Help me include Gifs with transparency

[Ian R White]

I do hope someone out there with the right experience can help me.

I have a number of pictures saved as gifs with part of the image transparent - effects such as page curl, cut-outs, etc.

I can't manage to get these into my presentations and keep the transparent bit transparent - it comes out white.

I've tried to put them in using Object editor but, whilst the transparent bit is as I want it, I can't find any way of controlling their size or position. I've looked in the manual but not been able to find the help I need.

I am sure I'm missing something so any help that can be given will be most welcome.

Many thanks!

Ian

[alrobin]

Hi, Ian,

Welcome to the forum!

As far as I know, the object editor is the only place a transparent GIF can be used. Just size it the way you want it (in pixels) in an image editor such as Photoshop, insert it using object editor, and then position it by dragging it with the cursor.

There is a problem with all objects however, in that they view differently on pc screens of different resolutions. That is something you either have to accept or compensate for by not having objects too close to each other, not putting them too close to the edge of the main image, etc.

[nobeefstu]

Ian,

I dont believe PTE supports transparent (layered) GIFs ... only single layer GIFS ( without transparency).

Using single layer GIFs in PTE ... you can select transparent background if desired.

[think(box)]

Stu, as of V4.00 PTE supports transparency if GIF is placed using object editor. I've used this a lot and it works fine. PTE version 3.80 was the last version made without transparency support. But outside of the object editor, for the main show photos I have found transparency to display "white" as well, meaning it is not supported there.

Could you explain what you mean by "transparent background", with respect to transparent GIFs?:

Using single layer GIFs in PTE ... you can select transparent background if desired.

Are you saying that if we use a transparent GIF for a background image it will display with transparency? Thanks!

[think(box)]

Ian,

Al is certainly correct in that only the main images are scaled to screen pixels. PTE's scaling quality is the best in the industry. Object editor photos and graphics are displayed as actual pixels though, not scaled. The higher the screen area the smaller a given pixel dimension will be without scaling (a decreasing fraction of screen dimensions).

Well forget that!

About two months ago I figured out how to display objects WITH scaling, when placed using the object editor. Even transparent GIFs. I have working examples. I have wanted to display a show made this way on Beechbrook but couldn't because of the memory leak bug that Igor just cracked in response to another bug I reported. So in the near future, after the next v4.10 beta release I'll post the show that features scaled object editor graphics.

[alrobin]

Bill,

I for one would be very interested in learning more about your solution to the scaling problem. Please tell us more.

[nobeefstu]

Thanks Bill for the refresh version differences ,

Since I still currently use v3.80 and 4.01 on my pc ... I guess I tend to relay some outdated information. Keeping all these changes/possibilities between various versions can be a challenge to ones memory.

I suspect Ian is trying trying to load the transparent GIF into the main Slide List and maintain the transparency properties within the main window display... thus hoping to create something like a custom shaped/ transparent window for the desktop display (like masking it shape). I do know, PTE isnt into creating shaped windows as of yet.

[think(box)]

Here you go Al - The scaling technique is really smoke and mirrors. It is not as difficult as this may seem:

Graphics placed in object editor have an "origin" that is close to the lower-left corner of the placed object. They therefore "grow" upwardly and to the right as screen area monitior setting is made lower. So to make the scalable illusion going left-to-right, for example, you create at least two objects with identical dimensions and define the visible content of the first to extend to the beginning of visible content for the second object (placed to the right) when viewed at high screen area setting. You make sure that there is sufficient width of visible content in the right-hand graphic such that as screen area is reduced the left-hand graphic, that was placed FIRST, is "covered up" by the visible content of the right-hand graphic as BOTH are "growing". The amount of visible content in the right-hand graphic can be small, with the rest transparent on right side of graphic.

Both graphics should be same dimensions because PTE doesn't set the origin at the exact, lower-left corner of a placed object. The apparent "growth" from origin causes "mis-placement" visible errors if not same size.

You can simultaneously accomodate growth in both X and Y dimensions in this manner, creating quite an illusion.

Well Al, you asked! Since a picture (or show) is worth a thousand words, wait for my show to post. I needed the memory leak bug fix to make the show the way I wanted it. Now I can go back to my intended show design and it won't crash when played! Look for this show later this month.

[alrobin]

Bill, why didn't I think of that? It'll probably take me the rest of the month to test it out!

Thanks for the info.