title: Android Google maps transparency
body: <p>I'm working on a mapping app. And I want to show some views under the MapView.
  I'm using the method:</p>
  
  <pre><code>    mapView.setAlpha(0.5f);
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>Nothing happens to the mapView. When I try to apply this method to my buttons it works fine, even applying it to the parent view of the mapView makes every child view transparent except for the mapView.</p>
  
  <p>How can we make the mapView transparent? I have looked into other questions here  and I cant seem to find a solution.</p>
  
  <p>Is there some special method in the mapView.getMap() that we can use to make it transparent?</p>