Graphic converter query - transparency
in [UK Mac]
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From: Rowland McDonnell on 28 Jun 2008 01:01 It's a question I would have thought the manual would help me with, but it seems not. Can anyone tell me how to make a (currently white) area around the outside of an image into a transparent region using Graphic Converter? (I'm trying to make an HP32E icon for the 32E emulator from here <http://www.bartosiak.org/nonpareil/index.html> - scanned in my calculator, cropped in close, but I'm left with a bit of a border because the sides are curved and I'd like it transparent) And while I'm at it: what's the approved method of applying a custom icon as a one-off in OS X? I tried the obvious `Get Info' and then found I could paste my prototype image in if I selected the icon in the top left - but although I gave it a 128x67 pixel image, what I got ended up much lower resolution than that and it's all blurry. Thing is, that's what Mac Help appears to tell me to do. But it don't work right (bloody bloody grumble moan whine). Anyone got a hint? Cheers, Rowland. -- Remove the animal for email address: rowland.mcdonnell(a)dog.physics.org Sorry - the spam got to me http://www.mag-uk.org http://www.bmf.co.uk UK biker? Join MAG and the BMF and stop the Eurocrats banning biking
From: Woody on 28 Jun 2008 06:24 Rowland McDonnell <real-address-in-sig(a)flur.bltigibbet> wrote: > It's a question I would have thought the manual would help me with, but > it seems not. > > Can anyone tell me how to make a (currently white) area around the > outside of an image into a transparent region using Graphic Converter? Although not a user of graphic converter, assuming it works in a similarish way to other things, you can only change an area to transparent if you want to make a gif, which I assume you don't if you are making an icon. the other way is to copy the part that isn't white and paste it into a new transparency. > (I'm trying to make an HP32E icon for the 32E emulator from here > <http://www.bartosiak.org/nonpareil/index.html> - scanned in my > calculator, cropped in close, but I'm left with a bit of a border > because the sides are curved and I'd like it transparent) > > And while I'm at it: what's the approved method of applying a custom > icon as a one-off in OS X? Copy and paste into the Get Info. I did it yesterday so I know it works ok (this was 10.5, but I remember it always working). > I tried the obvious `Get Info' and then found I could paste my prototype > image in if I selected the icon in the top left - but although I gave it > a 128x67 pixel image, what I got ended up much lower resolution than > that and it's all blurry. What said 128x67? Icons should be 128x128 32 bit argb (or is it rgba)? I use the icon tool, paste it into that and save it as a graphic. I am not sure if icon composer is a normal thing or gets installed with the developer tools. I think it is. You can do it in photoshop so I am sure you can do it in graphic converter > Thing is, that's what Mac Help appears to tell me to do. Ahh.. never read that! -- Woody www.alienrat.com
From: Rowland McDonnell on 28 Jun 2008 18:44 Woody <usenet(a)alienrat.co.uk> wrote: > Rowland McDonnell <real-address-in-sig(a)flur.bltigibbet> wrote: > > > It's a question I would have thought the manual would help me with, but > > it seems not. > > > > Can anyone tell me how to make a (currently white) area around the > > outside of an image into a transparent region using Graphic Converter? > > Although not a user of graphic converter, assuming it works in a > similarish way to other things, you can only change an area to > transparent if you want to make a gif, which I assume you don't if you > are making an icon. I dunno - I recall icons with transparent (missing, more like) bits under < OS X, so why can't I have 'em with OS X? > the other way is to copy the part that isn't white and paste it into a > new transparency. Okay, I need to learn what that means. I've STFW and got horribly confused. Anyone got a pointer to a site I could read that'd teach me what I need to know to understand this? > > (I'm trying to make an HP32E icon for the 32E emulator from here > > <http://www.bartosiak.org/nonpareil/index.html> - scanned in my > > calculator, cropped in close, but I'm left with a bit of a border > > because the sides are curved and I'd like it transparent) > > > > And while I'm at it: what's the approved method of applying a custom > > icon as a one-off in OS