Now you see it, now you don't: See-Through Materials in Fusion

Imagine spending hours crafting tiny holes in a 3D model just to make a speaker grille look real in your render. You can skip all that hassle with smart cutout materials that give the same sharp look in seconds.

Introduction: The Efficiency of Visual Realism in 3D Modeling

Why Complex Geometry Hinders Rendering Workflow

Building intricate patterns like speaker grilles with 3D sketches or patterns slows you down big time. You end up with bloated files that can crash your software and make modifications difficult and slow. For most designs, the goal is a stunning render, not perfect hidden details.

This approach fits right into modern 3D workflows where speed matters. Think of it like painting a wall—you don't need to model every brush stroke. Instead, focus on the final shine that wows clients or teams.

Introducing Appearance-Based Cutout Materials

Cutout materials let you add see-through effects without touching the geometry. They use textures to create holes or meshes, perfect for things like a speaker grill on a Sonos model.

Section 1: Initial Setup and Identifying Material Limitations

Preparing the Model for Material Application

Grab your model and isolate the key part, like Body 6 on the Sonos speaker. This shell shape forms the grille area. Switch to the rendering workspace—it's brighter and shows changes fast.

Hide other bodies to focus your view. Now you see just the surface you want to work on. This setup clears clutter and speeds up test renders.

Testing Pre-Built Cutout Materials (Steel Sub-Category)

Open the Appearances command, then expand the metal section, then steel. Drag the material Mesh Expanded Thick onto your model—it creates a basket-like see-through effect right away. Try Mesh Expanded Thin next for a lighter version.

These built-in materials show how cutouts work without custom work. Scroll to Steel Hexagonal Mesh for that grill pattern. Apply it and watch the hex holes appear on your model.

The Problem with Solid Bodies and Material Duplication

Solid bodies with thickness can cause trouble. The material appears on both the inside and outside faces. When you render, the texture doubles up, creating overlaps.

Section 2: Optimizing Geometry for Flawless Cutout Application

The Superiority of Thin-Walled Surfaces

Thin surfaces beat solid bodies for cutouts every time. No thickness means no double textures. Your renders stay crisp from any angle. Surfaces act like flat sheets with perfect transparency control.

Creating an Offset Surface Body

Head to the Surface tab and pick Offset. Click on the face or faces you want to offset. Set the offset to zero for a true thin wall.

You end up with a new surface body with no thickness at all. Turn off the old solid Body to leave just the surface(s).

Isolating the Surface for Focused Rendering Tests

With the original body hidden, apply your mesh material again. Drag Steel Hexagonal Mesh onto the surface. Render it and notice how the cutout material looks cleaner.

Section 3: Mastering Texture Map Controls for Seamless Alignment

The Challenge of Texture Seams and Projection Types

Textures often glitch at corners where faces meet. The pattern shifts or is rotated in the wrong direction. Automatic projection sometimes works, but offers no control.

Switch to Planar. It needs an axis pick, like the Z for front views. But the sides warp funny, like a stretched photo.

Box projection wraps better around shapes. Still, edges might miss the mark. You see the potential but will need hands-on fixes.

Section 4: Achieving Perfect Continuity Through Surface Segmentation

The Necessity of Unstitching Surfaces for Multi-Angle Viewing

One big surface limits texture control across angles. Breaks cause visible seams in full renders. Split it into smaller faces for true freedom.

This step shines for 360-degree shots or product spins. Each panel gets its own map.

Implementing the Unstitch Command

Go back to Surface and select Unstitch. Draw a box around the whole grille. It splits it into separate panels. Now each face stands alone.

Per-Face Planar Mapping and Seam Blending

Go back into the Rendering Workspace and pick Texture Map Controls. Pick one of the front faces and set to Planar. Choose the axis that is looking at the face. Now you can slide the position arrows around to match the pattern perfectly.

Do the same on the next face. Nudge the texture map control arrows around until the seams match up. Rinse and repeat for all panels. You can't spot the splits anymore.

Work around methodically. Front first, then sides. It takes minutes but pays off to make professional looking renders.

Section 5: Customizing Cutout Materials and Final Environmental Polish

Deconstructing and Rebuilding Custom Cutout Textures

Edit the Steel Hexagonal Mesh appearance. Hit Advanced to see more options. Relief adds texture bumps; cutout handles the see-through aspect of the material.

You can swap in your own image for the pattern. You might need to change the scale of the material depending on the image you use.

The Black and White Principle of Cutouts

Black in the cutout map means see-through spots. White blocks the view, like solid metal bars. A perfect black and white image works best verses a greyscale image.

Replace the source image with yours.

This binary setup fits any design. Grilles, vents, even fencing.

Enhancing Realism with Custom Environments (HDRIs)

Add a Sonos logo decal for brand touch. Throw in a table prop below for added realism. Finally, pick a custom HDRI for lighting.

Download a free one, like an interior room scene in 4K. Rotate the position of the HDRI to catch light reflections on the speaker. Render in-canvas for quick previews.

The grille pops with depth. Default lights can't match this look.

Past videos cover HDRI tips—click here to watch that video. Your final shot looks studio-grade.

Conclusion: Rendering Sophistication Without Modeling Strain

You just learned to ditch complex sketches for cutout materials that nail realistic looks. Thin surfaces gets rid of double materials, texture controls fix seams, and unstitching gives total control. Custom maps and HDRIs push it to pro levels—all without geometry headaches.

This method saves hours on any perforated design, from speakers to grills. Your renders will level up.