True SSS (the kind we get from the new scatter node) won't work on single-sided geometry. It needs to be a solid.

If you want to use the old-style one-sided geometry with back lighting and translucence you have to do it correctly and it works fine.

These are the rules:

A) Geometry must be one sided.

B) Geometry must be lit from the "wrong" side (rear) using a directional light source. Not IDL alone - it needs a directed light - you may have other sources of light, but without a light from "behind" the surface aimed towards the observer, nothing interesting happens with translucence.

C) Plug a Diffuse node into the Translucence_Color chip.

D) If you want color either place that in the Translucence_Color chip, or place it in the Diffuse node's Diffuse_Color chip. Whichever you're using, the other should be white, unless you know what you're doing. If you don't know what you're doing, just follow my instructions. If you need a color map, set both chips to white and plug the color into the Diffuse node's Diffuse_Color.

E) Define the amount of translucence with the Translucence_Value - try .5.

F) You MUST enable Normals_Forward on the Diffuse node going to the Translucence_Color for the back-lighting to work.

In addition, if you want front lighting to work as usual, you must have the built-in Diffuse working as well. If you are looking at the back side with back lighting and want that to behave like front lighting to the back-side camera or observer (such as a mirror) you will also want the Normals_Forward checked on the main Poser surface node.

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Renderosity forum reply notifications are wonky. If I read a follow-up in a thread, but I don't myself reply, then notifications no longer happen AT ALL on that thread. So if I seem to be ignoring a question, that's why. (Updated September 23, 2019)