PhotoElements 2.0 and Alpha channel

[Mars_999]

I just downloaded the trial version and can't figure out how to add alpha channel into the image? I am starting to think its not possible? If so could someone post a quick step through process or what menu I need to be looking at? thanks

[OneSadCookie]

It's a wee while since I've done this, but when you're creating a new document you can choose "transparent" for the background...

[Mars_999]

Thanks OSC I will try it out. I am hoping it works but will have to wait until I try it with my code to see if I get the alpha channel. In Photoshop 6 on the mask or layer section I think their is an option to click on add channel. I don't see this on Photoshop elements 2.0?

[Mars_999]

Ok I have tried to use alpha on PE2.0 and no luck from what I have seen so far? I am having issues with loading textures up with alpha channel in my code. I know the code works because I have downloaded someones .tiff file with alpha channel and loaded it and it works just fine? So either I am going about it wrong or PE2.0 can't do alpha? I have also tried to use GFXconverter and no luck either? Anyone have any ideas or a good step by step tutorial on how to add alpha to a image so I can see what I am doing wrong?

[monteboyd]

I've never used PhotoshopElements but in Photoshop you have a "Channels" palette (use the "Window" menu to show it if it is hidden). You want to select "New Channel" from the Channel palette's menu (accessed by the arrow on the top-right corner of the palette).

[OneSadCookie]

In the content box of the "new file" dialog, there's an option for transparent.

[monteboyd]

I don't think that will give you an alpha channel though (unless Elements is different to the full version) that will just open the new document with a transparent Background layer.

[OneSadCookie]

Sure, but when you (for example) save the document as PNG, you'll get a PNG with an alpha channel. It may not let you edit the alpha channel as grayscale, but it does let you do transparency (and in fact varying degrees of opacity, which is alpha by any other name...).

[monteboyd]

Oh right, so when you save as PNG it turns the transparency into an alpha channel? That's cool, didn't know that.

[Mars_999]

thats great for pngs but what about .tgas? Or is this only gonig to work for .pngs? Like I said I have used the transparency option and it is not displaying correctly?

[OneSadCookie]

I image it would work for TGAs. If it doesn't, save as PNG then use Preview to convert the PNG to a TGA, it preserves alpha.

[Mars_999]

ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH nothing is working. If you could please send me some textures you might have that have alpha channel that work for you and let me try to load them and see if my code is correct? Nothing I do with PE2.0/GfxConverter works or Preview? But the one image I have got with alpha worksfine but none that I have created. email addy is mars999@siouxvalley.net thank you for any textures you send. :( :mad: :mad:

[monteboyd]

The tree texture for Slope Rider is a PICT file with an alpha channel.

You can download the game from:

http://www.viper.net.au/~yodashut/

[Mars_999]

Hey monteboyd thanks for the download, are you refering to tree_tex1.pct? If so when I use gfxconverter to look at it, it says no alpha?

[Mars_999]

Originally posted by Mars_999
Hey monteboyd thanks for the download, are you refering to tree_tex1.pct? If so when I use gfxconverter to look at it, it says no alpha?

Whoops disregard that previous post!! What looks like the problem is whenever I take a image that has the alpha channel done correctly and save it to a different format e.g. png tga, in GFX converter or PE2 I am losing the alpha channel? I also can't seem to add it correctly? But yes your tree does work monteboyd. So how do I go about adding alpha the correct way to my images then? So this proves my code is working correctly thank GOD.

[monteboyd]

Can you add an alpha channel to an image in Elements the way I described above with the Channels palette?

[Mars_999]

Originally posted by monteboyd
Can you add an alpha channel to an image in Elements the way I described above with the Channels palette?

Selected channels in the Channels palette of Photoshop. Photoshop Elements doesn't have a Channels palette.

This is what I get when I do a search on channels in PE2.0? I am trying to figure out if PE2.0 is worth the money or if I should break down and buy Photoshop7 when I have the money. I don't know if anyone else has DSL or cable but if they would care to download and try out PE2.0 and see if I am correct in my asumptions that you can't do alpha? Oh and no I don't see a channels anywhere in the windows menu.

[OneSadCookie]

I have used Photoshop Elements to create images with alpha. It works. I don't know why it's not working for you.

[Mars_999]

Originally posted by OneSadCookie
I have used Photoshop Elements to create images with alpha. It works. I don't know why it's not working for you.

thats why i am asking if someone has a step by step process to let me compare on how i am doing it vs someone else who is doing it correctly? I am no artist and never really use art programs. Really how hard is it supposed to be to add a alpha channel for petes sake!!

[OneSadCookie]

This image was created entirely with Photoshop Elements:

http://203.79.121.211/~keith/Personal/Texture.png

(Download it to disk & look at it in PSE2 or GraphicConverter if you don't believe me that it has alpha!)

To make it, I made a new image and set the content to transparent. Then I used the gradient tool with a semitransparent gradient to make the blue fade, then I applied a skin effect to it to make it scaly and set the opacity of the scaly layer to 45% so I could see the gradient through it. Then I saved it as PNG.

[Mars_999]

yes your image works i can see through the one side when it over the top of another image. But thats great if your making the whole image in PE2, but what I am doing is taking an image and cutting it out from another texture and pasting it onto the new image made in PE2 with transparency and having no luck? e.g. Carlos Yaxxon ships dont' have alpha so I am trying to add it to them. No luck.

