Alpha/Transparency-Handling in Aperture

I am new to this forum, so first off: Hello!
Recently i switched my workflow to Aperture, and the product really feels well to use so far! But there is one thing, which unfortunately is pretty much a show stopper for me. Let me explain, and please give me a hint if the mistake is on my side:
i am mainly using Aperture to make the final touches, metadata and exports to client for design/product photography, very often as well cg generated. With these kinds of jobs, the client always needs files with an alphachannel so he can put the product in front of a background of his choice - if you cannot deliver that you look really stupid.
So, i got mainly TIF16 or 32bit with an embedded alphachannel as my source data. Aperture reads them fine, takes care of the colordepth, shows alpha as black, etc. So far so good.
But i did not yet find any way out of aperture exporting/saving with common alpha-aware formats as PSD or TIF 8bit. Aperture just discards the alpha without options or prompting.
This cannot be the way it is in a pro software, so what am i doing wrong?
Cheers, Aksel

"If you make any adjustments to the master file the only output you can get from Aperture is either the original file - with no adjustments or a flat tiff file with the adjustments."
Thanks, that answers my question. That's in fact what i (and i don't think i am the only one) would need essentially. Get an RGBA-Image in, make RGB-corrections, and write a corrected RGBA out.
Of course i could create a seperate mask file, i thought about that - but that's a hacky solution, and not the way i prefer to go when building up a library of thousands of images. I chose Aperture to simplifly things
Any word maybe from Apple staff on if this is a feature to expect in the future for product photography?
Thanks, Aksel

Similar Messages

Exporting Alpha Transparency for a PC from motion5...?

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thanks,

If you're using Alpha for *anything* -- you must use ProRes 4444 (if Premiere will accept it.) It is the only ProRes that supports transparency and the only export option in Motion 5 that supports transparency. (Older versions of Motion could export with the "Animation" codec which also supported transparency.)
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You can export just the alpha channel from Motion and use a "Track Matte Key" in Premiere (as I *understand* it -- I've never used premiere.)
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HTH

"Preserve alpha transparency" with flattening for PDF

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here is an example, when I upload this image to the printers I loose the white background and eveything on the bottom of the card is pushed up. The same thing happens with the brochure I have. I can't upload that because this site will not allow it.

PNG 8 Alpha Transparency Palette Errors

I am attempting to export a PNG 8 image with alpha transparency using Fireworks 11.1.0.205 on Windows 7 64-bit. When I attempt to optimize the image to PNG 8, Adaptive with Alpha Transparency and rebuild the palette it crushed the palette down. The image is a grayscale image and the bug appears similiar to the one reported here http://blogs.adobe.com/sarthak/2010/09/png-8-export-color-palette-issues.html.
Here is a screen cast of someone doing what I want to do, http://brenelz.com/blog/png-8-alpha-transparency-screencast/ (fast forward through the parts of him editing HTML).
This is an example of what I am trying to do, an PNG 8 with alpha transparency (view full image);
This is what I get when I open and then export the sample image out of Fireworks;
It crushes the palette.
This is the optimize panel when the original file is first opened:
This is what happens when the palette is rebuilt, which matched the exported palette;

Linda,
I do not appreciate your condescending tone. I have attempted all of your instructions. Embedded is a window capture of my graphic on a TRANPARENT canvas with your suggested settings. Also embedded is the resulting graphic. Finally, embedded is the original graphic that demonstrates what I am attempting to achieve.
Transparent Canvas
Resulting image on export.
Original image
I'm disappointed that you cannot be bothered to attempt to recreate the problem and post evidence to back up your claims.
I have tracked down the creator of the original image who says about using Fireworks "the quality was rarely good enough." The tool used was ImageOptim, http://imageoptim.pornel.net/.

Opening Fireworks PNG-8s with alpha transparancy

Hi all,
I have to do some work on some files I didn't create -- a couple hundred png files. They are 8-bit, indexed files, but when viewed on the web they have 256 levels of alpha transparency. When opened in Photoshop, they have only one level of alpha transparency :(
Turns out these are in some proprietary Fireworks format ... anyone have any ideas how I can get these into Photoshop without losing my alpha channel, hopefully without having to BUY Fireworks ... oh how I miss ImageReady ;)
Thanks in advance.

