[zdeno]

normal and additive type of blending layers are described in manual.

generaly Normal mode it is percentage blending (sum of blending is always 100% regardles of number of layers)

additive mode is - hmmm ... you add pixels from each layers to each other. In this maner You can do non-psychical materials in easiest way.

maxwell materials system is the hardest to understand IMHO , but when you catch this it is super powerfull tool.

about second question , it is not possible in this way. maxwell don,t get transparency from textures in any way.

You can use transparency as in tutorials section example. but then this letters on blades HAVE to be another mesh a bit under blade surface (as Fernando told before).

[zdeno]

and Yes Fernando ! It was a compliment.
I worship your work on this forum, and I am after every little piece of knowlege You can share with us.
Mayby You can whisper something about this damn roughness. It is the hardest issue to match roughness level from reference picture to maxwell material.

[Fernando Tella]

I'm flattered, thanks!

[zdeno]

sweet
so what about this damn roughness ?
Let's see You have photo of wall full of bricks - how in the name of God i can guess , it's roughness , it's Nd , and influence of bump map in this whole process of transporting light through space ?

I can of course take one BSDF with base color , but WHY lambertian or WHY 90% roughness ?
then I can take second BSDF to add some (polished look) but what Nd should I use ? in this layer roughness is easier to take following by size of "specularity" but still it is tricky to deal with colors of this layer.

of course always one can hit and try lose and try so long one finally got effect in this one rendering, but in another light conditions suddenly this materials look like green cr@p

I have some issue with myself I can't go further with my job until I understand how tool work, I stucked with thin Nd , roughness , stuff and had to buy another rendering engine to earn money, but I still love maxwell and I want to understand !!