Textures on transparent parts

[mountaininventor]

Working in SW 2004
I would like to be able to make parts transparent after I have applied a texture to the surface. For example. I wish to make a screen. It is easiest to extrude a thin sheet and apply one of the grid textures. It looks like screen. However, I can't seem to make the transparency function work. I have tried blending color and setting transparency. I have searched help and this forum including faqs.

Note: I remember in forums about other drawing programs that people had developed ways to make bitmaps transparent when applied to icons etc by eliminating the background from the bitmap image. Perhaps something like this has been done in SolidWorks.

Mark

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

The image above represents an air filter ... the filter material surfaces had the Patterns > Bubbles texture applied & the transparency was set from within the Edit Colour feature.

How are you setting the transparency?


Making the best use of this Forum. faq559-716
How to get answers to your SW questions. faq559-1091
Helpful SW websites every user should be aware of. faq559-520

 

[mountaininventor]

I have been setting transparency from within the color editor. I did alot of playing with settings to see how it affects the drawings.
If I set the body color/transparency first then apply a texture to one face (blend-color box, selected), that face becomes opaque while the rest of the body remains transparent. If afrer that I go back in to the color editor and reapply the transparency setting for the face with the texture, the face out ant out disappears. I cannot make the transparency setting low enough to have it appear transparent. It seems to be all or none.
If I first set the feature color/transparency for the feature that generateed the face, I still get the same result once I apply the texture.
If I first set the face color/transparency then add the texture the face becomes opaque. If I apply the texture then the transparency the face simply disappears.
The toggle transparency button (not within the color editor) simply has no effect on the textured faces.
I think I have been doing the texture application appropriately. I'm beginning to think that perhaps there's a problem with my SW installation?

"cringe" Should I reinstall?

Mark

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

Alternative to try before reinstalling faq559-507


Making the best use of this Forum. faq559-716
How to get answers to your SW questions. faq559-1091
Helpful SW websites every user should be aware of. faq559-520

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

Hold on a sec,

The toggle transparency button (not within the color editor) simply has no effect on the textured faces

This suggests you are trying to do this within an assy. You will have much better "luck" applying the texture & transparency at the part level.


Making the best use of this Forum. faq559-716
How to get answers to your SW questions. faq559-1091
Helpful SW websites every user should be aware of. faq559-520

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

By the way ... should have asked this first ... what OS, graphics card & driver are you using? Do you have a "certified" combination as per

http://www.solidworks.com/pages/services/VideoCardTesting.html

Making the best use of this Forum. faq559-716
How to get answers to your SW questions. faq559-1091
Helpful SW websites every user should be aware of. faq559-520