TARGA format with transparent area – help needed

km wrote:

I am creating a logo of three spheres which will be animated in After Effects.

After reading a tutorial I understood that a TARGA image with alpha channel created would allow just the sphere to be seen, but when I Import the file into after Effects the background is opaque and I can only resolve the problem by using a mask within After Effects (just about acceptable because of the simple shape).

Can someone guide me on how to correctly handle the TARGA file within Photoshop so that I eliminate the background?

My guess is that I have not grasped how to correctly apply the alpha channel. Having created it I get a black layer, presumably I need to apply another "action" to this, but what?

Thanks in anticipation.

KM

You can draw on the "alpha channel" (mask in Photoshop) with any tool,
e.g. selecting with the circular marque tool the sphere and using the
paint bucket to fill the selection with white (I believe, perhaps you need to invert the whole mask). Make sure you selected the mask and not the layer itself!

Waldo

On Fri, 07 Apr 2006 13:07:00 +0200, Waldo wrote:

km wrote:

I am creating a logo of three spheres which will be animated in After Effects.

After reading a tutorial I understood that a TARGA image with alpha channel created would allow just the sphere to be seen, but when I Import the file into after Effects the background is opaque and I can only resolve the problem by using a mask within After Effects (just about acceptable because of the simple shape).

Can someone guide me on how to correctly handle the TARGA file within Photoshop so that I eliminate the background?

My guess is that I have not grasped how to correctly apply the alpha channel. Having created it I get a black layer, presumably I need to apply another "action" to this, but what?

Thanks in anticipation.

KM

You can draw on the "alpha channel" (mask in Photoshop) with any tool,
e.g. selecting with the circular marque tool the sphere and using the
paint bucket to fill the selection with white (I believe, perhaps you need to invert the whole mask). Make sure you selected the mask and not the layer itself!

Waldo

Thanks for the suggestion.

In the event I played around with the files and by using just the Sphere LOGO I created in Illustrator I then pasted it into Photoshop and used only that layer (ie no background). The .psd file is usable in After Effects and I ended up with three spheres which I was able to animate without any background obstructing them.

I have only got limited access to these programmes (this involves attendance at a Training Course which allows a few minutes of use each week a contact of a Charity I help, who must be loaded to have bought the software he has on his PC) and am trying to produce an opening sequence for the Charity to use when short films are produced for the members.

As I get more experience of the likes of Premiere / After Effects / Illustrator and Photoshop I am sorely tempted to buy but the cost is astronomical!

KM

On Sat, 08 Apr 2006 16:14:06 +0100, km wrote:

On Fri, 07 Apr 2006 13:07:00 +0200, Waldo wrote:

km wrote:

I am creating a logo of three spheres which will be animated in After Effects.

After reading a tutorial I understood that a TARGA image with alpha channel created would allow just the sphere to be seen, but when I Import the file into after Effects the background is opaque and I can only resolve the problem by using a mask within After Effects (just about acceptable because of the simple shape).

Can someone guide me on how to correctly handle the TARGA file within Photoshop so that I eliminate the background?

My guess is that I have not grasped how to correctly apply the alpha channel. Having created it I get a black layer, presumably I need to apply another "action" to this, but what?

Thanks in anticipation.

KM

You can draw on the "alpha channel" (mask in Photoshop) with any tool,
e.g. selecting with the circular marque tool the sphere and using the
paint bucket to fill the selection with white (I believe, perhaps you need to invert the whole mask). Make sure you selected the mask and not the layer itself!

Waldo

Thanks for the suggestion.

In the event I played around with the files and by using just the Sphere LOGO I created in Illustrator I then pasted it into Photoshop and used only that layer (ie no background). The .psd file is usable in After Effects and I ended up with three spheres which I was able to animate without any background obstructing them.

I have only got limited access to these programmes (this involves attendance at a Training Course which allows a few minutes of use each week

The following should read "and also"

a contact of a Charity I help, who must be loaded to have bought the software he has on his PC) and am trying to produce an opening sequence for the Charity to use when short films are produced for the members.

As I get more experience of the likes of Premiere / After Effects / Illustrator and Photoshop I am sorely tempted to buy but the cost is astronomical!

KM