Photoshop doesn't work with continuous transparency in indexed color mode, only one transparent value is allowed. (ImageReady wouldn't do it, either)
You may need to use another application to convert them to a normal RGB image with transparency.

Creating a alpha transparent video

Hi,
I am tasked to create a video that has a transparent background.
Something like this - http://updates.html5rocks.com/2013/07/Alpha-transparency-in-Chrome-video
I came across a solution called JQuery See Thru - https://github.com/m90/jquery-seeThru
But before the plugin can work, I will need to append the alpha channel below the actual video. I have tried using track matte in AE but it doesn't work.
Any advice or any other solution to create alpha transparent video for html5?
Thank you very much.

To build on what Mylenium said, you need to render your video out of After Effects with an alpha channel. If you're looking to deliver a video for the web, it'd be best to render a lossless file out of AE (with Alpha) and use the Adobe Media Encoder to make the FLV with alpha.

Appending alpha transparency swatches to a CLUT

I have a 160 swatch color table I generated in PS and I'd
like to append some alpha transparency values to it for PNG8
processing.
In Fireworks CS4 I've loaded up a test image, successfully
loaded in the .act file I exported from PS and then selected 'Alpha
Transparency' from the trns pulldown menu. Briefly some new
swatches show up in the swatch palette, but then they disappear.
I've tried everything I can think of. If there was a way to
manually add and edit the transparency swatches to the act that
would be ideal, but when I try to add swatches to the table I don't
see any way to edit the transparency value, only RGB/HEX etc.. I'm
somewhat stuck at the moment.
Is there a way to do this? Maybe even some sort of
independent color table editor?
It's important that I have exact control over the CLUT file
used as the device that the images will be running on can only have
one CLUT active at any time, and all of the images in the UI need
to be built to reference this single table.
Another tangental issue I've encountered is that the PNG8
alpha transparency in FW seems to be restricting itself for some
reason. For example, I've created a 256 pixel wide image in PS with
a black ramp that goes from 100% opaque to 100% transparent across
x-axis. I open this in FW, select PNG8, adaptive, 256 colors, alpha
transparency and I only get 16 swatches (4bit?), completely
faceting my ramp - however I've seen others online getting 8bit
values of transparency using this same method...
For example
Here
and
Here
Any and all feedback much appreciated.
Nate

natronix wrote:
> Jim,
> That one only contains 16 transparent values, if the
optimize palette
> functioned correctly it would be 255.. the source image
I started with
> contained a 256 pixel wide block, blending from opaque
black to completely
> transparent (therefor 1 opaque color and 255 values of
transparency).
>
> However when I select PN8, adaptive sampling, 256 colors
and alpha
> transparency, that file is what Fireworks creates.
>
> I'd described this previously- the posting of this file
was per Linda's
> request to see a PNG8 with non-index transparency, which
it has, albeit not a
> full 8bits.
>
> On another note, I've opened up the .act files in a hex
editor and can see
> that it does not contain an alpha attribute. So my
initial concept of appending
> these new transparent values from Fireworks to the .act
are moot. I've
> discovered the .pal color table format, which is almost
identical to .act
> except it contains an extra hex pair for an alpha value.
>
> Apparently Photoshop use to support importing and
exporting of .pal color
> table files. I don't know what version support stopped
at. I've tested CS3 & 4
> and they aren't playing nice.
>
> It appears as though I'll need to manually concatenate
the .pal file starting
> with the existing .act table that I have, porting the
hex values over, and then
> manually building out the transparent values I want. The
next and final step
> will be to identify a version of Fireworks, or some
other host, that can
> utilize .pal and run optimizations on the files I have.
That or I get a patch
> to Fireworks that fixes the optimize panel, better yet a
patch to Photoshop
> that enables alpha transparency in PNG8.. I'm not
holding my breath.
>
>
Nate can you share the original 256 value set, even if it is
in PSD form?
Jim Babbage - .:Community MX:. & .:Adobe Community
Expert:.
http://www.communityMX.com/
.:Adobe Community Expert for Fireworks:.
http://www.adobe.com/communities/experts/members/206.html

Alpha transparency workaround

Since people still insist on using IE 6 and I can't figure out how to use my logo with alpha transparency (despite copying the code exactly), can anyone tell me the code I would use to display my logo in png form for IE 7 and above and my logo in jpg form for IE 6 and lower? Thanks.

