n00b Question about scopes
 

I have actually made the scope, but i am having a problem. When i try to use it, the background is white, and not clear, or see thru. Can anyone tell me what i am doing wrong? I have searhed the forums for 2 hours with no luck.

Thanks in advance

the TGA graphics image that you put your scope design on has an "alpha channel". this is pretty much like a second image layed over the top of the scope design that determined the transparency of certain areas and nothing else.

so the default scopes when you play them are + and T.
however when you open up the file it is completely black.
so the entire disign of the scope (and the easiest way to do it) is done in the alpha channel.

how this is done is you have a cirlce as fully transparent (black / 0) in the alpha channel and the crosshair itself + T is at no transparency (white / 255).

i used to have heaps of problems with this till i figured it out.
now what i always do is start with a full black image..... make the design in the alpha channel and save it to the alpha channel....... save the image and overwrite the old TGA...... close it...... open it back up and flood-fill the whole thing black again.

i dont know why but my graphics editor wont let me just save the alpha channel without it merging the two together when i save the TGA file. because most of the scope is transparent this gets written as white and you get what you got. just open the thing up and cover the whole thing blace without opening the alpha channel.

maybe the someone can post screenshots so that the dude will have a better understanding.

this is a very basic example of how the alpha channel decides what will be tarnsparent and what won't be

initial image
[img]http://mohaa.cact-sd.org/aasigs/mag12testhud.jpg[/img]


the alpha channel (black=transparent, white=not transparent, grays=something in between)
[img]http://mohaa.cact-sd.org/aasigs/mag12testalpha1.jpg[/img]


end result in game
[img]http://mohaa.cact-sd.org/aasigs/mag12testhudresult.jpg[/img]


now follow r3mix's explanation and experiment till you get it right.

ok i understand most of that, no what
 

I am using paint shop pro 7, and i just need to konw how to get to an alpha channel. when i open a new project it will ask me the background color and i pick transparent.

Re: ok i understand most of that, no what
 

[quote="The Plague of Death":0c4ac]I am using paint shop pro 7, and i just need to konw how to get to an alpha channel. when i open a new project it will ask me the background color and i pick transparent.[/quote:0c4ac]

hmm, i use photoshop here, have no idea with paint shop ho. theres a tutorial somewhere on this website, im sure of it, i had to read it once and it confused me because i had photoshop and the tutorial was written for paint shop pro. check under the tutorials or guides.

adobe photoshop, right, i am downloading it now

ooo... good luck with photoshop... oOo: . i have both and i think you are better off using paintshop pro. To get to the alpha just click (masks/load from alpha chanel) that is if you are using the zoomoverlay or kar top/bottom tga file.