scale makes a little difference but still not as good as Twilight V1.
Anyone else got any ideas other than reverting to V1 ???? I'm at a loss...
Alpha Mask Not Working Like Twilight V1
Re: Alpha Mask Not Working Like Twilight V1
Turn off Blended Clip.
Open the material editor and select the material that uses the 'mask' image. Under "Advanced" (at the bottom), uncheck Blended Clip. That is the difference between V1 and V2 in this case.
If you want to use Blended Clip to produce a better quality edge, you will need to fix your image so that the transparent pixels aren't white (or whatever the halo color is).
Open the material editor and select the material that uses the 'mask' image. Under "Advanced" (at the bottom), uncheck Blended Clip. That is the difference between V1 and V2 in this case.
If you want to use Blended Clip to produce a better quality edge, you will need to fix your image so that the transparent pixels aren't white (or whatever the halo color is).
Re: Alpha Mask Not Working Like Twilight V1
Hi Chris thanks for the reply. I have tried blended clip on and off. The main difference seems to be a slight rounding of the edges only, but the alpha mask created is still completely black and white instead of being slightly greyed around the edges.
In Twilight V1, when I export an alpha mask, the edges of a png which had a softened edge with a gradual reduction in alpha level, turned out to be grey when Twilight V1 exported the image. If the Alpha is 100% in the png, then the alpha image is black, if the png has some pixels with a 0 alpha level, this corresponds to a while area and the very edges which had say a 50% alpha level would be grey on the alpha image exported..
I can see whats happening I just don't know how to fix it. Something has changed in respect of the way the alpha is created in V2... Hope this makes sense...
The colour that shows through with the halo is just the sky, not the png halo colour..
Typical V1 Alpha
Typical V2 Alpha
In Twilight V1, when I export an alpha mask, the edges of a png which had a softened edge with a gradual reduction in alpha level, turned out to be grey when Twilight V1 exported the image. If the Alpha is 100% in the png, then the alpha image is black, if the png has some pixels with a 0 alpha level, this corresponds to a while area and the very edges which had say a 50% alpha level would be grey on the alpha image exported..
I can see whats happening I just don't know how to fix it. Something has changed in respect of the way the alpha is created in V2... Hope this makes sense...
The colour that shows through with the halo is just the sky, not the png halo colour..
Typical V1 Alpha
- This is a typical V1 alpha image
- V1.jpg (48.72 KiB) Viewed 10888 times
- This is a typical V2 alpha image
- v2.jpg (30.8 KiB) Viewed 10888 times
Re: Alpha Mask Not Working Like Twilight V1
Are you talking about alpha masks resulted from rendering? And intended to be used in post-processing? Like cutting objects from their background?
If so, the INTENDED way of the Alpha Mask is with sharp edges that follow perfectly the outline of the object. Any stray pixels or "halo" around the contour will affect a good selection when using it in postpro (Gimp or PS, or anything else).
If so, the INTENDED way of the Alpha Mask is with sharp edges that follow perfectly the outline of the object. Any stray pixels or "halo" around the contour will affect a good selection when using it in postpro (Gimp or PS, or anything else).
ARTIST AND DESIGNER DEREI.UK
Re: Alpha Mask Not Working Like Twilight V1
Sorry, I was confused because you said they were purchased images.
Alpha masks haven't changed at all between V1 and V2, not even a tiny bit.
Are you using V2 Professional or Hobby? Can you post the exact same alpha mask, one created with V1 and the other with V2?
Alpha masks haven't changed at all between V1 and V2, not even a tiny bit.
Are you using V2 Professional or Hobby? Can you post the exact same alpha mask, one created with V1 and the other with V2?
Re: Alpha Mask Not Working Like Twilight V1
Alpha Masks haven't changed, but some of the material settings have changed.
In V1, Images always used a blended clip which rendered with a higher quality (for decals, etc). Materials, however, did not render with a blended clip but instead used a sharp clip. So how the alpha mask rendered depended on whether you were using an Image or a Material.
In V2, there is a lot more flexibility. Materials can be rendered with blended clip on or off. The option to set that is in the post above. But Images can have blended clip turned on or off too! Right click on the image in question, select Twilight V2 and enable or disable "High Quality Blended Clip" (by default it is on).
