Terrain Transparency

Question

I have a composite 3D model with terrains, roads, pipe networks, and etc. The terrains have materials applied (draped rasters for the existing terrain and the "Grass" material for the proposed terrain). I would like to be able to use the "Transparent" display style so that I can see the pipe networks through the terrain. When I choose the transparent display style, however, all of the elements except the terrains become transparent. 
 
 I did some tests in a separate file with a simple solid and simple terrain model and I got the same result - the solid becomes transparent but the terrain does not. Am I doing something wrong or is this a known issue? Is there a way to make terrains with materials applied transparent? Any feedback is greatly appreciated! 
 
 Matt

Jacquelyn Pettus · Answer

I have logged a defect for this issue. The defect number is D-131128.

vincent · Answer

Hi Matt, 
 I could reproduce this, AFAIK Terrain should behave like other entities, and I'll logged a TR for that. 
 As a workaround, you may use the "2 materials trick", using element templates and features to make change as easy as changing display styles. In detail: 
 1) Create a copy of the original opaque material. rename it _transparent, and apply desired transparency. If you are using aerial draping, you need only to change one material "draped" for all your projects, ceating a "Draped_transparent material" I used grass as an example and created grass_transparent 
 2) create 2 elements templates Terrain and Terrain_transparent, add terrain symbology, and apply adequate material to the triangles 
 3) In Project manager create a Surface feature called "Terrain" In this feature, you will use as 3D display either the template Terrain OR the template Terrain_Transparency Apply this feature to all terrains you need 
 4) then to see transparency, apply the template Terrain_Transparency to the Terrain feature To disable transparency, apply the template Terrain to the Terrain feature 
 
 It's longer to explain than to create, and if you store the materials, templates and feature in one DGNLIB you may reuse these settings in a breeze. 
 
 Here is a short movie:

Terrain Transparency

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