Does anyone know how to make alpha channels on ArtEffect 4, i can make png icons but they end up with a dark colour where I want it to be transparent?
Does anyone know if there are any tutorials available, or just abe to tell me how to do it?
Cheers
Curtis

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@Curty

Thats exactly what I was trying to do some days ago, I was just about to post the same question

CHeers,

Martin

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@Curty & Metalheart

You're gonna like this... Making PNG's with a good looking Alpha channel is a pain in the royal. Below I have knocked up a very quick "tutorial" on how to make the perfect [Cough] circle. This should help you understand how your Alpha channels & images need to be setup. I've blown up the image for ease of viewing & you'll have to flick up & down as you read to follow this.

The 2 images down the left hand side are without the Alpha channel & on the right, we have the image with. You'll notice that "Icon1" is simply a plain white square while "Icon2" has a nicely anti-aliased circle in it.

On the right hand side you'll see the same images, only this time, with the alpha channel used. Spot the difference? This is where most people have been falling victim.

The alpha channel for the top (Icon1+Alpha) has correct anti-aliasing on the Workbench background while the alpha channel for the bottom icon (Icon2+Alpha) has a dark (Incorrect, yet still antialiased) border.

This is because of how the the original images were setup. "Icon2-Alpha" has already had its edges anti-aliased to IT'S black background. This means that the darker edges of the original image are being shown through the alpha channel enabled image on the right.

With "Icon1-Alpha" on the other hand, the alpha channel looks correct because the original image did not have any black pixels to display. This meant that the alpha channel has only white pixels to show through & in turn this then correctly anti-aliased to the Workbenchs' & no black background.

Just one final note. I've actually used "Icon2" AS the Alpha image which gives the anti-aliased borders on Workbench.

I hope I haven't lost you, I'm not really an article writing person... English make not good



Now, making actual icons can get a little tricky because you have to ensure that the images OWN colours are anti-aliased & not the background (Triucky because there could be all manner of colours around the edge of the icon you're creating. I'll try to expand on this if it gets a little awkward to understand.

Let me know how this does you guys.

FuZion.

(I used Photogenics to do this as I don't have ArtEffect).

@FuZion

OFF TOPIC:

How do you paste/post a jpeg into your message.
I cannot seem to suceed.

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@Swoop

I used the same line as in a normal web page:

< img src="image.jpg">

FuZion.

@Curty

all the icons i put on os4depot has alphachannel set and yes i use AE4 to make thoose as the other tools didnt set the alphachannel properly.

anyway color 0 is the color u want to be alpha channeled.



edit: when you save the picture , make sure you have selected "use alphachannel" bla bla. in the requestor that pops up.

Last edited by Toaks on 21-Aug-2005 at 12:24 PM.

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@FuZion

Cheers for that I understand it a little better now.

@Fusion and ToAks

So how do I make an alpha channel in AE4 then?
Sorry if im sounding a lttle thick
Cheers

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@Curty

You've got me on Art Effect, I've never used it.

With Photogenics however you can simply use any image as your Alpha channel then depending on the 'value' of any given pixel, you image has differing transparency value. The easiest way is a black & white image where a white value of 255 ($FFFFFF) is solid & a black value of 0 ($000000) is completely transparent.

Then you use varying ranges of greys in between to create your antialiasing or transparent areas of your images.

FuZion.

@FuZion

Cool, thats cleared it up a little more.
I'll have a play later and let you know how I get on.
Cheers for taking the time to help me.

Last edited by Curty on 21-Aug-2005 at 12:43 PM.

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@FuZion

ImageFX and 10 seconds of job AE4 . . . no idea sorry.

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@All

Ive managed to make an alpha channel spent lots of time palying last night, (with ArtEffect you dirty minded buggers!)
If I use the magic wand to mask out all the parts I want see through then create an alpha channel under Alpha chanels in the layers window and put and voila! 1 alpha channel!!

@ToAks

As you use ArtEffect you prob the man to ask for this one,
I can make total see through but how do I make Semitransparent?
I take it a grey colour would do this but how do I get to draw it on the alpha channel?
Cheers

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@FuZion

Quote:

I hope I haven't lost you, I'm not really an article writing person... English make not good

let's see if I can help out.

The original background of the Color Buffer or the Main Buffer (as it's called in ImageFX, don't know what's it's called in the other programs because I haven't used them in a while), should NOT be a dramatic contrast with the tones of the the colors you want to keep for your icon.

If there's too much of a difference, like in your Black Background example, those black pieces sneak through via the anti-aliased from the Alpha Buffer.

ok, was THAT more confusing?

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Mm, Mm... Yea... That one... His words there... That make.. No, they give... Aaargh!!! Brain hurt twice in one week!



Seriously though, that's pretty good At least there's a couple of descriptions on it now. If one confuses them, the other should help.

Cheers, FuZion.

@FuZion @cecilia

Cheers I bet you helped a lot of people with your expanations, I didnt have a clue yesterday and then I got it and made a PNG icon!
Cheers again!

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