Hi instead of using an IE conditional statement why don't you try using the iepngfix.htc file which enables IE6 to display png alpha transparency files correctly.
Instructions on how to use it (and download link) is available here:
http://www.dlnqnt.co.uk/index.php/tag/iepngfixhtc/

Why can't I export a 24 bit PNG with alpha transparency?

I have just upgraded my Macromedia Studio 8 to Adobe CS3, and
it seems that I still can't export a 24 bit png with transparency
from Fireworks (Photoshop can do it, but it's just not suited for
volume graphic production). Anyone know something I don't, or can
someone at least explain why I can have alpha transparency on 8 bit
and 32 bit, but not 24 bit pngs? Currently, I'm planning to export
everything from Fireworks, then batch-process through Photoshop to
reduce from 32 bit to 24 bit, which is just... gah! Words fail
me.

Kathleen13 wrote:
> I have just upgraded my Macromedia Studio 8 to Adobe
CS3, and it seems that I
> still can't export a 24 bit png with transparency from
Fireworks (Photoshop can
> do it, but it's just not suited for volume graphic
production). Anyone know
> something I don't, or can someone at least explain why I
can have alpha
> transparency on 8 bit and 32 bit, but not 24 bit pngs?
Currently, I'm planning
> to export everything from Fireworks, then batch-process
through Photoshop to
> reduce from 32 bit to 24 bit, which is just... gah!
Words fail me.
>
If I'm correct, 8-bit png supports index transparency just
like GIF's
do. 32-bit png's support alpha channel transparency, so you
can get
variable or partial transparency in a full color image(8 bits
for each
color and 8 bits for an alpha channel) and 24-bit png's are
similar
jpegs, only you get lossless compression and no user-defined
settings.
So essentially, when you export a 32-bit png file you are
exporting a 24
bit color image with an 8-bit alpha channel.
Jim Babbage - .:Community MX:. & .:Adobe Community
Expert:.
Extending Knowledge, Daily
http://www.communityMX.com/
CommunityMX - Free Resources:
http://www.communitymx.com/free.cfm
.:Adobe Community Expert for Fireworks:.
news://forums.macromedia.com/macromedia.fireworks
news://forums.macromedia.com/macromedia.dreamweaver

