Our new free image converter

Ninjas

Maybe I am dumb, but I was having a hard time working with the alpha channel of PNGs in Photoshop. This app lets you convert TGA with alpha to PNG with alpha. Something CS2 doesn't seem to be able to do.

Let me know if it has any problems! here it is:

http://blog.wolfire.com/2009/02/wolfire-graphic-converter-utility/

renderhjs

have you checked or do you know if the free xnView or irvanView behave the same? esspecially xnView comes with a lot of options and somewhat scripting and batch abilities.
http://www.xnview.com/

anyway nice job

Farfarer

When exporting transparent PNGs from Photoshop, you don't use the alpha channel. You just let it fall back to the transparent background in the Photoshop image itself.

So you'll need to pull out the alpha channel and apply it as a mask to your image layer. And delete the background layer if there is one.

Joshua Stubbles

Talon wrote: »

When exporting transparent PNGs from Photoshop, you don't use the alpha channel. You just let it fall back to the transparent background in the Photoshop image itself.

So you'll need to pull out the alpha channel and apply it as a mask to your image layer. And delete the background layer if there is one.

Doesn't work in versions of Photoshop prior to CS2 though. We had to use PNGQuant with Photoshop 7 in order to get pngs w/alpha on PS2. I use CS3 now as do most studios of course, but a lot of smaller studios and outside contractors might not.

Ninjas

Talon wrote: »

When exporting transparent PNGs from Photoshop, you don't use the alpha channel. You just let it fall back to the transparent background in the Photoshop image itself.

So you'll need to pull out the alpha channel and apply it as a mask to your image layer. And delete the background layer if there is one.

That sounds like a decent workaround-- it is not an issue for us at this point. Our engine converts whatever we give it now.
I didn't mention, but this little app will also let you convert almost anything to anything else, and you can drag and drop whole folders which is pretty rad.

@ renderhjs

I have not tried those, but I may check them out now for fun

Rob Galanakis

Talon wrote: »

When exporting transparent PNGs from Photoshop, you don't use the alpha channel. You just let it fall back to the transparent background in the Photoshop image itself.

So you'll need to pull out the alpha channel and apply it as a mask to your image layer. And delete the background layer if there is one.

Yes but many times you WANT the alpha channel, for example if you are storing diffuse textures as PNG (say you are doing DLC but don't care about video memory). There was a Photoshop PNG exporter that used to be available, I found a copy and that's what we used when we had to do it, it worked great. Unfortunately CS2 still didn't like to open them correctly.

Ninjas- very cool, these sorts of apps are great. Is it command-line as well (sorry, haven't tried it)?

Ninjas

I guess it does have a command line, but I don't know much about that

Vrav

I have used a program similar to this, almost exactly similar in design, for batch image conversion, but have not seen the awesome alpha channel conversion and DDS compression available in a program like this - very cool. The other program, Imagicon, is limited to common filetypes, so Wolfire's is a bit more usable in gamedev. (:

Edit: Wait, no DDS? Pft! Oh well, it's still pretty cool. I have put it in my little toolbox.

NZA

I think if you use the 'save to For Web & Devices' rather that 'Save As' you can select to export a .png with transparency from a channel. Or there is a plugin, SuperPNG I think it's called, which can definately do the same thing. Or you could write a little app to do it works just as well I guess :poly124: I'll give it a download it might come in handy :thumbup:

Ninjas

Unless there are some ultra hidden setting in SuperPNG, it does not do this-- it throws out your alpha channel data.

Many people have a problem with getting white fringes on their PNGs. If you have a TGA with RGBA data and convert it with this app it also solves that.

Rob Galanakis

Regarding SuperPNG: Yeah, that was the program described. You need to look for a much older version that kept your alpha channel intact, later ones will premultiply it.

Unleashed

program doesnt seem to work for me, tested on both a vista64 & vista32bit system :S

I can see the cpu % go up on my slow computer when I drag stuff in but nothing appears in the folders

Unleashed

and my work comp that is usually terrible with everything works so i dont know

Ninjas

The only thing I suspect is missing runtime files or something
Is anyone else having this issue?

Ryan Ron

Rea Image Converter is actually a great tool, I have just searched for Image Converter and have tried a few, but was not happy. ReaConverter works great without a lot of complex processes. I was able to use it straight away.

BridgetQ

Actually ,Im using RE imgage coverter .It is very to use and siuts me well ..