PSD layer in maya?
 

Hi everybody

Hope this is not a REALY stupid question but here it goes.

Can I use a layer from photoshop in Maya?

I cut out the water out of the world map and I was wondering if I could import the layer in maya and strap it on a transparent sphere so that only the continents are visible.
I red someones thread where you guys suggested using an "alpha channel" for transparency. So (in PS) I put a background layer behind the COB continents, selected it, painted black and created an alpha channel from it, than I assigned it as a file texture on a sphere in maya. Tried a couple of diferent clicks in maya (rgb and alpha channel in the render globals window as well as "alpha luminocyty" in color tab of the file texture atributes) but I must be doing something wrong cause the water still renders black instead of transparent. When I click the alpha channel view, in the render view after rendering, the whole scene turns white. I guess I'm way of course here :-) but before anything else, I had to ask you guys for help.

So, basicly my question is, is what I'm trying to do posible or are we talkin modeling the entire thing from scratch?

Thx ahead

yes it is possible, download this sites free tutorial on Alpha channels http://www.simplymaya.com/movie_page...html?tut_id=93

thx jsprogg

you're a life savior

I don't know how I didn't see that tutorial since i have all of them. I guess at the time I downloaded all of the tuts, "alpha channels" seamed something advanced and I must have neglected it. For morons like me, they should call it transparency or smth.
I've been diging through diferent threads and the answer was right before my eyes.
You guys came through once again, thx.

Where would we be without mtmckinley :-)