Alpha transparency borders on dynamically loaded images for use with textures

Hi there folks. Well, I have been beating my head over this
and am hoping one of you can help me out.
Essentially I have 16bit images that are loaded into my
shockwave application at run-time. These images are user defined
which means that I will not know their size ahead of time. Once the
images are loaded I then create textures and apply them to various
shaders. Ok, all of this works just fine. What I need to do though
is create an alpha transparent border around the images, so when I
apply them to their surfaces I only see the image and nothing
around it. I am doing this because these images will only appear at
specific parts on a surface, textureRepeat will be false, and many
models will be stacked in the same exact location using the same
model resource. I have everything working, but I cannot figure out
the alpha part for the life of me. Also, when I test the alpha
based image by itself it works just fine. It is not until I try and
combine the 16bit (converted to 32bit at run-time) image that I run
into problems.
I have tried:
- Creating a 32bit alpha image in Fireworks with a
transparent border and a black rect for the inside. I then copy the
dynamic image over the alpha image (only after going from 16bit to
32bit in imaging Lingo) and leave a little room at the edges for
the transparency. Well, I get a crazy amount of streaks here even
when I try to up the trans border by around 24 pixels on each side.
- Using another similiar alpha based image as a mask with
copyPixels and extractAlpha/setAlpha like this... (code is a little
rough here)
newImage = new(#bitmap)
newImage.name = "place_Test"
newImage.image = member("place").image
newAlpha = new(#bitmap)
newAlpha.name = "AHH"
newAlpha.image = image(newImage.image.width + 24,
newImage.image.height + 24, 32)
newAlpha.image.useAlpha = true
newAlpha.image.copyPixels(member("vase").image,
newAlpha.image.rect, member("vase").image.rect)
newAlphaInfo = newAlpha.image.extractAlpha()
newAlpha.image.useAlpha = false
--reverse dark to light
iAlphaReverse = image(newAlpha.image.width,
newAlpha.image.height, 8, #grayscale)
iAlphaReverse.fill(iAlphaReverse.rect, rgb(0,0,0))
iAlphaReverse.copyPixels(newAlphaInfo, iAlphaReverse.rect,
newAlphaInfo.rect, [#ink : #reverse])
--newAlphaInfo.copyPixels(iAlphaReverse, newAlphaInfo.rect,
iAlphaReverse.rect, [#ink:#subtractpin])
newAlphaMask = iAlphaReverse.createMask()
rescaleAbs(newImage, newImage.image.width,
newImage.image.height, "place_Test", 32)
destImage = member("place_Test").image.duplicate()
destImage.fill(destImage.rect, rgb(0,0,0))
newAlpha.image.useAlpha = false
destImage.copyPixels(newImage.image, newImage.image.rect,
newImage.image.rect, [#maskImage:newAlphaMask, #ink:#add])
destImage.setAlpha(iAlphaReverse)
destImage.useAlpha = true
member("place_Test").image = destImage
I apologize for the messy code. I have cut and pasted from
all over the place and am getting confused. In any case, I think I
am making this harder then it needs to be and hope someone can
help.
Thank you in advance,
Dave

Hi, you can try using other texture layer as mask on the same
shader. As usually you create the texture from a dynamic loaded
image, then apply this texture to the shader on the texture list
index 1 (textureList[1]). Next part does the job, create other
texture from a 32 bits image with the alpha information and fill
all pixels with white color, this is very important because the
second texture layer will be multiply with the first texture layer.
This texture set its render format to rgba8888. Apply the mask
texture to the same shader at texture list index 2, verify that the
blendFunctionList index 2 is #multiply.
I include the code of a project that use this masking
approach:
property pMember
property pEarthSphere
property pNightSphere
property pLastTransform
on beginSprite me
pMember = sprite(me.spriteNum).member
me.setupWorld()
end
on setupWorld(me)
pMember.resetWorld()
repeat with i = pMember.light.count down to 1
pMember.deletelight(i)
end repeat
vEarthModelResource = pMember.newModelResource("EARTH MODEL
RESOURCE", #sphere)
vEarthModelResource.radius = 50.000
vEarthModelResource.resolution = 20
vEarthTexture = pMember.newTexture("EARTH TEXTURE",
#fromCastMember, member(3,1))
vEarthShader = pMember.newShader("EARTH SHADER", #standard)
vEarthShader.emissive = color(255,255,255)
vEarthShader.flat = TRUE
vEarthShader.transparent = FALSE
vEarthShader.textureList[1] = vEarthTexture
pEarthSphere = pMember.newModel("EARTH MODEL",
vEarthModelResource)
pEarthSphere.shaderList = vEarthShader
vNightModelResource = pMember.newModelResource("NIGHT MODEL
RESOURCE", #sphere)
vNightModelResource.radius = 50.2000
vNightModelResource.resolution = 20
vNightTexture = pMember.newTexture("NIGHT TEXTURE",
#fromCastMember, member(4,1))
vNightTexture.quality = #lowFiltered
vNightTexture.nearFiltering = FALSE
vNightTexture.renderFormat = #rgba8880
vNightShader = pMember.newShader("NIGHT SHADER", #standard)
vNightShader.emissive = color(255,255,255)
vNightShader.flat = TRUE
vNightShader.transparent = TRUE
vNightShader.textureList[1] = vNightTexture
vMaskNightTexture = pMember.newTexture("MASK NIGHT TEXTURE",
#fromCastMember, member(6,1))
vMaskNightTexture.renderFormat = #rgba8888
vNightShader.textureList[2] = vMaskNightTexture
vNightShader.textureModeList[2] = #wrapPlanar
pNightSphere = pMember.newModel("NIGHT MODEL",
vNightModelResource)
pNightSphere.shaderList[1] = vNightShader
pNightSphere.parent = pEarthSphere
end
on exitFrame(me)
pEarthSphere.rotate(0.0,0.1,0.0)
me.moveMaskNightTexture()
end
on moveMaskNightTexture(me)
vRotationVector = - pEarthSphere.transform.rotation
pNightSphere.shaderList[1].wrapTransformList[2].rotation =
vRotationVector
end

