EDIT: Problem solved! You dont have to read this post now, unless you really want to.
Originally posted by LauriePriest
make a patchy trans map, squars of white squares and black, put it on a layer node then ontop of it in the layer node attatch a ramp with, set the blending method to multiply on the layer node.
Make a sampler info node and attatch the facing ratio attribute to the v coord of the ramp. Edit the ramp so that it is transparent at the edges and solid in the centre. This should give the correct effect if im not mistaken, you want no interpolation between the gradient values.
Now i feel really stupid. that first paragraph was a lot easier to do than i made it, but how do i change the blending mode, i cant find anything for it? I checked the help files (no really, i did) and it says there should be a thing for it in the attribute editor but i cant find anything
UPDATE: ah! theres a difference between layered shader and layered texture node, sorry!)
UPDATE 2: 
when trying to connect the checker node to the layered texture theres no transparency in the inputs, what should i do?
Update 3: I think ive got it, instead of doing it in the hypershade i put the checker in the alpha box of the layered shader, is that right?
UPDATE 4: Im really sorry but I cant find the v cord thing on the ramp, when i go to the connections box thing (when ive middle mouse dragged the sampler info node onto the ramp node and selected other) on the sampler info node the facing ratio attribute is there but on the ramp side there is no v cord attribute (theres no uv cord attribute at all)
Update 5: I DID IT! I was using a ramp shader instead of a ramp <smack head>
sorry! (i think ive finally done it though, all my problems have been because i was using X shader nodes instead of just X nodes)
Last edited by elephantinc; 30-12-2008 at 07:52 PM.