Getting game hair right? (alpha sorting and transparency/material settings)

[bigjb]

In reference to this thread:
[url]http://www.facepunch.com/showthread.php?t=542906[/url]

RE this bit :
**ok wait I'll now enable 2bit transparency on the hair, which HL2 supports very well. maybe **you'll see the difference in layering
**
**"VertexLitGeneric"
**{
**"$baseTexture" "models/ragdollguide/207b4a90"
**"$halflambert" 1
**"$alphatest" 1
**"$nocull" 1
**}
**
**you'll notice the layers are now correct, but we loose the blending, since we're using 2bit, over **4bit(16colours) big difference eh. anyway use translusant(4bit) or alphatest(2bit) until i cover **advance VMTs and how to hide this problem.

I would be very interested to know what Mario would/should have said to retain quality $translucent blending in the alpha on the hair but also avoid the sorting issues which prompt $alphatest in the first place!! (he never did advanced VMTS section)

In other words: How can we accomplish "game hair" - multiple hair planes/cards in HL2?
When I use Gamebryo (also has alpha sorting issues ) we have to copy and invert the normals on the hair strands that have transparency and make sure they are ordered in the hierarchy a certain way for the engine to do this right.

So far with source, I have figured out to always keep transparent bits on their own material. Anyone have any other 'hair' tips?

[spartan117ak]

Ok from my personal experience, awesome hair is gods work and us common folk best not try to play god and leave it to the good lord.

...

Ok really I just failed a lot and really need these tips too. :<

[bigjb]

This issue and compiling gesture animations (with delta) for use in faceposer are so difficult for me right now - hard to find answers:(

[QUOTE=spartan117ak;21063356]Ok from my personal experience, awesome hair is gods work and us common folk best not try to play god and leave it to the good lord.

...

Ok really I just failed a lot and really need these tips too. :<[/QUOTE]

[bigjb]

Here is an example - notice both the messed up cards on back of head and the fact that you can see through to her effing eyelashes (also using $translucent). Welcome to a sorting problem:(

[URL=http://imgur.com/wB2yw.jpg][IMG]http://imgur.com/wB2yw.jpg[/IMG][/URL]