12-10-2002, 01:06 PM
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#1
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A Snow Griffin
Join Date: Sep 2002
Posts: 58
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Partial transparency - how to?
Until I started using Thangor's Dragon spellbook, I thought you couldn't have a "level of transparency" for the images used in the UI. I thought you either made things visible, or invisible. But, then I saw how the wings in his dragon are transluscent (partially transparent) and it has been driving me nuts ever since.
I know how to create alpha channels, and such to set complete transparency. What are the steps that are needed to set certain parts of an image to be partially see-through while maintaining complete invisibility in other areas of the same image?
I'm using PSP 7, don't have any version of Photoshop. In order to create the transparency I needed for stuff i've done so far, I simply create the image on a solid color background, select the background and invert it to outline the image I want. Then, I save that to an alpha channel, and then save the image as a .tga. That simple method has been working perfectly for simply Show/noShow parts of the image, I just can't seem to get the partial transparency to work.
The only other method i've tried is by using the fill color in areas I want to make transluscent, by shading them a degree of white to black in order to change the ammount of opaque-ness (is that a word?). As a simple image, it works. But when I save the image as a .tga and try to view it in game, it is still just a solid image, only of a lighter shade of color.
Any help, walk throughs, etc...... will be greatly appreciated.
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12-10-2002, 02:41 PM
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#2
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Pixel Pusher
Join Date: Aug 2002
Server: erollisi marr
Posts: 373
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__________________
Original Artwork by Tadashya my current favorite sig slice
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12-10-2002, 04:29 PM
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#3
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A Shissar Disciple
Join Date: Sep 2002
Posts: 113
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the transparency is a channel, like r-g-b just add the t for transparency...
so imagine my friend, if you blend the transparency with your image...it makes the image transparent at whatever level you like...
if you use layers and do your transparency and image merge on another layer, then merge layers before saving as a tga you can have partial transparency levels...
__________________
Jobeken Xoner
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12-13-2002, 02:04 AM
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#4
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A Snow Griffin
Join Date: Sep 2002
Posts: 58
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Thanks for the link. In general, as simple images, i'm having no trouble getting the process to work. I can view the image exactly as it should be in every application but EQ.
All the information i've seen so far is great, but doesn't apply specifically to how the images work for EQ. There is something, some small step that i'm missing. Somewhere between the image in PsP and the save to a .tga there is something not being done.
I can't figure it out, I think i'll go eat worms 
Oh, one question I had, if anyone knows. When I go to merge the layers, there are two options:
Flatten
or
Visible
Which should I use? Cause, after I merge it, when I go to save it as a .tga I get a message stating that "The file can only have 1 alpha channel, and the image will have to be saved as a merged image." |
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12-13-2002, 03:36 AM
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#5
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A Shissar Disciple
Join Date: Sep 2002
Server: Quellious
Posts: 136
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to answer your last question, flatten means it automatically merges all the layers.
Now, one way to get a partial transparency with an image is to make a grid, like a checker board, but on a pixel level (every other pixel is black). Then use 'select>color range' then change layers with the selection and use it for your Alpha. Makes it so every other pixel is transparent. It's kinda cheating, but I've found it to be effective. I just wouldn't reccommend it for the background of your chat channels... it's hard to read the words... found that out after using my Dungeon Crawler mod on a raid. For all the rest of the backgrounds, it worked fine. Considering that it's hard to focus on a copuple pixels at a time, especially while in game, this isn't a noticable effect, and you can have your Alpha turned all the way up in the game.
If you are just trying to get 2 layers to work with each other and doing a merge just for image effect, just select the layer you want to be semi-transparent and use the Transparency slider at the top of that window. I wouldn't even worry about merging the images. I usually have my psd file separated into layers when I make the tga file. I just select transparency on each layer, then select an empty layer and do a fill. Then I have all my outlines of my images. When I get ready to make the Alpha channel, I just use the layer I was doing all the fills on and select transparency, then save it as the Alpha, turn it off, make sure I have everything showing I will be using and save the TGA. pretty simple, really, and it's easier to go back and modify the file if you have problems (assuming you save the PSD file). I would assume that other progs could use this same technique as well. Pretty universal concept. Good luck!
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