PSP 8 will work fine. I had the same issue when I went to convert one of my images into an image with alpha parts.
In PSP 8 you have to set the Opacity value of the layer you want to be transparent AND save the image using the file optimizer. You set a layer's opacity by going to the General tab under Layer Properties (double-click the layer in the Layer toolbox pane) or goto Layers -> Properties.
Once you set the layer's opacity to the desired level, you have to use the file optimizer to correctly save the image with alpha values.
1. Go to File -> Save As...
2. Choose a desired filetype, GIF or PNG (PNG works best for transparency and BlitzMax).
3. Click the Options button in the Save As dialog box
4. Click the Run Optimizer button in the next dialog box
5. Click the Transparency tab in the next dialog box
6. Choose "Alpha channel transparency" and "Existing image or layer transparency" if not already selected. (you can choose the other options, if need be, to achieve a different result).
7. Click OK, then choose a new filename (or overwrite the existing one if already saved).
8. That's it. BlitzMax should correctly read the existing alpha values in the image and blend them appropriately with underlying pixels in the back buffer.
PSP may not be Photoshop, but you can definitely achieve a comparable result. More importantly, in regards to this thread, all that matters is that PSP can create images with alpha parts sufficiently without having to shell out the extra bucks for Photoshop. You can make any part of the image semi-transparent as you wish. Making a window pane with glass for example is perfectly and easily attainable with PSP. Hope this helps. Let me know if there are any questions. Enjoy!
- Aaron
In PSP 8 you have to set the Opacity value of the layer you want to be transparent AND save the image using the file optimizer. You set a layer's opacity by going to the General tab under Layer Properties (double-click the layer in the Layer toolbox pane) or goto Layers -> Properties.
Once you set the layer's opacity to the desired level, you have to use the file optimizer to correctly save the image with alpha values.
1. Go to File -> Save As...
2. Choose a desired filetype, GIF or PNG (PNG works best for transparency and BlitzMax).
3. Click the Options button in the Save As dialog box
4. Click the Run Optimizer button in the next dialog box
5. Click the Transparency tab in the next dialog box
6. Choose "Alpha channel transparency" and "Existing image or layer transparency" if not already selected. (you can choose the other options, if need be, to achieve a different result).
7. Click OK, then choose a new filename (or overwrite the existing one if already saved).
8. That's it. BlitzMax should correctly read the existing alpha values in the image and blend them appropriately with underlying pixels in the back buffer.
PSP may not be Photoshop, but you can definitely achieve a comparable result. More importantly, in regards to this thread, all that matters is that PSP can create images with alpha parts sufficiently without having to shell out the extra bucks for Photoshop. You can make any part of the image semi-transparent as you wish. Making a window pane with glass for example is perfectly and easily attainable with PSP. Hope this helps. Let me know if there are any questions. Enjoy!
- Aaron