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  1. #31
    Join Date
    Oct 2002
    Location
    Liverpool, N.Y.
    Posts
    6,085

    Default 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.

    Click image for larger version. 

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    Technically, it's do-able.

    By us? probably not!
    IP

  2. #32
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Sunshine Coast BC, Canada. In a beautiful part of BC's temperate rainforest
    Posts
    9,864

    Default 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)
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Click image for larger version. 

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    Attached Files Attached Files
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
    My current Xara software: Designer Pro 365 12.6

    Good Morning Sunshine.ca | Good Morning Sunshine Online(a weekly humorous publication created with XDP and exported as a web document) | Angelize Online resource shop | My Video Tutorials | My DropBox |
    Autocorrect: It can be your worst enema.
    IP

  3. #33

    Default Re: Custom Splash Screens

    Quote Originally Posted by Gare View Post
    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.

    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	painter-loading.jpg 
Views:	225 
Size:	173.6 KB 
ID:	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
    IP

  4. #34
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Sunshine Coast BC, Canada. In a beautiful part of BC's temperate rainforest
    Posts
    9,864

    Default 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?
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
    My current Xara software: Designer Pro 365 12.6

    Good Morning Sunshine.ca | Good Morning Sunshine Online(a weekly humorous publication created with XDP and exported as a web document) | Angelize Online resource shop | My Video Tutorials | My DropBox |
    Autocorrect: It can be your worst enema.
    IP

  5. #35

    Default Re: Custom Splash Screens

    Quote Originally Posted by angelize View Post
    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
    IP

  6. #36

    Default 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...
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Click image for larger version. 

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    IP

  7. #37
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    Canton, GA
    Posts
    666

    Default 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.
    IP

  8. #38
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Sunshine Coast BC, Canada. In a beautiful part of BC's temperate rainforest
    Posts
    9,864

    Default Re: Custom Splash Screens

    Very nicely done Mike.

    But it is a fun, short exercise
    Which was exactly the point of this thread Just fun
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
    My current Xara software: Designer Pro 365 12.6

    Good Morning Sunshine.ca | Good Morning Sunshine Online(a weekly humorous publication created with XDP and exported as a web document) | Angelize Online resource shop | My Video Tutorials | My DropBox |
    Autocorrect: It can be your worst enema.
    IP

  9. #39
    Join Date
    Jun 2009
    Location
    Reading. UK
    Posts
    6,970

    Default Re: Custom Splash Screens

    Still playing with my original design.
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    Attached Images Attached Images

    Featured Artist on Xara Xone . May 2011
    . A Shield . My First Tutorial
    . Bottle Cap . My Second Tutorial on Xara Xone
    IP

  10. #40
    Join Date
    Dec 2000
    Location
    Hautes Pyrénées, France
    Posts
    5,083

    Default Re: Custom Splash Screens

    Quote Originally Posted by Gare View Post
    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
    If someone tried to make me dig my own grave I would say No.
    They're going to kill me anyway and I'd love to die the way I lived:
    Avoiding Manual Labour.
    IP

 

 

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