Q,

Two other hints. Check the No Light interactions when fully transparent option on the shader. That will keep highlights from showing up on a transparent part of the map. It's right below Bump Amplitude. Also because of the way Carrara handles transparency, you need to zero the color on the transparent spots. Color + Transparency <= 100%, so what I typically do is invert the transparency channel and use it as a multiplier on the color channel. Here's a sample shader

Notice that the transparency map is used as a multiplier in the color channel and the invert color option is check in the transparency channel so they are opposite. Depending on how your map is drawn, you may have to reverse that. Also the No Light Interactions When Fully Transparent option is checked at the bottom.

Good Luck,
Eric Winemiller
Digital Carvers Guild
3D plug-ins for Carrara
http://digitalcarversguild.com

Eric Winemiller
Digital Carvers Guild
Carrara and LightWave plug-ins