I'm pretty sure Alpha Mask render pass never rendered gray pixels. It was only ever all on or all off. Now if you save as a JPG, that will always cause some amount of blurring but that's JPG, not the render. In V2 it's still the same way. The only difference is where the clipping takes place and that is dependent on the options listed above.
In V1, Images always used a blended clip which rendered with a higher quality (for decals, etc). Materials, however, did not render with a blended clip but instead used a sharp clip. So how the alpha mask rendered depended on whether you were using an Image or a Material.
In V2, there is a lot more flexibility. Materials can be rendered with blended clip on or off. The option to set that is in the post above. But Images can have blended clip turned on or off too! Right click on the image in question, select Twilight V2 and enable or disable "High Quality Blended Clip" (by default it is on).
I'm pretty sure Alpha Mask render pass never rendered gray pixels. It was only ever all on or all off. Now if you save as a JPG, that will always cause some amount of blurring but that's JPG, not the render. In V2 it's still the same way. The only difference is where the clipping takes place and that is dependent on the options listed above.
Re: Alpha Mask Not Working Like Twilight V1
NateCM, Thanks for reporting this issue, we're looking into it.
Re: Alpha Mask Not Working Like Twilight V1
Thanks for getting back to me Fletch (love your products)..
OK so I think I'm getting to the bottom of it and can see why I'm all confused. You are right V1 and V2 with Blended Clip OFF seems to deliver the same result.
What's thrown me is that when I import a sketchup file, the textures are already ticked with Blended Clip on - if these are rendered however with an Alpha Mask they behave as Blended Clip OFF.
So if I then turn Blended Clip Off - the image is the same.
But if I turn it on again the image changes.
OK - the original files are sketchup 8 that I import.
The problem seems to be varied. This happens on my Activated V2 professional and my colleague's version (he has a separate paid for registration for the record).
It seems to happen sporadically, Blended Clip always seems on at first (ticked) but sometimes acts like its off and sometimes like it's on. I can't find a reason why.
Now as a side note, I use lots of sketchup tree models which always seem to load in with Blended Clip on. Is there a global way we can turn these off for Alpha Masks, or create an Alpha Mask Setting which always turns all Blended Clips, or even a batch process we could apply to the thousands of tree models which are already set to ON?
Anyway I appreciate your help, my colleague opted to open the file in V1 and render the alpha masks so he didnt need to change every tree he had in the file to Blended Clip OFF. He wants to revert back to V1 but I'm sure there's a workaround..
Cheers
OK so I think I'm getting to the bottom of it and can see why I'm all confused. You are right V1 and V2 with Blended Clip OFF seems to deliver the same result.
What's thrown me is that when I import a sketchup file, the textures are already ticked with Blended Clip on - if these are rendered however with an Alpha Mask they behave as Blended Clip OFF.
- Blended Clip starts ON - already ticked
- 1 - Blended Clip starts ON - already ticked.jpg (39.65 KiB) Viewed 10860 times
- Untick Blended Clip - so its OFF
- 2 - Untick Blended Clip - so its OFF.jpg (39.65 KiB) Viewed 10860 times
- Tick Blended Clip - so its ON again
- 3 - Tick Blended Clip - so its ON again.jpg (34.25 KiB) Viewed 10860 times
The problem seems to be varied. This happens on my Activated V2 professional and my colleague's version (he has a separate paid for registration for the record).
It seems to happen sporadically, Blended Clip always seems on at first (ticked) but sometimes acts like its off and sometimes like it's on. I can't find a reason why.
Now as a side note, I use lots of sketchup tree models which always seem to load in with Blended Clip on. Is there a global way we can turn these off for Alpha Masks, or create an Alpha Mask Setting which always turns all Blended Clips, or even a batch process we could apply to the thousands of tree models which are already set to ON?
Anyway I appreciate your help, my colleague opted to open the file in V1 and render the alpha masks so he didnt need to change every tree he had in the file to Blended Clip OFF. He wants to revert back to V1 but I'm sure there's a workaround..
Cheers
Re: Alpha Mask Not Working Like Twilight V1
Are your leaves Images or Faces with a material applied?
It sounds like there is a bug with importing from V1 though, so we will take a look at that.
It sounds like there is a bug with importing from V1 though, so we will take a look at that.
Re: Alpha Mask Not Working Like Twilight V1
Just single faces with a texture applied. Thanks for looking into it for us... Cheers
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