Editing an imported GIF

[Broad Spectrum]

As a new XaraX-ite I guess I'm still thinking in terms of paint programs, because I can't figure out what should be a simple procedure.

I have an imported GIF which has a uniform black background.

My goal is to change the color of the background, leaving everything else as-is - or maybe even make the background transparent.

I've tried tracing - looks like crap. Really don't want to do a manual cutout as the image to be kept is quite complex. Any filling I try to do affects the whole GIF.

TIA for any help.

[Broad Spectrum]

As a new XaraX-ite I guess I'm still thinking in terms of paint programs, because I can't figure out what should be a simple procedure.

I have an imported GIF which has a uniform black background.

My goal is to change the color of the background, leaving everything else as-is - or maybe even make the background transparent.

I've tried tracing - looks like crap. Really don't want to do a manual cutout as the image to be kept is quite complex. Any filling I try to do affects the whole GIF.

TIA for any help.

[Soquili]

Hi Broad Spectrum,

XaraX doesn't have the ability to edit individual colours in an imported gif. That is what paint programs do best. Xara works with vectors, which are algorhythms that define the shape and colour/texture of an object. Paint programs work with pixels, which are what gif, jpg, png, etc images consist of.

I hope that helps.

Soquili

[qmr]

Easiest thing is to use photoshop's/paintshoppro's/pixia's magic wand select tool with different range settings, as it is a bitmap after all.
However, Xaras drawing tools, soften edges control and cookie cutter control do allow bitmap editing involving collage, that prev was the domain of photoshop etc. And X is a lot faster at it, so I use xara for these tasks and just tweak edge pixels lastly in photoshop using smudge, select-blur and stamp tools.
You could trace and cut out the shape, but might be easier instead to drop new colour shapes over/around the top of the mainimage, cutting and fitting to suit; set top shapes' fill to part-transparent until youre finished. Remember to use the soften edges tool for fine adjustment, and of course you can drop as many shapes as you wish over the original image. Ctrl-1 to combine seperate shapes and then drawing tool allows you to adjust the edges indefinitely.
This problem is precisely the reason I never do original art in photoshop any more.. always use a vector program. So, depending on importance of the original image... like if it's a logo that youve been tasked to redesign or otherwise alter, then Id redraw it by copying/tracing manually as these images must be archived as vector images.
One thing to think of - even if its not that important, this is a good little project to acquaint you with xaras core functions, and that is not wasted time at all.

Q

[gwpriester]

Sean Sedwards has a Search and Replace plug-in filter that can replace one color with another.

You will have to do this on each frame of the animation however. You can adjust the tolerance as shown in the attached example but some of the anti-aliased fringe is hard to get rid of without compromising the non-black portions of the image.

Gary

Gary Priester

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[Clements]

then the following could be used.

I realize this is a specific application which probably does not fit your particular situation. But it does show that it may be worthwhile to play around the transparency modes.

[Broad Spectrum]

Thanks to all for those very helpful replies. I learnt a few things even if not the solution I was hoping for.

I accept that I will have to do some manual editing in MS Image Composer (I don't "do" Photoshop), which has a magic wand tool.

The two solutions which do a complete color replace throughout the image are no good to me in this particular instance because there are also elements of black inside the part I want to keep.

Again, thanks to all for the help.

- Bill

[gwpriester]

I didn't know you could do that! Wow, that's neat.

Gary

Gary Priester

Moderator Person


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[Egg Bramhill]

I didn't know about that either. Great tip John
Egg