Alpha transparency no longer working on iMac retina with AMD Radeon R9 M295X 4096 MB

Purchased new retina iMac with all the trimmings, including AMD Radeon R9 M295X 4096 MB. Now all presentations with alpha transparency no longer have transparency!
Having so many display issues with this new card. Anybody else with the same?

I've found the issue. Sort of.
The numerous display issues are a bug with the graphics driver (software) that cause problems with various software packages, such as Photoshop etc. Awaiting a fix from Apple.
The Keynote problem is exactly that. I loaded Keynote on my non-retina macbook pro, and the same issue is there. Maybe Keynote or Yosemite.
Found out that in order to restore transparency I have to select the image, select Alpha Channel, click on the image (after a couple of times I realised that there is no need to result the area to be transparent), and then it's back.
Somehow the image needed to be reminded that it had an alpha channel.
Yet another software bug.

Better Alpha channel handling

I've asked for this a lot: alpha channel saving with PS is terrible, and could use an update. And today, I was embarrassed by a bug that caused our game engine to perform poorly as a result of the way Photoshop handles the alpha channel.
The bug: make a 1024x1024 canvas, give it an opaque alpha channel (100% white, every pixel), then Image Size it down to something smaller, like 128x128. Now look at your alpha channel: grey pixels all along the border. ARRGGGHHH!!!1!1! It interpolated, I'm sure, using black alpha outside the canvas that doesn't actually exist, changing, in a powerful, fundamental way, the nature of the alpha channel. Video cards care about this stuff: 99.9% opaque is not 100% opaque. This is terrible.
The request: That PS intelligently offer better defaults when saving an image with an alpha. Right now, it offers, "What was the last bit depth you saved an image to?" Regardless of the fact that the previous image may have no relationship to the following image being saved, the default offering is always "what I did last time". This enables very easy pruning of alpha channels that should be there, or adding opaque alpha channels that shouldn't be there, bloating the file size.
I'd like PS to determine if an alpha channel is present, and base its default choice on that. If one is present, default to 32-bits. If an alpha channel si not present, default to 24-bits. That easy.
If multiple alpha channels are present, I'd like a dropdown menu to pick which one I want. Right now, if you save a PSD with multiple alpha channels to a 32-bit TGA, it throws all alpha channels away, and saves the image with a solidly opaque alpha channel, the choice no one asked for.
For texture work, or works where the graphics card is the destination, not the printed page, this cavalier handling of alpha channels is definitely not sustainable.
I'd love to never have to ask for this again.

Generally speaking the resize of an image on a layer in which the canvas is exactly the size of the data will result in transparency peeking in around the edge (i.e., I'm agreeing with you here, just using Photoshop terms). I've always thought this was kind of poorly thought-out too. As you say, the algorithm must default to using 0 vs., say, replicating (or "clamping") to the alpha of the pixels right on the edge.
I suppose theoretically, the thinking is that if you were to EXPAND the canvas, the area around the image would be transparent anyway, and a subsequent resampling would then have the same result as the above.
Knowing this, one way to work around the problem would be to create a slightly larger image, then Canvas Size it down to your intended resolution. That way there's layer data beyond the edges with which the resizing algorithm can work. I realize that's probably not a practical solution in general, but a trick to keep up your sleeve if you really do need that 128 x 128 image with alpha solid to the edge.
-Noel

Can Raw+JPEG be handled in Aperture 3 as it was in Aperture 2?

