Which is the easiest app for transparency?

Hi guys,

Yes, another transparency question.

I simply want to to have 1012x256 canvas, fully transparent, except for the word 'Hello' in the middle.

In ArtRage this is as simple as simple can be, just load Torley's 1012x512 transparency background, paint anything you like on it, and save as a *.png. Couldn't be simpler. The only fly in the ointment with ArtRage is that is does not have a text tool as yet, and my hand-drawn fonts are, well, rubbish.

What is the easiest app to accomplish this 'simple' task?


Rock
PS A step-by-step would be appreciated.

Well, first of all, try not to make an odd-sized texture like that if you can avoid it, no matter what graphics program you use. A 1012 x 256 image will be downsized by SL to a 512 x 256 on upload because 1012 is not a "power of 2" dimension. You'll lose resolution in the process. Either expand your canvas to 1024 x 256 or, better yet, make the whole thing smaller .... 512 x 128 is a nice size. Unless you are painting a barn, you probably don't need a larger image anyway, and it will just rez slowly in world and annoy folks. Read the sticky at the top of this forum about file sizes and formats. It's worth taking the time.

So..... you really have two questions disguised as one. If you wade through past posts in this forum, you'll find that there are many of us who use Photoshop in one version or another, and many who use Gimp (which is free). Some also use PaintShop Pro. Those are the big ones, and people will make impassioned arguments for each. They all have text capability and they are all about the same level of "easiness." That's the "app" part of your question.

The buried part of your question has to do with whether to use PNG or TGA as your format for images with transparency. Again, you will find rousing arguments for each one in this forum. You seem to have discovered Torley's video, advocating PNG because of its "simple" transparency mode. That's fine. Plenty of people seem to like it, and it works, usually. If you truly want to understand how transparency works, so that you don't find yourself stuck with a "push the button and magic happens" system when you need to do something complicated, take time to learn about alpha channels and save your work in TGA format. (So much for MY bias. ) Read THAT sticky at the top of the forum too.

Good luck. Unless you will be making nothing more tricky that an occasional sign, you will find that there is no such thing as an "easy" app for doing graphic design. Prepare to settle in with a good manual and some tutorials if you want to create textures you will be proud of.

I use paint.net a lot lately.. It's not too hard to figure out and it's free. Windows only.

http://www.getpaint.net

The free version of Drawplus worked pretty easily to make a transparent background png file.

Download and install it, register it.

Make the opening screen go away.

Do Tools / Options / Layout and set the units to pixels.

Do File / Page Setup and set the dimensions of the page to the desired number of pixels.

Click the A tool to enter text. Size it as desired. Set the color as desired. Set the font as desired. There are controls over on the right to modifty the text font, size, fill, etc.

With the text selected, do Arrange / Align and click both vertical and horizontal options, then click Ok.

Do File, Export, and if you pick PNG it wiill ive you an option for Background. Pick None.