Interface Work - How to convert layers to alpha...

Pedro Amorim

Hey all,

So, i'm making an interface for the game im making. The interface is done but now i need to convert it to the game engine, i.e. all the transparency has to be done via alpha channels 32bit tga images.

It's particularry anoying since im using layer styles to see how i want my transparency but how should i bring this transperency to alpha channel?

Here's the interface for you to see.

Mark Dygert

File not found.

Off the top of my head without seeing the image, it sounds like you could make an action out of this. Just record it once and play it back for each layer. You should be able to:
- Ccreate a new layer "ALT-Merge Visible" (which won't destroy any layers)
- Create a new layer fill it with black
select everything "CTRL-Click-Layer"
- Make a new layer fill the selection with white.
- Merge the black and white layers
- Copy paste that into the alpha channel and save your tga.
- OR have it create a new file, minimize it and when you've made all your images you can File>Automate>batch>Save them.
- You MIGHT be able to incorporate Harl's Save TGA script but I haven't tested it.
- At the end of the action you might want to have it track back up the history.

Seeing the image would be helpful ...

Pedro Amorim

the image is visible.
its a thumb to image. refresh the page plz.
lemme read what you wrote now.

Pedro Amorim

AHHH
thanks VIG!
i was having trouble putting the transparency in the alpha channel because i was CTRL+Clicking and then creating a alpha based on that. But instead i copied and pasted into a new alpha channel. and its working has i want it. Thanks. I0m so silly:D

Eric Chadwick

I do some interface work too, using layer effects sometimes. I made an Action for that does the Vig thing, works really well.

New Layer
Merge Duplicate
Set selection
Set channel Alpha1 to selection
Delete layer
Set selection to none

Sage

You might try the wizard that exports transparency, it's found under, wait for it, Help menu. It's called export image transparency. I do it by hand cause it feels faster to me, but I'll have to try making an action for it and see how it goes. I learned of this when I was working in Graphic Design a few years back.

Alex

Eric Chadwick

Sage, what version of Photoshop? Can't find this in CS3.

Sage

I just checked in CS 2 and it has it, they may have moved it to somewhere useful CS3. I had to make a new document for it to appear however. I don't remember having to that before in earlier versions. I think it's been in there since Photoshop 4 or 5. Check in automate, or in edit if they took it out of CS 3.

Alex

Mark Dygert

I think the "export transparent image" wizard you are talking about only exports to .GIF and .PNG. Or have they updated it to output TGA?

[my2cents]
Either way I think it would be a smart move to know how to build an alpha channel rather than trust an adobe wizard.
[/my2cents]

Sage

It depends on the settings you use actually. You have the option to select for web, which gives you gif or png, or for print and you can use an alpha channel as your mask or a clipping path which programs like Quark use to clip out unwanted areas of the image. At any rate I rarely use it as I prefer doing it by hand and seems faster when I do it that way. I haven't tried this in a long time, does Photoshop allow you to pick which alpha you want to save when you have several? I think I usually ended up having to delete the extra ones which could be annoying.

Alex

Eric Chadwick

Thanks Alex. I'm fairly certain CS3 still uses the first alpha in the list, but I could be wrong, haven't tested it. Thankfully it doesn't save a layer mask as the alpha, even though one shows up in the channels palette if you're on that layer.