Train tracks with transparent middle?

[jh092]

Hi there,

I would like to generate train tracks using spline cross section, but I would like the area between the rails to be transparent. Looking at your Train demo scenes I have no problems creating the rails/tracks but because the rails are generated using a cross section the space between the rails is not "see through".

How then is the best way to achieve this? Would I perhaps render two separate cross sections along a spline (one for each rail), or would I use a single cross section as per your Train demo and somehow make the middle transparent using materials for example?


thanks

John

[jh092]

Ok so I have been investigating some more. I can see in your Trains demo the Railtrack Generator Volume Mesh (Railtrack) has two materials, one for the ground and one for the rails. This is I think exactly what I want, but...I can't for the life of me see how each material is associated to different parts of the cross shape. For example, how is the Mat 0 material just restricted to the "ground" and the Mat 1 material just restricted to the "rails" ?

thanks

John

[_Aka_]

Hi,
I would not advise you to use an invisible material in the middle because your mesh (like every mesh) is hollow in the middle, so if you make a part invisible, you will see whole at the junction points between both materials. The proper way in my opinion is generating two meshes, one for each rail.
You can use the Path Relative Translation module to make the path for the second rail from the first one: https://curvyeditor.com/documentation/generator/modules/pathrelativetranslation
About where the materials are assigned, you can learn more about that in the documentation:https://curvyeditor.com/documentation/generator/modules/shapeextrusion#materials
The example scene 26_CGExtrusionExtendedUV is also a good learning material.
Sorry for not answering earlier, but I was (and still am) busy these days with migrating my websites to a new web hosting service.
Have a nice day

[jh092]

Thank you, the Path Relative Translation module did the trick!

John

[_Aka_]

Great