How to create a Transparent Lamp??

This is more of a general question about how transparency works in UE4. Im trying to create a lamp that allows some light through and whilst doing so, makes the lamp partially emmisive in the area where light is strongest.

As you can see when applying even .99 transparency, I loose all shading from that material/object. I get shadows where i need it but only because the secondary light is completely ignoring the lamp shade.
Also with the lamp shade being transparent, I can see the buld but the emmissive on sed bulb is also not coming through.

When there is no transparency, I get some light bleed which actually works in my favour. If i could somehow use this to my advantage and make it stronger (Allow more light through) without increasing the lights intensity.

Help please, I’m newish so probably just being a noob. Thanks

Here’s an obvious example of what i’m going for

Hi Gilbert,

You should be able to simply do this by using a Sub-Surface Shading Model in your Material.

You’ll plug whatever you want the subsurface color to be into the SubSurface Color input. Typically just using the diffuse color should be OK for most setups.

Use the Opacity input to determine how much the subsurface color comes through.

-Tim

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Thanks a lot. That pretty much did it. Did a lot of playing around and got basically what i was looking for. Need more tweaking and practice but for now, its good :slight_smile:

Also if anyone else Is trying this, I’ve just found out whilst testing that the light source cant be static. Else when you build your environment, the effect will not work.

you can probably fake the effect with a fressnell effect that lights up the part that faces you the most and multiply that with a mask to prevent it from being strong at the top and bottum.

Hi @Gilbert159 can you share with us more details about how you archive it?

maybe something to edit about the mesh/ actors or lighting settings? I have been a long time trying to archive this but never get a result as good as this one