Hi again!
Just before filing this away, it occurred to me that there might be
another way that could help you out, depending on your specific needs.
Caret has a Surface: Sections: Section Control option that lets you
look at 'slabs' of the surface of whatever thickness desired and
sliced
Leeland,
You can get translucency by converting to a vtk model using the Save
option for the Caret coordinate file. This can also preserve surface
coloration. I don't have a lot of experience with this, but John may
be able to provide additional tips now that he is back from Australia.