X? > > Copy and paste into the Get Info. I did it yesterday so I know it works > ok (this was 10.5, but I remember it always working). It worked, but not okay - as I related. > > I tried the obvious `Get Info' and then found I could paste my prototype > > image in if I selected the icon in the top left - but although I gave it > > a 128x67 pixel image, what I got ended up much lower resolution than > > that and it's all blurry. > > What said 128x67? Nothing, but I was working on the idea that the OS could sort it out if the image it was given wasn't square. Was that wrong of me? > Icons should be 128x128 32 bit argb (or is it rgba)? Dunno what that means at all. > I use the icon tool, paste it into that and save it as a graphic. Umm. `The icon tool'? > I am not sure if icon composer is a normal thing or gets installed with > the developer tools. I think it is. You think it is what? I don't have anything on my boot volume called icon composer. > You can do it in photoshop so I am > sure you can do it in graphic converter I'm confused. You seem to be telling me to use some special tool called icon tool or icon composer (which I don't have) and also Photoshop or Graphic Converter. Could you elucidate? > > Thing is, that's what Mac Help appears to tell me to do. > > Ahh.. never read that! <shrug> What else can one do? Rowland. -- Remove the animal for email address: rowland.mcdonnell(a)dog.physics.org Sorry - the spam got to me http://www.mag-uk.org http://www.bmf.co.uk UK biker? Join MAG and the BMF and stop the Eurocrats banning biking
From: Woody on 28 Jun 2008 20:17 Rowland McDonnell <real-address-in-sig(a)flur.bltigibbet> wrote: > Woody <usenet(a)alienrat.co.uk> wrote: > > > Rowland McDonnell <real-address-in-sig(a)flur.bltigibbet> wrote: > > > > > It's a question I would have thought the manual would help me with, but > > > it seems not. > > > > > > Can anyone tell me how to make a (currently white) area around the > > > outside of an image into a transparent region using Graphic Converter? > > > > Although not a user of graphic converter, assuming it works in a > > similarish way to other things, you can only change an area to > > transparent if you want to make a gif, which I assume you don't if you > > are making an icon. > > I dunno - I recall icons with transparent (missing, more like) bits > under < OS X, so why can't I have 'em with OS X? Well, you can, but that isn't what the finder uses for transparent images (I don't think). Having a look now, if you click the tool in the toolbox that looks like a T crossed out that is on the right, 3 up from the bottom (this is version 6 - I guess it is old, it isn't something I use), you can click on a colour and all of that colour becomes transparent. > > the other way is to copy the part that isn't white and paste it into a > > new transparency. > > Okay, I need to learn what that means. I've STFW and got horribly > confused. Anyone got a pointer to a site I could read that'd teach me > what I need to know to understand this? What I meant is that if you have a large area around the outside of an image that is white, if you select everything that isn't white (ie, the rest of the image) and copy it, you could paste it in a new transparent image. When you say new image, there is a check box for transparent background. > > > (I'm trying to make an HP32E icon for the 32E emulator from here > > > <http://www.bartosiak.org/nonpareil/index.html> - scanned in my > > > calculator, cropped in close, but I'm left with a bit of a border > > > because the sides are curved and I'd like it transparent) > > > > > > And while I'm at it: what's the approved method of applying a custom > > > icon as a one-off in OS X? > > > > Copy and paste into the Get Info. I did it yesterday so I know it works > > ok (this was 10.5, but I remember it always working). > > It worked, but not okay - as I related. By worked, I meant it worked ok here. I don't tend to have custom icons but I reinstalled my wifes macbook to try and cure the wifi issues (it didn't) and she has them all over the palace > > > > I tried the obvious `Get Info' and then found I could paste my prototype > > > image in if I selected the icon in the top left - but although I gave it > > > a 128x67 pixel image, what I got ended up much lower resolution than > > > that and it's all blurry. > > > > What said 128x67? > > Nothing, but I was working on the idea that the OS could sort it out if > the image it was given wasn't square. Was that wrong of me? I don't