Texview

[nominesine]

I have an editingrelated problem that is partly a photoshop problem. At least I think so. Here's the deal.

I'm making a couple of cutRsc's to be displayed during a mission. However, I want to make certain parts of the picture transparent, so that the player can see through them (like binoculars, crosshairs, ironsights etc).

I can easily convert standard .jpg's to .paa-format using BIS's own program Texview, but I simply cannot get the transparent part to display properly (it becomes white, not transparent, in game).

Here's what I've been doing:

I make the cut out in photoshop, placing it on a transparent background and use the built in function "Export Tranmsparent Picture" to convert it into a .tga, but when I load it up in texView it doesnt look right. If I try to load it in the mission it either doesn't work (displaying white background or doesn't show up at all) or the game crashes. I'm absolutely sure that there is nothing wrong with the description.ext (because non-transparent pictures works).

Now I'm having two theories why my cutRsc's don't show up:

1) I'm doing something wrong with Texview (I sincerely doubt it, though)

2) I'm doing something wrong in photoshop (saving in wrong format, etc)

Is there a tutorial that addresses both the Photoshop and the Texview part of making cutRsc's out there? I've read GB's cutRsc tutorial and there is nothing. I've downloaded and skimmed Vektorbosson's Dialog tutorial, without finding anything.

I've searched these forums and realised that several people have had the same problem. However, as soon as they figure out what went wrong they just say "never mind, problem solved", without explaining how they solved it. Hope somebody can point me in the right direction.

EDIT: The best explanation I found so far was this one, but I believe that's exactly what I was doing. Unless the "Export Transparent Picture" function in Photoshop messes up the .tga somehow.

[bedges]

i wouldn't use the export bit. here's how i do it:

create your image. ideally it should be finished on one layer, with the chequerboard pattern showing through the transparent bits. go up to 'select/load selection/layer transparency'

that selects what looks like everything but the transparent bits. then click on the channels palette, and create a new channel. it should be called alpha1 by default. you'll notice the two colours in the toolbar have changed to black and white. select the alpha1 channel and fill the selection with 100% white. the white bits show your image. the black bits represent the transparency.

now select the layers palette, and flatten the image. the transparency chequerboard will disappear, but the data is preserved in the alpha1 channel.

now click save as, choose .tga, and save with 32 bits.

import to texview and it should work now.

[nominesine]

I tried that before I used "Export..." and now I feel like an idiot. It seems from your explanation that I forgot to fill the alpha channel  Will try again this evening. Thank you for the advice

[nominesine]

Yes that silly alpha channel was the problem.  I did exactly as you suggested and it worked. Thank's again forthe help. Problem solved.

EDIT: Now where's the "solve" button in this new forum? Really, I cannot find it?

EDIT2: I found it