FLASH: PNG Alpha Channels and Darkness WAS: Flash and Transparent Images

[Arlen Nielsen]

I have noticed that Photoshop does an awful job at processing PNG images.

Especially when importing the file into Flash.  Yes the image is definitely

darker, but there is hope.  Equilibrium Debabelizer will convert a TIF with

an alpha channel to a PNG image that does not need to be corrected before

importing it into FLASH.


IF you correct the PNG image before importing it into flash within

photoshop, your image will not reflect the true colours and will look muddy.


Hope this helps!


Regards,

Arlen Nielsen - Multimedia Designer

McAlpine Design Group - Strategic visual communication for business


Catch us on the web @ http://www.mdgnews.com

tel: 604.792.4053                       fax: 604.792.3035



>the images do not trace (bitmap) well and thus I'd like to keep them as

>bitmaps (saved as jpgs when flash exports them) however although flash

does

>support the importation of formats that support transparency/alpha

>channeling (gif and png) it doesn't impliment it.

>

>So all my images are simply inside big boxs of backdrop, dispite the

>backdrop being invisible normally for those image formats.

>

>(I am not explaining this well or consisely, I apologise..)


When I first started playing with PNG I noticed this too going from

Photoshop to Flash, but I found that exporting PNG files from 3D Studio

Max into Flash it would support the Alpha Channel. After much head

scratching I figured out what was happening.  Photoshop does not

automaticly turn the Alpha Channel on, so even if you export an PNG

image from photoshop with a transparent background, unless it has the

Alpha channel turned on, it will not come out as

Transparent/Translucent.  So here is how you do it...


Make your photshop image, and float/Select the opaque part of the

object. (The quick and easy way is to hold down the CTRL key and click

on the layer to be selected in the layers menu)  then go to the Channels

Menu and "Add Channel"  This should default to "Alpha".  The Alpha will

come out as black but the "Marching ants" selection should still stay

current.  Fill that selection with White.  Now Make your RGB Channel

visible again, export as a PNG file, import into Flash, and voila!


FWIW I have noticed that there is some sort of Gamma correction problem

between Flash and photoshop as PNG files from photoshop loose contrast

and get VERY dark, so you'll have to lighten it up and up the contrast a

little before exporting from photoshop.  Hope this helps...


- -Adam



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