Advice: TGA conversion transparency bits loss

[blawk]

Hi fellows,

 

Just to warn you all about the problem that is currently affecting any file converted from TPC to TGA: the final image will have lost it's transparency bits data. That means that you'll have an image with a weird, plain solid background RGB color, normally black. To an experienced designer this may be easy to solve but for many people this can be a serious issue.

 

TGA format supports transparency but that is lost when using Kotor Tool's converter. Fred, any idea on this?

 

Some example images from my current work (Retro-Mod) available at:

http://blawk.krath.googlepages.com/starwars%3Aknightsoftheoldrepublicii%3Athesithlordsretro-mod

 

Check this one:

http://blawk.krath.googlepages.com/tsl-rm-start.jpg/tsl-rm-start-full.jpg

 

You'll see the problem.

 

This doesn't cause any problem with GUI or other texture files that didn't have any transparent areas, as they cover fully the "surface" they're intended to cover . Loading screens are a good example of this, and that's what I'm currently working on for one of my new areas as well as the overall mod changes.

 

Cheers.

[Jackel]

Hi fellows,

Hi Blawk! ~waves~ This really should be in the KOTOR Tool forum.

Just to warn you all about the problem that is currently affecting any file converted from TPC to TGA: the final image will have lost it's transparency bits data. That means that you'll have an image with a weird, plain solid background RGB color, normally black. To an experienced designer this may be easy to solve but for many people this can be a serious issue.

This has never happened to me at all. Is it doing it with all files you have converted that have alpha channels?

TGA format supports transparency but that is lost when using Kotor Tool's converter. Fred, any idea on this?

Again this has never happened to me, which version of Kotor Tool are you using?

What program are you using to edit the files?

[blawk]

Hi Blawk! ~waves~ This really should be in the KOTOR Tool forum.

 

Again I posted to the wrong place :|

My apologies!

 

This has never happened to me at all. Is it doing it with all files you have converted that have alpha channels?

 

Again this has never happened to me, which version of Kotor Tool are you using?

What program are you using to edit the files?

 

Hmm, Kotor Tool in it's latest version, fresh download from Fred's site. I'm using latest version of Gimp available for win32. I'm just really skilled with Gimp and can't get my hands on something else different .

 

It has a great support for TGA and other "not that common" formats, but maybe there's something flawed.

 

Any idea?

 

BTW, I've checked other threads, but I need to confirm: is Kotor Tool's conversation editor broken for editing TSL dialogs? If positive, that's really bad. I hope Fred or someone can fix it. I could try it myself if I get the time.

[Achilles]

Hmm, Kotor Tool in it's latest version, fresh download from Fred's site. I'm using latest version of Gimp available for win32. I'm just really skilled with Gimp and can't get my hands on something else different .

 

It has a great support for TGA and other "not that common" formats, but maybe there's something flawed.

 

Any idea?

I haven't used GIMP so I don't know, but I'm wondering if it isn't playing nice with the alpha channel *shrugs*.

 

BTW, I've checked other threads, but I need to confirm: is Kotor Tool's conversation editor broken for editing TSL dialogs? If positive, that's really bad. I hope Fred or someone can fix it. I could try it myself if I get the time.

Try DLGEdit by Tk102. Works like a dream. Get your copy here.

[Jackel]

Again I posted to the wrong place :|

My apologies!

 

No worries, easier to make a mistake and hey you learnt something from it.

 

Hmm, Kotor Tool in it's latest version, fresh download from Fred's site. I'm using latest version of Gimp available for win32. I'm just really skilled with Gimp and can't get my hands on something else different .

 

It has a great support for TGA and other "not that common" formats, but maybe there's something flawed.

 

Any idea?

Im thinking its GIMP. Never used it either so not sure how it plays with alpha textures. I generally use paint.net to play with any textures that have alpha textures. Well a mix of paint.net and paintshop. I do the real work in paintshop then copy it over to paint.net, paste it on the original file and save it.

 

I would suggest getting the trial edition of photoshop or paint.net and seeing if when you play with tga files with them if it corrupts or not. If it doesnt then its GIMP, if they do then the tpc to tga converter might be playing up. If it does turn out to be the converter I would suggest redownloading kotor tool and reinstalling it over the top of the version that you have.

 

BTW, I've checked other threads, but I need to confirm: is Kotor Tool's conversation editor broken for editing TSL dialogs? If positive, that's really bad. I hope Fred or someone can fix it. I could try it myself if I get the time.

Yep K2 dialogue are broken and Fred has had enough of trying to fix it so try what Achilles suggested.

[Darkkender]

I use gimp all of the time myself. I've also used other photo/paint software and it seems that many of the images extracted don't ever have the alpha channel present when I extract them using KT. However with GIMP all I've had to do is go to the "layers" menu option choose add layers submenu and then choose add alpha layer. This does the trick and all is good. Depending on the image sometimes you need to turn up the alpha to make it visible.

[oldflash]

I use Ulead PhotoImpact and I never lose alpha channel or load whithout it.