how to apply alpha map for transperency to an object
 

can some one tell me how to apply the alpha map to the object so that i can use it to transperent the porion of a image

Not got maya opena the moment but cant you connect the Out alpha of a texture into the transparancy node of the material node via the connection editor?

thanks for ur reply
i'm doing the same thing but when i'm animating the alpha map which is created using the ramp, in which the 0 frame is fully black and last frame is fully white , the transperency can not be applied onto it .
I'm able to do without animating the texture
i had also tried the layer texture , but i was not able to get the output.
so plz help me out