MealeaYing Posted November 18, 2013 Share Posted November 18, 2013 Hya everyone! Im not sure if Im supposed to ask this here but I don't know a better place... It seems like one big thread is better than a bunch of little ones. Right? If I have two images, one is a texture map and the other is a normal map, how do I essentially paste the normal map into the alpha channel? The stuff I am importing into (OpenSimulator) uses a single image to put texture and normal map information onto an object but so far I can't see anywhere to create the alpha channel. I am not using the alpha channel for transparency, which seems to be a source of confusion (elsewhere). The thing is I CAN use it for that (transparency I mean) simply by making part of my image transparent (This is splendid by the way, and is yet another reason why I adore Paint.Net), this implies to me there are alpha channels or that the transparency thing is something different. Does any of that make sense? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david.atwell Posted November 18, 2013 Share Posted November 18, 2013 (edited) Im not sure if Im supposed to ask this here but I don't know a better place... It seems like one big thread is better than a bunch of little ones. Right? Nope, actually. You should take a look at the rules (i.e. the "dead thread" rule). I've split it off for you and locked the old thread. As for your question: there's no real transparency or alpha mapping function in PdN. (Midora has a better answer for you.) All transparency is applied on an individual pixel-by-pixel basis. Now, there is an Alpha Map plugin that will apply a map to a single layer, but no way to pull a transparency layer out of an existing layer. Edited November 18, 2013 by david.atwell Midora's answer is better Quote The Doctor: There was a goblin, or a trickster, or a warrior... A nameless, terrible thing, soaked in the blood of a billion galaxies. The most feared being in all the cosmos. And nothing could stop it, or hold it, or reason with it. One day it would just drop out of the sky and tear down your world.Amy: But how did it end up in there?The Doctor: You know fairy tales. A good wizard tricked it.River Song: I hate good wizards in fairy tales; they always turn out to be him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
midora Posted November 18, 2013 Share Posted November 18, 2013 but no way to pull a transparency layer out of an existing layer. 'Color Matrix' plugin is able to convert the alpha channel to a gray bitmap ('Transparency to Gray' in drop down). Or the other way 'RGB to Transparency'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david.atwell Posted November 18, 2013 Share Posted November 18, 2013 Wow, cool. I edited my answer because yours is better. Thanks, Midora. Quote The Doctor: There was a goblin, or a trickster, or a warrior... A nameless, terrible thing, soaked in the blood of a billion galaxies. The most feared being in all the cosmos. And nothing could stop it, or hold it, or reason with it. One day it would just drop out of the sky and tear down your world.Amy: But how did it end up in there?The Doctor: You know fairy tales. A good wizard tricked it.River Song: I hate good wizards in fairy tales; they always turn out to be him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MealeaYing Posted November 19, 2013 Author Share Posted November 19, 2013 (edited) ooo... The dead thread thing, I read about that a while ago but the one I was in seemed sort of new-ish... Ok Sorry! I am a nincomepoop! Thank you, I had this creeping suspicion I was messing something up. Im looking at that plugin now, it looks cool but I think its not what I am after.... Im not after transparency, I can do that with ease in Paint.Net. (YAY!) What I need is direct access to the alpha channel like I have access to layers so I can paste an image into it. The thing I am using, Opensimulator, is a 3D environment in which you can do pretty much whatever you want, its like a game engine but more geared to creativity and education. What I am trying to do is use the RGB channels to provide color information and the alpha channel to provide a bump map that I wrap around a 3D object. So for example if I have a 3D head I would use the color information in the RG and B channels to define the color of the skin, and perhaps things like blemishes and moles and stuff, I would use the bump map (called a normal map) in the alpha channel to enhance this with things like pores, wrinkles and some bumpyness to the blemishes if any (darn those pesky blemishes!). Is that possible? [EDIT: That plug in IS cool! Its not what I am after but its terrific and very interesting] Thanks for the help you guys! Cheers! Mealea Edited November 19, 2013 by MealeaYing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ego Eram Reputo Posted November 19, 2013 Share Posted November 19, 2013 What I need is direct access to the alpha channel like I have access to layers so I can paste an image into it. The Alpha channel = transparency. If you enter any value into the Alpha channel it will be interpreted as an amount of transparency vs. opacity. There is no avoiding this. It's like accepting that the Red color channel denotes the amount of red in a pixel. Transparency is what the Alpha channel is for. So if you paste anything into the Alpha channel what you're doing is adjusting the amount of transparency. It's not a spare color channel you can work with. Quote ebook: Mastering Paint.NET | resources: Plugin Index | Stereogram Tut | proud supporter of Codelab plugins: EER's Plugin Pack | Planetoid | StickMan | WhichSymbol+ | Dr Scott's Markup Renderer | CSV Filetype | dwarf horde plugins: Plugin Browser | ShapeMaker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MealeaYing Posted November 19, 2013 Author Share Posted November 19, 2013 Well thats odd.... Thanks very much for the help, I must be misreading things somewhere.... Im going to have to dig into this a bit I guess. Cheers, and thanks again, Mealea Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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