[OneSadCookie]

Try this (my home trial of pse2 has expired so i can't check it works 'til tomorrow):

Open a Yaxxon ship pic & find the size
Make a new image with the same size but transparent to begin
copy & paste the yaxxon ship's picture into the new doc
use magic wand to select all the black pixels
edit->clear

[Josh]

What OSC said should work. I have PE1 and I don't know why it would be different for PE2.

[Mars_999]

I dont' know what to say, expect I am pissed. When I do what OSC said I have a white background showing up with the ship on the screen when its loaded. But yes the magic wand did remove he black around the ship which works great. I tried this alpha stuff on my folks PC and sent me the image and no luck either I guess what I am saying is it must be possible but I am doing it wrong. What am I doing wrong? How hard can this crap be? Their must be a logical order which has to be done in order for it to work then? Does alpha come first do I set opacity first? Is their some settings somewhere that have to be modified? Their could be a billion things wrong. I dont' know? I can't get it to work in GFXConverter either? What sick is their is no tutorial or instructions anywhere in either software package to show you how to do it correctly. What a joke.

[OneSadCookie]

I just followed my own instructions and got a Yaxxon ship on a transparent background.

[Mars_999]

ok, does it matter what color you have for the alpha channel? I am using white i guess? I think I finally got it to work, but like i said their must be a specific way to do it because I have been just using keyboard short cuts and never got it to work. Now I did what you wrote again but used select all and paste into instead of paste? And still used the magic wand as usual. So what gives? Paste into is different than past? I have to use select all? Like I said I am no Photoshop expert by any means. :blush:

[Skorche]

I seem to remember that PSE 2 was really limited in it's use of alpha chanels. You should be able to create a new document with an alpha, or use the eraser tool on an image that already has an alpha chanel to edit it.
I just ended up getting PS7 for the educational price (which may not be an option to you). I paid 3x more, but it is so much more powerful than PSE2.

[Leisure Suit Lurie]

Originally posted by Skorche
I seem to remember that PSE 2 was really limited in it's use of alpha chanels. You should be able to create a new document with an alpha, or use the eraser tool on an image that already has an alpha chanel to edit it.
I just ended up getting PS7 for the educational price (which may not be an option to you). I paid 3x more, but it is so much more powerful than PSE2.

Or you could try the Gimp, if you have x11 set up. I'll admit its not Photoshop, but its free and has all the layer/channel options that Photshop does. The interface is quite disturbing, though.

[Skorche]

GIMP is leaps and bounds more powerful than PSE2. It's interface is 100% GTK, so it by no means looks like anything you've seen before. I used it for a year before getting PS7, the only complaint that I have against it is that it doesn't integrate with OSX well. That may change because it's being ported to aqua. It is well documented, and there are some great tutorials.
If you are interested in this option download fink, it's a fairly painless way to install all sorts of X11 and UNIX software easily.
Fink Link (http://fink.sourceforge.net/) (Yes, I am a world class poet in case you're wondering)

[w_reade]

The Gimp's asleep.

...

sorry, couldn't resist.

[Skorche]

don't get it

[OneSadCookie]

Pulp Fiction reference.

[Leisure Suit Lurie]

Originally posted by Skorche
GIMP is leaps and bounds more powerful than PSE2. It's interface is 100% GTK, so it by no means looks like anything you've seen before. I used it for a year before getting PS7, the only complaint that I have against it is that it doesn't integrate with OSX well. That may change because it's being ported to aqua. It is well documented, and there are some great tutorials.
If you are interested in this option download fink, it's a fairly painless way to install all sorts of X11 and UNIX software easily.
Fink Link (http://fink.sourceforge.net/) (Yes, I am a world class poet in case you're wondering)

And use Apple's X11 with it. It makes it more aqua-looking. Speaking of which, who's porting it to Aqua? I would hope Apple would. Then they could tell Adobe where to go. No good open source substitute for Illustrator (or Pagemaker/Quark), though.

[Skorche]

I'm not implying that Gimp was a good substitute for PhotoShop. It isn't, PhotoShop is a lot more powerful than gimp. Do you think I would pay 300 clams for it if I didn't think so? Gimp is great, it's free, but it can't do things like photoshop can (or as fast). On the other hand if you like to do computer generated graphics I would recommend Gimp over photoshop. Photoshop is geared more towards photography, that's were it's power is. For web or game graphics it has few advantages.

[Leisure Suit Lurie]

Originally posted by Skorche
I'm not implying that Gimp was a good substitute for PhotoShop. It isn't, PhotoShop is a lot more powerful than gimp. Do you think I would pay 300 clams for it if I didn't think so? Gimp is great, it's free, but it can't do things like photoshop can (or as fast). On the other hand if you like to do computer generated graphics I would recommend Gimp over photoshop. Photoshop is geared more towards photography, that's were it's power is. For web or game graphics it has few advantages.

No, of course not. If I had money to burn, I would definitely go with Photoshop. Also, I find some of the filters Gimp includes are just bizarre and run way slower than their Photoshop counterparts. Still, free vs $200-$700. If they can make an OSX Native Gimp, that would be something. Frankly, its all sucked since EA stopped making Deluxe Paint...