One of the things I thought Aperture 2 did much better than Lightroom was the way it handled images shot as raw+jpeg. In Aperture 2, both the raw and the jpeg were imported, but the jpeg was hidden. I could write click on an image, and choose "New Version," "New Version from Master," or "New Version from Master JPEG." That is, unless I created a new version from the Master JPEG, I didn't see it.
I'd like to get Aperture 3 to work the same way. But the new raw+jpeg import doesn't seem to allow that. I can choose to import only raw or only jpeg, but that leaves the other format out completely. I can choose to import both, and set either the raw, the jpeg, or both as masters. If I choose to import both, and set the raw as the master, I don't see an option that will let me access the jpeg image, should I wish to. If I set both as the masters, then my browser view has every image I've taken duplicated, since there's a version for each master. I could stack those, with the raw as the stack pick, but that seems to be as close as I can come to the Aperture 2 model. Again, am I missing something?

-In the image browser select the Raw images you wish to work with as jpegs.
-Control+click and set jpeg as Master.
-In Search field of the image browser, enter ".jpg" to display only images with the jpeg extension and hide all Raw files.
-Perform the functions you want (e.g., creating a Light Table with the jpegs). Export, etc. as desired.
-To re-display Raw and hide the jpegs, select them, then Control+click and reset Raw as Master.
-Be sure to clear the ".jpg" you entered into the search field so you can again see the Raw files.

Premiere Not Interpreting Alpha Transparency ProRes 4444

Hello,
I've imported a graphic, ProRes 4444 with an alpha channel but Premiere 6.0.2 is not reading the transparency. When I lay it on top of another clip the transparent part shows as black rather than being transparent and showing the layer underneath. It seems like the same error is happening in After Effects.
Final Cut 7 reads the transparency fine. I read that the same problem was happening on earlier versions of Premiere and After Effects.
I'm working with a Mac Pro, NVIDIA Quadro 4000, Lion.
Any suggestions?
Thanks!
Gerry

Hi,
Thanks for responding and getting back to me guys
@ Fuzzy...Trust me... I didn't think it would work...it didn't make sense to me either but I misunderstood Gerry...he doesn't know that I am operating exclusively on a PC using only PC based software...I don't have a MAC.
@ Kevin...as you have garnered by now I can't use APPLE MOTION because I am on a PC. I used Sorenson Squeeze to convert the file to an Animation File. For hours I tried importing and manipulating it in Premiere AND in After Effects with No luck whatsoever. I tried everything I could think of.
It is a virtual set and I was given 2 files:
Per instructions from a video tutorial on YouTube titled: "Adobe Premiere Tutorial Set Alpha Matte" I successfully excuted the instructions but the ALPHA STILL DIDN'T WORK:
File #1) The alpha.mov file is on VIDEO LAYER 3: > I placed a Channel> Set Matte> set to "Use For Matte" > Luminance on the VIDEO LAYER 3 alpha.mov file > Take Matte From Layer> VIDEO LAYER 2
File #2) The fullHD.mov file is on VIDEO LAYER 2
Should I send you the file to take look at Kevin?
Thanks again

Basic file handling in Aperture

I have combined over 5,000 photos into one folder, then into an aperture library. These files have been stored all over the place, managed by different apps, etc. and their names have been altered, etc. Fortunately, Aperture was able to rename them by capture date, which brought forward the problem I had suspected: many dupes.
Certainly I can manually delete these, but it seems to me Aperture is lacking some basic file handling tools that would make this handy. Maybe scripts or add-ins?
-ddog

Hi david,
If you haven't read any online tutorials yet. Please try this one Re: http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=2790185&#2790185
regards
Chris
ibook g4 12inch,G5 imac 24 ipod 60g (PCs at work) Mac OS X (10.4.8)

Alpha/Transparency-Handling in Aperture

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