know. It would appear from your experience it was. > > Icons should be 128x128 32 bit argb (or is it rgba)? > > Dunno what that means at all. 128 pixels square, with 8 bits used for red, green, blue and an alpha channel. > > > I use the icon tool, paste it into that and save it as a graphic. > > Umm. `The icon tool'? > > > I am not sure if icon composer is a normal thing or gets installed with > > the developer tools. I think it is. > > You think it is what? I don't have anything on my boot volume called > icon composer. No, I checked, it is part of the development tools. > > You can do it in photoshop so I am > > sure you can do it in graphic converter > > I'm confused. You seem to be telling me to use some special tool called > icon tool or icon composer (which I don't have) and also Photoshop or > Graphic Converter. No, I said I did it in either icon composer (which you don't have) or photoshop. However, I was guessing you could do it in graphic converter as well. I didn't know, as it is not something I use. However, I just did and it works. This is what I did. In graphic converter I made an image of 128 x 128 with a transparent background. I made my image (just a rubbish image as a test). I then saved it as a tiff. I then got info on the tiff, selected the image at the top left and copied it. I then got info on a folder and selected the top left icon and said paste. The folder now has the custom icon. > > > Thing is, that's what Mac Help appears to tell me to do. > > > > Ahh.. never read that! > > <shrug> What else can one do? Play around with it until it works generally. -- Woody www.alienrat.com
From: Rowland McDonnell on 28 Jun 2008 23:45
Woody <usenet(a)alienrat.co.uk> wrote: > Rowland McDonnell <real-address-in-sig(a)flur.bltigibbet> wrote: > > > Woody <usenet(a)alienrat.co.uk> wrote: > > > > > Rowland McDonnell <real-address-in-sig(a)flur.bltigibbet> wrote: > > > > > > > It's a question I would have thought the manual would help me with, but > > > > it seems not. > > > > > > > > Can anyone tell me how to make a (currently white) area around the > > > > outside of an image into a transparent region using Graphic Converter? > > > > > > Although not a user of graphic converter, assuming it works in a > > > similarish way to other things, you can only change an area to > > > transparent if you want to make a gif, which I assume you don't if you > > > are making an icon. > > > > I dunno - I recall icons with transparent (missing, more like) bits > > under < OS X, so why can't I have 'em with OS X? > > Well, you can, but that isn't what the finder uses for transparent > images (I don't think). Well, with ResEdit, you could define a mask to blank off regions of the icon square that you didn't want to count as `part of the icon'. Sometimes, this mask was used in an annoying fashion so that the icon had holes in it thus making it hard to click. Sounds like `equivalent to transparency' to me - and one would assume, in a sensible world, that the Finder would interpret transparent parts of an image given to it to use as an icon as `masked off bits' in that fashion. > Having a look now, if you click the tool in the toolbox that looks like > a T crossed out that is on the right, 3 up from the bottom (this is > version 6 - I guess it is old, it isn't something I use), you can click > on a colour and all of that colour becomes transparent. Ah - yes, so it does. So why couldn't I find that mentioned in the manual? Hmm... > > > the other way is to copy the part that isn't white and paste it into a > > > new transparency. > > > > Okay, I need to learn what that means. I've STFW and got horribly > > confused. Anyone got a pointer to a site I could read that'd teach me > > what I need to know to understand this? > > What I meant is that if you have a large area around the outside of an > image that is white, if you select everything that isn't white (ie, the > rest of the image) and copy it, you could paste it in a new transparent > image. Uhuh - damned awkward to do in practice, though, isn't it? I don't see how I could do that job competently and I have tried using the lasso tool. > When you say new image, there is a check box for transparent background. Ah! Yes - thanks. > > > > (I'm trying to make an HP32E icon for the 32E emulator from here > > > > <http://www.bartosiak.org/nonpareil/index.html> - scanned in my > > > > calculator, cropped in close, but I'm left with a bit of a border > > > > because the sides are curved and I'd like it