Hi I guess I didn't explain well enough what I'm doing. I have a 3d world that contains transparent objects, these interact with each other as expected (most used to simulate lights/lens flare), then I am creating a HUD close to the viewer. The hud is designed to accept multiple levels and each one being transparent, for example, the farthest layer might contain a dial and then one closer level contains the pointer for that dial, so only a small image is updated at each frame. I have tried 2 methods, one where each layer is a separate 3d plate that gets drawn on to, but this introduces more possibilities for the models in the game world to come through the back plates on the HUD, the other is using an ordered group to force the farthest components to be rendered first. With the ordered group, any transparent components in the HUD block out transparent objects in the 3d world. example, I have an FPS counter that has a semi transparent (0.5 alpha) background, when using an ordered group when my light effects pass behind this component the covered pixels are not rendered, other non transparent objects in my scene are fine. when using a Branchgroup the light effects can still bee seen through the FPS counter, along with all other objects. Using an ordered group or a branch group for the HUD (nothing in the 3d world is in this group), when one light effect passes behind another light effect they have an additive effect and cause 'pretty lights'
There are some screen shots at http://www.computerbooth.com/j3d/Hud%20samples/
The basic scene is a red test grid and an FPS counter in the HUD layer, and then a set of ships and lights in 3d space, the lights are a transparent object using OrientedShape3D place at the coordinates of a way point they AI ships fly around.
http://www.computerbooth.com/j3d/Hud%20samples/BranchGroup%20-%202%20components.jpg
This shows what happens when a branchgroup is used, the light effect can be seen, but the FPS counter is now hidden by the test grid because the rendering order is not correct
http://www.computerbooth.com/j3d/Hud%20samples/OrderedGroup%20-%20FPS%20and%20star.jpg
This shows how with an OrderedGroup the transparent HUD components block the pixels of the transparent world objects
http://www.computerbooth.com/j3d/Hud%20samples/OrderedGroup%20-%20two%20components.jpg
This shows the correct HUD layering with the FPS counter over the test grid, this is using an orderedGroup just with the HUD components
http://www.computerbooth.com/j3d/Hud%20samples/Two%20stars.jpg
This shows the two light effects working together
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