CompuServe Messages

David, >>animated opacity map with fuzzy end… If I understand you correctly (and you were _very_ clear!), I've run into this before and was confused for a while. The solution is simple: use DECAL instead of TILE in the mapping parameters dialog box. Either the lofted mapping coordinates are a tiny bit off at the end of an object lofted with mapping coordinates, or perhaps there is some texture blur "wrap-around." When the first white pixel of the animated opacity map starts, there the wrap-around causes the far end of the object to become slightly visible when the default TILE is used. Another work-around is to delete some faces at the very end of your lofted object. One side effect of using DECAL instead of TILE: with TILE, a 30 frame animated opacity map (black, increasing to white) will work as expected, increasing opacity until the object is completely visible on frame 29. With DECAL, however, on frame 28, the object is nearly fully opaque, then it suddenly disappears on frame 29! I think this is just the way DECALs work, having their upper-most left bit defining the transparent color. When the flic finally hits the last frame and is totally white, the upper-left pixel is suddenly white and the whole thing gets transparent! If this was important, it should be easy to fix by editing the animated opacity flic in AniPro and coloring the guilty pixel in the last frame. Otherwise, no big deal. <g> BTW, I use a 640×480 opacity map increasing in whiteness from BOTTOM to TOP to reveal an object along its length without having to rotate the map. A tall, narrow map would work just as well (for objects with their length much greater than their circumference) and take less memory. JKJ (totally transparent)