Playing around with the tutorial and im trying to change the opacity of an object, but can’t find an opacity selector. Is the selector titled something different? What palette window is it under?
Also have difficulty moving primitives on their Z axis. I did the sphere in front a smaller red sphere thing and somehow the larger sphere ended up behind the smaller one-couldn’t pull it back in front again.
I’m not sure if this is what you’re looking for, but under the material modifiers there is a Transparency selector and Transparency curve. I usually use the Jelly Bean Material, or one of the GelShader materials and modify it to be transpaprent. Note: Transparent objects must be on a layer above the first layer.
Hi Acadia22…In answer to your #2 question - To move an object forward or backward on the “Z” axis: After you’ve drawn the object on the screen, go to the “Transform” window & click on the 2nd square “MoveObject” or or press the “W” key, then hold the “Ctrl” key down while you hold your left mouse button & drag in the canvas outside of the object. Dragging down brings the object forward - dragging up pushes the object backward. Hope this helps??? Z’ya later… 
Mark.
Hey, CD, :o I don’t really have much understanding of the Material:Modifiers:Transparency setting and the accompanying Tranparency Curve, OR how to use them. 
I understand altering the RGB and Z values on an object, but the stuff about transparency in the Materials:Modifiers menus leaves me a little confused. :qu: Any clues? Be specific!
I am sure someone can add to this.
The material properties pallete gives you control of the different settings. Materials have 1,2 or 3 different channels. Transparency is pretty easy, thou I am not sure what the exact axis definition is for the transparency graph but playing with it can bring different amounts of transparency from the edge to the middle. 100% transparency should give you a clear glass, values in between make it more opaque.
You will only see the full transparency effect in Best Render with “Flatten Layers” deselected. The layer with transparent object will show thru the underlying layers.
Southern has a great materials tutorial on his website, And I think but not sure he has his"Space Monkey" tutorial there also. That will help you understand transparency.
As the others have said to move your currently selected object in “Z” depth, click outside the object while in “Move” or “Rotate” (ctrl W, or cntrl R) and pull down to come toward you, push up to go away from you. You don’t have to have the control key pressed.
hope that helps a little. Pixolater had another tutorial as well how simulate Transparency using the Clone brush, maybe he will repost that.
Thanks, Digits.
Hi Nikko…Most of the needed information has already been posted by CDE & Digits. I’ll try to guide you through it if possible???
1st - import an image of your choice into the “Textures” window /
select “FlatColor” from the Materials palette /
in the “Layer” / Modifiers palette select Fill /
in “Layer” / Inventory palette select Create “New” /
click “Move Layer Up” - button next to “Cln” /
now create a “Sphere3D” & draw in the palette /
select edit object or press “T” /
in Render/Modifiers click “Flatten Layers” so it is not green /
choose Material-GelShaderA /
go to Material-Modifiers / slide Transparency to 100 & the sphere will become transparent.
choose Best render & you should see a nice rendered “Transparent Sphere”.
One more thing, almost any Material can be transparent using these settings. As Digits stated in his post, the transparency curve window controls which area of the object becomes more transparent, the outside edge or the center.
I hope this helps you to understand more about Transparency??? Have Z good one… Mark.
Hello Acacia - Others have answered the transparency issue, maybe I can help with Z.
I too have found setting the Z value to be very frustrating. Because Zbrush provides an orthagonal view, you have no clue where something is positioned unless they overlap or from best render shadow clues. As mentioned, you can bring up the move gyro and move your mouse up and down outside of the gyro to move on the Z axis - however for me this is also hit or mis and often frustrating. What I do is call up the move gyro - then open the transform modifier panel and under info you will have a numerical entry for xyz. Set the object to zero Z then adjust negative or positive until it is positioned as needed. I also use this method for scale and rotation.
Enjoy
jd
Again I must thank everyone for the information. I bookmarked the tutorial site, think im realy gonna need it.
The pic with the floating bubble is the sh*t!
Was that all done in Z Brush or is that a bubble imposed over another picture?
I’ve seen a bunch of Z work (mostly from the manual) and have noticed that the colors in the art realy stand out more so than in any other program, the pics tend to outshine alot of works I’ve seen done with 3D mesh programs. Even the messes I’ve been making are eye candy, stuff that looks publishable as well as ingenius if viewed by a modern artist.
Hi Acadia22…Yes the picture with the bubble is all ZBrush (except for the background image). The little tut above the image will generate that image, or close to it. Here’s another image I did a while back, to show transparency with refraction. Have a good one… Mark.
Hi 
As seen above, there are several methods to achieve transparency effect; I will add one more in a few minutes. (I will post an older tutorial that is dealing with transparency and shadows)
-Pixolator
[Edit]
Tutorial added in this thread