Transparency when saving to TGA

[browj2]

Is there any way to save or set transparency when saving to a tga file?

Example: import a photo, draw a shape on it, select both shape and photo, subtract shape, gives me a hole in the photo. Save as tga. Import the tga file back into Xara, the hole is white. I want it transparent.

This is easy with a png file, but I want to be able to do it with a tga file.

Reason for this: I want to modify a tga file that comes with Magix Movie Edit Pro/VPX and replace it. When the effect is used in the video editor, the image has transparency for part of it and I see the underlying video in the hole.

Thanks

[handrawn]

TGA files do not support transparency in the same way ['natively'] as PNG - to get transparency in a TGaAfile you need to create an alpha channel using a mask - xara does not support channel editing so I doubt it can be done in xara

photoshop yes

[browj2]

Thanks for the reply. Disappointing.

I can do it and did it in PaintShop Pro, but I find anything to do with drawing in that program very difficult to comprehend. By comparison, Xara is quick and simple.

[handrawn]

affinity photo does channels but I have never tried this sort of thing with it, I dont know if you would be able to manipulate the alpha channels with masking

[handrawn]

yes it can be done in affinity photo - need to make a spare channel from your mask selection... [ie pixel selction]

check to see if this TGA has transparency where the window glass would be - zipped cos forum does not upload TGA

TGA Alpha test.zip

note you won't see this in xara it will look black - you will need to do it in a program that recognises the channel masking affinity/photoship/paintshop pro ....

not difficult, the issue whichever way you do it is to get the selection/masking right [mine is a bit rough and ready] and pay attention to antialiasing, ie if necesary save with a layer underneath coloured appropriately

[gwpriester]

Why not PNG True Color + Alpha. It is Xara's native file format.

[browj2]

Thanks for this.

The image worked fine in the video editor with the background video showing up in the window glass area.

I don't have Affinity, only PaintShop Pro. A couple of us on the Magix forum have been trying to adjust an image using PSP to get the effect that we want. I'm struggling to learn the nuances of PSP, in particular the alpha transparency (and drawing more than a line).

[handrawn]

@Gary because its for video and that program uses TGA it's the industry standard - and the compression in PNG can cause issues with video, even though static wise it is lossless

actually it looks as if there is more work to be done on the TGA I posted, it may only look transparent in affinity, sorry

personally I wouls stick to PS....

[handrawn]

ah good glad it worked in your program, just had a moment of doubt because it did not open correctly in CS2 PS, but that is old - I'll check in CC PS

[handrawn]

which version of PSP are you using - the current version [2020] is a shadow of it's former self in the days before Jasc sold it to corel.. did you use channels [ I don't think the current version has channels] if not I'd be interested to know how you did it