I was wondering if anyone knew how to make an alpha texture 3D printable or into physical geometry. I tried using a displacement texture for the job, but it didn’t really work out the way I was hoping, in that it didn’t “cut out” the holes that I had in the design. I’ve also tried converting the alpha image into an svg and importing it into the program and converting it into a mesh, but that doesn’t really work out the way I want either.
Any tips?
I’ve also tried converting the alpha image into an svg and importing it into the program and converting it into a mesh, but that doesn’t really work out the way I want either.
Why. That is the good option for some images.
I tried using a displacement texture for the job, but it didn’t really work out the way I was hoping
Why ? That is the second best option.
If those options don’t work for you then any other options will also not satisfy you.
You have not supplied any info about what you want so we don’t know what you want and why these options are not giving the result you want. Don’t be evasive by hiding info from us
I wasn’t being evasive or hiding information. Your response came off a little hostile with your "Why"s. Especially, since I don’t know what you’re looking for with them.
I tried turning up the sub d level when I used the displacement and it didn’t give me transparency where I needed it. I tried just using the alpha channel, but the site didn’t register it as valid geometry and only showed me the base model. The svg didn’t work either because it doesn’t give me clean enough geometry after converting it into a mesh to manipulate it into shapes whether I’m using a modifier or doing it manually. So, I’m wanting to know if there’s a way to convert the alpha into physical geometry. I thought I’d made that pretty clear. I didn’t realize I needed to supply so much context when the question I asked didn’t really need it. 
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I think the point Richard tried to make is this:
There is no way to convert alpha to “real” geometry in Blender. And all other valid methods were ruled out by you as “not working out”. Problem is, that we don’t really now why they did not work out and what exactly it is you’re trying to do. Did those methods not work because you made a mistake in using them? Or were they not feasible because of the result you want to achieve?
And, actually, we still really don’t know.
Please show us a screenshot of the desired result and preferably the .blend file you’re working with. And perhaps we can then recommend a method to get what you want. Everything else is us fishing in murky waters.
Thanks for your response. I think I’ve got a new method to try. I realized that the problem may be with the export file type and not the textures. In the program, the textures come out looking exactly the way I want. The alphas give me the transparency where I need it and all that. I think it’s just that the site isn’t picking them up through the export type I’m using (.obj). They recommend a different file type from the one I normally use for files that have textures attached to them (.x3d). I didn’t think of this at first because when I’ve had a displacement on an .obj file, it sees it just fine and I think it’s because I use the displacement modifier. It picks up modifiers just fine too. I’ll give the .x3d export a try and see if that works. If it doesn’t, I’ll just have to figure something else out! Thanks again for offering to help though.