photoshop's alpha ??????????

hi friends
do any one knows why don't photoshop's alpha layer worked in flash..............

when i saved .png file with alpha layer (a image with transperant background) ...........and i import that in to the flash it will not read that alpha layer..................and that image will not transperant..............

but when i import .png file from the 3dx max then it work and that image is transperant.........................

so what is the problem...............

abhi

Use the "save for web" feature in Photoshop. Select PNG-24 and make sure the "transparency" option is checked.

I use this all the time for flash work.

Also, be certain if you have a background layer on your image, that it is turned off or deleted if you want to have a transparent background.

first of all thanks for the quick reply..........

but is save for web option effect your quality of image...........

second thing is 24 bit means a flat image not any transparancy .......?

abhi

oh thanks mrbogus

it workes..................

abhi

Is there a difference between using a PNG 24 image versus a transparent gif in Flash?

Just wondering.....

GIF won't give you the colour range that the PNG-24 would
.eb.

GIF only has one level of transparency. Either a pixel is totally opaque, or completely transparent.

PNG-24 offers 255 levels of transparency. Meaning you can have smooth gradients/anti aliasing of colors instead of jagged edged pixels that result from the kind of transparency that results from GIF files.

Do not use GIFs at all when using Flash unless you want jagged edged graphics.

Thanks very much for the tip that has alluded me up to this point! I'll never use trans gif's again!

The only downside is the file size of the imported pngs....which leads to another question....

Is there a way to minimize the file size of the exported PNG 24 without giving up the cool transparency solution it provides?

You can answer with some examples if you'd like. Or just tell me what you normally do to minimize the file size. I don't let my SWF files get past 60K before I start breaking them up into smaller swfs to be imported into the main movie....

Thanks for the great advice you've provided (and in advance to my new question!), it's helped me a lot.

Yes. Flash actually compresses PNGs with transparency like JPEGs, and still includes the transparency on the image. Flash compresses the PNGs at final export of the SWF. You can specify the amount of compression as well.

The PNG-24 format itself is lossless, which is why file size is so large. It can only be compressed and retain its transparency in Flash.

If however you don't need transparent images, then certainly don't use them. Save as a GIF (or PNG-8, which has the same qualities as a GIF) and use the background color of your flash piece if you don't intend on having the image smoothly align/blend with differing pixel colors. And you'll certainly save some file size that way.