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Re: Custom Splash Screens
After some reading, definitely, for sure, the BMP file format supports an alpha channel, although some call it transparency, and alphas and layer transparency technically aren't the same thing.
I couldn't get a 32-bit splash screen to load when I had transparency saved.
It can be done. I'm not sure, though, that Xara is set up to recognize alpha information in a BMP image. I've been through several esoteric programs that claim they will save a BMP with transparency, but either the channel order is wrong, or it can't be done by mortals.
This is a screen snag of Painter loading in front of part of my Desktop. The lettering has an alpha around it, showing the patterned page I have behind it in Xara.
Attachment 97166
Technically, it's do-able.
By us? probably not!
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Re: Custom Splash Screens
Well this has been interesting for sure :) Anyway I've done some experimenting my self with different sizes of splash screens. I've found you can't go narrower than 480 pix or the information that the program overlays doesn't fit correctly, it seems that the overlay shows up in the same spot no matter what size your bitmap is. You can however go taller! :)
Here is one I did that's taller but maintains the same width. I've included the BMP file if anyone would like to use it. I zipped it because the forum has a 500kb size limit on BMP files and it's just a little bigger (698 kb)
Re: Custom Splash Screens
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Gare
After some reading, definitely, for sure, the BMP file format supports an alpha channel, although some call it transparency, and alphas and layer transparency technically aren't the same thing.
I couldn't get a 32-bit splash screen to load when I had transparency saved.
It can be done. I'm not sure, though, that Xara is set up to recognize alpha information in a BMP image. I've been through several esoteric programs that claim they will save a BMP with transparency, but either the channel order is wrong, or it can't be done by mortals.
This is a screen snag of Painter loading in front of part of my Desktop. The lettering has an alpha around it, showing the patterned page I have behind it in Xara.
Attachment 97166
Technically, it's do-able.
By
us? probably not!
I've checked the PhotoLine alpha BMP with PS. Same order, same result with Xara.
Like I mentioned, this is something Xara would need to change for it to work with itself. That Xara cannot even load one, whether stripping it like AI CS6, or honoring the alpha (like evidently Painter does), would likely be part of the fix. Uh, how about updated filters altogether in Xara Designer Pro 25 anyone?
Mike
Re: Custom Splash Screens
Designer Pro 25?? I certainly hope we don't have to wait that long! Anyway getting back to splash screens does anyone else have any more?
Re: Custom Splash Screens
Quote:
Originally Posted by
angelize
Designer Pro 25?? I certainly hope we don't have to wait that long! Anyway getting back to splash screens does anyone else have any more?
OK, OK. Just a bit tongue in cheek with the version 25 thing. It'll be version 20 ;^)
But I would settle for PDFX-4 in a patch.
I have started one before being on the phone too much. The present splash in XDP8--still haven't ponied up for XDP9--hasn't ever bothered me and the new one doesn't either with the exception of the omitted pencil or whatever. But it is a fun, short exercise...at least if I get off-line for a little while.
Mike
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Re: Custom Splash Screens
Feelin' Blue
Liked Gary's Blue Cube rendering, redrew it in XDP, added oh so little to it. But it works for now.
Mike
Oops, the ZIP is updated. I forgot to move one of the cube's shadows...
Re: Custom Splash Screens
I did some playing around with Gimp for creating bmp files with transparency in order to create some customer graphics for the music making program Cakewalk Sonar. was a total pain, but once I understood how they were doing their "masking" within the graphics, I was able to do a few cool things with their mixer UI - but it required editing dll files as well as resource files which contain the graphics.
So - if you are wanting to play with the 32-bit bmp files, you might want to give Gimp a go, though it seems that xara won't honor them in the splash screen based on what I think I read above.
Re: Custom Splash Screens
Very nicely done Mike.
Quote:
But it is a fun, short exercise
Which was exactly the point of this thread :D Just fun :)
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Re: Custom Splash Screens
Still playing with my original design.
Re: Custom Splash Screens
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Gare
an earnest, honest attempt to convey the capabilities of the program, while doing something other than "3D" for everything
you could always dazzle with something created using xara's admittedly limited 3d capabilities