New install Photo & Graphics Designer problems with alpha import

**Alan Lacey** · 21 July 2018, 05:20 AM

Hmmm, deeper and deeper!

I tried running P&GD as administrator and that made no difference. Still it doesn't see the psd or png filetypes in the 'import' dialogue but if you drag one of them in they import - still no alpha though!

The really weird part, though, is that xar files containing these images created in earlier versions of xara DO have a working alpha.

The reason I work with TGAs is that having worked in the TV industry for years it's been my major format and worked with xara previously. Of course I tried PSDs and PNGs as a replacement in the first case and neither worked either. Although I don't remember them not turning up in the 'import' dialogue.

GWPriester: These images have complex alphas (takes me an age to create) so I don't think the photo tools will do the job - ta for the suggestion though.

?Importing for web: Xara just refuses, as these are hi-res images, not the sort you use there.

The one format I've not tried yet is TIFF - I'll give that a go next.

**handrawn** · 21 July 2018, 06:27 AM

I don't think there is any need to use TGA if you are not needing it's advantages that are tailored to the media industry [as mentioned in wiki as linked by gary]

you say poster work - I think PSD would be better; PNG would also be fine - I have no idea why they do not show in the import dialog

[and I take it you do not get the inverted alpha in pro 5 that I got with TGA?]

they may all be 'non-standard' I suppose, what program/programs created them?

it would be helpful if you could post up one of each of them so we can check if we get the same thing -....

**handrawn** · 21 July 2018, 07:04 AM

PS
RE TIFF - you should be able to import TIFF with transparency, but xara wont export TIFF with alpha, there is no 32bit option in the dialog [also from experience, I'd stay clear of compressed TIFF if at all possible]

**mwenz** · 21 July 2018, 02:25 PM

It was never clear what panels meant. If this is for print work, use pdf for export.

**handrawn** · 21 July 2018, 03:04 PM

panels.. yeh... something to put on a wall presumably - but it could be video projection of course... as you say, not clear

**Alan Lacey** · 22 July 2018, 04:39 AM

Large printed background panels to go at the back of museum display cases describing artefacts therein. I started using TGA files years ago when I began this work as, working in the video industry (Well it was Television back then) I was brought up on them - habit I suppose. The 32 bit TGAs are created in PhotoShop and are perfectly legal. Yes Xara 5.1.1 imported fine, except the reversed alpha issue. It's only since I've been asked to resurrect this project I thought I'd update my Xara.

I guess it might be a system problem, it's a fairly new high end laptop running Win7 pro (7 because I have all sorts of 'legacy' video apps and hardware working on it that 10 wouldn't support
at the time. The import dialogue might well be giving the clue. It's now only showing *.jpg & *.pngs in the 'all bitmaps' filter all the time despite there being PSDs there too. Select something else in the filter, then even the 'bitmaps' option disappears.

I'm more or less ready to give up on P&GD now. Go back to Xara 5.1 on the old machine.

I'll try the project next using Gimp and Inkscape on Linux. Being retired now I plan to be Microsoft and Apple free by 2020 - when MS stop supporting Win7.

Many thanks for your help though.

**handrawn** · 22 July 2018, 07:37 AM

Legacy programs - if they wont install on windows 10 with the relevant compatibility settings, I'd run them with the legacy OS in a virtual machine

Talking of which, I don't think you will ever get the current Xara programs to work properly under anything other than windows so you cannot be MS free, you will at least need windows running in a virtual machine environment, or an dedicated computer... [neithr being totally 'MS free' of course]

The 32 bit TGAs are created in PhotoShop and are perfectly legal

sure, nobody suggested they were not - but knowing what created them helps diagnose problems; even just 'Photoshop' is not totally helpful as the program evolves [ I still use CS2] - as of course do other programs including xara...

Is there a reason not to put ver 5 on your new computer... you were allowed more than one installation

I just checked and inkscape 0.92 [64bit] opens both my test TGA and TIFF with transparency and no inversion on windows 10 - can't vouch for Linux [got lubuntu on a laptop but not to hand] - I've no used gimp for a long time, can't comment

there are those who think inkscape 'clunky' but there again I go with what works, and overall it matters not how fast one component of a workflow is, what matters is how fast the overall project [tortoise and hare]

good luck which ever way you go

**Alan Lacey** · 22 July 2018, 08:03 AM

Many thanks for the suggestions and goodwill Handrawn. Yes sadly I know I won't get Xara working on Linux, hence the investigation of Inkscape. I've a couple of years, or there abouts, to play around with all the open source stuff. At the moment I'm also running a machine with VMware - OSX, Win7 & Ubuntu as a trial.

I did try putting Xara 5 on the new machine but it wasn't happy (one of the reasons to go for P&GD. Something to do with either the graphics card/driver/Windows Aero who knows what. The video apps and hardware on this machine are complex needing specialist installation so I'm pretty sure it wouldn't run on a virtual machine.

Talking of Photoshop, I'm still on CS4 & 5.5 on the various machines. Never liked the CC approach.

All the very best