I just want to make a particle in PSP7 to use in my game, but I can''t get PSP to include the alpha in a TGA file. How do I do this? My current understanding is that you have to save a selection as an alpha channel, but it''s not working (aka, I have no alpha in my image to my knowledge). Thanks!

You either save a selection to the alpha channel (as you wrote), which makes everything selected opaque and everything else transparent, or you create a mask and save that to the alpha channel. You can always check to see whather the alpha channel is correct by selecting "Load from alpha channel" from the "Mask" menu. This should show your image with that alpha channel applied.

Anyway, if you have done either of those, the alpha channel will be included in the TGA file. Perhaps you''re not loading the file correctly or haven''t enabled blending?

BTW, the simple way to check whether a file has alpha is as follows: multiply the image height and width. Divide the file size by that number. If you get (approx.) 4 the image is 32bit and therefore most likely has an alpha channel saved along with the 24bit colour data. If you get 3, it doesn''t.

when you go to save, go to options (on the save window) and change the settings around. this was a problem in our game, and changing the settings helped.

to be honest, im not sure what bit depth settings we ended up with... and im going to guess uncompressed.

this is, by the way, in addition to kippes comments.



Also check out the Federal Duck Stamp Site - my graphics!

[edited by - redeyegames on January 7, 2003 8:46:36 PM]

The TGA must be 32 bit.
Make sure you check over all the options when exporting, I know Photoshop has an extra Save Alpha checkbox which catches some people off gaurd.

If you want to check if the alpha is being saved (and it''s your loading code that''s the problem), make a 512x512 uncompressed 32 bit TGA. It should be 1 MB. Without the alpha channel, 24 bit, it should be 768 KB.

------------
MSN: nmaster42@hotmail.com, AIM: LockePick42, ICQ: 74128155
"It''s all part of the conspiracy of conspirators conspiring to conspire their own conspiracies..."

Thanks everyone, I didn''t know about masks. It works great now.