Hey,
Does anyone know how to make a skin appear 'transparent'? Like how Obi-Wan appears in Return of the Jedi, like a ghost, or does it require model editing?
They managed to do it with Morgan Katarn in Jedi Outcast, I want that sort of effect, can anyone help me?

Any help's appreciated,
Jase

All of the model's skin image files (listed in *.skin) need to have alpha channels that select all visible areas, using gray to make them translucent, not opaque or invisible. The darker the gray, the more translucent it will be. Then you need a shader file reference to those image files making the selected areas transparent. The shader file uses the alpha channel information to determine how transparent the image is.

So you need a program that can create\edit alpha channels, like Photoshop. I don't know if Paint Shop Pro has that ability (I don't have it). Image files with alpha channel information end in .png or .tga because .jpg files don't have alpha channels. The other file formats support alpha channels.

This shader file should get you what you want:



models/players/<skins name>/<filename>
{
{
map models/players/<skins name>/<filename>
blendfunc add
rgbGen lightingdiffuse
depthWrite
}
}




It makes the whole skin about 50% transparent (except for the black parts, which will get 100% transparent).

Make a GIF with transparency.

Originally posted by IG-64
Make a GIF with transparency.
Or .tga would be even better...

this is for makeing the whole skin transparent, but what about only apart of the skin that is fully transpartent? like a hole in the body. would it be the same as above but in a smaller area not the whole .jpg or is it not able to do?

you could do exactly that with a tga/png with an alpha channel.

btw, those invisible guys in the JA single player levels, the kind that capture you on the level where you dont have your saber(forgot the name, and i cant check it cause im at school). they are invisible but they still break the light, as if they are made from glass. how is that done?

hmmm.. thanks guys, this will come in handy for an update to my dark crypt map. BTW, d_eisenga, what your talking about is a cloak. Im not sure how its made, could be an EFX file :-/ or maybe a shader, look around in the shaders directory.

This shader file should get you what you want:


[code............................


etc

]


It makes the whole skin about 50% transparent (except for the black parts, which will get 100% transparent).


Do i still have to mess around with alpha channels if I do this?

BTW, www.gimp.com) (i think, is a free editer that allows for manipulation of alpha channels) ;)

none of that is needed
just a shader with this added line added in: blendfunc GL_DST_COLOR GL_ONE

if you were making a kyle texture, it'd be
models/players/kyle/kyle_legs
{
{
map models/players/kyle/kyle_legs
blendfunc GL_DST_COLOR GL_ONE
}
}

and repeat that process for his torso and head and crap

Great! At least I don't have to play with alpha channels.. never got them right. (BTW, if anyone has GIMP and could explain how to add one, I would be very greatful!)

Hey [ASJN] Balboa thanks for that info. I had been looking for that a long time. It works pretty good. I gotta try alpha channels now and see how that works

w00t, you only have 1 post; that shader was old, but it still looks nice.
Vahshir, your name remembered me when i played EverQuest..as vah shir lol

Yeah. its from everquest. I liked that race. So if I want to make a hilt with some of its parts transluscent could I do it with that shader also or what would I need to do?

Aye, I'm sure it would work out with a hilt.

Originally posted by Vahshir
Yeah. its from everquest. I liked that race. So if I want to make a hilt with some of its parts transluscent could I do it with that shader also or what would I need to do?
Well i currently did a centi longsword as saber hilt hehe, but is for personal use xD

Cool

Originally posted by Vahshir
Cool
http://img61.exs.cx/img61/7622/centi.jpg)