transparent) > > > > > > > > And while I'm at it: what's the approved method of applying a custom > > > > icon as a one-off in OS X? > > > > > > Copy and paste into the Get Info. I did it yesterday so I know it works > > > ok (this was 10.5, but I remember it always working). > > > > It worked, but not okay - as I related. > > By worked, I meant it worked ok here. Righto. But clearly what you did was significantly different to what I did, 'cos it worked badly here. > I don't tend to have custom icons but I reinstalled my wifes macbook to > try and cure the wifi issues (it didn't) and she has them all over the > palace All over the palace, eh? Moved up the property ladder, then? > > > > I tried the obvious `Get Info' and then found I could paste my prototype > > > > image in if I selected the icon in the top left - but although I gave it > > > > a 128x67 pixel image, what I got ended up much lower resolution than > > > > that and it's all blurry. > > > > > > What said 128x67? > > > > Nothing, but I was working on the idea that the OS could sort it out if > > the image it was given wasn't square. Was that wrong of me? > > I don't know. It would appear from your experience it was. I'd like to find out what it was playing at. > > > Icons should be 128x128 32 bit argb (or is it rgba)? > > > > Dunno what that means at all. > > 128 pixels square, with 8 bits used for red, green, blue and an alpha > channel. Ah - righto. Now to find out what an alpha channel is. > > > I use the icon tool, paste it into that and save it as a graphic. > > > > Umm. `The icon tool'? > > > > > I am not sure if icon composer is a normal thing or gets installed with > > > the developer tools. I think it is. > > > > You think it is what? I don't have anything on my boot volume called > > icon composer. > > No, I checked, it is part of the development tools. Righto. > > > You can do it in photoshop so I am > > > sure you can do it in graphic converter > > > > I'm confused. You seem to be telling me to use some special tool called > > icon tool or icon composer (which I don't have) and also Photoshop or > > Graphic Converter. > > No, I said I did it in either icon composer (which you don't have) I think I might well install the developer tools one of these days. But I've got a lot of setting up to do yet. Just got MacTeX 2007 installed and customised to my spec and my head hurts as it usually does when I do that job. >or > photoshop. which I can't afford and have almost no use for. > However, I was guessing you could do it in graphic converter as well. I > didn't know, as it is not something I use. > However, I just did and it works. This is what I did. > > In graphic converter I made an image of 128 x 128 with a transparent > background. I made my image (just a rubbish image as a test). > I then saved it as a tiff. > I then got info on the tiff, selected the image at the top left and > copied it. I then got info on a folder and selected the top left icon > and said paste. > The folder now has the custom icon. That method worked okay here. So now I have nonpariel-32e with a scanned in image of my real HP-32E calculator as its icon. <heh> Four RPN calculators on DragThing (and another couple on Dashboard). And yes that does make some sort of sense. One of them's arbitrary precision, one of them's got a very nice UI so it's very nice to use (via app or widget), one of them's a clone of the real pocket calculator I've been using for the last 30-odd years, and the other two? One of them's a clone of a *powerful* HP calculator, and the other's a very space efficient widget with a rolling stack display that ought to be useful but isn't as handy as I thought. Still, I tend to grab the real calculator any time I need to do a bit of arithmetic. It's a lot quicker to use. > > > > Thing is, that's what Mac Help appears to tell me to do. > > > > > > Ahh.. never read that! > > > > <shrug> What else can one do? > > Play around with it until it works generally. I've tried that with Graphic Converter for many many years and you know what? I can't get it to work as I want. In general, I learn pretty much nothing at all from playing around with software in the absence of a good manual or someone to explain a bad manual to me. And you know that's the case. Thanks for the ideas, Rowland. -- Remove the animal for email address: rowland.mcdonnell(a)dog.physics.org Sorry - the spam got to me http://www.mag-uk.org http://www.bmf.co.uk UK biker? Join MAG and the BMF and stop the Eurocrats banning biking |