Trying to Use Apha Mask, but am doing something wrong!

[Carver]

Sarket,

I have all of that good information about the Alpha Mask that you gave me and some instructions from other threads where you were helping others with basic information about the alpha mask, but I have not yet been able to fade the edges of a picture to have it fade-in to the background. I think I probably have more information than I need, So I thought it made sense to start a new thread and tell exactly what I have done and aks you to tell me where I have gone astray. I hope that is okay.

My goal is to have a single picture as the full screen background and add several smaller pictures that would each blend in to that background picture.

I used File/Open to add the background picture.

Layers/Import from File to add one of the small pictures

Layers/Duplicate -- (There are now 3 layers named Background in the Layers Window)

Effect/Stylize/Edge Detect -- Ran at 90.00 (Picture turned "black")

Ctrl A

Ctrl C

Ctrl D

Alpha Mask (with Default Settings & Check in Paste from Clipboard)

The small picture suddenly appeared on full page with a completely "white" background.

Used Gaussian Blur & Flattened

Layers 1 and 2 disappeared from the Layers Window.

What remained was the small picture with a mask around it.

Where did I go wrong?

[Sarkut]

Be sure to put a checkmark in Mix Alpha also when using the Alpha Mask effect.

Effect/Stylize/Edge Detect

This is from a particular tutorial and shouldn't be used for this.

[Sarkut]

For the mask, make a new (transparent) layer above

the layer of the small image you have imported.

Make a Rectangular Selection a bit smaller

than that image and centered on it.

Paintbucket fill the selection with black.

Deselect.

Blur heavily.

Load to Clipboard.

Remove checkmark for the Mask layer in the Layers window.

Apply Alpha Mask effect (with all boxes checked) to the small image layer.

[Carver]

Sarkut,

I do not know how to "load it to the clipboard" other than to use the "Copy" command.

[Sarkut]

Yes.

Ctrl A

Ctrl C

Ctrl D

[Carver]

After I applied the Alpha Mask Effect with all boxes checked, I ended up with the small picture looking like a brown rectangle with an dark Oval" inside it. I hope thatb the screenshotg I am trying to attach will show it. I also hope that I am on the right track ...

[Sarkut]

Carver,

If I had to guess, just from looking at the picture,

I'd say that the checkmark indicating visibility

was still present in the mask layer (Layers window)

And that the Invert Alpha checkbox hadn't been checked

while applying the Alpha Mask effect.

If you want, you can upload your .pdn file and post the

download link here.

I'll take a look at it.

Use this site:

http://s000.tinyupload.com/index.php

[Carver]

Thank you Sarkut.

I uploaded that file to

http://s000.tinyupload.com/?file_id=748 ... 8757987361

I am going to send another file with the exact steps that I took to that same address. I hope you will make any necessary changes on it. I certainly appreciate your help.

[Carver]

Sarkut,

The steps used have been uploaded to

http://s000.tinyupload.com/?file_id=769 ... 6778769890

[Sarkut]

Carver,

Here's a zip download with procedure adjustments in the text document.

I've prepared and applied the mask in the .pdn file, so that you can compare

the mask to the result and get a better understanding of how the effect works.

http://s000.tinyupload.com/index.php?fi ... 3705746006

[Carver]

Sarkut,

After you removed the unnecessary steps I had added, the procedure is much easier than I was making it . Thank you very much for going through all of that extra effort to help me understand how to prepare and apply the mask. That was very thoughtful of you and I certainly appreciate all that you did.

[Sarkut]

Glad to help.

[Carver]

Sarkut,

I am sorry to say that I am still not getting it right even though I think I am following the exact steps. Here are the steps that I used. Dpes any glaring error jump out at you?

--------------

Use File/Open to add the background picture.

Layers/Import from File to add one of the small pictures

For the mask, make a new (transparent) layer above the layer of the small image that was just imported.

Make a Rectangular Selection a bit smaller than that image and centered on it.

Paint Bucket fill the selection with black.

Deselect.

Gaussian Blur set to about 8.

Load to Clipboard.

Ctrl A

Ctrl C

Ctrl D

Remove checkmark for the Mask layer in the Layers window.

Apply Alpha Mask effect (with all boxes checked) to the small image layer.

-----------------------------------

I did not know what to do after this point. I tried Flattening and saving as .png with no success

[Carver]

I uploaded my latest attempt here in case you want to look at it.

http://s000.tinyupload.com/?file_id=334 ... 5262488042

[Sarkut]

Carver,

Make a Rectangular Selection a bit smaller than that image and centered on it.

Paint Bucket fill the selection with black.

Although the selection is being sized and positioned visually

relative to the small image that has been imported,

the black mask is actually being made on its own

separate transparent layer above the small image layer.

Be sure that you don't inadvertantly put the black

directly onto the small image on its layer.

[Carver]

Sarkut,

Aha! Now I see! I have been doing on purpose exactly what I should have been trying to avoid doing. I have been filling the Rectangle Selection with black rather than filling the area outside of the triangle. Now the corret move seems so obvious, but until now I thought I was following the instructions. I am sorry that I am a slow learner. I am very glad that you are such a good and patient teacher. Thank you very much!

[Sarkut]

Carver,

No worries.

Actually, the area inside the rectangle is what is meant to be filled.

Just be sure that it is in its own layer above and

separate from the small image layer.

=================================

It can be done filling outside the selection if the top

box in the Alpha Mask UI window is left unchecked.

The one that says Invert Mask.

You'd need to invert the selection before using the Paintbucket.

Ctrl + i

In either case, the mask layer is separate from the image layers.

[Carver]

Sarkut,

Thank you again. Hopefully I will get it together, thanks to you.

(By the way, do you ever sleep?)

[Ego Eram Reputo]

He sleeps upside down, with one eye trained on his monitor. Some say his touch alone can cure PDN problems

Sarkut, my friend, where would we be without you?

[Sarkut]

He sleeps upside down, with one eye trained on his monitor

What?! Doesn't everybody? :huh:

Edited April 6, 2010 by Sarkut

[Sozo]

He sleeps upside down, with one eye trained on his monitor

What?! Doesn't everybody? :shock:

Only Batman... and Sarkut.

[Sarkut]

Carver,

How are things progressing?

[Carver]

Sarkut ,

Things are progressing nicely. You pulled me through the steps needed to mask the picture that I was working on. So that picture did not have any other choice but to come out just fine. I have been working on other things since then but soon I will be asking you how to make the photo more transparent as well as mask it. In the meantime, thank you for checking on me.