Paint.net using alpha mask plugin for second life

[Precious5881]

I have an online business in a game called Second Life where I make clothes. I'm not able to get ahold of the photoshops that allow me to work with the alpha channels so I use paint.net.

I working on this skirt, see image below.

http://img842.imageshack.us/i/18073852.jpg/

If you look at the skirt, around the red, you will see a black line. You get something similar to this using photoshop 7.0 without the alpha update which is called "white halo". I don't want that black line. So I dled the plugin and went through the forum for the past 2 hours and I couldn't find a thing regarding what I'm dealing with. All the tuts that I found links to in the creators post are 404 error so I can't read those. The one tut I was able to read didn't work because it still gave me the black halo.

Here are images of my paint.net.

http://img137.imageshack.us/i/28196007.jpg/

I copied the first layer to and then used the alpha mask on the mask layer.

http://img841.imageshack.us/i/37050193.jpg/

What am I doing wrong? Can someone help me please?

[Sarkut]

The mask layer should be copied to the clipboard first.

Remove the checkmark from the mask layer to make it not visible.

In the Layers window click on the layer that you want

to be changed before opening the Alpha Mask effect.

[BoltBait]

Saving as JPG is never going to work. Try saving as PNG instead.

[Precious5881]

I don't save in JPG format, I save in TGA and it's still not working.

[Sarkut]

Do the black lines show only in the Second Life environment, or do they show in Paint.NET also?

[Precious5881]

Second life environment.

[Sarkut]

Are there any relevant posts in the Second Life forums

that discuss this in terms of causes and remedies?

As it relates to image editing/handling outside of Second Life, that is.

If so, pls. post links.

[Precious5881]

Nope, most of all the links I found are people talking about how easy it is to use, lots of plugins, and it's free. Other than that, no tutorials or any help. Most everyone on SL uses photoshop CS3 which I can't afford.

There are however tutorials and help links on how to get rid of the white halo created when using photoshop without the alpha channels. Would t hat be considered the same thing?

Edited August 26, 2010 by Precious5881

[Sarkut]

Can't hurt to have a look at them, if you can provide links.

[Precious5881]

The author of this tutorial is really good. She's been around SL for a really long time.

http://www.robinwood.com/Catalog/Technical/SL-Tuts/SLPages/WhiteHaloStart.html'>http://www.robinwood.com/Catalog/Technical/SL-Tuts/SLPages/WhiteHaloStart.html

This is her website -

http://www.robinwood.com/

Again, I'd use Photoshop C2 or better, I heard there is a CS5 out now for 700.00 but I do not have the money for that. I'm stuck with photoshop 7.0 and even with that, the alpha channels do not work because of a bug or something in the 7.0 verison. I've tried to install the update that they give out but it doesn't work on my copy. So I'm stuck with a white halo when I use photoshop and a black halo when I use paint.net.

I hope this helps.

[Sarkut]

Okay.

Be sure to checkmark Mix Alpha when using the Alpha Mask effect.

Try it again that way and see if that solves the problem.

Edited August 26, 2010 by Sarkut

[Precious5881]

Nope it doesn't, thanks for your help. I'm going to read upon more tutorials and see if I'm doing anything wrong.

[Sarkut]

OK.

I've done some reading up on Second Life,

and apparently other file types such as PNG can be used.

Have you tried PNG, or is there some reason why it can't be used in this case?

[RhondaP]

For some reason I have trouble convincing Second Life to show transparency in my png files. I usually end up having to use tga. And even there it is picky with which program I save my tga.

[Sarkut]

Thanks RhondaP -

Are there any freeware programs that do

well with handling alpha in Second Life?

(Regardless of file type)

Edited August 26, 2010 by Sarkut

[Precious5881]

No I don't think so. If so, I'd believe that it would be all over the forums at Second Life. We may be up the creek without a paddle.

I've heard some use GIMP. I tried using GIMP but I didn't like it one bit.