Texture Question After Last Update

[flynby]

Using Paint.Net for several years.  Have version 4.0.19 (Final 4.19.6484.39094).  I enjoy doing scenery for Microsoft Flight Simulator X.  A strange texture problem has popped up since last update.  Example:  Picture 1 Before -  The rear engine.  Saved as a bmp or DXT 3.bmp.  Inside the engine compartment I used paint 0-0-0 hoping to have just the engine seen.  Transparency does not work using bmp.  When I finished and saved, I get picture 2 results.  Another program I use is too old and does not use any other format *but* bmp.  This other program is *as is* and no updates will ever be created.  The *only* way to clear this problem up is I have to restart the computer.  This problem has never shown it's ugly head before.  Is there some way to correct this problem?  Or is there a way I could delete this version of paint.net and go back to a older version?  Windows 10 64 bit.  Thanks for any help

 

[toe_head2001]

I've failed to understand what your issue is. Perhaps you can describe it better.

 

What are these two images? Are those the models rendered in Flight Simulator with your textures?

[TrevorOutlaw]

On 10/22/2017 at 7:31 PM, flynby said:

Transparency does not work using bmp.

 

It would be advisable to switch to a PNG file since it supports transparency.  However, from a quick and dirty Internet search, I found that BMP supports transparency (much to my surprise) and it is largely dependent on alpha channel.

[Rick Brewster]

BMP's support for transparency is unofficial. The problem with BMP is that you can have an alpha channel but you can't specify what format the alpha channel is in. Is it ignored, straight alpha, or premultiplied alpha? There's a huge difference between the three, and it's why I've decided against adding support for it in Paint.NET. If you want alpha, you don't use BMP -- you use PNG.

[flynby]

Gentlemen, I am so thankful that I got your responses. Thought I would never get a rely.  The *BIG* problem is:  I am using old software that does not recognize PNG, JPEG, GIF, ect.  Only bmp for textures.  When I tried any other format, the result looked like picture 2.  Also tried using DXTbmp DXT3 and saving as bmp.  Again picture 2.  *Only*  bmp format gives me picture 1.  I just don't know all the tricks to correct this.

TrevorOutlaw, can you point me to how this can be done?  Sounds exactly what I am looking for.  Let me warn you guys -  I am 71.  Ya'll are way ahead of me.  Ya'll is Texan

Edited October 24, 2017 by flynby
correction

[null54]

There is a filetype plugin that adds support for saving 32-bit BMP files.

 

[TrevorOutlaw]

20 hours ago, flynby said:

TrevorOutlaw, can you point me to how this can be done?

 

In the screenshot below, I attempted as best as I can to explain how transparency works in PNG.  I drew a black box with the checkerboard pattern in the background which is complete transparency.

 

 

Then when you are ready to save as a PNG file, go to File>Save As... and by default, Paint.NET saves the file as PNG.

 

 

By the way, I am curious, you keep mentioning you use an old software that only uses BMP file.  Would you mind telling us what that software is?

Edited October 24, 2017 by TrevorOutlaw