Fade edges to transparent.

[Sensei]

I think he wants all four edges of the floor to fade to transparent.

Edges between object and background are called "silhouette edges" / "outline edges".

[genesis1]

Can you show screen-shot of effect that you want, so we better understand what do you want?

In LW 2018-2020, the best effect you will get by plugging something to Clip input. But it accepts <0.5 as 0 (opaque), and >= 0.5 as 1 (invisible).
Plugging something to BSDF material Transparency input, will not make something transparent, because you also have reflections, refractions, specularity to take care of.

What else do you should do to make material permanently invisible?
Use Material Mixer, with second Standard Material, which has the all things reset to 0, refraction index 1.0, Transparency 100%.
Like on this screen-shot:

Attachment 148986

Attachment 148987

Adjust Gradient, and sphere is very small (but still takes CPU time to render, because I did not also used Clip together with it, to accelerate effect).

Yes this is the sort of effect I'm after, but just on a flat ground plane. I will have a camera panning around an object in centre and I want the ground plane to fade to transparent at the edges to give a blurry look and also subtlety merge into the background so there is no hard edge.
I've had some success using a map I created in photoshop, but if I want some spec then the edges show again.

[Sensei]

Yes this is the sort of effect I'm after, but just on a flat ground plane. I will have a camera panning around an object in centre and I want the ground plane to fade to transparent at the edges to give a blurry look and also subtlety merge into the background so there is no hard edge.
I've had some success using a map I created in photoshop, but if I want some spec then the edges show again.

On flat surface use weight map to tell LW direction of fading, then use nodal tree like I showed above.

If camera is always in the center of object, you can take camera position using Item Info, calculate distance to World Spot Position using Math > Vector > Distance, then plug it to Gradient, and output from it plug to Alpha in Material Mixer. The rest the same as above.

[prometheus]

That's not what he said.

Perhaps not, in fact he says "fade the edges"..where I perceived it as just the end of the floor, and not just the edge Line surroundign the polys.

He also replied with this..
"Yes, I want to fade the floor on all 4 sides so there is no hard edge."

Which to me again seem to be exactly as How I perceived it, he want´s to fade the floor...at the end, obviously that means edges as well..but not just the edges.

As for using distance dissolve, can´t grasp why that isn´t working..it´s working over here, but I only tried with a simple floor plane without textures..and probably the textures are interfering?

[Shabazzy]

Just checked this and there is no surface editor refraction setting with raytrace+backdrop anymore in 2020. Just Raytrace or Raytrace+spherical map or spherical map only.

Oh, I didn't know that they removed that option in 2020 (I'm still using 2019).

In that case I'd put an HDRI spherical image in the 'Refraction Map Image' setting and set the 'Refractions Options' to Raytrace + Spherical Map. That should sort it out.

[Shabazzy]

Edges between object and background are called "silhouette edges" / "outline edges".

Yeah, it's a British thing. I know what he meant and he knows what I meant.

I wouldn't worry about it mate.

[Shabazzy]

He also replied with this..
"Yes, I want to fade the floor on all 4 sides so there is no hard edge."

Which to me again seem to be exactly as How I perceived it, he want´s to fade the floor...at the end, obviously that means edges as well..but not just the edges.

Well, now you've learned something new on how we Brits communicate.

[shrox]

Well, now you've learned something new on how we Brits communicate.

Zed...

[Shabazzy]

Oh, I didn't know that they removed that option in 2020 (I'm still using 2019).

In that case I'd put an HDRI spherical image in the 'Refraction Map Image' setting and set the 'Refractions Options' to Raytrace + Spherical Map. That should sort it out.

Another thing you can try if you didn't want to do the above, is this.

Assuming that you have the 'Backdrop' background in the Render Tab>Backdrop>Effects>Environment section (you'll know if you do because you'll see a gradient background in VPR), check whether you have an 'Environment Light' in your scene. If you don't, then create one.

Open the Light Properties for the Environment Light and under the Environment section, check 'Use Global'. Make sure there are no entries in the list box above, or if there are, make sure they are unchecked.

For the PBSDF material, in the Surface Editor>Shading Model>Photoreal>Refraction section, set the 'Refraction Options' to 'Raytrace'.

This should solve the problem also.

If you don't have 'Backdrop' listed in the Render Tab>Backdrop>Effects>Environment section (usually indicated by a black background in VPR), then from within the Light Properties for the Environmental Light, you can add 'Backdrop' in its 'Environment' section.

In the list box area under 'Environment', right click and add a 'Backdrop' (making sure it's ticked to activate it) and make sure the 'Use Global' setting is unchecked.

Again set the Surface editor shading model settings to 'Raytrace'.

These options should get the transparency issues resolved.

It seems that LW2020 have changed the relationship between backdrop illuminations being recognised by the surface editor. It seems that now, unless you add an environmental light, the surface editor won't see any environments in the scene.

To me this is a good thing, because there are times when I want to do an F9 render without having the background present but still retain the illumination information. Now, it seems, that is possible.

Awesome.

For more information on the use of Environmental lights click here

Let us know your findings.

[prometheus]

Well, now you've learned something new on how we Brits communicate.

I worked with two young brit guys in 1992, doing photocopy work..they were lovely guys and quite funny as most brits are..intentionally or none intentionally, but sometimes I didn´t understand them well enough..until we all went out for drinks and we all came together understanding perfectly

[Shabazzy]

Zed...

Tomatoes