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Old 08-01-2002, 06:35 PM   #16
Sodorfo
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lol only thing i can figure out is the alpha channel is similar to a transparency map for the combined color channels... the lighter the pixel the more solid it is.. the darker, the more transparent...

tried making a drawing on the background layer then switched to channels and added the alpha channel and did a gradient fill... switched back to the background layer and the image fades out gradually... pretty cool effect..
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Old 08-01-2002, 09:15 PM   #17
external
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Ok a quick fix for the .tga problems some may be having with ps7.
This came from the Adobe user forums.


"PS 7 no longer has alpha channel support with Targa files. It has been replaced by a transparency channel, which is the correct method according to the targa file specification. However, 3rd party software will recognize the transparency channel as a 'virtual' alpha channel.

If your workflow requires you to have the alpha channel, you can replace Photoshop 7's Targa file format plug in with PS 6's Targa file format plug in, until a fix is released.

The file is Targa.8BI and is located in the Photoshop folder>Plug-Ins>File Formats.

It is rumoured that this behaviour will be changed to that of Version 6 in the next patch to Photoshop."


only bad thing about this is not many people have access to ps6 in order to fix this, if they had only just bought ps7.
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Old 08-01-2002, 11:30 PM   #18
Nennayan
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Quote:
Originally posted by psychogears
no idea. But I'd like to know too, maybe I can use it.

-TJ


Based on the screenshots that you've posted, it looks like whatever program you use is automatically making an alpha channel.

In Photoshop, I've been doing a lot of alterations to my alpha channels the hard way, just drawing in black and white. It's tedious but the end result looks better than what you get by just auto selecting the parts you want to be transparent then saving the selection as an alpha channel.

For instance, If you change the alpha channel in wnd_bg_light_rock.tga to fully transparent, you can have transparent windows just like in the old interface. One thing I tried was just having a symbol with everything else transparent, but found it hard to read the chat window.

I think it was a good idea for them to use alpha transparency, even if it was a pain to learn.
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Old 08-02-2002, 09:55 PM   #19
TheRealDuuece
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Default Graphic Editor?

I wanna play around and create my own UI but I currently do not have anyting that does tga format. Any suggestions where I can find a cheap/free graphic program?

Also, I am pretty ignorant on any compter stuff in the last ten years so excuse me if I ask dumb quests. I would rather learn to fish then have someone fish for me and I appreciate any help I can get.
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Old 08-02-2002, 10:40 PM   #20
Nennayan
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If you go to hotfiles.com and do a search for TGA, you'll find a couple cheap/free graphic programs. I dunno how good they are though.

EDIT: Just wanted to add that you need a program which supports TGA alpha transparency, in other words an extra channel, similar to the RGB channels, which sets an opacity level for each pixel. TGA files without an alpha channel don't load in EQ properly. Thay appear totally transparent, in other words you can't see them.
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Old 08-03-2002, 04:36 PM   #21
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Default How to place that graphic where you want it

Here's what I used to take what was taught that started this post and put it where ever I wanted it basically.

<StaticAnimation item= "UnityLogo">
<ScreenID>UnityLogo</ScreenID>
<Location>
<X>7</X>
<Y>50</Y>
</Location>
<Size>
<CX>128</CX>
<CY>32</CY>
</Size>
<Animation>UnityLogo</Animation>
</StaticAnimation>


And of course don't forget to add this line along with all the other pieces which are at the bottom of the window file.

<Pieces>UnityLogo</Pieces>


You must of course use your own location, size and item name...not UnityLogo
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Old 08-03-2002, 06:40 PM   #22
Bowler
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Default UI Character animation

I tried replacing the shaman animation with a static picture put when I was done it had totally eliminated the animation and the spot where it used to be now just shows the background....oops any suggestions
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Old 08-04-2002, 12:01 AM   #23
Avallach
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Default Title Bars and masking

I have been playing with trying to create a different look for the titlebars. Currently as you can see in my mod (under the "released" thread), I have been somewhat successful.

It seems however that you are married to the mask for the titlebar. I have tried alot of different ideas, from creating my own titlebar template to altering the existing template to look at differnet graphics files. My best success has the graphic I want but it is masked to the original rounded title bar style. i.e. it is cropped to the dimensions of the rounded title bar.

Anyone have any advise?

Avallach
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Old 08-04-2002, 02:17 AM   #24
Xallaron
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Default Hey Bowler

You can't just replace that class animation with just anything, but if you did what this post in original about plus what I posted above to put a static pic anywhere you want you could put it over the animation and move the animation off the screen. There are several ways you can do it.

Another way is to just make another animation to replace it like I did. Each class has 1 to 3 graphic files that would need to be replaced if you wanted to do this....for instance a monk has:

monk01.tga
monk02.tga

Both would have to be replaced in order for it to work or else you'd have to know how to make it so one didn't show up. Which is a bit involved

Here's some links to what I did:

My graphic is simply a guild logo and this is what both my monk files look like since all my logo does is twinkle it's easy to adapt for just 1 file or if 3 are needed.

The Graphic I replaced my Class Animations with

It looks sort of like this gif animation but better since gifs only have 256 colors in it:

Guild Logo to replace my class animation

Here it is in my UI

Hope this helps!
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Old 08-04-2002, 02:42 AM   #25
Bowler
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Default Replace animation

I tried replacing the animation file with a TGA that had a different static picture... it seems to ignore it and go with the default. My static pic is 128 x 64 on a 256x256 transparency (sp). The shaman class has only one file and I replaced it with this but it still defaults the shaman animation. Do I have to do all of the first part of this post or am I correct in assuming I can do it in one step. Also should I tile the image to match the number of frames in the original animation?
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Old 08-04-2002, 04:53 AM   #26
Xallaron
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Tile would work.....each one of those graphics have several frames in them....so if you are just making one frame and there were 8 then you have a problem cause the program is telling it to look for all 8 frames.

I took a look at the shammy tga file and it like the rest are 256 X256.....each frame is 64 wide, by 128 tall and there are 7 frames for the shaman. You can do 8 so you use up all the space on the 256 X 256 graphic if you want.....if it's only looking for 7 frames then it won't play the 8th. It will look static if you use the same graphic for each frame since there will be no changes.

The easiest way for you to change that class animation is the way you are doing it but do it like the original graphic is and it will work.
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Old 08-04-2002, 11:01 AM   #27
Bowler
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Default /shrug

Made 7 identical frames all 64x128 ... entered game did /loadskin.. then camped to desktop and came back. When I got back the spot where my character animation should be just showed the granite background with no box outline or anything. The class animation was just gone. I wonder if my graphic editor cant do TGA correctly for this.. Im using Adobe Photoshop Elements?
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Old 08-04-2002, 12:34 PM   #28
Xallaron
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Default saving

How are you saving it.....32, or 24 or 16 bit. I believe when I saved mine I had to do it in 24 bit. Seems some stuff you can save in 32 bit and some you can't. Only thing I can think of is in 32bit the file size is too big. And if I remember right then when I saved in 32bit the picture wouldn't show either and this would happen in 16bit too.

I'd try saving each way and I bet that fixes your problem

Doh I posted this as new thread instead of reply...hehe
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Old 08-04-2002, 12:48 PM   #29
Bowler
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POW ....it worked .... saved it at 24bit and did just fine... thanks for your help

/salute
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Old 08-26-2002, 02:21 AM   #30
aesculap
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Quote:
Originally posted by Veirna
ehhh whats the alpha channel for ?

Transparency methinks....
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