Transparent textures in Gimp

Is there anyone who knows how to Combine a Jpg and a Jpg Transparency Map and export as a tga file in Gimp?... with out errors about layers?

A step by step would be nice...


Thanks

my Photoshop is Korrupted with weirdness and will not work with alpha channels and tga's


also is there another easier to use program that does this?



Thanks

Not exactly sure what you're trying to do...can you clarify? Do you want to add a transparency *layer* to your jpg? If so, just open the jpg and click on "layer" then "transparency" then "add alpha layer." If that isn't it, you'll need to explain what a "transparency map" is At any rate, Gimp will save to the .tga format...just do so, then you'll need to export the layers and uncheck the boxes for compression.

And make sure you merge your layers and not flatten. If you forget GIMP will ask you what you want to do.....merge or flatten. Choose merge or you'll lose that alpha channel and have no transparency (just the default backgroun where your transparency is).

The reason I mention that is that my GIMP sometimes defaults to flatten and I learned to look before I click okay.

This is probably where you are having trouble. When you save, a box pops up saying something about layers. Thats not an error, its just informing you that .tga does not support layers and it will be merging everything so that it fits in a .tga file. Simply confirm that box and save the file.

I figured out the saving with the layer merge the hard way.

What I am trying to do is to take a Photo and apply an existing Alpha Mask (already made separate file) to it in order to then make a tga file for upload.

I have some textures which came in 2 files, both jpeg's. There is plenty of information on how to add a Layer Mask and how to make your own Mask and doodle with it once it's there. There is no information on how to treat an already made Mask and how to import it, where to put it. Does it go in the Channel (like PS) or does it go in the Layer Mask? also there are so many options on the creat mask menu, not helping this..

I believe I have only done it by pure accident once by clickeing all the buttons on my keyboard, dragging, clicking on everything 9 times and kicking the computer about 4 times...

There has to be an easier way.... :~

I think the easiest way to do that is by decomposing the channels into different layers
(Colours -> Components -> Decompose -> RGBA), pasting your alpha map into the layer name "Alpha" in the decomposed image, and then recomposing it back into the original image
(Colours -> Components -> Recompose).

Probably there are ways to do it using masks or "channel to selection" as well.